BEAUTlJiS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE ART. 47 



Dutch school, prevalent^in England in the time of William 

 JV. (Fig. 12), the results evince a fertility of odd conceits, 

 rather than the exercise of taste or imagination. Indeed, 

 as, to level ground naturally uneven, or to make an avenue, 

 by planting rows of trees on each side of a broad walk, 

 requires only the simplest perception of the beauty of ma- 

 thematical forms, so, to lay out a garden in the geometric 

 style, became little more than a formal routine, and it was 

 only after the superior interest of a more natural manner 

 was enforced by men of genius, that natural beauty of 

 expression was recognised, and Landscape Gardening was 

 raised to the rank of a fine art. 



The ancient style of gardening may, however, be intro- 

 duced with good effect in certain cases. In public squares 

 and gardens, where display, grandeur of effect, and a highly 

 artificial character are desirable, it appears to us the most 

 suitable ; and no less so in very sn^all gardens, in which 

 variety and irregularity are out of the question. Where a 

 taste for imitating an old and quaint style of residence 

 exists, the symmetrical and knotted garden would be a 

 proper accompaniment ; and pleached alleys, and sheared 

 trees, would be admired, like old armor or furniture, as 

 curious specimens of antique taste and custom.* 



* There lias been a great revival of this kind of garden in England the past 

 ten years — ^more, perhaps, inclining to the Italian school than the Dutch. 

 Chatsworth, Woburn Abhey, Castle Howard, Bowood, Eaton Hall, and, in fact, 

 most of the great places, have more or less adopted the Italian or Architec- 

 tural school on one or more sides of the house, as a sort c/£ connection betweoh 

 'art and nature. Trentham (the Diike of Sutherland's) is, we believe, especially 

 rich in architectural gardens. Botli here and at the other places above-men- 

 tioned, the grade between the house and the park is let aown, as it were, by a 

 series of terraces, each divided from the other by heavy stone balustrades, sur- 

 mounted, at regular intervals, with vases, ^nted either with Geraniums, or 

 with Ynooa, Aloe, Bonapartias, and other formal plants. Flights of broad, 

 heavy stone or marble steps conduct fr6m one terrace to the other, and finally 



