Scheie's Landscape-Gardening. 171 



forwards towards the existing localities, the main points being 

 previously determined by the plan, and which his line (if no 

 obstacles intervene) is to arrive at, he pursues, with a steady 

 pace, the beautiful undulating line which his practised imagina- 

 tion presents to his mind, and, as it were, displays before him. 



With his tracing-stick turned backwards, and grasped with 

 a firm hand, the point pressing on the earth, the artist im- 

 prints the line of beauty on the ground mechanically without 

 any further care or requiring to look behind him ; immediately 

 after him follow two labourers, who set in posts, but do not beat 

 them firmly in at first. When he has reached the end of his 

 line, he turns back, examines its course, improves it, and then 

 has the posts firmly driven in, or the line cut out with a sharp 

 hoe, when the line is to remain and requires no change, as in 

 the outlines of the woods and clumps, (p. 56.) 



By this method, which requires great practice, and a compre- 

 hensive glance, united with the art of justly representing forms 

 and images, I am convinced that nature and the character of the 

 locality will be most successfully imitated ; at least, forty years' 

 experience has proved this to me, so that I can vouch for its 

 success. 



7. Let this method be compared with the usual one, where, 

 with the tracing-stick under the arm, the face directed towards 

 the ground, the operator draws the line, and, on looking up 

 again, becomes aware of its stiff faulty swerving from the right 

 line, requiring repeated and numerous alterations. This is not 

 the case in the method above described : the artist remains in 

 an upright position ; he overlooks as he draws the points deter- 

 mined beforehand which his line is to touch, and advances to- 

 wards them in a manner as agreeable as it is natural. He has 

 the whole locality which his grounds are to embrace, and the 

 forms which he has already sketched, and which are to be in 

 unison and harmony with the rest, constantly before his eyes ; 

 and his perception of the beauty and truth of nature directs his 

 steps, and consequently his tracing-stick, which follows faith- 

 fully the motions of its master. 



8. The chief artistical value of a good picture lies more in 

 the correctness of the drawing than in the colouring; therefore, 

 the faults of colouring are more pardonable than those of draw- 

 ing. Thus, also, correct drawings of beautiful picturesque forms 

 and outlines are required in gardens, because they also greatly 

 contribute in giving the grounds their chief merit. For this 

 reason, the manner above described of drawing on a large scale 

 is to be preferred to the usual method, because it is capable of 

 defining more distinctly than the other does. The practised artist 

 is able, also, to draw as quickly as he goes. 



