15 



increased. Hence, instead of mere'hunting lodges and hovels for 

 game keepers, extensive buildings and other accommodations, having 

 frequently a festive character, were after a time provided within their 

 enclosures. Then it was found that people took pleasure in them 

 without regard to the attractions of the chase, or of conversation, and 

 this pleasure was perceived to be, in some degree, related to their 

 3cenery, and in some degree to the peculiar maimer of association 

 which occurred in them ; and this was also found to be independent 

 of intellectual gifts, tranquiliziDg and restorative to the powers most 

 tasked in ordinary Bocial duties, and stimulating only in a healthy 

 and recreative way to the imagination. Hence, after a time, parks 

 began to be regarded and to be maintained with reference, more than 

 any thing else, to the convenient accommodation of numbers of 

 people, desirous of moving lor recreation among scenes that, should 

 be gratifying to their taste or imagination. 



In the present century, not only have the old parks been thus 

 maintained, but many new parks have been formed with these pur- 

 poses exclusively in view, especially within and adjoining consider- 

 able towns, and it is upon our knowledge of these latter that our 

 simplest conception of a town park is founded It is from experience 

 in these that all our ideas of parks must spring. 



This experience shows that the great advantage which a town 

 finds in a park, lies in the addition to the health, strength and 

 morality which comes from it to its people, an advantage 

 which is not only in itself very great and positive but which 

 as certainly results in an increase of material wealth as good har- 

 vests or active commerce. And the reason is obvious: all wealth is 

 the result of labor, and every man's individual wealth is, on the 

 whole, increased by the labor of every other in the community, 

 supposing it to be wisely and honestly applied : but as there cannot 

 be the slightest use of the will, of choice between two actions or 

 two words, nor the slightest exercise of skill of any kind, without 

 the expenditure of force, it follows that, without recuperation and 

 recreation of force, the [tower of each individual to labor wisely and 

 honestly is soon lost, and that, without the recuperation of force, 

 the power of each individual to add to the wealth of the community 

 is, as a necessary consequence, also soon lost. 



But to this process of recuperation a condition is necessarj', 

 known since the days of Jisop, as the unbending of the faculties 

 which have been tasked, and this unbend ing of the faculties we find 



