536 



Principles of Landscape-Gardening 



within hearing. There should be no sound of tools, giving " dreadful note of 

 preparation," to disturb the silence of the place. 



P. 153. " Entrance Lodge to the Tower Hamlets Cemetery^' &c. In fig. 29. 

 a, the substitution of folding doors for one swing door would be a great im- 

 provement ; as it is now, you must shut yourself into the vestibule b, before 

 you can see the door leading to c. 



P. 162. " The Gi-ave-Box," &c. Why should not the grave-boxes be con- 

 structed, like contractor's waggons, to tilt up ; and, like them, be placed on 

 wheels ? 



P. 217. " Sixthly, . . . and therefore we ivoidd render it expensive^'' Sec. Upon 

 reflection, I think you will allow that we ought not to do that indirectly, which 

 public opinion will not support us in doing directly. If a practice be admitted 

 to be wrong, then prohibit it altogether. To check it by taxing it is tyranny : 

 it is admitting passion, and not reason, into legislation ; and it is also 

 false, on the same principles as the old sumptuary laws are admitted to 

 be wrong. Let acts of parliament stop outside the grave : all on this side 

 of it, in this act of parliament nation, is governed by statute. No sooner, in 

 these days, does a kind and benevolent spirit detect a hardship or a wrong, 

 than it flies to parliament for a remedy; forgetting that, if we are to deal with 

 effects, we must have millions of laws ; but, if we deal with causes, very few 

 will suffice, and those few will soon be superfluous. 



" Interments in catacombs or vaults.'''' With respect to interments in vaults 

 or catacombs, as they will probably be continued, it is worth while consider- 

 ing whether there should not be provided some outlet for the gas, by a drain 

 running at the back, and communicating with a chimney in which a current 

 of warm air would aid the draught, or with a chamber in which it might be 

 absorbed or decomposed. In Jig. 116., a a are catacombs ; b b, channels com- 



/ L 



Fig. 116. Diagram showing how the Mephitic Gas tnay he collected and carried off from Catacombs. 



municating with a drain c ; d, a chimney or chamber, in which there may be 

 a fire for rarefying the air and creating a draught. 



" Seventhly. . . . We ivould alloiu individual taste." &c. There should be a 

 veto somewhere, to exclude inscriptions improper, inaccurate, or ludicrous. 



" Mojiuments.'" It appears not to come within the scope of your work to 

 give designs for monuments ; and, perhaps, it would render it more costly 

 than you purpose ; but, if this work should, as I feel sure it ought and must, 

 attract great attention, you might follow it up by a dissertation on the style of 

 monuments, with examples. Such a manual would be a great boon to many a 

 wounded spirit, that has now no other means of satisfying its desire to per- 

 petuate some beloved object, than by consulting some rude village or town 

 marble-mason, whose business-like ideas and technical expressions are in sad 

 contrast with the thoughts of his employer. 



P. 221. " Order Book.'" If this work is to be a manual, at least for direc- 

 tors of cemeteries, if not for the managers, it might be useful, in the Appendix, 

 to give the best forms of these books. Most of the books so used are 

 susceptible of great improvement. If the present modes were thus made 

 public, you might, through the Gardener^s Magazine, from time to time, 

 receive and record various suggestions for their improvement, 



" Register Book." I have expressed an opinion that the books in use might 



