«r PREFACE. 



gardens. There are indeed very few in our part of the 

 globe wherein nature has been improved to the beft ad- 

 vantage, or art employed with the foundeft judgment. 

 The gardens of Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and of 

 all the other countries where theantient Ityleftill prevails, 

 are in general mere cities of verdure ; the walks are like 

 flreets conducted in ftrait lines, regularly diverging from 

 different large open fpaces, refembling public fquares ; 

 and the hedges with which they are bordered, are raifed, 

 in imitation of walls, adorned with pilafters, niches, win- 

 dows and doors, or cut into colonades, arcades and 

 porticos ; all the detached trees are fhaped into obelifks, 

 pyramids and vafes ; and all the receffes in the thickets 

 bear the names and forms of theatres, amphitheatres, 

 temples, banqueting halls, ball rooms, cabinets and 

 faloons. The ftreets and fquares are well manned with 

 ftatues of marble or lead, ranged in regular lines, like 

 foldiers at a proceffion ; which, to make them more 

 natural, are fometimes painted in proper colours, and 

 finely gilt. The lakes and rivers are confined by quais 

 of hewn ftone, and taught to flow in geometrick order; 



3 and 



