ON GARDENS 35 



was Rousham, in Oxfordshire. His views were 

 soon copied, and Charles Hamilton made Pain's 

 Hill, in Surrey, " a perfect example of this mode." 



Kent was followed by Lancelot Brown, a man 

 with little or no genius and less education. He 

 was nicknamed " Capability," from his favourite 

 habit of speaking of the "capabilities of the ground." 

 Brown was kitchen Gardener to Lord Cobham 

 at Stowe, where he rose, without possessing any 

 great ability, to be head Gardener, and was recom- 

 mended to the post of Royal Gardener at Hampton 

 Court by his master. 



An amusing description of Brown was written 

 by Chatham in a letter to Lady Stanhope : " Lan- 

 celot Brown, Esquire, en titre d office ; please con- 

 sider he shares the private hours of the King, 

 dines familiarly with his neighbour of Sion, and 

 sits down at the tables of all the House of Lords." 

 As can be seen from this, Brown was fashionable ; 

 thus he had complete control over the art of 

 Gardening for half a century. Now came the 

 rapid destroying of all the old Formal beauties 

 of the English Garden. Croome, in Worcester- 

 shire, and Fisherwick, in Staffordshire, were Brown's 

 only creations, as he principally spent his time in 

 remodelling Gardens into " Park-like Scenery." 

 His methods were "declivities softened into gentle 

 slopes ; plantations belted the estate, while clumps 

 and single trees were sprinkled over its area." A 



