Chapter IX 



Landscape Gardening and Painting — Pictures 

 may imitate Nature, but Nature is not to copy 

 Pictures 



AT the time my former publication was in the press, 

 the art of landscape gardening was attacked by 

 two gentlemen, Mr. Knight,^" of Herefordshire, and 

 Mr. Price,^' of Shropshire ; and I retarded its publica- 

 tion till I could take some notice of the opinions of 

 these formidable, because ingenious, opponents. Hav- 

 ing since been consulted on subjects of importance in 

 those two counties, I willingly availed myself of oppor- 

 tunities to deliver my sentiments as particular circum- 

 stances occurred, and therefore, with permission of the 

 respective proprietors, I insert the following observa- 

 tions from the Red Books of Sufton Court, in Here- 

 fordshire, and Attingham, in Shropshire: 



My opinion concerning the improvement of Sufton 

 Court involving many principles in the art of landscape 

 gardening, I take this opportunity of justifying my 

 practice, in opposition to the wild theory which has 

 lately appeared ; and shall therefore occasionally allude 

 to this new system when it bears any relation to our 

 objects at Sufton Court. Having already published 

 a volume on the subject of landscape gardening, it will 

 be unnecessary to explain the motives which induced 

 me to adopt this name for a profession as distinct from 

 the art of landscape painting as It Is from the art of 

 planting cabbages or pruning fruit-trees. The slight 



