122 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



the fair ladies who talked over the latest scandal 

 while drinking scented tea out of tiny Chinese 

 cups. 



The high road from London to Bath ran past 

 Beckett, and it is supposed that the Garden House 

 was built to enable the ladies of that day to watch 

 the coaches as they passed by. They must in this 

 way have often caught sight of friends, and possibly 

 have brought them in to hear their news and have 

 a few hours' rest. Quite a romantic little picture 

 could be painted of this fascinating House and its 

 fair inmates. Such a building as this Garden 

 House at Beckett must add greatly to the effect 

 of any Garden, and give constant pleasure by its 

 originality of design, while its position and whole 

 treatment is quite perfect. Long ago great artists 

 thought nothing too small to do well, and they 

 possessed the rare power, so seldom found in these 

 days, of being able to design churches and palaces 

 full of grave grace and dignity, as well as to erect 

 fantastic little buildings like the Garden House at 

 Beckett. They also had that nicety of judgment 

 which enabled them to know where to place their 

 buildings ; for instance, here, the little Garden 

 House stands just where it is wanted, and where 

 it looks well from every point of view. It is not, 

 however, surprising to find this exact knowledge 

 with regard to its design and position when the 

 name of the architect is remembered. Inigo Jones 



