27(5 



A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



flower-garden ought never to be visible from the windows of 

 the house." Sir Walter Scott,'^ in one of his charming articles 

 on landscape gardening, points out that Milton never intended 

 to censure the "trim gardens" of his own day, although he 

 pictured the natural beauties in the newly-created Paradise. 

 Scott well understood the great mistake that had been made 

 in destroying such a large number of old gardens. He saw 

 how perfectly an Elizabethan garden harmonized with the 

 house, and while he could, not vindicate the " paltry imitations 



«>:k ^ 



S'J^'/' 



NARFORD. NO. I. FROM A SKETCH BY EDMOND PRIDEAUX ABOUT 1761. 



of the Dutch, who clipped yews into monsters," he 

 acknowledged that there existed gardens, " the work of 

 London and Wise, and such persons as laid out ground in 

 the Dutch taste, which would be much better subjects for 

 modification than for absolute destruction." He admired 

 fine terraces, flights of steps, balustrades, and vases of 

 gardens in the Italian style, and the fountains and water- 

 works of the French. 



* Quarterly, Vol. 37, 182S, and Criticism, Vol. V. 



