6 Notes and 'Reflections during a Tour : — 



even surface, the shortest line from one point to another. 

 When such roads are wide and long, and bordered by trees, 

 the view along them is always grand ; and, when the scenery 

 on each side is naked and unsightly, it is rendered tolerable 

 by the framework of the stems of the row of trees through 

 which it is seen. This, however, is all that can be said in 

 recommendation of straight roads or avenues as objects of 

 original beauty. As objects of the beauty of artificial asso- 

 ciations, open avenues, from leading to Gothic castles or 

 chateaux of the feudal times, and high over-arched avenues 

 from exciting in the mind the idea of cathedral ailes, are 

 of acknowledged effect : but beauties of this sort have no 

 reference to the avenues of the Bois de Boulogne, which, placed 

 as they are, can only be considered as a proof of the poverty 

 of mind, in matters of rural taste, of the age in which they 

 were produced. It is remarkable, that neither in the Bois de 

 Boulogne, nor in any of the woods, natural or artificial, in 

 the environs of Paris, as shown by the map now before us, is 

 there a single circular road. Two or three circles in the 

 Bois de Boulogne, of as large a diameter as the width of the 

 wood would admit, would have been a wonderful relief to it. 

 To be convinced of this, it is only requisite for a Londoner 

 to recollect the effect of the circle in the centre of the Re- 

 gent's Park. To make the most of the Bois de Boidogne 

 with respect to roads, a winding road should surround it a 

 few yards within the margin : there should be as large a 

 circle within it as could be obtained, shaded by trees, and 

 another large circle not shaded by trees; the former for 

 summer use, and the latter for use during winter and the 

 rainy weather : and there should be one or two straight 

 avenues, open and shaded, for the purpose of passing from 

 one extreme point to another by the shortest line, and for 

 giving simple and grand perspectives, as well as beautiful and 

 perpetually varying views. 



But the beauty and variety of such a piece of ground as 

 the Bois de Boidogne will depend very much upon the man- 

 ner in which it is planted. Relatively to surface, we would 

 leave numerous irregular glades, some very large, others 

 small ; relatively to the roads, many of these glades should 

 meet the eye from them in such a way as to produce a suc- 

 cession of varied landscape, and convey an idea of great 

 depth of scenery ; relatively to trees and shrubs, we would 

 employ all the most hardy of those species which can endure 

 the open air in France; and relatively to the connection of 

 these trees among themselves, we would employ, as far as 

 practicable, the natural system. We would, at all events, 



