. 



XXVI MEMOIR. 



Eural England recognized its great value. Loudon said : 

 " It cannot fail to be of great service." Another said : 

 "We stretch our arm across the 'big water' to tendei 

 our Yankee coadjutor an English shake and a cordial re- 

 cognition." These welcomes from those who knew what 

 and why they welcomed, founded Downing's authority in 

 the minds of the less learned, while the simplicity of his 

 own statements confirmed it. From the publication of 

 the "Landscape Gardening" until his death, he continued 

 to be the chief American authority in rural art. 



European honors soon began to seek the young gardener 

 upon the Hudson. He had been for some time in corres- 

 pondence with Loudon, and the other eminent men of the 

 profession. He was now elected corresponding member of 

 the Royal Botanic Society of London, of the Horticultural 

 Societies of Berlin, the Low Countries, &c. Queen Anne 

 of Denmark sent him " a magnificent ring," in acknow- 

 ledgment of her pleasure in his works. But, as the 

 years slowly passed, a sweeter praise saluted him than the 

 Queen's ring, namely, the gradual improvement of the na- 

 tional rural taste, and the universal testimony that it was 

 due to Downing. It was found as easy to live in a hand- 

 some house as in one that shocked all sense of propriety 

 and beauty. The capabilities of the landscape began to 

 develop themselves to the man who looked at it from his 

 windows, with Downing's books in his hand. Mr. Wilder 

 says that a gentleman " who is eminently qualified to form 

 an enlightened judgment," declared that much of the im- 

 provement that has taken place in this country during the 

 last twelve years, in rural architecture and in ornamental 

 gardening and planting, may be ascribed to him. Another 

 gentleman, " speaking of suburban cottages in the West," 

 says : " I asked the origin of so much taste, and was told 



