Life of Count Rumford. 195 



Till within the last two years there has been but one 

 monumental memorial in Munich, which, by bearing 

 the name of Rumford, associates him in this way with 

 the city of which he was so conspicuous a benefactor. 

 Even this inscribed memorial would not indicate to an 

 American visitor that it was a tribute to one of his own 

 countrymen. I refer to the monument erected during 

 his life by some of the principal citizens of Munich, in 

 the so-called " English Garden," as an expression of 

 public gratitude to the Count for his suggestion and 

 supervision of that admirable design. This work of his 

 was undertaken in 1790. In the northeasterly environs 

 of Munich was a wild and neglected region of forest 

 and valley, which had formerly been a hunting-ground 

 of the Elector, but at the time was unsightly and dreary. 

 Sir Benjamin conceived the project of converting this 

 region, with the permission of the Elector, into pleas- 

 ure-grounds, a park, and fields for making improving 

 experiments in agriculture. He surrounded it with a 

 road or drive of a circuit of six miles, on which, at 

 proper intervals, were erected cottages and farm-houses 

 for laborers employed on the grounds. Walks, prome- 

 nades, grottos, a race-course, ;md other attractions, 

 diversified the extensive stretch of territory. With 

 the earth scooped out in preparing a small lake, he 

 built up an elevated mound. A refreshment saloon, 

 handsomely furnished, and a Chinese pagoda, were 

 among the conveniences and adornments; and Sir Ben- 

 jamin exercised all his ingenuity in perfecting the 

 details of his plan so as to render the Garden attrac- 

 tive as a place of resort to the higher classes, and a 

 place of carefully guarded amusement to the common 

 people. 



