EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY EXTREMES 259 



Repton. In spite of certain weak points, his book, 

 "Observations on Landscape Gardening," 1803, is of 

 great assistance. He condemned the prevalent custom 

 of substituting everywhere sunken fences or ha-has for 

 hedges, and the location of a palace or villa on a field 

 of grass, while approving of straight avenues as a means 

 of approach to the dwelling and of other similar here- 

 sies. Many beautiful estates in England have been 

 developed according to his ideas, and bear witness to 

 his good taste. 



Intercourse with China strengthened the influence Chinese 

 of the naturalistic school, while adding to its senti- 

 mentality. In China the landscape garden had flour- 

 ished from 2600 B.C. It was a microcosmus of the 

 idealized beauties of the landscape and an arrangement 

 of souvenirs collected from all over the country. The 

 composition was reduced to a system, where balance 

 took the place of symmetry. Mountains, rivers, lakes, 

 all the most striking features to be found in the land- 

 scape were reproduced on a small scale and given 

 appropriate surroundings. It was intended not only 

 that the garden should satisfy the sense of beauty, but 

 arouse emotions of gaiety, melancholy, or amazement. 

 The varying moods of nature were reflected and en- 

 hanced by artificial scenic effects, and accented by suit- 

 able architectural features. Each season, and even each 

 hour of the day, was given a fit accompaniment. 



