198 THE PARKS AND GAEDENS OF PAEIS. [Chap. XIV. 



many thousands of pounds, and contained specimens of nearly all 

 that was beautiful in the trees and shrubs of northern and 

 temperate regions. Wearied with the crater-like dreariness of 

 the great stony region, one could lift the eye to this varied 

 and interesting belt of vegetation, and therein find rest. This 

 plantation has been almost entirely cut down, and long 

 lines of red villas stare into the garden in its place. The con- 

 sequence is that beauty or repose in the garden-landscape is made 

 impossible. And to what end ? For the gain of about £1,200 a 

 year (the ground-rent of these villas) the gardens have sustained 

 a loss which nothing can repair. Unhappily many instances are 

 to be seen of poor design in public gardens, and of precious 

 surfaces of garden-ground frittered away, but of blind destructive- 

 ness it would be difficult to find an example to equal this. 



In connection with the Crystal Palace one thinks of ruined 

 shareholders ; and with Yersailles, of the enormous sums wrung 

 from an oppressed people, and put to such a miserable use. And 

 this was the kind of good efi'ected with the money extorted from a 

 starving population ! It was merely burying wealth^ndeed, it 

 niight have been better to have buried it literally, for many would 

 prefer the naked earth to such extravagances in stone, which 

 must be kept in repair at great cost or soon become intolerable 

 even to their builders and designers. When a private individual 

 indulges in expensive fancies, he has little influence to injure any 

 one but himself; but in the case of a public garden which is set 

 up as an example of all that is admirable, we then have, in 

 addition to the first wasteful expenditure, an object hurtful to 

 the public taste, sowing the seed of its ugliness all over the 

 country. 



It may be said that our taste in England is sufficiently assured 

 against this ; but it is not so. Many whose lawns were, or might 

 readily be made, the most beautiful of gardens, have ruined them, 

 for the mere sake of having a terraced garden. There is a modern 

 castle in Scotland where the embankments are piled one above 

 another, till the whole looks as if Uncle Toby and a whole army of 

 Corporals had been carrying out his grandest scheme in forti- 

 fications. Were such an erection a matter of trifling cost, or one 

 which could be easily removed or even avoided, it would not be 

 worthy our attention ; but being so expensive that it may curtail 



