218 



CHINESE GARDENING. 



Chap. X. 



what a Chinese garden is will understand me well 

 enough, but it is really difficult to give a stranger 

 an idea of the Chinese style which I have been 

 endeavouring to describe. In order to understand 

 the Chinese style of gardening it is necessary to 

 dispel from the mind all ideas of fine lawns, broad 

 walks, and extensive views; and to picture in 

 their stead everything on a small scale — that is, 

 narrow paved walks, dwarf walls in all directions, 

 with lattice-work or ornamental openings in them, 

 in order to give views of the scenery beyond ; 

 halls, summer-houses, and alcoves, ponds or small 

 lakes with zigzag walks over them— in short, an 

 endeavour to make small things appear large, and 

 large things small, and everything Chinese. There 

 are some of these ornaments, however, which I 

 think might be imitated with advantage in our 

 own gardens. Some of the doorways and open- 

 ings in walls seemed extremely pretty. In par- 

 ticular I may notice a wall about ten feet high, 

 having a number of open compartments filled 

 with porcelain rods made to imitate the stems of 

 the bamboo. I shall now close this notice with 

 the modest lines of the Chinese poet^ which we 

 found written in the " Library of Verdant Purity," 

 and which seemed to be an effort to describe the 

 nature of the garden : — 



" Some few stems of bamboo-plants 

 A cottage growing round ; 

 A few flowers here — some old trees there, 

 And a mow * of garden ground." 



* A mow is about the sixth part of an acre. 



