JAN.] FLOWER GARDEN. 87 



OF ANCIENT DESIGNS. 



Designs in ancient gardening for a pleasure-ground, consulted uni- 

 formity in every part, exact levels, straight lines, parallels, squares, 

 angles, circles, and other geometrical figures, &c., all corresponding 

 in the greatest regularity to effect an exact symmetry and proportion. 



Straight walks were everywhere observed, and all arranged parallel 

 and crossing one another in regular intersections ; generally a grand 

 one of gravel was extended in a straight line immediately from the 

 front of the main house, having each side verged either with a regu- 

 lar straight border of earth, furnished with a variety of flowers, &c., 

 and sometimes having a verge of grass three or four feet wide, then 

 a border, embellished as above with various plants; this main walk 

 being often intersected by others at regular distances, so as sometimes 

 to divide the spaces immediately in the front of the house into four, 

 six, or more equal squares, some of which were sometimes formed 

 into parterres, sometimes only naked grass-plats, or other uniform 

 divisions ; and often the whole garden was thus divided by straight, 

 parallel, and intersecting walks, into many regular squares and angles 

 without any variation. 



Grand parterres were very commonly presented immediately on the 

 front of the main house, having a grand walk of grass or gravel 

 directly from the house through the middle, or dividing the parterre 

 ground into two divisions. 



A parterre is a spacious level spot of ground divided into many 

 partitions, of different figures and dimensions, by means of edgings 

 or lines of dwarf-box, &c., or by verges of grass-turf and tracks of 

 sand, fine gravel, shell, and scroll-work, &c. 



These works were in great estimation in ancient gardening, and 

 were commonly situated directly in front of the house, generally the 

 whole width of the front, or sometimes more. 



The general figure of a parterre is an oblong or long square; be- 

 cause the rules of Perspective, or the natural declension of the visual 

 rays in optics, a long square sinks almost to a square, and an exact 

 square appears much less so than it really is, when viewed at a 

 distance ; therefore, parterres were generally made twice as long as 

 broad. 



These were bounded by a long bed, or border of earth, and the 

 internal space within divided into various little partitions or inclos- 

 ures, artfully disposed into different figures corresponding with one 

 another, such as long squares, triangles, circles, various scroll-works, 

 flourishes of embroidery, and many other fanciful devices; all of 

 which figures were edged with dwarf-box, &c., with intervening alleys 

 of turf, fine sand, shells, &c. 



The partitions or beds were planted with the choicest kinds of 

 flowers, but no large plants to hide the different figures, for such were 

 intended as a decoration for the whole place long after the season of 

 the flowers was past. 



Though parterres in general are now become rather unfashionable, 

 a little of that kind of work might still be permitted for variety's sake, 



