Theory and Practice 169 



and gratified by the surrounding objects. But as this 

 view should not be momentary, I suppose the road to 

 continue from the gate in a straight line, till it falls into 

 a circle with the colonnade ; and here the broad road 

 may be intercepted with posts and chains, to direct car- 

 riages into that course which displays the whole area to 

 the greatest advantage, passing nearer to the side colon- 

 nade, shewing that in perspective, and presenting the 

 house at the angle to shew its depth. The manner in 

 which this is effected by sweeping round the court is 

 not to be described by painting, because every step 

 varies the position of the several parts, as they advance 

 or recede perspectively. 



Hitherto I have spoken of the north or entrance 

 front and courtyard of Burley, the whole of which I 

 would treat only as a work of art, and, if possible, 

 exclude all view of the country. But to the south, the 

 prospect or natural landscape is the leading feature for 

 our consideration. The steep descent from the house 

 has been cut into a number of terraces, each supported 

 by a red brick wall ; and if these several walls had 

 been of stone, or architecturally finished like the old 

 costly hanging-gardens of France and Italy, they might 

 perhaps have added more magnificence to the house 

 than any improvement which modern gardening could 

 suggest, but they are mean in their forms, diminutive 

 in their height, and out of harmony in their colour. 

 Yet the style of the house and the steepness of the 

 declivity will not admit of their being all taken away 

 to slope the ground, in the manner too often practised 

 by modern improvers. 



I therefore make a compromise between ancient and 

 modern gardening, between art and nature, and by in- 

 creasing the height, or rather the depth, from the upper 



