PREFACE xi 



books better than gardens. Where the 

 authors touch the ground of actuality, 

 they soon show little acquaintance with the 

 subject ; and, indeed, they see no design at 

 all in landscape gardening and admit their 

 ignorance of it. That men should write 

 on things of which they have thought little 

 is unhappily of frequent occurrence, but to 

 find them openly avowing their ignorance 

 of the art they presume to criticise is 

 new. 



A word or two on the state of architect- 

 ure itself may not be amiss. From Gower 

 Street to the new Law Courts our architect- 

 ure does not seem to be in a much better 

 state than landscape gardening is, according 

 to the architects to whom we owe the " For- 

 mal Garden " and " Garden Craft " / It is 

 William Morris -whose "design" these 

 authors may respect who calls London 

 houses "mean and idiotic rabbit warrens /" 

 so that there is plenty to do for ambitious 



