Jan.] flower GARDEN. 73 
ground surrounded with a good fence of some kind, as a defence 
against cattle, &c., a foss being a kind of concealed fence, will 
answer that purpose where it can conveniently be made, without 
interrupting the view of such neighbouring parts as are beautified 
by art or nature, and at the same time effect an appearance that 
these are only a continuation of the pleasure-ground. Over the foss 
in various parts may be made Chinese and other curious artd fanci- 
ful bridges, which will have a romantic and pleasing effect. 
Of Ancient Designs. 
Designs in ancient gardening for a pleasure-ground, consulted 
uniformity in every part, exact levels, straight lines, parallels, 
squares, angles, circles, and other geometrical figures, &c., all cor- 
responding in the greatest regularity to effect an exact symmetry 
and proportion. 
Straight walks were every where observed, and all arranged 
parallel and crossing one another in regular intersections^ generally 
a grand one of gravel was extended in a straight line immediately 
from the front of the main house, having each side verged either 
with a regular straight border of earth, furnished with a variety of 
flowers, &c., and sometimes having a verge of grass three or four 
feet wide, then a border, embellished as above w^ith various plants; 
this main walk being often intersected by others at regular distances, 
so as sometimes to divide the spaces immediately in the front of the 
house into four, six, or more equal squares, some of which were 
sometimes formed into parterres, sometimes only naked grass-plats, 
or other uniform divisions; and often the whole garden was thus 
divided by straight, parallel, and intersecting walks, into many 
regular squares and angles without any variation. 
Grand parterres were very commonly presented immediately on 
the front of the main house, having a grand walk of grass or gravel 
directly from the house through the middle, or dividing the parterre 
ground into two divisions. 
A parterre is a spacious level spot of ground divided into many 
partitions, of different figures and dimensions, by means of edgings 
or lines of dwarf-box, &c., or by verges of grass-turf and tracks of 
sand, fine gravel, shell, and scroll-work, &c. 
These works were in great estimation in ancient gardening, and 
were commonly situated directly in front of the house, generally 
the whole width of the front, or sometimes more. 
The general figure of a parterre is an oblong or long square; 
because by the rules of Perspective, or the natural declension of the 
visual rays in optics, a long square sinks almost to a square, and 
an exact square appears much less so than it really is, when viewed 
at a distance; therefore parterres were generally made twice as 
long as broad. 
These were bounded by a long bed, or border of earth, and the 
internal space within divided into various little partitions or enclo- 
sures, artfully disposed into different figures corresponding with 
one another, such as long squares, triangles, circles, various scroll- 
works, flourishes of embroidery, and many other fanciful devices; 
K 
