DOWNING ON LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
549 
same time. If two distinct objects, or classes 
of objects, present themselves at once to us, 
we can only attend satisfactorily to one by 
withdrawing our attention, for the time, from 
the other. Hence the necessity of a refer- 
ence to this leading principle of unity. 
To illustrate the subject, let us suppose a 
building, partially formed of wood, with square 
windows, and the remainder of hrick or stone, 
with long and narrow windows. However well 
such a building may be constructed, or how- 
ever nicely the different proportions of the 
edifice may be adjusted, it is evident it can 
never form a satisfactory whole. The mind can 
only account for such an absurdity by suppos- 
ing it to have been built by two individuals, 
or at two different times, as there is nothing 
indicating unity of mind in its composition. 
In Landscape Gardening, violations of the 
principle of unity are often to be met with, 
and they are always indicative of the absence 
of correct taste in art. Looking upon a land- 
scape from the windows of a villa residence, 
we sometimes see a considerable portion of 
the view embraced by the eye, laid out in 
natural groups of trees and shrubs, and upon 
one side, or perhaps in the middle of the same 
scene, a formal avenue leading directly up to 
the house. Such a view can never appear a 
satisfactory whole, because we experience a 
confusion of sensations in contemplating it. 
There is an evident incongruity in bringing 
two modes of arranging plantations, so totally 
different, under the eye at one moment, which 
distracts rather than pleases the mind. In 
this example, the avenue, taken by itself, may 
be a beautiful object, and the groups and con- 
nected masses may in themselves be elegant ; 
yet if the. two portions are seen together, 
they will itot form a whole, because they can- 
not make a composite idea. For the same 
reason, there is something unpleasing in the 
introduction of fruit trees among elegant or- 
namental trees on a lawn,, or even in assem- 
bling together, in the same beds, flowering 
plants and culinary vegetables — one class of 
vegetation suggesting the useful and homely 
alone to the mind, and the other, avowedly, 
only the ornamental. 
In the arrangement of a large extent of 
surface, where a great many objects are ne- 
cessarily presented to the eye at once, the 
principle of unity will suggest that there 
should be some grand or leading features to 
which the others should be merely subordi- 
nate. Thus, in grouping trees, there should 
be some large and striking masses to which 
the others appear to belong, however distant, 
instead of scattered groups, all of the same 
size. Even in arranging walks, a whole will 
more readily be recognised, if there are one 
or two of large size, with which the others 
appear connected as branches, than if all are 
equal in breadth, and present the same ap- 
pearance to the eye in passing. 
In all works of art which command uni- 
versal admiration, we discover an unity of 
conception and composition, an unity of taste 
and execution. To assemble in a single coin- 
position forms which are discordant, and por- 
tions dissimilar in plan, can only afford plea- 
sure for a short time to tasteless minds, or 
those fond of trifling and puerile conceits. The 
production of an accordant whole is, on the 
contrary, capable of affording the rno^-t per- 
manent enjoyment to educated minds, every- 
where, and at all periods of time. 
After unity, the principle of Variety is 
worthy of consideration, as a fertile source of 
beauty in Landscape Gardening. Variety 
must be considered as belonging more to the 
details than to the production of a whole; and 
it may be attained by disposing trees and 
shrubs in numerous different ways, and by 
the introduction of a great number of different 
species of vegetation, or kinds of walks, orna- 
mental objects, buildings, and seats. By pro- 
ducing intricacy, it creates in scenery a 
thousand points of interest, and elicits new 
beauties, through different arrangements, and 
combinations of forms and colours, light and 
shades. In pleasure-grounds, while the whole 
should exhibit a general plan, the different 
scenes presented to the eye, one after the 
other, should possess sufficient variety in the 
detail to keep alive the interest of the spec- 
tator, and awaken further curiosity. 
Harjiony may be considered the principle 
presiding over variety, and'preventing it from 
becoming discordant. It, indeed, always sup- 
poses contrasts, but neither so strong nor so 
frequent as to produce discord ; and variety, 
but not so great as to destroy a leading ex- 
pression. In plantations, we seek it in a 
combination of qualities, opposite, in some re- 
spects, as in the colour of the foliage, and 
similar in others more important, as the form. 
In embellishments, by a great variety of ob- 
jects of interest, as sculptured vases, sun- 
dials, or rustic seats, baskets, and arbours, of 
different forms, but all in accordance, or keep- 
ing, with the spirit of the scene. 
To illustrate the three principles, with 
reference to Landscape Gardening, we may 
remark, that, if unity only wore consulted, a 
scene might be planted with but one kind of 
tree, the effect of which would be sameness; 
on the other hand, variety might be carried 
so far as to have every tree of a different kind, 
which would produce a confused effect. Har- 
mony, however, introduces contrast and va- 
riety, but keeps them subordinate to unity, 
and to the leading expression, and is. thus, the 
highest principle of the three. 
