Iborace Walpole 269 



A return of some particular thoughts was com- 

 mon to him with other painters, and made his 

 hand known. A small lake edged by a wind- 

 ing bank with scattered trees that led to a seat 

 at the head of the pond, was common to Clare- 

 mont, Bsher, and others of "his designs. At 

 Esher, 



" Where Kent and Nature vied for Pelham's love," 



the prospects more than aided the painter's 

 genius. They marked out the points where his 

 art was necessary or not, but thence left his 

 judgment in possession of all its glory. 



Having routed prof essed art ^ for the modern 

 gardener exerts his talents to conceal his art, 

 Kent, like other reformers, knew not how to 

 stop at the just limits. He had followed nature, 

 and imitated her so happily, that he began to 

 think all her works were equally proper for im- 

 itation. In Kensington Garden he planted deal 

 trees, to give a greater air of truth to the scene : 

 but he was soon laughed out of this excess. 

 His ruling principle was, that nature abhors a 

 straight line ; his mimics, for every genius has 

 his apes, seemed to think that she could love 

 nothing but what was crooked. Yet so many 

 men of taste of all ranks devoted themselves to 

 the new improvements, that it is surprising how 

 much beauty has been struck out, with how 



