TAKIS. 861 



laws were set at defiance. The liquidation of these claims 

 alone detains him in France, it being his earnest wish to 

 revisit his native country, after so long an absence. Mr 

 Hay presented him with a plan of Edinburgh, including 

 the recent additions and improvements ; and Mr Blaikie 

 felt much interest in tracing the astonishing progress of the 

 Caledonian capital *. 



* We have been the more anxious to particularise some of the principal 

 gardens and places, in the laying out o* which Mr Blaikie has been engaged, 

 because, as far as our reading goes, we have not observed that sufficient jus- 

 tice is done to him by French authors who take occasion to mention the 

 state of gardening. For example, Mr Dulaure, in his well known and po- 

 pular " Description des Environs de Paris," in treating of the seats above 

 mentioned, omits all notice of Mr Blaikie's name. When describing Baga- 

 telle, after giving due praise to M. Bellanger, he speaks of the jar din An- 

 glois with high approbation : " Sa composition est tres ingenieuse ; ce n'est 

 point cette froide et majesteuse symetrie, ces perpetuelles aHgnemens qui ne 

 produisent qu'une sterile admiration; e'est la tableau d'une nature agreste, 

 riante, et embellie par la main de talens." This is indeed a just eulogy on 

 the labours of Blaikie at Bagatelle ; but, his name not being once mention- 

 ed, the reader would naturally conclude the whole to be the work of Bel- 

 langer. — Again, the whole praise of Mouceaux is given to M. Carmontel ; 

 but this place was most essentially indebted to Mr Blaikie, and, in particu- 

 lar, he planned and executed the hot-houses. u La scire de ce javdin," we 

 are told, " a la reputation d'etre une d^s plus belies que Ton connoissc ;" 

 yet Blaikie's name is suppressed — As to Raincy, we are informed, that the 

 garden " est dessine avec beaucoup d'intelligence, dans le genre du jardin 

 Anglois ;" but the merit is wholly ascribed to li M. Puttier, chevalier de 

 l'ordre royal et militaire de St Louis." 



It may be right to add, that we take notice of these things without the 

 slightest communication with Mr Blaikie. Our countryman has spent his 

 days as a practical designer of gardens ; he never published any thing ; 

 and, from what we know of his character, we may add, never wasted a 

 thought about his own fame as a gawlen-firchitect. In France the number 

 of writers on horticulture and gardening is greet ; hut the writings them, 

 selves prove, in many cases, that the authors are nithcr theoretical than 

 practical gardeners ; and we believe we may safely say, that, in that country, 

 ^notwithstanding the number of books, there arc comparatively few practical 



