English Gardens 



remained practically unchanged tor a couple ot centuries. 

 With the beginning of this century, when taste in architecture 

 and art was distinctly declining towards its final depth in the 

 thirties, there came first, a carelessness for the beauty of the 

 old gardens, which resulted in neglect ; and then the period 

 when, under the guidance of Brown, the imitation of nature 

 and the making of pictures was the aim everywhere. This 

 resulted not only in the destruction of many fine gardens, but 



TERRACE AT MONTECUTE 



in a general perversion of taste which it has taken many years 

 to counteract. 



The reaction from Brown's hopeless endeavor to imitate 

 nature and to avoid everything pertaining to formality was 

 very quick, and yet it is indicative of the English temper that 

 it was not a violent swing of the pendulum to the other ex- 

 treme. Kemp, writing between fifty and sixty, laid down rules, 

 or rather suggested principles which seem thoroughly sound 

 and sensible. He urged the necessity for formal treatment in 



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