1 88 The Art of Landscape Gardening 



palaces or houses of the highest description, the sash- 

 frames should be gilt, as at Holkham, Wentworth, etc. 

 The effect of gold in such situations can hardly be 

 imagined by those who have never observed it; and 

 even at Thoresby, where the house is of red brick, the 

 gilding of the sashes has wonderfully improved its 

 importance. 



There is a circumstance with respect to gold and 

 gilding, of which few are aware who have not studied 

 the subject. The colour of gold, like its material, seems 

 to remove all difficulties and makes everything pleas- 

 ing ; this is evident on viewing a finely coloured picture 

 on a crimson hanging, with or without a gold frame ; 

 two discordant colours may be rendered more harmo- 

 nious by the intervention of gilding; it is never tawdry 

 or glaring, the yellow light catches on a very small 

 part of its surface, while the brown shadows melt into 

 the adjoining colours, and form a quiet tint, never 

 offensive : gold ornament may be applied to every col- 

 our and every shade, and is equally brilliant, whether 

 in contact with black or white. All ornaments of gold 

 should be more plain and simple than those of silver ; 

 not only because the costliness of the material renders 

 the costliness of workmanship less necessary, but be- 

 cause the carved or enriched parts reflect very little 

 light or brilliancy, compared with those that are plain. 



On the contrary, in silver ornaments, if the surface 

 be too plain, we annex the ideas of tin or pewter, and 

 it is only by the richness or the embossing that its 

 intrinsic value becomes apparent. These remarks are 

 applicable to gold and silver plate,'*° as well as to every 

 species of ornament in which those metals can be used. 

 Since the improvement in the manufactory of cast-iron 

 has brought that material into more frequent use, it 



