Chapter IX 



Landscape Gardening and Painting — Pictures 

 may imitate Nature^ but Nature is not to copy 

 Pictures 



AT the time my former publication was in the press, 

 the art of landscape gardening was attacked by- 

 two gentlemen, Mr. Knight,^" of Herefordshire, and 

 Mr. Price,^' of Shropshire ; and I retarded its publica- 

 tion till 1 could take some notice of the opinions of 

 these formidable, because ingenious, opponents. Hav- 

 ing since been consulted on subjects of importance in 

 those two counties, I willingly availed myself of oppor- 

 tunities to deliver my sentiments as particular circum- 

 stances occurred, and therefore, with permission of the 

 respective proprietors, I insert the following observa- 

 tions from the Red Books of Sufton Court, in Here- 

 fordshire, and Attingham, in Shropshire: 



My opinion concerning the improvement of Sufton 

 Court involving many principles in the art of landscape 

 gardening, I take this opportunity of justifying my 

 practice, in opposition to the wild theory which has 

 lately appeared ; and shall therefore occasionally allude 

 to this new system when it bears any relation to our 

 objects at Sufton Court. Having already published 

 a volume on the subject of landscape gardening, it will 

 be unnecessary to explain the motives which induced 

 me to adopt this name for a profession as distinct from 

 the art of landscape painting as it is from the art of 

 planting cabbages or pruning fruit-trees. The slight 



