JOHN WILKES 187 



Though the Chinese artists have nature for their general model, 

 yet they are not so attached to her as to exclude all appearance of 

 art ; on the contrary they think it on many occasions necessary 

 to make an ostentatious shew of their labour. Nature, say they, 

 affords us but few materials to work with. . . . 



The Chinese are therefore no enemies to strait lines ; because 

 they are, generally speaking, productive of grandeur, which often 

 cannot be attained without them : nor have they any aversion 

 to regular geometrical figures, which they say are beautiful in 

 themselves, and well suited to small compositions, where the 

 luxuriant irregularities of nature would fill up and embarrass 

 the parts they should adorn. . . . 



The usual method of distributing Gardens in China, is to 

 contrive a great variety of scenes to be seen from certain points 

 of view ; at which are placed seats or buildings adapted to the 

 different purposes of mental or sensual enjoyments. 



The perfection of their Gardens consists in the number and 

 diversity of these scenes, and in the artful combination of their 

 parts ; which they endeavour to dispose in such a manner, as not 

 only separately to appear to the best advantage, but also to unite 

 in forming an elegant and striking whole. ... In their large 

 Gardens they contrive different scenes for the different times 

 of the day ; disposing at the points of view buildings, which 

 from their use point out the proper hour for enjoying the view 

 in its perfections. . . . They have beside, scenes for every season 

 of the year : some for the winter, generally exposed to the 

 southern sun, and composed of pines, firs, cedars, evergreen 

 oaks, phillyreas, hollies, yews, and many other evergreens. — 'A 

 Dissertation on Oriental Gardenitig^^ by Sir William Chambers, 

 Knt., Comptroller General of his Majesty s Works, 1772. 



T CUT off all the rosebuds of the trees in our little garden JOHN 



* (which is a secret) to make them blow at the end of the WH-KES 



r (I727-I797)- 



season, when I hope to enjoy your company there after our trees. 



— Letter to his Daughter. 



