134 The Art of Landscape Gardening 



or the low ground invites its course. These circum- 

 stances in natural rivers should be carefully imitated in 

 those of art, and not only the effects, but even the 

 causes, if possible, should be counterfeited, especially 

 in the form of the shores : thus, the convex side of 

 the river at a [in Fig. 1 8] should have its shores con- 



Fig. 18. 



vex or steep ; and the concave side of the river at b 

 should have its shores concave or flat ; because, by 

 this means, the course of the river is accounted for. 



There is another circumstance, with respect to lines, 

 deserving attention. The course of a river may fre- 

 quently shew two or more different bends, which do 

 not so intersect each other as to impede the view along 

 it ; and these may be increased in proportion to the 

 breadth of the river : but in a road, or a walk, espe- 

 cially if it passes through a wood or plantation, a sec- 

 ond bend should never be visible. The degree of 

 curve in a walk or road will therefore depend on its 

 width ; thus looking along the narrow line of walk, you 

 will not see the second bend : but in the same curve, 



Fig. 19. 



