94 GLEANINGS ON GARDENS. 



trench covered with elder trees and ivy ; which, being 

 crossed by another bridge, brings you to the ruins, to 

 complete the solemnity of the scene. You first see an 

 old tower, penetrated by a large arch and others above 

 it, through which the whole country appears in prospect, 

 even when you are at the top of the other ruins ; for 

 they stand very high, and the ground slopes down on 

 all sides. These venerable broken walls, some arches 

 almost entire, of thirty or forty feet deep, some open 

 like porticoes with fragments of pillars, some circular 

 or enclosed on three sides but exposed at top, with 

 steps, which time has made of disjointed stones to 

 climb to the highest points of the ruin. These, I say, 

 might have a prodigious beauty, mixed with greens 

 and parterres from part to part, and the whole heap 

 standing as it does on a round hill kept smooth in 

 green turf, which makes a bold basement to show it. 

 The open courts from building to building might be 

 thrown into circles or octagons of grass or flowers ; 

 and even in the gaping rooms you have fine trees 

 grown that might be made a natural tapestry to the 

 walls, and arch you overhead where time has uncovered 

 them to the sky. Little paths of earth or sand might 

 be made up the half-tumbled walls to guide from one 

 view to another on the higher parts ; and seats placed 

 here and there to enjoy those views, which are more 

 romantic than imagination can form them. I could 



