62 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



inclinations in all cases are extremely desirable, and 

 to obtain these on rough ground considerable sacrifices 

 must often be made, both in adding to the length and 

 diminishing the beauty of an approach. Into this 

 species of work, however, the furor of railway-making 

 has introduced some of its most violent operations, and 

 has added very little to approaches, as good roads, 

 while it has taken much from their agreeableness, as 

 good drives through a park. Before proceeding to 

 blast rocks with gunpowder, or to cut into or through 

 ridges, it is well to see whether we cannot save expense 

 and the beauty of the ground by deviating a little to 

 the right or left. One of these new approaches, formed 

 in defiance of all such considerations as those now in- 

 dicated, and executed by a ci-devant railway surveyor, 

 has been, not unaptly, styled by observant neighbors, 

 "The Lodge and Stables Direct line, 1 ' from its passing 

 close by the latter offices in its way to the house. In 

 this case, however, there are probably more faults than 

 cutting and embanking. A well-laid-out approach 

 will seldom be made to cross the park On the drawing- 

 room front of the house, in its way to the principal 

 entrance. It is desirable, however, that the house 

 should be seen from it in one or two advantageous 

 positions, and that it should be in part visible from 

 the windows .of the public rooms, in order that the 

 inmates may perceive the approach of visitors. If 

 there are circumstances which make it unavoidable 

 for the approach to pass the drawing-room front, it 

 should be kept at such a distance, and conducted at 

 such a level, as to prevent the dressed grounds from 

 being overlooked. 

 Note. — The approach should arrive at the house in 



