TA HATH! ENT OF GROUND. FORMATION OF WALKS. 289 
only the beauty of the architectural facade but also one 
of the end elevations, thus giving a more complete idea of 
tile size, character, or elegance of the building : and 
instead of leading in a direct line from the gate to the 
house, it curves in easy lines through certain portions of 
the park or lawn, until it reaches that object. 
If the point where the Approach is to start from the 
highway be not already determined past alteration, it 
should be so chosen as to afford a sufficient drive through 
the grounds before arriving at the house, to give the 
stranger some idea of the extent of the whole property : to 
allow an agreeable diversity of surface over which to lead 
it : and lastly in such a manner as not to interfere with the 
convenience of ready access to and from the mansion. 
This point being decided, and the other being the man- 
sion and adjacent buildings, it remains to lay out the road 
in such gradual curves as will appear easy and graceful, 
without verging into rapid turns or formal stiffness. Since 
the modern style has become partially known and adopted 
here, some persons appear to have supposed that nature 
“ has a horror of straight lines/’ and consequently, 
believing that they could not possibly err, they immediately 
ran into the other extreme, filling their grounds with zig- 
zag and regularly serpentine roads, still more horrible : 
which can only be compared to the contortions of a 
wounded snake dragging its way slowly over the earth. 
There are two guiding principles which have been laid 
down for the formation of Approach roads. The first, that 
the curves should never be so great, or lead over surfaces 
so unequal, as to make it disagreeable to drive upon them ; 
and the second, that the road should never curve without 
some reason . either real or apparent. 
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