THE TECHNICS OF GARDENING. 181 



of evergreens, that all ages have felt. And I would 

 even introduce bizarreries on the principle of not 

 leaving all that is wild and odd to Nature outside 

 of the garden-paling ; and in the formal part of the 

 garden my yews should take the shape of pyramids 

 or peacocks or cocked hats or ramping lions in 

 Lincoln-green, or any other conceit I had a mind to, 

 which vegetable sculpture can take. 



As to the other desirable qualities animation, 

 variety, mystery I would base my garden upon the 

 model of the old masters, without adopting any 

 special style. The place should be a home of fancy, 

 full of intention, full of pains (without showing any); 

 half common-sense, half romance; "neither praise nor 

 poetry, but something better than either," as Burke 

 said of Sheridan's speech ; it should have an ethereal 

 touch, yet be not inappropriate for the joyous racket 

 and country cordiality of an English home. It 

 should be 



"A miniature of loveliness, all grace 

 Summ'd up and closed in little "- 



something that would challenge the admiration and 

 suit the moods of various minds ; be brimful of 

 colour-gladness, yet be not all pyramids of sweets, 

 but offer some solids for the solid man ; combining 

 old processes and new, old idealisms and new real- 

 isms ; the monumental style of the old here, the 

 happy-go-lucky shamblings of the modern there ; the 

 page of Bacon or Temple here, the page of Repton 

 or Marnock there. At every turn the imagination 

 should get a fresh stimulus to surprise ; we should 



