126 Design for the Grounds, Sj-c, of a Mansion, 



cealed from the windows by being sunk ; by a terrace walk, as 

 in the design before us ; or by placing the house on an elevated 

 platform, which should, at the same time, form a foreground to 

 the distance. 



We may remark here, incidentally, that the finest example 

 that we know of, in England, of a flower-garden being sunk to 

 prevent its interfering with the unity of expression of the view 

 from the house, is at Redleaf, in Kent. Nothing, in our opinion, 

 can exceed the management of that place: and, independently of 

 what has been there effected by art, there are few places in Eng- 

 land equal to it in natural beauty. The proprietor (Mr. Wells) 

 is a man of the most just, elegant, and correct taste that we are 

 acquainted with ; and he ranks in our estimation, in this respect, 

 with Bishop Carruthers. (See IX. 6.) 



The remaining part of the lawn, surrounded by straight walks, 

 and intersected by a central straight walk and curvilineal ones, 

 contains some clumps of shrubs ; and the situation of these is 

 the only serious point in the design that we have to find fault 

 with. If Mr. Dargavell will turn to what we have said in VII. 

 400., he will understand at once what we mean. There is no 

 particular reason why each clump or group should be in the 

 precise place where it is, rather than in any other place. There 

 is not one of them that might not be moved, either backwards or 

 forwards, or to the right or left, without producing any great 

 derangement of the general effect ; and such removal would pro- 

 duce no derangement at all of the walks. The shapes of some 

 of these clumps are peculiar, for which there appears no obvious 

 reason. If the clumps or groups had been principally placed 

 in the angles of the walks, they could not have been moved an 

 inch without deranging those walks; and they would thus have 

 accounted for the precise direction given to the latter. Notwith- 

 standing this trifling fault, we like the design, taking it alto- 

 gether; and we hope Mr. Dargavell will assiduously cultivate 

 his talents for this species of composition. We recommend to 

 him our Architectural Magazine for last year ; in various papers 

 of which he will find the principles of composition familiarly 

 developed. From these papers, he will learn to understand the 

 true meaning of the term artist-like composition, whether in 

 architecture or gardening. It is a great matter when a person 

 who directs his attention to devising plans, to drawing orna- 

 ments, or, in short, to delineating in any way, is enabled to de- 

 termine in his own mind what is artist-like and what is not: 

 many things, for example, portraits of scenes in the country, of 

 individual men or animals, or of manners on the stage, are very 

 like nature, and yet not at all artist-like, that is, not works of j 

 art. — Cond. 



