68 Preface 



from which it will easily be ascertained how much of 

 what is called the improvement of any place in the list/^ 

 may properly be attributed to my advice. It is rather 

 upon my opinions in writing than on the partial and 

 imperfect manner in which my plans have sometimes 

 been executed that I wish my fame to be established. 



1 . There is no error more prevalent in modern garden- 

 ing, or more frequently carried to excess, than taking 

 away hedges to unite many small fields into one extens- 

 ive and naked lawn, before plantations are made to 

 give it the appearance of a park ; and where ground is 

 subdivided by sunk fences, imaginary freedom is dearly 

 purchased at the expense of actual confinement. 



2. The' baldness and nakedness round the house is 

 part of the same mistaken system, of concealing fences 

 to gain extent. A palace, or even an elegant villa, in 

 a grass-field, appears to me incongruous ; yet I have 

 seldom had sufficient influence to correct this common 

 error. 



3. An approach which does not evidently lead to the 

 house, or which does not take the shortest course, cannot 

 be right. This rule must be taken with certain limitations. 

 The shortest road across a lawn to a house will seldom 

 be found graceful, and often vulgar. A road bordered 

 by trees in the form of an avenue may be straight with- 

 out being vulgar; and grandeur, not grace or elegance, 

 is the expression expected to be produced. 



4. A poor man's cottage, divided into what is called 

 a pair of lodges^ is a mistaken expedient to mark import- 

 ance in the entrance to a park. 



5. The entrance-gate should not be visible from the 

 mansion, unless it opens into a courtyard. 



6. The plantation surrounding a place, called a belt^ 

 I have never advised; nor have I ever willingly marked 



