knowledge of effects of buildings on the 

 surrounding scenery, 1 shall therefore 

 take the folloM'ing extract from my MS. 

 relating to Welbeck, in the possesssion of 

 his Grace the Duke of Portland. 



As every conspicuous building in a 

 park should derive its character from 



" Penn concerning the intended monument you men- 

 " tion" (to Gray, the poet, who is buried in the church- 

 yard adjoining to Stoke Park) 3 " and finding that he 

 " means to consult you on the subject, I have presumed 

 " to tell him, that he will do well if he gives you the 

 " absolute choice of the spot," as well as the size of tl>e 

 " building, which he means to ei-ect to my excellent 

 " friend's memory : for tliough I hold the architectural 

 " taste of Mr. Wyatt in supreme estimation, I also am 

 " uniformly of opinion, that where a place is to be 

 *' formed, he who disposes the ground and arranges 

 "■ the plantations ought to fix the situation at least, if 

 " not to determine the shape and size of the ornamental 

 " buildings. Brown, I know, was ridiculed for turning 

 " architect, but I always thought he did it from a kind 

 " of necessity, having found the great difficulty \\ Inch 

 " must frequently have occurred to him in forming a 

 " picturesque whole, where the previous building had 

 " been ill placed, or of improper dimensions. 



" I am. Sir, your most obedient servant, 



Aston, April 24, 179-2. " W. MasoN." 



