RESIDENCE. 



the higher, as well as from the houfe. It may be fuppofed 

 that nothing would be done to the furrounding country, 

 only, perhaps, that in the place of the removed cottages, a 

 formal ftreet, under the title of improved village, might be 

 formed and raifed at a fuitable diftance from the manfion and 

 its approach. It is fuggefted that numbers of places in 

 this country, as well as in Scotland, are laid out nearly in 

 this manner ; and that the general patlures, the belt, the 

 flump, the tame andjlill river, abound in both countries, and 

 continue to be formed in the fame way, whatever may be 

 the natural character of the fituation or place. 



But according to the characteriftic or natural manner 

 which the writer has advifed, fuch a fituation fliould be laid 

 out fomewhat in this way. The houfe ihould be placed on 

 the abrupt termination of the rifing grounds, the whole of 

 the offices be brought more or lefs into view, each of fuch 

 buildings being made low, irregular, and fuitable to the 

 nature of the ground. The brook be rendered more cha- 

 racteriftic as iuch, by having little aits and iflands formed 

 in it, as well as occafional pools, or (tagnated fpots of water, 

 in the open parts, and under the made of the grove where 

 not fecn. Near the houfe, in the hollow, it mould fpread 

 out in the manner of a lake, being varied by prominences, 

 iflands, and wood. The (table offices, kitchen garden, and 

 farm, fhould be placed near each other, and at no great dif- 

 tance from the main refidence. The wood fhuuld be feen in 

 one extenfive irregular mafs, crowning the large eminence, 

 and connecting it with the lower grounds in which the 

 brook runs. Inftead of furrounding the whole with a belt 

 of planting, the borders of the park fhould every where 

 blend in an irregular manner with the country ; in fome 

 places a hedge only, in others a funk fence, and in a few 

 open paling fhould feparate it from the corn-fields ; in 

 different places large portions of it may be united to the 

 country by means of hurdle fences, in which way more or 

 lefs of it may be inclofed and let out to tenantry as thought 

 proper. In this mode, the wood does not terminate abruptly 

 with the park ; but gradually lofes itfelf in fcattered trees, 

 hedge-rows, and occafional ltrips among the corn lands of 

 the neighbouring faring. Hence, it is fuggefted, arife the 

 beauty of the views in walking round the outfide border of 

 the park. An irregular village fhould be formed by fcat- 

 tered cottages, wood, and palturc, from which the approach 

 is led to the houfe ; with a branch to the offices and the 

 garden ; the farm road is moltly concealed, but might often 

 be partially feen with advantage. Walks fh;>uld be formed 

 in different parts of the grounds ; thofe for morning and 

 evening fhould be extenlive and open ; thofe for noon wholly 

 under the wood. They both afford conliderable variety, 

 whither the beauty and wilduefs of the park, the views of 

 The diftant coin-lields and hedge-rows, the village, the brook, 

 or the different picturefque compofitions formed by the 

 l.oule and offices be regarded -, without laying any thing con- 

 ing diftant profpect, which, in the other practice, is 

 iften loft by the belt, and at all events conltantly prevent* d 



on harmonising with the park, by itsdarkdill.ua boundary. 

 The cattL may be guarded and kept off from the front of 

 rhe manfion by fome proper fort of fence, and a certain 

 /pace along the border and rivulet be preferved as pk-afure 

 ground, in which exotic fhrubs and flowers may be planted 

 .11 difperfed natural-like groups and thickets. The whole 

 of the other parts of the ground may be fed with cattle, 

 horfes, deer, and fhecp, as well as other animals. The 

 kitchen garden, in fuch a fituation, need not be fo large as 

 in other cafes, as many culinary vegetables may be grown 

 in other places, and the fields of the farm. Nor will an or- 



ird be ncceli'ary in many cafes, as a fufficient number of 



fruit-trees may be introduced in the groups, and pleafure- 

 ground fcenery. There may, befides thefe, be fome other 

 differences made, which need not be noticed in this place. 

 A drive may be made through the park as thought proper, 

 and through the furrounding country according to the cir- 

 cumftances of it as connected with the park. The planting 

 in the park fhould abound with low growths and wildnefTes, 

 in the nature of the trees and the various maffes of wo. id 

 in it. 



The fame fpot of ground is difplayed as formed and laid 

 out after thefe three different methods, in the work already 

 alluded to, which may be confulted with much advantage 

 by the inquirer on this head. 



In comparing the leading diftinctions between the two 

 latter of the above methods of forming and laying out 

 rural refidences, or that followed by Brown, Repton, and 

 others, and that which has been fuggefted by the writer ; it 

 is remarked that, in relation to the whole, the object of the 

 former is to render a refidence feparate from the country ; 

 while the latter, or the characteriftic ltyle of forming, and 

 the improvements propofed in refidences already formed on 

 bad principles, tend to harmonize it. In relation to the 

 parts, that fort of gardening forms and places every thing 

 diftinctly and alone ; while this groups and connects them 

 with each other, and with the whole. 



In what regards wood, the vulgar practice is, it is faid, 

 to (hut out the country by a belt, and to vary the fpace 

 within by the clumps : while that which is propofed tends 

 to increafe the expreffion and character of the fituation or 

 place, whatever part of the grounds it may direct to be 

 wooded, whether in the middle or the boundaries ; and in- 

 ftead of (hutting out the country, the wood diverges in a 

 gradual manner into hedge -rows, fo as to unite and harmonize 

 it as much as poffible with the refidence. 



In refpect to buildings, the former or common way is to 

 conceal every thing except the manfion : while this, on 

 the contrary, fhews every building, not as fingle objects, 

 but as compound parts of the fcenery of the place. 



In relation to water, the old or former plan is to produce 

 quantity or extent of furface, and to render it as confpicu- 

 ous as poffible: while the 11 ylc here propofed is to produce 

 natural character. 



In refpeCt to ground, the former or modem lyftein is to 

 fmooth and form undulating lurfaces : while that of this is 

 to attend to natural character. 



In what regards parks, modern hndfeape gardening, it is 

 laid, makes them fmooth and deltitute of under-growths 

 ferns, and other plants : while this, by introducing hol- 

 lies, thorns, briars, ferns, and fometimes furze, broom, 

 and brambles, gives them a wild forett character, which 

 is the great and main object of their formation and arrange- 

 ment. 



In refpect to phafure-ground, the common mode, it is faid, 

 is to form many acres of lawn, which are to be kept in 

 prefervation at a great expence, v. lule they produce nothing. 

 The plan here piopofed admits of more or lefs, according 

 to circumftancLS and fituation, but generally forms little 

 that is not grazed by (heep or covered by (lowers, exten- 

 five mowing being therefore never requilite, and it commonly 

 permits the cattle to come within a fmall dillance of the 



refidence. 



The difference of expence will, it is fuppofed, be very 

 confiderable, u mull be evident from the general conlideratioii 

 of tl. d . e between aililting what Nature ban already 



begun, and counteracting her altogether. This will be fo 

 whether it relates to the manfions, buildings, planting, water, 

 gardens, farms, or pleafure-giouuds. And there will be 



difference! 



