APPENDIX. 



713 



recommend an artificial management not less extravagant j because I pre- 

 sume to introduce some appearance of rock scenery in a soil where no 

 rock naturally exists ; but" (mark the ingenuity of the argument) " the 

 same objection might be made with equal propriety to the introduction of 

 an artificial lake in a scene where no lake before existed !" — Such reasoning 

 deserves no remark. 



Arguments of a like nature are introduced to shew, that at Wentworth it 

 is much easier " to imitate one large river, than several small lakes ; espe- 

 cially as it is much easier to produce the appearance of continuity, than of 

 such vast expanse as a lake requires." If a vast expanse be the charac- 

 teristic of a lake, and still continuity that of a river, then this may be 

 true ; but while from nature we can place breadth, and progress, in the room 

 of these epithets, we may reject the reasoning as no less false than the 

 water at Wentworth is displeasing. I have elsewhere disapproved of the 

 water at that residence ; and on a future occasion shall give some views 

 from it, and contrast them with others, shewing what it might have been, 

 or may still be made, at much less expence than has been incurred in 

 forming Mr. Repton's river. Mr. Repton, however, assumes it as a prin- 

 ciple, that a " river is much easier to imitate than a lake j" so that we may 

 thence bid adieu to all character in pieces of water formed by him or his 

 followers. Is it extraordinary, that a person who thus overlooks the cha- 

 racters of nature should be bewildered on every occasion ? 



A ferry-boat is proposed for Holkham, which is here said to be of a 

 " novel construction :" and in Hints and Sketches is called an " Invention." 

 (By the way, Mr. Repton does not say an invention of his own.) The direc- 

 tions for using it, however, chiefly attract notice : " the surface or deck of 

 this boat may be covered with gravel and cement, having a hand-rail on each 

 side ; thus it will in a manner become a moveable part of the gravel walk." 

 This is a puerile conceit, which will please children. In a philosophical 

 point of view, it tends to destroy the characteristic difference between 



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