REPTON. 15 



observed, 'had their day, but now, thank the 

 stars of the present day, irregularity and de- 

 formity bear the bell and have the majority.' " 



Another novelist, Miss Austen, in her Mans- 

 field Park, preserves the name of Repton, who was 

 the last of the noted landscape gardeners of the 

 last century : " Repton, or anybody of that 

 sort," says a certain Mr. Rushworth, " would 

 certainly have the avenue at Sotherton down ; 

 the avenue that leads from the west front to 

 the top of the hill, you know." And this is just 

 what Repton would have done. He was for 

 ever cutting down avenues, and out of the five 

 beautiful lime avenues at Cobham, which must 

 have given such a stately appearance to the 

 place, no less that four fell victims to his axe. 

 The idea was of course that avenues prevented 

 the ground from being picturesque and natural, 

 and Mason, in his English Garden, urges "the 

 cruel task, yet needful," of breaking " th' obdurate 

 line " of trees, though 



" A chosen few, and yet, alas ! but few 

 Of these, the old protectors of the plain, 

 May yet be spared." 



