88 THE PLEASURE, OR [JAN. 



though not immediately in front of the house as heretofore. A spa- 

 cious lawn, bounded with rural shrubberies, is the most eligible situ- 

 ation for such ; but a plain parterre of a moderate extent, either 

 formed with lines of box, or with turf, might be introduced in some 

 of the more internal parts, and distributed either into plain or com- 

 plex departments, or beds of earth for flowers, so as to answer the 

 purpose of a flower-garden for the most curious sorts j it will have an 

 agreeable effect in forming a contrast with the more rural scenes. 



In the more interior parts, large tracts of ground were frequently 

 divided by straight grass-walks into many square and angular divi- 

 sions of wilderness, each division surrounded by regular hedges of 

 various kinds of trees and shrubs, kept in uniform order by annual 

 clippings ; having the interior part of each quarter planted with trees 

 and shrubs, which were in a manner concealed by the hedges from 

 persons in the adjacent walks, so that hardly anything but close 

 hedges, the same thing over again, appeared to view on each side of 

 the walks ; and all the walks generally led into uniform openings of 

 grass, particularly to a grand circle or octagon, forming some central 

 part. 



Frequently there were partitions of regular hedge-work, particu- 

 larly of evergreens, surrounding large squares of grass-ground, de- 

 signed as pieces of garden ornaments ; the hedge-work being often 

 formed into various uniform devices, such as pilasters, arcades or 

 arches, porticos, galleries, amphitheatres, pavilions, cabinets, bowers, 

 pediments, niches, and cornices ; likewise regular arbors, having the 

 sides formed into arcades, and sometimes the top vaulted ; and with 

 various other formal imitations, all performed in hedge-work, which 

 were often so arranged and trained, as to effect an air of grandeur 

 and art. High hedges were also in great repute, as boundaries to 

 grand walks and avenues, sometimes carried up from fifteen or twenty 

 to thirty or forty feet high ; sometimes trained perfectly close from 

 the very bottom to top ; others open below a considerable way, and 

 formed into regular arches, &c., all of which sometimes appeared 

 magnificent and ornamental, but were troublesome and expensive to 

 keep in order, on account of their great height : however, all sorts of 

 hedge-work were generally esteemed so ornamental in ancient garden- 

 ing, that almost every division was surrounded with regular hedges 

 of one sort or other, presenting themselves to view in every part, 

 shutting out all other objects from sight ; but in modern designs, such 

 hedges are rarely admitted ; every compartment of the plantation be- 

 ing left open to view from the walks and lawns, in order to afford a 

 full prospect of the various trees, shrubs and flowers, which conse- 

 quently are more beautiful than continued ranges of close hedges ; 

 but for the sake of variety, a little ornamental hedge-work might still 

 be introduced in some particular parts of the ground. 



Labyrinths or mazes of hedge-work, in the manner of a wilderness, 

 also prevailed in many large gardens. 



A labyrinth is a maze or sort of intricate wilderness plantation, 

 abounding with hedges and walks, formed into many windings and 

 turnings, leading to one common centre, extremely difficult to find 

 out, designed in large pleasure-grounds by way of amusement. 



