142 



PARKS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



of the nozzle of a strong pipe in tlie centre of a pond^ 

 throwing np a thick column of water to a considerable 

 height. They are generally too large for terraces or 

 flower-gardens. They may he introduced into some of 

 the principal lawns within sight of the house, and in 

 such situations, especially when partially backed or en- 

 compassed with trees, they are extremely brilliant and 

 effective. It must be owned that there is seldom a 

 supply of water copious enough to maintain such water- 

 works in continuous action. 



Besides the power of introducing artificial water into 

 a park or pleasure-ground, the prop-iety of so intro- 

 ducing it remains to be determined, and that is a matter 

 sometimes requiring to be carefully weighed and consi- 

 dered. There are certain cases in which such attempts 

 approach to manifest absurdity. It is possible, for 

 example, to conceive a limited place with a mansion- 

 house beautifully seated on an eminence, from which 

 the gromid slopes on at least three sides, and the whole 

 of the kept grounds might be on these slopes. Water 

 might undoubtedly be brought from the fourth side, and 

 a fountain or two might be perfectly admissible, or even 

 desirable, but certainly an artificial lake or river, or even 

 pond, on the slopes, could be nothing less than ridiculous. 

 It is, if possible, still more questionable taste to elaborate 

 artificial sheets of water in sight of the sea, a fine inland 

 lake, or navigable river. In these cases, the grand of 

 nature invariably overpowers the puny efibrts of art. We 

 cannot help associating the same feelings with jets d'eau; 

 they do not harmonize at all with marine, and scarcely 

 with lake scenery. If they must be introduced into 

 such localities, let them be so placed that there may be 

 no apparent competition between the tiny murmurs of 



