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ENGLISH PLEASURE GARDENS 



The relative 

 situation of 

 house and 

 garden. 



of nature, and the best ornaments that ever were discov- 

 ered to make a seat pleasant. But it is hoped that this 

 new, useless, and unpleasant mode will, like many other 

 varieties, still go out of fashion." In Plot's " Stafford- 

 shire" there is a picture of the house and grounds at 

 Ingestre. The gardens consist of squares and ovals 

 of grass, ornamented with statues, 

 but do not appear to contain a single 

 flower. 



Of the many books describing how 

 gardens were to be laid out at this 

 period, the best by English writers 

 were " Flora, Ceres, and Pomona " by 

 John Rea and the "Systema Horti- 

 cultures, or Art of Gardening," by 

 John Worlidge. The first of these 

 publications appeared in 1676, the 

 second in 1677, both in London. 

 The situation of the garden in relation to the house 

 is taken for granted by Worlidge. One reason for his 

 premise was the advantage of having the principal en- 

 trance into the garden from the best room in the 

 house to make the walks convenient for exercise after 

 meals. 



" It may seem needless to say anything of the situa- 

 tion of a Garden, it being so absolute a concomitant to 

 your habitation that a garden remote or by itself, is 



