Theory and Practice 153 



nearer than it really is, there being no intervening 

 objects to divert the attention or to act as a scale 

 and assist the eye in judging of the distance. For this 

 reason every stranger who sees this house from the 

 turnpike road would describe it as a large house with 

 very little ground between it and the road. The first 

 idea of improvement would be, either to remove the 

 house or the road ; but as neither of these expedients 

 is practicable, we must have recourse to art to do away 

 with this false impression. This I shall consider as form- 

 ing the basis of the alteration proposed at Attingham. 



In ancient Gothic structures, where lofty walls and 

 various courts intervened between the palace and the 

 neighbouring village, there was sufficient dignity or 

 seclusion, without that apparent extent of domain which 

 a modern mansion requires ; but since the restraint of 

 ancient grandeur has given place to modern elegance, 

 which supposes greater ease and freedom, the situation 

 of a house in the country is more or less defective, in 

 proportion as it is more or less bounded or incommoded 

 by alien property. Thus a highroad, a ploughed field, 

 a barn, or a cottage adjoining a large house, has a 

 tendency to lessen its importance ; and hence originates 

 the idea of extending park, lawn, or pleasure-grounds 

 in every direction from the house ; hence, also, arises 

 the disgust we feel at seeing the park-pales and grounds 

 beyond, when they are so near or so conspicuous as 

 to impress the mind with an idea of not belonging to 

 the place. 



Perhaps the love of unity may contribute to the 

 pleasure we feel in viewing a park where the boundary 

 is well concealed. This desire of hiding the boundary 

 introduced the modern practice of surrounding almost 

 every park with a narrow plantation or belt, which, if 



