122 The Art of Landscape Gardening 



A common error, by which modern improvers are apt 

 to be misled, arises from the mistake so often made by 

 adopting extent for beauty. Thus the longest circuit is 

 frequently preferred to that which is most interesting ; 

 not indeed by the visitors, but by the fancied improver 

 of a place. This, I apprehend, was the origin, and is 

 always the tedious effect, of what is called a Belt; through 

 which the stranger is conducted, that he may enjoy the 

 drive, not by any striking points of view or variety of 

 scenery, but by the number of miles over which he has 

 traced its course, and instead of leading to those objects 

 which are most worthy our attention, it is too common 

 to find the drive a mere track round the utmost verge 

 of the park ; and if any pleasing features excite our 

 notice, they arise rather from chance than design. 



To avoid this popular error, therefore, I shall en- 

 deavour to avail myself of natural beauties in this drive, 

 without any unnecessary circuit calculated to surprise by 

 its extent. I shall rather select those points of view which 

 are best contrasted with each other, or which discover 

 new features, or the same under different circumstances 

 of foreground ; beguiling the length of the way by a suc- 

 cession of new and pleasing objects. 



If the circuitous drive round a place becomes tedious 

 by its monotony, we must equally avoid too great same- 

 ness or confinement in any road which is to be made a 

 path of pleasure : a short branch from the principal drive, 

 although it meets it again at a little distance, relieves the 

 mind by its variety and stimulates by a choice between 

 two different objects ; but we must cautiously avoid con- 

 fusion, lest we cut a wood into a labyrinth. The princi- 

 pal road at Heathfield leads towards the tower, the other 

 is no less interesting where it bursts out on one of those 

 magnificent landscapes so pleasing in nature, yet so diffi- 



