THE STORY OF THE GARDENS 93 



seems dubious, as may be Horace Walpole's 

 story that the name Ha-ha expressed a rustic's 

 astonishment at being brought to an unexpected 

 stand. But for poets like Cowley and Marvell, 

 who courted "a green thought in a green 

 shade," it was left for writers of our time to 

 dwell lovingly on the garden they love, however 

 small; the tasteful authorities of that century 

 hardly condescend to notice anything below the 

 pleasure-grounds that ran into lordly demesnes. 

 Humphry Repton, doyen of a later generation 

 of improvers smiled at by Jane Austen, in 

 his proposals for Woburn Abbey, distinguishes 

 the gardens about a country-seat under the 

 following heads : 



The terrace and parterre near the house. 



The private garden, only used by the family. 



The rosary, or dressed flower garden, in front of the 

 greenhouse. 



The American garden, for plants of that country only. 



The Chinese garden, surrounding a pool in front of 

 the great Chinese pavilion, to be decorated with 

 plants from China. 



The botanic garden, for scientific classing of plants. 



The animated garden, or menagerie. 



And lastly, the English garden or shrubbery walk, 

 connecting the whole ; sometimes commanding 

 views into each of these distinct objects and some- 

 times into the park and distant country. 



