ffntrofcuction 17 



Though greatly indebted to Kent in its begin- 

 nings, many others have contributed to the de- 

 velopment of landscape gardening, and while 

 he must always receive consideration for origi- 

 nality and for positive accomplishment, it would 

 be a mistake to attach too much importance to 

 his influence upon the art. In the century or 

 more that has elapsed since Walpole's essay was 

 written public taste has changed, and changed 

 again. Indeed, the very year before that paper 

 was prepared and nearly fifteen years before it 

 was first published at Strawberry Hill, there 

 appeared anonymously an important work on 

 the subject ; particularly important, since it 

 was almost the very first treatise professedly on 

 landscape art. 



This was Thomas Whately's " Observations 

 on Modern Gardening," which was published 

 in 1770, and though now but little read, is rec- 

 ognized as an authority. For the reason that it 

 forms one of the landmarks in the literature 

 of the subject, the selections for the present 

 volume have been made at some length ; but 

 they might easily have been expanded, as 



