26 The Art of Landscape Gardening 



most pleasing, which, like that at Langley Park, climbs 

 up a hill, and, passing over its summit, leaves the fancy 

 to conceive its termination/ 



One great mischief of an avenue is that it divides 

 a park and cuts it into separate parts, destroying that 

 unity of lawn or wood which is necessary to please in 

 every composition: this is so obvious that, where a long 

 avenue runs through a park from east to west, it would 

 be hardly possible to avoid distinguishing it into the 

 north and south lawn, or north and south division of 

 the park. 



But the greatest objection to an avenue is that (espe- 

 cially in uneven ground) it will often act as a curtain 

 drawn across to exclude what is infinitely more interest- 

 ing than any row of trees, however venerable or beau- 

 tiful in themselves; and it is in undrawing this curtain 

 at proper places that the utility of what is called break- 

 ing an avenue consists : for it is in vain we shall en- 

 deavour, by removing nine tenths of the trees in rows, 

 to prevent its having the effect of an avenue when seen 

 from either end. The illustration [Plate iii] may serve to 

 shew the effect of cutting down some chestnut-trees in 

 the avenue at Langley, to let in the hill, richly covered 

 with oaks, and that majestic tree which steps out be- 

 fore its brethren like the leader of a host. Such open- 

 ings may be made in several parts of this avenue with 

 wonderful effect; and yet its venerable appearance from 

 the windows of the saloon will not be injured, because 

 the trees removed from the rows will hardly be missed 

 in the general perspective view from the house. And 

 though I should not advise the planting such an avenue, 

 yet there will always be so much of ancient grandeur 

 in the front trees, and in looking up this long vista 

 at Langley, that I do not wish it should be further 



