306 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



dered as rules generally applicable, because they are founded on the funda- 

 mental law of tlie necessity of unity of expression to complete enjoyment; 

 and this fundamental principle evidently influenced the decision of Mr. 

 Wells at Redleaf ; but, as taste should be free, allowance must be made for 

 that of individuals who may prefer having a peculiar and conspicuous feature 

 in a scene, to its picturesque beauty and unity of expression as a whole. In 

 analysing the beauties or defects of every place, it is always instructive to be 

 able to separate what is peculiar to the situation, or the taste of the indi- 

 vidual, from what is general, or founded on universal principles. 



388. The garden scenery at Redleaf consists of a kitchen-garden, an orchard, 

 an English flower-garden, a Dutch flower-garden, and an anomalous descrip- 

 tion of flower-garden, which may be called the rock-garden. This last 

 garden constitutes by far the most singular feature of the artificial scenery of 

 the place, and is totally different from anything else of the kind in England. 

 The idea of forming it seems to have arisen from the existence of a ledjje of 

 rocks in another part of the grounds, and from the abundance of rock, of a 

 kind easily quarried (red sandstone), under most parts of the surface. This 

 part of the grounds at Redleaf is so original in character, that it is difficult to 

 convey a correct idea of it without larger engravings than this work admits 

 of; but we shall nevertheless make the attempt. 



389. General description, ^-c. — On comparing the plan shown in Jigs. 186. 

 and 187., with that shown in figs. 188. and 189., the principal alterations made 

 by Mr. Wells appear obvious at first sight. One of these, essential to the 

 beauty of the place, is the plantation made in the direction of a i c, in Jig. 

 189., parallel to the approach from Penshurst. Without this plantation, 

 which is chiefly of evergreens, the eye of the stranger arriving from Penshurst 

 would have seen all the natural beauties of the ground before entering the 

 house ; because the ground slopes from that line of approach on the left 

 towards the valley, and rises on the right towards the public road. The 

 same thing would happen to a stranger arriving by the London approach, 

 were not the trees disposed along it in the direction d, e, f, which shuts out 

 the great north-western valley, except near the entrance approach ; where 

 the eye may detect between the trunks of some large trees just as much of 

 the commencement of the valley as to set the imagination at work to guess its 

 extent. As the wood is now disposed, the stranger, whether he arrives from 

 London by Seven Oaks, or from Tonbridge Wells by Penshurst, drives up to 

 the house, admiring the finely scattered groups of oaks, thorns, and hollies, 

 on the rising grounds on one side of the approach, without being aware of 

 what is concealed by the plantation on the other side. Entering the house, 

 from the bay of the drawing-room at g, he is struck with astonishment at the 

 extent of the prospect, and at the fine reach of the river at h ; beyond which, 

 up the valley, he can see nearly as far as Godstone, where some trees on the 

 summit of a hill above that town mark its situation. If, from the centre 

 window, he turns his head to look through the window on his right hand, he 

 sees the whole range of the Redleaf rocks ; and if he turns to the left-hand 

 window, he sees another reach of the river appearing beyond a wood. The 

 surface of the water of the river is probably 200 ft. below the level of the 

 drawing-room floor from which it is seen ; the chain or causeway of rocks, i i, 

 100 ft. below it, and the cottage I, and wood m, rather lower. The effect of 

 the woodman's cottage at /, which may be described as one of the aboriginal 



