of the Parterre. 187 



this Refpcd: I think many of the Fraich De- 

 (igns (efpecially thofe that are in Mr. 'James's 

 Book) are very blameabie^ for^ as nothing is 

 more pleafing to the Eye than a contracted re- 

 gular Condud: and View, as foon as one goes 

 our of an Houfe or Building :^ and a for- 

 ward direft View (as has been already hinted 

 at) is the beft, be it either Parterre, Lawn^ 

 or any other open Space (double, treble, nay 

 foraetimes, quadruple the Width; why may 

 we not juflly blanae thofe Defigns that are 

 jnuch wider than they are long , and 

 where, at our immediate Entrance into the 

 Garden, theNobienefsof View isfpoii'd, the 

 Angles of Sight broke and confus'd, and, in 

 ftiort, all that is valuable in Opticks made of 

 no Account. Let this then fuffice for a gene- 

 ral Examen of tlie Proportion of Parterres 3 

 come we now to the Plates themfelves. 



Jn Explanation of Plate the^^Stb. 



The firft Plate contains a Deiign that was 

 a long Time ficce compos'd for a private 

 Gentleman^ but neither that nor any other 

 Defign is yet there performed 5 for which Rea- 

 fon I have given it without any Alteration. 

 The Parterre is defign'd for Grafs, Gravel, 

 and Sand, or Cockle-lhells interwoven one 

 with another, and is (unlefs it was to be en- 

 tirely plain) the neatefl and cheapeft Way of 

 making Parterres ^ beiides, it is always green, 

 and Winter and Summer it maintains its natu- 

 ral 



