208 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



running throughout this enchanting country, disclose its 

 beauties at every turn. 



Every nation has its peculiar taste in gardening. The 

 Italian gardens are works of art, where sculpture and 

 architecture subject even the trees to ornamental effect ; 

 French gardens consist of long alleys cut in deep woods, 

 and elegant parterres where verdant shrubs and flowers 

 mingle their colours and forms. English gardens have 

 nothing of this ; they are entirely rural. The taste of 

 the people is pastoral ; they are essentially agriculturists 

 and sportsmen even more than naval. Properly speaking, 

 they have no woods, but trees scattered here and there 

 over large grass fields ; and instead of footpaths, they 

 have roads : nothing artificial, or having the appearance 

 of arrangement real country, brought to perfection by 

 the freshness of the turf, the beauty of the trees and 

 flocks, depth of horizons, and happy distribution of water 

 the useful and pleasurable, in fact, united ; art aspir- 

 ing no further than to separate nature from its rough- 

 ness and decay, in order to leave it adorned with all 

 its loveliness and fruitfulness. Such is the appearance 

 which the county of Surrey presents. The undulating 

 character of the country (as the English, who like to 

 apply sea terms to things on the land, call it) adds 

 beauty to its perspectives. Thomson thus sung more 

 than a century ago : 



" Say shall we ascend, 

 While radiant Summer opens all its pride, 

 Thy hill, delightful Shene ! Here let us sweep 

 The boundless landscape. 



Heavens ! what a goodly prospect spreads around, 

 Of hills, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and spires, 

 And glittering towns and gilded streams, till all 

 The stretching landscape into smoke decays ! 

 Happy BRITANNIA ! where the Queen of Arts, 

 Inspiring vigour, liberty abroad 



