Brittoji^s lUusirations of Toddington. 4 1 9 



amidst this medley and this diversity the English architects fail to produce 

 any thing to mark either the particular age in which they live^ or the nation 

 to which they belong, we cannot fail to recognise a principle and sentiment 

 characteristic of personal liberty and of the freedom of the government. As 

 every Englishman's home is his castle, he assumes unlimited freedom of 

 action in making it either large or small, highly decorated or plain, of stone, 

 brick, timber, or marble, as may best please his fancy and his station in life. 



" The late Mr. Repton, of Hare Street, Essex, was employed during the 

 greater part of an active life, by several English noblemen and gentlemen, to 

 give designs for, or ' lay-out,' the grounds in the vicinity of their respective 

 houses. In prosecuting this very pleasing, indeed fascinating, profession (for 

 Mr. R. had studied and practised it in a professional capacity}, he visited most 

 parts of the kingdom, and was engaged to survey and report on some of its 

 finest parks, as well as many subordinate villas. His practice was, to examine 

 the natural and artificial features of a place with its mansion, and to prepare 

 a series of small, but smartly-touched, drawings, showing certain scenes and 

 parts, which he deemed bad or susceptible of improvement on a slip of paper, 

 and to represent his suggested improvement by drawing the same on the paper 

 beneath the said slips. He accompanied these drawings with an essay on the 

 scenic characteristics of the seat ; eulogising its grand, fine, picturesque, and 

 beautiful portions, and describing or pointing out such parts as tended to 

 deteriorate the better features of the domain. These drawings and the manu- 

 scripts were bound in red morocco, and known as Mr. Repton's Red Books. 

 In a published volume entitled Sketches and Hmts on Landscape-Gardening, 

 4to, 1795, the author laid before the public the most essential portions of fifty- 

 seven of these red books. ' to establish fixed principles in the art of laying 

 out ground.' The whole of this volume is republished by Mr. Loudon in his 

 interesting edition of Mr. Repton's woi'ks, with a memoir of the author, and 

 some valuable notes by the editor. 



" The mansion which preceded the present at Toddington was seated in 

 the lowest part of the grounds, adjoining a river, which meanders through the 

 valley, and, like the generality of country seats built at the end of the six- 

 teenth century, it was placed in juxta-position with the parish church. It 

 was partly bounded by walls, some of which were lofty, and its gardens, 

 which nearly surrounded the house, were laid out with geometric regularity 

 and formality. Gravel walks, and green walks, terraces, fish-ponds, and 

 fountains ; dipt hedges and dipt trees ; shrubs, with vases and leaden figures, 

 gave to the whole scene a most formal, artificial, and frigid air and aspect. 

 Pope endeavoured to mark this fashion in one of his terse and expressive 

 couplets : — 



" Grove nods at grove, each alley has its brother, 

 And half the platform just reflects the other." 



" But the writings of the poet and the critic cannot convey an adequate 

 idea of this species of country-house and its flower-garden ; and I do not 

 believe that there is a genuine specimen remaining in Great Britain. To the 

 topographical draughtsmen and engravers we are obliged and indebted for 

 conveying to our times and to our eyes representations of such gardens with 

 their respective buildings. Burghers, Hollar, KnyfF, Badeslade, and the 

 Kips, have left us views of many of them, which are valuable evidences of the 

 prevalent taste, as well as of the manners, of our ancestors. Toddington, 

 amongst these representations, shows the house to be large, bounding three 

 sides of a quadrangular court, and having the fourth side flanked by an era- 

 battled wall and a porter's lodge. The church, stables, coach-houses, farm- 

 buildings, and barkens, brew-house, bake-house, and a mill, appear to have 

 constituted parts or appendages of the mansion." 



Chap. III. contains a description of the new house at Toddington ; and 

 Chap. IV. an account of the manor, parish church, Hailes Abbey, and various 



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