TREATMENT OF GROUND. FORMATION OF WALKS. 267 



a manner as not to interfere with the convenience of ready- 

 access to and from the mansion. 



This point being- decided, and the other being the mansion 

 and adjacent buildings, it remains to lay out the road in such 

 gradual curves as will appear easy and graceful, without 

 verging into rapid turns, or formal stiffness. Since the mod- 

 ern style has become partially known and adopted here, some 

 persons appear to have supposed that nature 'has a horror 

 of straight lines,' and consequently, believing that they could 

 not possibly err, they immediately ran into the other extreme, 

 filling their grounds with zig-zag and regularly serpentine 

 roads, still more horrible: which can only be compared to 

 the contortions of a wounded snake dragging its way slowly 

 over the earth. 



There are two guiding principles which have been laid 

 down for the formation of Approach roads. The first, that the 

 curves should never be so great, or lead over surfaces so un- 

 equal, as to make it disagreeable to drive upon them ; and 

 the second, that the road should never curve without some 

 reasoiiy either real or apparent. 



The most natural method of forming a winding Approach 

 where the ground is gently undulating, is to follow, in some 

 degree, the depressions of surface, and to curve round the 

 eminences. This is an excellent method, so long as it does 

 not lead us in too circuitous a direction, nor, as we before 

 hinted, make the road itself too uneven. When either of 

 these happen, the easy, gradual flow of the curve in the 

 proper direction, must be maintained by levelling or grading, 

 to produce the proper surface. 



Nothing can be more unmeaning than to see an Approach, 

 or any description of road, winding hither and thither 

 through an extensive level lawn towards the house, without 



