2 ENGLISH PLEASURE GARDENS 



the thick, almost windowless walls of an Anglo-Norman 

 fortalice. Precedents not ours by direct inheritance 

 have become so by adoption. 



classic ^Esthetically, we are still held fast by classic tradi- 



ments. tions, taught the Britons by the Romans early in the 

 Christian era, degraded, if not utterly destroyed, during 

 the Dark Ages, but revived at the time of the Renais- 

 sance. To see our sense of beauty expressed in perfect 

 form, we continue to look back to the masterpieces of 

 the Greeks and Romans. It is to them that we turn 

 now to find the derivation of many charming details 

 in addition to the general plan of the formal garden. 

 Hundreds, almost thousands, of years ago the classic 

 garden makers realized our ideals, combining architecture 

 with sculpture and horticulture to produce gardens un- 

 surpassed in the perfection of their design. A lack 

 of our variety and abundance of flowers was their only 

 deficiency. 



A knowledge of the arts and sciences spread with the 

 Thedissemi- growth of the Roman provinces throughout Europe. 



nation of 



Roman Civilization made great progress in Great Britain after 

 the conquest of Claudius ; architecture and horticulture 

 were practised from both an ornamental and a useful 

 standpoint. Villas, or country seats, including extensive 

 residences with spacious courtyards, vineyards, orchards, 

 kitchen and pleasure gardens, were laid out all over 

 the province. These constructions were similar to those 



