MEMOIK., 



the great principles of tastp, and their application to actual' " 

 circumstances, with a clearness that satisfied the dullest 

 mind > its genial grace ' of style, iUumihated by the sense 

 of that beauty which it was its aim to indicate, and with a 

 cheerfulness' 'which is onB of the marked characteristics of 

 Downing as an author ; the easy mastery of the subject, 

 and it^ intrinsic . interest ; — all these conibihed to secure 

 to the book the position it has always occupied. The tes- 

 timony of the 'men most competent to speak with author^ 

 ity in the matter was grateful, because deserved, praise. 

 I^oudon, the' editor of " Eept'oh's Landscape Grardening,," 

 and perhaps at the timeythe greatest living critic ia the 

 department of rural art, ^t once declared it "a masterly 

 work ;" and after quoting freely from its pages, remarked : 

 ''We have quoted largely from this work, because in so 

 doing we think we shaR give a just idea of the great merit 

 of the author." Dr. Lindley, also, in his:" Gardener's 

 Chronicle.," dissented from " some minor points," but 

 -said : "'On the whole, we kmow of no work in which the 

 fundamental principle^ of this profession are so well or so 

 concisely expressed: " adding, "No English landsriape • 

 gardener has written so clearly, or with so much real in- 

 tensity." 



The , " (juiet, thoughtful, ai^d reserved boy" of the 

 Montgomery^ Academy had thus suddenly displayed, the 

 talent which was not suspected by his school^feUows. 

 The younger partner had now justified the expectation . he 

 aroused"; and the long, silent, careful years of study and 

 experience insured the permanent value of the results he 

 announced. The following year saw the, publicatiou of the 

 *' OottAge Eesidences," in which the principles of the first 

 volume were applieii iu detail.' For the same reason it 

 achieved a success similar to the "Landscap&G-ardening." 



