Editor's Introduction xxi 



Nature's best efforts: he was a great gentleman 

 with forbears of a thousand years ; he was a sol- 

 dier and an economist devoted to the interests 

 of his peasant laborers and German countrymen. 

 Hardly ever had the interests of one man ex- 

 tended so widely; certainly those of no landscape 

 architect. To show the diversity of his interests 

 I will quote a passage about Oxford: — 



I have walked over Oxford and I cannot express 

 with what intense delight I wandered from cloister to 

 cloister, and refreshed myself in this living spring of 

 antiquity. There is a magnificent avenue of elms which 

 like the buildings date from the year 1520. From this 

 queen of avenues in which not a single tree was want- 

 ing, and which leads through a meadow to the river, 

 you see on one side a charming landscape, and on the 

 other a part of the city with five or six of the most 

 beautiful Gothic towers — ever a noble view, but to- 

 day rendered almost hke a piece of fairy enchantment; 

 the sky was overcast, the wind drove the black, fan- 

 tastic clouds like a herd of wild beasts across it : at 

 length the most beautiful rainbow vaulting from one 

 tower and descending on another, spanned the whole 

 city. 



Read this weird and soul-stirring description 

 of Kenilworth Castle : — 



The day was gloomy, black clouds rolled across the 

 heavens, and occasionally a yellow, tawny light broke 

 from between them, the wind whistled from among the 

 ivy, and piped shrilly through the vacant windows. 

 Now and then a stone loosened itself from the crum- 

 bling buildings and rolled clattering down the outer 

 wall. Not a human being was to be seen; all was soli- 



