148 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



" part, return with great sincerity ; and on 

 " this occasion I dare say I may answer for 

 " Mr. Knight. I fear, however, that as you 

 " complain of the occasional asperity of my 

 " supposed remarks on your opinions, you 

 " will not think me grown milder in this 

 " open and continued controversy ; for, in 

 " the course of pointing out and explaining 

 " the tendency of many indirect attacks and 

 " insinuations, which at first sight might not 

 " be obvious, some degree of sharpness in my 

 " answer would naturally arise ; but he who 

 " writes a formal challenge must not expect 

 " a billet doux in return. I may also observe, 

 " that every man (whatever the game may 

 " be) has his particular manner of playing ; 

 " an allusion which may not unaptly be ap- 

 " plied to writing. I have been told by some 

 " of my friends, that my play is sharp ; I 

 " believe it may be so ; but were I to en- 

 " deavour to alter it, I could not play at all. 

 " I trust, however, that my friends will vouch 

 " for me, that whatever sharpness there may 

 " be in my style, there is no rancour in my 

 " heart. 



" On reading over what I have written, I 

 " could not but lament that there should be 



