278 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



11 Oft when I've seen some lonely mansion stand 

 Fresh from the improver's desolating hand, 

 'Midst shaven lawns that far around it creep 

 In one eternal undulating* sweep ; 

 And scatter'd clumps, that nod at one another, 

 Each stiffly waving to its formal brother : 

 Tired with the extensive scene, so dull and bare, 

 To Heaven devoutly I've address'd my prayer ; 

 Again the moss-grown terraces to raise, 

 And spread the labyrinth's perplexing maze ; 

 Replace in even lines the ductile yew, 

 And plant again the ancient avenue. 

 Some features then, at least, we should obtain 

 To mark this flat, insipid, waving plain : 

 Some vary'd tints and forms would intervene 

 To break this uniform, eternal green." 



Although Brown was assailed by Gilpin, Price, Knight, and 

 Mason, he had many adherents and imitators. Repton is the 

 best known of these. He was an admirer of Brown's works, 

 and carried out designs in the same style. As, however, men 

 had now begun to find out Brown's mistakes, and reflect on 

 his destruction of old places and historical relics, Repton 

 could scarcely venture to suggest such sweeping alterations as 

 Brown had made. Repton was openly an opponent of those 

 who wrote against Brown, yet their ideas evidently influenced 

 his judgment. He did not always alter all he found at 

 a place, before commencing additions ; and he did not 

 entirely confine himself to the " landscape " style. He 

 maintained that a " Flower garden should be an object 

 detached and distinct from the general scenery of the place ; 

 and whether large or small, whether varied or formal, it ought 

 to be protected from hares and smaller animals by an inner 

 fence ; within this enclosure rare plants of every description 

 should be encouraged, and provision made of soil, and aspect 

 for every different class. Beds of bog earth should be 

 prepared for the American plants : the aquatic plants, some 

 of which are peculiarly beautiful, should grow on the surface 

 or near the edges of water. The numerous class of rock- 

 plants should have beds of rugged stone provided, without 

 the affectation of such stones being the natural production of 



