3 o8 



GARDENS OLD AND NEW. 



the stone. The great Doric portico on the south, 

 the sculptured cornices and pediment*, the cresting 

 balustrades and the urns, the variety and dignity of 

 the structure, are very impressive. 



The gardens are classic, as they rightly should 

 be when they grace such a mansion. They have their 

 kindred and originals in sunny Italy, where, in papal 

 or ducal gardens, we rise from terrace to terrace, 

 shadowed by ilexes and the tall spires of ancient 

 cypresses. They have their kindred also in the gay 

 gardens of old France. In a classic garden like that 

 at Bowood we are not called upon to make a choice 

 between the masterpiece of gardening and the work 

 of Nature. We have both the masterpiece in the 

 Italian pleasaunce and in the formal terraces, or by 

 the Neptune fountain, the work of Nature in the 

 park and the woods. As to the straight lines and 

 sentinel yews of the classic garden, we will not share 

 in the gentle raillery of Alfred de Musset, speaking of 

 a more famous example : 



O clieu.x ! O bergers ! O rocailles 

 Yieux satyres, Tonnes grognons, 



Vieux pctits ifs en rang d'oignons, 

 O bassins, quinconces, charmilles, 



Boulingrins plcins de majeste, 

 Ou, les dimanches, tout 1'ete, 



Baillent tant d'honnetes families ! " 



We will say of the garden, illustrated so well, what 

 Theophile Gautier says of Versailles, that it is quite 

 the garden for the house, that there is marvellous 

 harmony in its regular forms, that the result is an 

 impression of grandeur, symmetry and beauty not to 

 be resisted "the supreme formula of a complete 

 art, and the highest expression of a civilisation 

 completely developed." 



This is especially true of the Italian Garden on 

 the west side of the house, where the grand conser- 

 vatory and orangery wing extends along the upper 

 terrace, being full of the richest fruit and flowers. 

 Here on the terrace are two fountains with basins, 

 and the area is laid out with stone-edged flower-beds 

 geometrically arranged, all gay with beautiful things, 

 and tall, well clipped yews are there to give distinction 

 and relief. This upper terrace is margined by a 

 beautiful balustrade, adorned with radiant vases of 

 flowers, and there is a fine descent to the next level 

 by a stairway between two noble bronze stags, which 



are well seen in one of the pictures. Along this 

 terrace wall, clematis and roses cluster, and, below it, is 

 a long walk, from which we descend by short flights of 

 steps to the principal level of the garden. From the 

 west windows of the house an enchanting prospect 

 opens lengthwise over this beautiful spot, which is 

 bright with flowers in well-arranged beds set in the 

 grass spaces between the broad walks, and again, there 

 are tall yews shaped as truncated cones to give point 

 and character to the prospect. Parallel with the 

 orangery, a long balustrade forms the outer margin 

 of the garden, with beautiful flower-vases at intervals 

 upon it, and fine descents to the green spaces of 

 the park. Then, facing the house, at the other end 

 of the garden, where the ground rises, is an ascent to 

 a low terrace, whence, by the double segmental 

 stairway where Neptune and the nymph are raised 

 high upon their pedestal, we ascend to a transverse 

 terrace, overshadowed by a magnificent bank of most 

 beautiful trees. 



The garden architecture is superb, and nowhere 

 better than in the stairway of the Neptune fountain, 

 which is worthy of the Villa d'Este or of any garden 

 of Italy. The cool and beautiful stonework is 

 well fashioned, and the terrace wall is flushed 

 and adorned with the rich beauty of many fair garden 

 denizens, while the double stairway leads up to the 

 terraced height under the trees, from which we look 

 out over the whole garden, to the classic beauties of 

 the stately house and the landscape beauties of the 

 park. How great these beauties are we may see 



again, 



as well as the admirable character of the 



balustrading and the vases, in another lovely repre- 

 sentation of the park as viewed from the garden. 



We might expatiate at length upon the charms 

 and special features of these splendid gardens of 

 Bowood. They are all-satisfying to the architectural 

 and garden sense. On the east side the same 

 character is preserved, and here we may enjoy 

 the secluded attractions of Lady Lansdowne's garden, 

 all enclosed, with a sundial in the midst of the 

 verdant lawn, which is interspersed with beautiful 

 flower-beds, and has gay flower-borders along its 

 margin. More we shall not say. The pictures 

 which accompany this article are admirably successful 

 in interpreting the garden character. 











