133 



old formal style of our gardens, in language which it is pain- 

 ful to me thus only to advert to, instead of copying at length, 

 (for I am fully " aware of the mischiefs which generally ensue 

 in meddling with the productions of genius"); and after 

 stating that when nature was taken into the plan, every step 

 pointed out new beauties, and inspired new ideas: " at that 

 moment appeared Kent, painter enough to taste the charms 

 of landscape, bold and opiniative enough to dare and to dic- 

 tate, and born with a genius to strike out a great system from 

 the twilight of imperfect essays. He leaped the fence, and 

 saw that all nature was a garden. Thus the pencil of his 

 imagination bestowed all the arts of landscape on the scenes 

 he handled. But of all the beauties he added to the face of 

 this beautiful country, none surpassed his management of 

 water. Thus, dealing in none but the colours of nature, 

 and catching its most favourable features, men saw a new 



I do not know that every one will agree with Switzer in the concluding 

 part of what he says of Milton, in the History of Gardening, prefixed to his 

 Iconologia: "But although things were in this terrible combustion, we 

 must not omit the famous Mr. John Milton, one of Cromwell's Secretaries; 

 who, by his excellent and never-to-be-equalled poem of Paradise Lost, has 

 particularly distinguished gardening, by taking that for his theme; and 

 shows, that though his eyes deprived him of the benefit of seeing, yet his 

 mind was wonderfully moved with the philosophy, innocence, and beauty of 

 this employ; his books, though mixed with other subjects, being a kind of' 

 a philosophical body of gardening, as well as divinity. Happy man ! had 

 his pen been employed on no other subject" 



It must be needless reminding my reader, that Mr. Walpole's powerful 

 pen has taken care that our mighty poet, (who " on evil days, though fallen, 

 and with darkness and solitude compassed round,") shall not be defrauded of 

 half his glory. 



It is gratifying to remark, that an edition of Paradise Lost is now an- 

 nounced for publication, in which the zeal of its spirited proprietors has 

 determined, that every word shall be printed in letters of gold. The sanc- 

 tion of some of our most distinguished divines, and men of high rank, evince 

 the pride with which we all acknowledge the devout zeal and mighty powers 

 of the blind poet. 



