IX GARDEN ARCHITECTURE 217 



he continues, "we have only a few leaden tame 

 copies." 



Of all the materials, that most commonly 

 used was lead. It was abundant in England 

 and easily cast, and throughout the eighteenth 

 century, particularly in the early part of it, 

 leadwork was a very flourishing and important 

 industry. It was used in the garden for tanks, 

 cisterns, figures, and fountains, and vases of 

 every description. There is a remarkable 

 instance of a lead tank at St. Pagan's, near 

 Cardifl^ in front of the house. It is octagonal, 

 about 8 feet in diameter and about 4 feet high ; 

 the sides are decorated with a band of foHage 

 and arcading, such as is commonly found in 

 seventeenth-century panelling. Lead was used 

 for statues of every degree of importance. The 

 equestrian figure of George I. at Canons, 

 known as the Golden Horse, was of lead gilt 

 all over. Statues from the antique were 

 reproduced in lead — such as the figures in the 

 courtyard at Knole, or the flying Mercury at 

 Melbourne. Diana and her stag, the Seasons, 

 Flora or Pan, the garden god, were favourite 

 subjects for lead figures. Original work was 

 also done, such as figures of haymakers, skaters, 

 and gamekeepers. At Canons Ashby, at the 

 end of the avenue leading up to the fore court, 

 there is a lead figure of a shepherd in the dress 

 of the eighteenth century playing on a flute ; the 

 figure is about 5 feet high. On a terrace over- 



