5 



but <renius and invention, and that it seem- 

 ed as if his spirit, like Hotspur's, had 



_ Lent a fire 



E'en to the dullest peasant. 



I am well aware, however, not only of the 

 intrinsic difficulty of pointing out from 

 theory what is likely to succeed in prac- 

 tice, but also of the cavils and objections 

 which may be raised against every part of 

 such an innovation, by those who are wed- 

 ded to the old system: for I am not san- 

 guine enough to expect, that what I am 

 now risking in the hope of promoting the 

 real improvement of real landscapes, will 

 be received by them with candour, or 

 that any allowances will be made in fa- 

 vour of the intention. On the contrary, 

 I know that it will be looked upon as a 

 fresh invasion of the realms of perpetual 

 smoothness and monotony ; an invasion 

 which should be repelled by every kind of 

 weapon. 



I will begin by observing, that in order 

 to gain a just idea of the manner in which 

 we ought to form the banks of artificial 



