LARGE COUNTEY VILLAS. 307 



cottages of the country, is exceedingly good, as seen from the drawing-room, 

 by the strong contrast which its humble appearance and the associations con- 

 nected with it, afford to the richness and high art displayed in the house. 

 In tliis extensive view, no gentleman's house is to be seen, no church, and 

 scarcely a farm-house or cottage, so completely are almost all the objects of 

 art concealed by the hedge-row trees. In winter, after the leaves drop, are 

 to be seen some human dwellings, and two or three churches. From the plan 

 fgs. 188., 189., as compared with that shown in figs. 186., 187., it will be seen 

 that the corn field q, in the latter figure, is planted, and the coppice-wood at r 

 removed ; but the most important features of improvement are, the widening 

 of the river at s, and the altering of its bed at t, as indicated by the dotted 

 lines in fig. 186. Fig. 191. shows a plan of the lawn and flower-gardens at 

 Redleaf, on a larger scale. 



190 



Penshurst Entrance Lodge and Gate. 



a, A portion of the house. 



b, Walk from the house to the garden scenery. 



c, Summer-house in the Enghsh garden. This structure, of which a view is shown in fg. 

 193., is placed on a ledge of rock, which, before the garden was made, formed one side of 

 a stone quarry ; hence, immediately l)eneath tliis summer-house there is a very consider- 

 able hollow. The rest of the flower-garden has an undulating surface, and the beds are 

 chiefly oval or circular. Among the single low trees are two specimens of the common 

 berberry, which, trained to single stems, form very handsome objects. They are pro- 

 fiisely covered with bloom in spring, and, in autumn, so completely clothed with their 

 long red fruit, as to resemble, at a short distance, gigantic specimens of scarlet fuchsia. 

 The rustic structure is curiously and exquisitely executed of different kinds of wood, 

 but chiefly of oak with the bark removed, and of hazel. The floor is paved with oak 

 chumps ; and there is a table inlaid with dMerent kinds of native woods ; and chairs, as 

 well as a bench, chiefly formed of hazel rods. 



<?, Continuation of the walk b, on the top of a ledge of rock still higher than the walk 

 which passes through the summer house (c). The walk d conducts us to the Dutch 

 garden, the buildings in which are an orangery and a rustic billiard-room. 



e. An orangery constructed of oak, placed on a basement of rustic masonry, and thatched 



x2 



