VARIED TASTES IN GARDENS 19 



VARIED TASTES IN GARDENS 



(From a Letter from Pope to Lord Bathurst) 



THAT this Letter may be all of a piece, I'll fill the 

 rest with an account of a consultation lately held 

 in my neighbourhood about designing a princely 

 garden. Several Critics were of several opinions : 

 One declared he would not have too much Art in 

 it ; for my notion (said he) of gardening is, that it 

 is only sweeping nature : Another told them that 

 Gravel walks were not of a good taste, for all the 

 finest abroad were of loose sand : A third advis'd 

 peremptorily there should not be one Lime-tree in 

 the whole plantation : A fourth made the same 

 exclusive clause extend to Horse-chestnuts, which 

 he affirmed not to be trees, but weeds : Dutch Elms 

 were condemned by a fifth ; and thus, about half 

 the trees were proscribed, contrary to the Paradise 

 of God's own planting, which is expressly said to 

 be planted with all trees. There were some who 

 could not bear Ever-greens, and called them Never- 

 greens ; some, who were angry at them only when 

 cut into shapes, and gave the modern Gardeners 

 the name of Ever-green Taylors ; some, who had 

 no dislike to Cones and Cubes, but would have them 

 cut in Forest-trees ; and some who were in a passion 

 against anything in shape, even against dipt hedges, 

 which they call'd green walls. These (my Lord) 

 are our Men of Taste, who pretend to prove it by 

 tasting little or nothing. Sure such a Taste is like 

 such a stomach, not a good one, but a weak one. 



