HISTORICAL SKETCH. 63 



conclusively verified in his ideal creation of an appropriate domain for the 

 progenitors of the human race, which is as wonderful as it is original in 

 design and execution, and does equal credit to his mighty attributes as a 

 poet, and his consummate taste as an artist. 



It is but to read, in his immortal poem, the graphic description of that 

 " blissful Paradise in the east of Eden planted," to be enabled to fully 

 estimate his transcendent powers of imagination ; for there were no existing 

 prototypes, but those revealed to his expansive vision and discriminating 

 perception, in the magnificent works of Omnipotence. Yet how exactly 

 and Avith Avhat consummate skill did he select and harmoniously combine 

 the most beautiful, august, majestic and interesting features of diversified 

 nature, for the embellishment of that " heaven on earth." 



The taste and skill in picturesque gardening which had been first illus- 

 trated at Twickenham, and the Leasowes, by Pope, and Shenstone, was 

 gradually appreciated, and the publications of Addison, Walpole and Sir 

 William Temple, ultimately induced such a thorough reformation, that the 

 precise and absurd style which had been vastly extended by the professional 

 labors of Wise, Brown, Eames and Repton, was abandoned, and Bridge- 

 man and Kent became successful and eminent pioneers in the establishment 

 of the modern theory of gardening. 



Temple so delighted in horticulture, that he directed in his will that his 

 heart should be buried beneath a sun-dial in his garden, at Moor Park, 

 where it was deposited in a silver urn. 



Walpole states, that " Kent was painler enough to taste the charms of 

 landscape, — bold and opinionative enough, to dare and to dictate, — and 

 born with a genius to strike out a great system, from the twiUght of 

 imperfect essays. He leaped the fence, and saw that all Nature was a 

 Garden." 



He was succeeded by Price, Knight and numerous other intelligent 

 disciples, who have enabled the present generation to appreciate the 

 distinguished services rendered by the illustrious authors which have been 

 named, as the heralds of instruction in one of the most pleasing depart- 

 ments of rural industry ; for their achievements, like the renowned paintings 

 of Claude Lorraine and Salvator Rosa, emphatically indicate, that such 

 correctness of design, fidelity of execution, and beauty in effect, had only 

 been attained by a .studious imitation of nature. 



With the important change in the manner of laying out and embellishing 

 grounds, a more enlightened and general disposition was disclosed for 

 increasing the varieties, and extending the culture of forest and fruit trees, 

 shrubs, flowers and vegetables ; and conservatories, green-houses, graperies 

 and stoves, for tropical plants, were rapidly multiphed, both for ornament 

 and profit, which caused numerous large nurseries to be established from 

 London to Edinburg, to supply the immensely increased demand for the 



