TREATMENT OF GROUND. FORMATION OF WALKS. 305 
whole surrounding country is equally tame and flat, the 
creation by artificial means, of undulations, hills, or hollows 
in a park, would be in such evident contradiction to the 
natural formation, that the eye would at once detect it as a 
deception, harmonizing badly with general nature. The 
best that can be done in such cases, is perhaps, to produce 
the greatest possible beauty by plantations and buildings, 
and not to attempt any alterations of surface, which would 
be insignificant and absurd. 
When, however, this is not the ease, but the grounds 
themselves, though nearly level, are surrounded by more 
bold and spirited variations of surface, a great deal may be 
effected. In those portions of the grounds nearest the sur- 
rounding inequalities, the latter may be apparently carried 
into the former, and the artificial sweeps, breaks, or undula- 
tions in the park may be so connected with each other, and 
with the neighbouring irregularities, as to produce the effect 
of accordant art joined to the charm of natural expression. 
The error into which inexperienced improvers are con- 
stantly liable to fall, is a want of breadth and extent in their 
designs ; which latter, when executed, are so feeble as to be 
full of littlenesses , out of keeping with the magnitude of the 
surrounding scene. Their designs, like the sketches of a 
novice in drawing, are cramped and meagre. This is ex- 
emplified in ground, by their producing, instead of easy 
undulations, nothing but a succession of short sweeps and 
hillocks, like waves in the ocean. Now the most beautiful 
variation in ground is undoubtedly that of gradually vary- 
ing lines and insensible transitions of, surface, and these 
should correspond in magnitude and breadth to the size and 
style of the place. Such surfaces are full of the flowing 
lines, and rounded smoothnesses, which Burke considers 
39 
