542 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



History, in his Fragments, published in 1817, expresses his 

 SP V > ' doubts whether landscape gardening may not become 

 one of the artes perdiloe. He observes also, that war, 

 and war taxes, have depressed the spirit of elegant im- 

 provement that the sudden acquisition of riches, by 

 individuals, has divided wealth into new channels; 

 " men are solicitous to increase property, rather than 

 to enjoy it ; they endeavour to improve the value, ra- 

 ther than the beauty of their newly purchased estates. 

 The country gentleman, in the last century, took more 

 delight in the sports of the field than in the profits of 

 the farm ; his pleasure was to enjoy in peace the ve- 

 nerable home of his ancestors ; but the necessity of 

 living in camps, and the habit of living in lodgings at 

 watering places, has of late totally changed his cha- 

 racter and pursuits ; and, at the same time, perhaps 

 tended to alienate half the ancient Banded property of 

 the country." " The taste of the country has bowed 

 to the shrine which all worship." " It is not there- 

 fore to be wondered at, that the art of landscape 

 gardening should have slowly and gradually decli- 

 ned." 



In confirmation of these remarks, it is worthy of re- 

 cord, that one of Kent's first and best efforts, Esher, 



" Where Kent and nature vie for i'elham's love," 



selected and described as an example of modern gar- 

 dening, by Mr. Wheatley ; and one of Brown's most ce- 

 lebrated creations, Fisherwick, ( See Marshall's " Plant- 

 ing and Rural Ornament," and Leicestershire in the 

 " Beauties of England and Wales," ) have been sold in 

 lots, and the mansions razed to the ground. Let us 

 hope, however, that those who are now engaged in vi- 

 siting other countries, will shortly return with a re- 

 newed love of their own ; and that landscape garden- 

 ing, of which Lord Walpole affirms we have given a 

 true model to the world, may yet flourish and perpetu- 

 ate the credit we have obtained. 



Scotland. f ne celebrated Lord Kames appears to have been 

 A. D. iTtO. t jj e g rst wno introduced the modern style into Scot- 

 *A D 1818 kmd' sometime between 1740 and 1750, by display- 

 ing it on his own residence at Blair Drummond. An 

 irregular ridge, leading from the house, was laid out in 

 walks, commanding a view, over the shrubs on the de- 

 clivity, of portions of distant prospect. One part of 

 this scene was composed entirely of evergreens, and 

 Lord formed an agreeable winter garden. Lord Kames did 



not entirely reject the ancient style, either at Blair 

 Drummond, or in his Essay on Gardening and Archi- 

 tecture, published in the " Elements of Criticism." In 

 that short but comprehensive essay, he shews an ac- 

 quaintance with the Chinese style and the practice of 

 Kent, admits both of absolute and relative beauty as the 

 objects of gardening and architecture, and from this 

 complex destination, accounts for that difference and 

 wavering of taste in these arts, " greater than in any art 

 that has but a single destination." (Vol. ii. p. 431. 

 4th edit. 1769.) 



Lord Kames' example in Scotland, may be compared 

 to that of Hamilton or Shenstone in England ; it was not 

 generally followed, because it was not generally under- 

 stood. That the Elements of Criticism tended much 

 to purify the taste of the -reading class, there can be no 

 doubt. Every person also admired Blair Drummond ; 

 but as every country gentleman could not bestow suffi- 

 cient time and attention to gardening, to be able to lay 

 out his own place, it became necessary to have recourse 



Kames. 



to artists ; and, as it happened, those who were em- History, 

 ployed, had acquired only that habit of mechanical '""""Y" 1 '' 

 imitation, which copies the most obvious forms, with- 

 out understanding the true merits of the original. In 

 short they were itinerant pupils of Brown, or profes- 

 sors in his school, who resided in Scotland ; and 

 thus it is, that after commencing in the best taste, Scot- 

 land continued, till within the last twenty years, to pa- 

 tronise the very worst. As a contrast to the style of Blair 

 Drummond, and a proof of what we have asserted in re- 

 gard to the style introduced immediately afterwards, we 

 next refer to the grounds at Duddingston House, near Dmlding. 

 Edinburgh, laid out about the year 1750. The archi- ston. 

 tect of the house was Sir William ChambeYs ; the rural Chambers. 

 artist, whose original plans we have examined, was a 

 Mr. Robertson, sent down from London. We know of 

 no example in any country, of so perfect a specimen of 

 Brown's manner, nor of one in which the effect of the 

 whole, and the details of every particular part, are so 

 consistent and co-operate so well together in producing 

 a sort of tame, spiritless beauty, of which we cannot 

 give a distinct idea. It does not resemble avowed art, 

 nor yet natural scenery ; it seems, indeed, as if nature 

 had commenced the work and changed her plan, de- 

 termining no longer to add to her productions those 

 luxuriant and seemingly superfluous appendages which 

 produce variety and grace. The trees here, all plant- 

 ed at the same time, and of the same age, seem to grow 

 by rule. The clumps remind us of regularly tufted 

 perukes. The waters of the tame river neither dare to 

 sink within, nor to overflow its banks; the clumps 

 keep at a respectful distance ; and the serpentine 

 turns of the roads and walks, seem to hint that every 

 movement to be made here, must correspond. 



The extent of this place, we suppose, may exceed 

 200 acres. The house is placed on an eminence in the 

 centre, from which the grounds descend on three sides, 

 and on the remaining side continue on a level till 

 they reach the boundary belt. This belt completely 

 encircles the whole; it is from 100 to 300 feet wide, 

 with a turf drive in the middle. One part near the 

 house is richly varied by shrubs and flowers, and kept 

 as garden scenery ; in the rest the turf is mown, but 

 the ground untouched. A string of wavy canals, on 

 different levels, joined by cascades, enter at one side of 

 the grounds, and taking a circuitous sweep through the 

 park, pass off at the other. This water creates occa- 

 sion for Chinese bridges, islands, and cascades. The 

 kitchen garden and offices are placed behind the house, 

 and concealed by a mass of plantation. Over the rest 

 of the grounds are distributed numerous oval uncon- 

 nected clumps, and some single trees. In the drive 

 are several temples and covered seats, placed in situa- . 

 tions where are caught views of the house, some- 

 times seen between two clumps, and at other times 

 between so many as to form a perspective or avenue. 

 There is also a temple on the top of a hill, partly arti- 

 ficial, which forms the object from several of these 

 seats, and from other open glades or vistas left in the 

 inside of the belt. The outer margin of this planta- 

 tion is every where kept perfectly entire, so that there 

 is not a single view but what is wholly the property of 

 the owner ; unless in one instance, where the summit 

 of Arthur's Seat, an adjoining hill, is caught by the 

 eye. from one part of the belt, over the tops of the 

 trees in its opposite periphery. 



That this place has, or had, in 1 790' great beauties, 

 we do not deny ; but they are beauties of a peculiar 



