34 



The Art of Landscape Gardening 



effecting such a deception will require some theoretical 

 reasoning to explain. 



The deception at present operates to the disadvant- 

 age of the waters, for I was myself greatly deceived in 

 the size of this pool when I looked at it from the house ; 

 and as it produces a similar effect on every person who 

 first sees it, I must explain the causes of the deception. 



First. The net fence through which the water ap- 

 pears is so near the windows that, by the laws of per- 

 spective (of which I will explain some general rules in 

 the sequel), it acts as a false standard, and by it we 

 measure the size of the pool. It was for this reason that 

 I desired some cattle might be driven on the banks, 

 which, as I have elsewhere shewn, are the best standard 

 for assisting the judgement with respect to the distance, 

 and, of course, the dimensions of other objects. 



Secondly. The pool is almost circular, and the eye 

 darts round its border with such instantaneous im- 

 perceptible velocity that it is impossible to suppose 

 its circumference to be nearly a mile, unless we can 

 see cattle on the opposite shores ; and then, by their 

 respective dimensions, we judge of the comparative 

 distance. The sheep on one side the water appear to 

 be larger than the cows on the other. The bay or creek 

 may be hid by shrubs, which will give the eye a check 

 in its circuitous progress. 



To explain the uses of the other bay (which seems 

 to connect the water in the foreground with the water 

 in the distance), I must take the liberty to describe 

 some effects in perspective, not, I believe, generally 

 attended to in gardening. Perspective, in painting, is 

 known to be of two kinds : the first is called linear per- 

 spective, and is that by which objects appear to diminish 

 in proportion to the distance at which they are viewed. 



