LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



541 



, pleasure that we receive from the view of parks and 

 * gardens, result from their affording in their several 

 parts, subjects that would appear to advantage in a pic- 

 ture ? What is most beautiful in nature, is not always 

 capable of being represented in a painting ; as pro- 

 spects, moving flocks of deer. Many are of a sort 

 which have nothing to do with the purposes of habita- 

 tion ; as the subjects of Salvator Rosa. Are we 

 therefore to live in caves ? Gainsborough's Country 

 (itrl is more picturesque than a child neatly dressed. 

 Are our children to go in rags ? No one will stand by 

 this doctrine ; nor do they exhibit it in any distinct 

 shape at all, but only take credit for their attachment 

 to general principles, to which every one is attached 

 as well as they. Is it contended, that in laying out 

 a place, whatever is most picturesque is most conform- 

 able to true taste ? If they say so, they must be led to 

 coniaqaefKCi which they can never venture to avow. 

 If they do not say so, the whole is a question of how 

 much or how little, which, without the instances before 

 you, can never be decided." " Places are not to be 

 laid out with a view to their appearance in a picture, 

 but to their use, and the enjoyment of them in real life ; 

 and their conformity to these purposes, is that which 

 constitute their true beauty. \\ ith this view, gravel 

 walks, and neat mown lawns, and, in some situations, 

 straight alleys, fountains, terraces; and, for ought I 

 know, parterres, and cut hedges, are in perfect good 

 taste, and infinitely more conformable to the principles 

 which form the basis of our pleasure in those instances, 

 than the docks and thistles, and Utter and disorder, that 

 may make a much better figure in a picture." ( Letter 

 from Mr. Wyndham, in a note to Mr. Repton's Obimn- 

 lions on ike Theory mud Practice of Landscape Gardening. 

 From the vein of excellent sense which pervades 

 this letter, and particularly the latter part of it which we 

 have extracted entire, it is impossible to avoid suspect, 

 ing, either that there is a culpable obscurity in the 

 works referred to, or that Mr. \Vyndham had not suf- 

 ficiently, if at all, perused them. We are inclined to 

 believe that there u some truth in both suppositions. 

 We have no hesitation, however, both from a mature 

 study of all the writings of these gentlemen, relating 

 to this subject, as well as a careful inspection of their 

 own residences, in saying, that there is not an opinion 

 in the above extract, to which they would not at once as- 

 sent. Mr. Knight's directions in regard to congruity and 

 utility, are as distinct as can well be expected in a poem. 

 M r Price never entered on that subject. His works say, 

 : r object is to produce beautiful landscape ; at least 

 this is one great object of your exertions. But you pro- 

 duce very indifferent ones. The beauty of your scenes 

 is not of so high a kind as that of nature. Examine 

 her productions. To aid you in this examination, con- 

 sult the opinions of those who have gone before you in 

 the same study. Consult the works of painters, and 

 learn the principles which guided them in their com- 

 binations of natural and artificial objects. Group your 

 tree* on the principles they do. Connect your masses 

 aa they do. In short, apply their principles of paint- 

 ing whenever you intend any imitation of nature, for 

 the principles of nature and of painting are the same. 

 Are we to apply them in every case ? Are we to ne- 

 glect regular beauty and utility ? Certainly not, that 

 woo Id be inconsistent with common sense." 



We next present the opinion of Mr. Stewart on the 



ret, as given incidentally in his philosophical 



disquisition on the beautiful (Eitayi, 1810. p. 28.5.) 



" A* to the application of the knowledge thus acqui- 



2 



red from the study of paintings, to the improvement History, 

 of natural landscape, I have no doubt, that to a supe- '~~Y~*~ 

 rior understanding and taste, like those of Mr. Price, 

 it may often suggest very useful hints; but if recog. 

 nised as the standard to which the ultimate appeal is 

 to be made, it would infallibly cover the fs.ce of the 

 country with a new and systematical species of affec- 

 tation, not less remote than that of Brown, from the 

 style of gardening which he wishes to recommend," 

 " let painting be allowed its due praise in quickening 

 our attention to the beauties of nature ; in multiplying 

 our resources for their farther embellishment ; and in 

 holding up a standard, from age to age, to correct the 

 caprices of fashionable innovations ; but let our taste 

 for these beauties be chiefly formed on the study of na- 

 ture herself; nor let us ever forget so far what is due 

 to her indisputable and salutary prerogative, as to at- 

 tempt an encroachment upon it by laws, which de- 

 rive the whole of their validity from her own sanction," 

 287. 



We shall conclude by remarking, that, however indi- Seats of 



* . i . . . i _ i_ . i-rt* i -i_ , i , f x i KI _ i*-. . 



viduals have differed as to the theory of Mr. Price and Mr - 

 Mr. Knight, yet all agree in admiring their respective * n . 

 seats ; Mr. Knight's entirely, and Mr. Price's in great 

 part improved by himself, without professional assist- 

 ance. Nature has certainly done much for each, and 

 especially for that of Mr. Knight ; but in both the ge- 

 niut loci has been so happily humoured, that the ope- 

 rations of art have greatly heightened the natural ex- 

 pression of each, while a strict attention to convenience 

 and use has not been forgotten in either situation. 

 ( See a Description of these Seats in Mr. Repton on the ap- 

 proacJung changes of taste in Landscape Gardening and 

 Architecture. 8vo. 1810.) 



If we have dwelt longer on the writings of these au- 

 thors, it is because we consider a knowledge of them 

 of the greatest impoi Lance, not only to the introduc- 

 tion of a better taste than has hitherto been displayed, 

 even in the comparatively chaste periods of Kent, Shen- 

 Hone, and Hamilton ; but, as Mr. Stewart has express- 

 ed, as leading to studies which shall " hold up a stand- 

 ard from a^e to age, to correct the caprices offasttiona- 

 ble innovations." 



The general taste for drawing, as already remarked, 

 in the present generation, and the late frequent prac- 

 tice of making tours to the more picturesque parts of 

 the island, have co-operated with Mr. Price's work, in 

 refining the taste of the higher classes. Mr. Knight's 

 learned and comprehensive " Analytical Enquiry into 

 the Principle* of Taite ;" Mr. Alison's beautiful and 

 profound essay on the same subject ; and the Philoso- 

 phical Essays on Beauty by Mr. Stewart, have un- 

 doubtedly had considerable influence. The necessity 

 of economising income has enforced the maxim, that 

 " from truth and use all beauties flow ;" so that, as Mr. 

 Repton observes, the characteristic of the present im- 

 proved taste may be said to be " a just seme of general 

 ul Hi y." 



\\e confess, however, that this refined taste is by Present 

 no means of a nature impelling to action ; for, partly state of 

 from a fear of doing mischief, and partly from the landscape 

 great attention, during the last twenty years, to war K a ei ng 

 and agriculture, less has been done in beautifying 

 country seats, or improving their scenery, as scene- 

 ry, than appears to have been the case for at least 

 two centuries before. Horticulture, and continental 

 travelling, seem now to take the place of war and 

 farming ; and so very little has been done since the 

 late political changes in Europe, that Mr. Repton, 



