FRENCH FASHIONS 215 



we never set anything upon Parterres, Terraces, Bowl- 

 ing-Greens, Slopes, etc., but small Yews and Flower- 

 ing Shrubs which taking up little room in the Air, 

 we have the free Prospect of everything about us. 



"We now often fall into the contrary Extreme and Mystery. 

 lay our Gardens too open under the pretence of mak- 

 ing the Parts large; there are twenty considerable 

 Gardens about Paris spoiled by this very thing, and 

 where it is needless to go into them to see them ; you 

 discover the whole at one view from the Vestibule of 

 the House without troubling yourself to walk in 

 them. This is certainly very wrong. The pleasure 

 of a Garden is to have the View stopt in certain 

 places, that you may be led on with Delight to see 

 the more agreeable Parts of it, as fine Groves or 

 Woodwork, Green Halls adorned with Fountains and 

 Figures, etc. Those great flat Parts and the Walks 

 about them rob us, as I may say, of the room where 

 the Wood and raised Works should grow, which 

 make the Contrariety and Change in a garden, and 

 which make all the rest valuable; when the shade of 

 these, which is so necessary, is wanting there is no 

 walking in summer without being roasted, which is 

 one of the greatest Inconveniences and Faults that 

 can be. 



" Gardens that lie thus open, have commonly indeed scale, 

 a fine and extensive Prospect, the Walls being under 



