600 Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Socichj, 



from the French. Italian gardens are much in combination 

 with architecture and sculpture, and are, it seems, more de- 

 signed to increase the beauty of these, than to form a work of 

 art in themselves ; which is quite the reverse of the French 

 gardens, where architecture and sculpture are only used for 

 embellishing the garden. 



A third subdivision of the regular style is the Dutch 

 sarden. Hedges and trees are cut into different forms, the 

 grass plots are divided into curious figures, and the walks 

 are laid out, or rather paved, with variously coloured stones, 

 glass, shells, &c., which gives the whole more the appearance 

 of mosaic work than a garden. This plan has, however, long 

 ceased to be adopted. There are also two different classes 

 in the natural stvle, the Chinese and the English : the idea 

 of the latter has probably arisen from that of the former, as 

 they only differ in the Chinese introducing wild and terrific 

 scenes in their gardens, while by the English only the beau- 

 tiful and charming ai'e admitted. The love for this natural 

 style has spread very rapidly on the Continent, and many 

 well-formed French gardens have been transformed into En- 

 glish ones, without considering how far regular forms were 

 necessary for that effect, which, in combination with magni- 

 ficent architecture, these gardens were originally intended to 

 produce. All writers on the art of gardening agree that the 

 regular style is in certain cases not only applicable, but essen- 

 tial ; and this circumstance induced M. Sckell to give his 

 opinion on the question, " Under what circumstances can or 

 should the regular style be used?" 



He first refers to Hirschfeld's Theory of the Art of Gar- 

 denings p. 139., who, speaking of the application of the 

 English style, says, " There are, however, cases in which 

 symmetric gardens make an exception, as gardens round the 

 houses in towns and suburbs, near palaces, in public places 

 and promenades," &c. &c. 



The regular form of a sublime building, which has in all 

 its parts the character of grandeur, is so much in contrast 

 with natural scenery, that these two objects cannot be com- 

 bined without a medium. With a few modifications, and for 

 the same reason, the regular style should be chosen for 

 promenades near towns (which are to be distinguished from 

 public gardens), in consequence of the regularity of the 

 situation, and for the convenience of the public. A third 

 case, where, though regular gardens are not always neces- 

 sary, they are mostly applicable, is, in front and behind houses 

 in towns and suburbs, where the place is generally too limited 

 for natural scenery. Whether there are other cases except 



