138 Gbe (Barren 



rather to show a genius in works of this nature, 

 and therefore always conceal the art by which 

 they direct themselves. They have a word, it 

 seems, in their language by which they express 

 the particular beauty of a plantation that thus 

 strikes the imagination at first sight, without 

 discovering what it is that has so agreeable an 

 effect. Our British gardeners, on the contrary, 

 instead of humoring nature, love to deviate 

 from it as much as possible. Our trees rise in 

 cones, globes, and pyramids. We see the marks 

 of the scissors upon every plant and bush. I do 

 not know whether I am singular in my opinion, 

 but, for my own part, I would rather look upon 

 a tree in all its luxuriancy and diffusion of 

 boughs and branches, than when it is thus cut 

 and trimmed into a mathematical figure ; and 

 cannot but fancy that an orchard in flower looks 

 infinitely more delightful than all the little 

 labyrinths of the most finished parterre. But 

 as our great modellers of gardens have their 

 magazines of plants to dispose of, it is very 

 natural for them to tear up all the beautiful 

 plantations of fruit trees, and contrive a plan 

 that may most turn to their own profit, in taking 

 off their evergreens, and the like movable 

 plants, with which their shops are plentifully 

 stocked. O. 



