116 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



practical knowledge by the study of the best 

 authorities in medicine: the judicious im- 

 prover will mature his taste by that of the 

 great masters in landscape painting. Em- 

 pirics in both these pursuits there undoubt- 

 edly will be, whose prescriptions will vary 

 from each other according to their own erro- 

 neous views of the subject. The practitioners 

 in landscape may be divided (to use the term 

 of the Review) between the fantastic and the 

 formal : but the affected and whimsical irre- 

 gularity of the one is no commendation of 

 the dull monotony of the other ; and, indeed, 

 more hope may be entertained of correcting 

 the extravagancies of the irregular system, 

 than of engrafting any improvement upon 

 that which has been pronounced as certainly 

 the best. At any rate, a happy result may 

 occasionally follow the labours of the most 

 irregular practitioner, while the circular re- 

 medy, though recommended in all cases, yet 

 being adapted to none, can produce no such 

 result, except as a warning to those who have 

 not yet suffered from its baleful effects. 



But to return to the critique. I confess 

 myself somewhat puzzled in attempting to 

 substantiate the basis on which the author of 



