ARTIFICIAL STYLE. 



81 



their entire removal would be the speediest and most 

 advisable improvement to vrhich they could be subjected ; 

 but as this can seldom be done^ the improver must exert 

 his ingenuity in grouping them out, or in making such 

 additions to their mass as their size, position, and the 

 nature of the ground wiU allow. 



Artificial Style. — In our remarks on parks and plea- 

 sure-grounds we have hitherto kept in view almost 

 exclusively the natural style in these departments of gar- 

 dening. We would not, however, altogether overlook that 

 artificial style once so much in vogue, but which, though 

 now antiquated, is worthy of preservation where fine spe- 

 cimens of it exist, and which might even be reproduced, 

 at least in part, in certain cases. It is a poor and 

 pedantic taste which can derive pleasure only from one 

 kind of beauty. The main features of this style, in the 

 park, are avenues and alleys, the latter being sometimes 

 parallel, sometimes crossing each other obliquely or 

 radiating fr^om a common centre ; and in the pleasure- 

 grounds, in addition to these, the principal character- 

 istics are terraces, stairs, fountains, and statues. Por- 

 tions of these means of ornament have been adopted 

 with good efifect in many well laid-out places. We 

 should be disposed td recommend them, as indeed we 

 have, in connection with the mansion-house and flower- 

 garden. When the structure of the ground is favour- 

 able, they form a suitable transition fr'om the highly 

 artificial forms of architecture, to the free, unconstrained 

 developments of natural objects. In the park, angular 

 and radiating alleys are perhaps tolerable only in level 

 situations, or when they can be viewed from a mode- 

 rately elevated platform occupied by the mansion-house. 



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