THE APPROACH. 



275 



an approach altogether, certainly reduce it to a mini- 

 mum. Of course, such expedients can be adopted 

 only in favorable circumstances. There may be ele- 

 ments in the size of the place, or in the slope of the 

 ground, or in the position of the most favorable site, 

 which demand an approach in the ordinary form ; still 

 the line leading from the entrance-lodge to the house 

 should, without falling into a straight line, be as short 

 as possible. Passing the entrance-gate at right angles, 

 or nearly so, to the boundary wall, it should proceed 

 with, such a moderate curve or sweep as will place the 

 side of the carriage abreast of the main door. The 

 approach should never be carried across the entrance- 

 front before reaching the door of the house, unless the 

 ground is so steep as to render the formation of a road 

 with an easy inclination otherwise impracticable. A 

 lodge may sometimes be a necessary appendage to the 

 entrance-gate, and that is a sufficient reason for a 

 moderate prolongation of the approach. Certain fine 

 views, or other advantages, carrying the house con- 

 siderably into the interior of the territory, may make 

 a similar demand; still, it should be an object steadily 

 kept in view, that on this account there should be as 

 little intersection of the grounds as possible. When 

 the whole place approaches the form of a parallelo- 

 gram, the gateway and lodge may be placed in one 

 corner, and the approach may fall into a straight line, 

 or form an avenue along the boundary, till it is neces- 

 sary to curve off to the door of the house. "When 

 these residences increase in size, they assume the ap- 

 pearance of a park, and of course the approach will 

 follow the character of those required in such places. 

 It is not unusual to find two approaches to a villa 



