Theory and Practice 157 



proves the futility of making pictures our models for 

 natural improvements : however I may respect the 

 works of the great masters in painting, and delight to 

 look at nature with a painter's eye, yet I shall never 

 be induced to believe that " the best landscape painter 

 would be the best landscape gardener." ^^ 



The River Terne, being liable to floods from every 

 heavy shower of rain which falls upon the neighbour- 

 ing hills, has formed a number of different channels 

 and islands : some of these channels are dry when the 

 water is low, and some of the islands are covered when 

 the water is high. These irriguous appearances have 

 charms in the eye of a landscape painter, who, from 

 some detached parts, might select a study for a fore- 

 ground, at a happy moment when the water is neither 

 too high nor too low. But the landscape gardener has 

 a different object to effect ; he must secure a constant 

 and permanent display of water, which may be seen at 

 a distance, and which shall add brilliancy and grandeur 

 to the character of the scenery: it is not an occasionally 

 meandering brook that such a palace or such a bridge 

 requires, but it is an ample river, majestically flowing 

 through the park, and spreading cheerfulness on all 

 around it. 



Mr. Price has written an essay to describe the prac- 

 tical manner of finishing the banks of artificial water, 

 but I confess, after reading it with much attention, 

 I despair of making any practitioner comprehend his 

 meaning ; indeed, he confesses that no workman can 

 be trusted to execute his plans. It is very true that 

 large pieces of water may be made too trim and neat 

 about the edges, and that often, in Mr. Brown's works, 

 the plantations are not brought near enough to the 

 water ; but if the banks are finished smoothly at first, 



