LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



543 



Mawcr. 

 NicoL 



Hraterv. kind, not of general nature not the beauties of Blair 

 ^"Y"^ Drummond, or such as a liberal and enlightened mind 

 would desire to render general ; but in great part 

 such as Sir William Chambers holds up to ridicule in 

 his Dissertation on Oriental Gardening, (See his Intro- 

 duction, p. vi. to si.) and Mr. Price, in his Essays on 

 ike Picturesque. Yet Duddingston may be reckoned 

 the model of all future improvements in Scotland, till 

 within the last twenty years. The same artist laid 

 nut Livingston, effected some improvements at Hopeton 

 House, Dalkeith, Dalhousie, Niddry, the Whim, More- 

 dun, various other places near Edinburgh, and others 

 in Ayrshire. 



MMT- One of these places called forth the genius of Mr. 



James Itamsay, who, from being a mason, became a 

 landscape gardener of considerable repute, and, at 

 lest, the best which appeared in Scotland within the 

 period alluded to. He gave ground plans and draw- 

 ing* in perspective, both of the buildings and verdant 

 scenery, l.eith Head, a small place near Edinburgh, 

 is his entire creation. His style was that of Brown, in 

 his waters and new plantations near the house ; but 

 he was lei* attached to the belt, his clumps were not 

 always regular, and he endeavoured to introduce a 

 portion of third distance into all his views. Mr. Ilain- 

 say died at Edinburgh in 1794, and some record of his 

 life is due to his memory. 



Since Mr. Ramsay's time, no landscape gardener of 

 any note has settled in Scotland. The late Mr. Kyle, 

 gardener at Moredun, Mr. Mawer, gardener at Dud- 

 OBMtton, and afterwards nurseryman and planner at 

 Dairy, and Mr. Nicol, well known for his horticultural 

 writings, gare plans fur policies; but it is as designers 

 of kitchen gardens, and hothouses, that we have to be- 

 tow our approbation of these and various other similar- 

 ly produced Using professor*. 



in nearly the first introduction of the new style 

 in Scotland, to the present time, annual join-nit.-* hava 

 been made into Scotland, from the county of Durham, 

 by the late Mr. White, and subsequently by his son. 

 Mr. White, senior, we believe, was a pupil of Brown, 

 of much information on country matters, and generally 

 respected in Scotland. Of his professional talents we 

 have said enough, when we nave mentioned their 

 source. Airtbrie, near Stirling, and Birgeny in Ayr. 

 shire, are the principal productions of this family. 



In what respects the talents of Mr. White, junior, 

 differ from those of his father, or whether they differ 

 at all, we an not aware ; though we think it highly 

 probable they will partake of the general improve, 

 intnt of the ace. 



We had before mentioned, that none of the eminent 

 English artists had ever been in Scotland ; but that 

 Vaileyfield wa laid out from Mr. Uepton's i!r-ii;i)*. 



Soon after the publication of Mr. 1'ruv'i l.ssajrs, 

 gentleman of much taste and science, being about 

 to plant extensively, consulted Mr. Nasmyth, an emi- 

 nent landscape painter in Edinburgh, as to the ge- 

 neral effect of the proposed improvement. Mr. 

 (myth ha* since, we believe, been much employed in 

 the same way by other proprietors, a circumstance 

 which must have contributed in an eminent degree to 

 improve the artificial scenery of Scotland. We recol. 

 Icct to have seen, in 1S02, some sketches by this artist, 

 for planting pan of the range of Pentland Hills, be- 

 I 'rrghoni, and a part of the Ochil Hills near Air- 

 and Alva, which struck us as in a grand and 

 ery superior taste. We believe they have only par- 

 tially 'beta tarried into execution. Scotland has so 



; rl . 



many facilities for landscape scenery, that under the v History. ^ 

 guidance of such an artist as Mr. Nasmyth, much S "V'' 

 beauty may be preserved and created. 



There is now residing in Scotland, an English gen- Parkyns. 

 tlenian and amateur, who we believe is also employed 

 professionally, Mr. G. Parkyns, author of an " Essay 

 on the different natural situations of Gardens," prefixed 

 to the quarto edition of Wheatley's Work, of some de- 

 signs published in a work on Architecture, by Mr. 

 Soane, in 1798, and of some Plans and Descriptions, 

 published in numbers in Edinburgh, since 1800. 

 These works are, on the whole, of unexceptionable 

 merit ; the author appears to be a correct and elegant 

 draughtsman, and a man of general taste. We have 

 not seen any specimen of his practical talents. 



The first attempts to introduce the modern style in Jrrland. 

 Ireland, are supposed to have been made by Dr. Dela* A. D. 1720 

 ny at Delville, near Glassnevin, about the year 1720. w 1818 - 

 Swift has left a poetical description of these scenes. Dr ' 

 Like Pope, Dr. Delany impressed a vast deal of beauty 

 on a very small spot of ground. As there existed an 

 intimacy between these two characters, it is supposed 

 that Pope may have assisted his Irish friend. This ex- 

 ample appears to have had the same sort of influence in 

 Ireland, that- the gardening of Lord Kames had in 

 Scotland. It gave rise to a demand for artists of the 

 new school ; and the market was supplied by such as 

 came in the way. Much less, however, was done in 

 that country, partly from the abundance of woody 

 and picturesque scenery in many districts, and part- 

 ly from other obvious causes. Mount Shannon, near 

 Limerick, the seat of the late chancellor Clare, is 

 said to be laid out from his lordship's designs, as are 

 chiefly the recent improvements at Charleville forest, 

 where one of the most comfortable and magnificent 

 castles in Ireland has been executed by Mr. Johnston 

 of Dublin, from designs which were the joint produc- 

 tions of Lord and Lady Charleville. 



Mr. Walker of St. Valori, a very beautiful spot near 

 Bray, laid out by the owner, mentions Marino, Castle, 

 town, Carton, Curraghmore, the retreat of St. Wool- 

 stars, and Moyra, as exhibiting the finest garden scenery 

 in Ireland. Powerscourt, and Mucross, near the lakes, 

 are reckoned the most romantic residences, and are little 

 indebted to art. 



We are not aware, that any English artist of emi- 

 nence has been employed as a landscape gardener in I re- 

 land, the more common practice being to engage a good 

 kitchen gardener from England, and leave every 

 thing to him. A Mr. Sutherland was, in 1810, the Suther - 

 native artist of greatest repute. Mr. A. M'Leish has 

 since settled in this country, and, from what we know 

 of this artist, we have little doubt he will contribute, 

 in an eminent degree, to establish and extend a bet- 

 ter taste than has yet appeared there. Though land- 

 scape gardeners from the capital have not been called 

 to Ireland, yet it has happily become not an unfrequent 

 practice to employ eminent English architects, a prac- 

 tice certain of being attended with the most salutary 

 effects. 



Hirschfifcld mentions Laugier, as the first French English 

 author who espoused the English style of gardening in gardening 

 France, in his Essay sur I' Architecture, published in "j'lJ'J'J" 06 ' 

 1753 ; and next in order is Prevot, in his Ilomme du J8 ^ 8- * 

 Gout, published in 1770. About the same time, the first Laugier. 

 notable example was preparing at Ermenonville, the seat I'rcvut. 

 of Viscount Girardin, about ten leagues from Paris. An 

 account of this place was written by Girardin himself Giiardin. 

 in 1775, and published in 1777. It was soon after 



