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when the fields are unpleafant or unfafe to walk over, 
thefe dry walks in gardens become ufeful and pleafant; 
and fuch walks, if laid either with gravel or fand, 
may lead through the different plantations, gently 
winding- about in an eafy natural way, which will be 
more agreeable than thofe long ftrait walks, which 
are too frequently feen in gardens. 
But as the tafte of defigning gardens has of late al- 
tered from the former method, there are many per- 
fons who have gone into the oppofite extreme ; and 
in the forming of what they term Terpentine walks, 
have twifted them about in fo many fliort turns, as to 
render it very difagreeable to walk on them ; and at 
the fame time they ftrike the fight with as much ftiff- 
nefs and appearance of art, as any of the methods 
formerly prabtifed. In fhort, the fewer turns there 
are in thefe walks, and the more they are concealed, 
the better they will pleafe •, and yet the turns being 
eafy, and at great diftances, will take off all the ap- 
pearance of ftraitnefs. And here let me obferve, that 
there can be no better, or more eafy or natural me- 
thod of laying out thefe walks, than by tracing the 
eafy turns made on a road, where it bends by the 
track of the coach wheels. 
Thefe walks fhould be fo contrived, as to lead into 
fhade as foon as poffible ; as alfo into fome planta- 
tions of fhrubs, where perfons may walk in private, 
and be fheltered from the wind ; for no garden can 
be pleafing where there is want of fhade and fhelter. 
Another thing abfolutely neceffary is, where the 
boundaries of the garden are fenced with walls or 
pales, they fhould be hid by plantations of flowering 
fhrubs, intermixed with Laurels, and fome other 
Evergreens, which will have a good effedt, and at 
the fame time conceal the fences, which are difagree- 
able, when left naked and expofed to the fight. 
In fituations where there is a good fupply of water, 
the defigner has room for adding one of the greatefl 
beauties to the garden, efpecially if it will admit of a 
conftant ftream ; for in fuch places, if the water is 
properly conduced through the garden, it will afford 
infinite pleafure ; for although thefe ftreams may not 
be fufficient to fupply a large furface, yet if thefe 
narrow rivulets are judicioufly led about the garden, 
they will have a better effedt than many of the large 
ftagnating ponds or canals, fo frequently made in 
large gardens ; for where thefe pieces of water are 
large, if all the boundaries can be feen from one point 
of view, they cannot be efteemed by perfons of 
judgment •, and frequently thefe Handing waters are 
brought fo near the houfe, as to render the air damp 
and unhealthy ; and many times they are fo fituated, 
as to occafion this inconvenience, and at the fame 
time are not feen to any advantage from the houfe. 
Where wiiderneffes are intended, thefe fhould not be 
cut into flars, and other ridiculous figures, nor formed 
into mazes or labyrinths, which in a great defign is 
trifling, but the walks fhould be noble, and fhaded 
by tall trees •, and the fpaces of the quarters planted 
with flowering fhrubs and Evergreens, whereby they 
will be rendered pleafant at all feafons of the year ; 
and if there are hardy forts of flowers (which will 
thrive with little care) fcattered about near the Aides 
of the walks, they will have a very good effedt, in 
making a variety of natural beauties almoft through 
the year. 
The fituation of thefe wiidernefles fhould not be too 
near the houfe, left they fhould occafion damps •, 
therefore it is much better to contrive fome open 
groves, through which there may be a communica- 
tion under fhade, from the houfe to thefe wiidernefles; 
which are much the beft when they are planted at the 
fartheft part of the garden, provided they do not ob- 
ftrubt the view of fine objebts. 
Buildings are alfo very great ornaments to a garden, 
if they are well defigned and properly placed ; but 
the modern tafte of crowding gardens with large ufe- 
lefs buildings, I prefume to think is cenfurable, with 
regard as well to propriety as expence. 
Statues and vafes are alfo very beautiful objebts, but 
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thefe fhould by no means be placed too near each 
other ; for when feveral of them appear at once, they 
fill and confound the eye, and lofe the beautiful ef- 
fedt which they would have, if now and then one pro- 
perly fituated engages the fight. 
What an expence might be fpared, and applied to 
nobler purpofes, if nature only were to be imitated, 
iffimplicity were ftudied in this delightful art, rather 
than oftentation ! for any thing may be faid to be 
more of nature, than what we mifcall grandeur. 
Fountains are alfo very ornamental to a garden, if 
they are magnificently built, and where a conftant 
fupply of water can be obtained ; but if they are 
meanly erebted, or have not water to keep them con- 
ftantly running, they fhould never be introduced into 
gardens, for nothing can be more ridiculous than to 
* fee a dry fountain ; which, perhaps, at a great ex- 
pence, may have water forced up, to fupply it for an 
hour or two, and no more ; and this perhaps not in 
dry feafons, when there is a general lcarcity of water. 
The fame may alfo be obferved of cafcades, and other 
falls of water, which ought never to be contrived in 
'gardens, where there cannot be a conftant run of 
water; but where the fituation of a garden is fo 
happy, as to be naturally fupplied with water, thefe 
falls and jet’s d’eau, may be rendered very great 
beauties, efpecially if they are well defigned, and not 
made in the low mean tafte, in which too manv of 
thofe now in being appear, and where the water is 
made to fall over a parcel of regular fteps of ftone ; 
but the fall fhould be in one fheet from top to bottom, 
where fhould be placed many large rough ftones to 
break and difperfe the water, and to increafe the noife 
of the fall. 
Where the ground is naturally uneven, and has gen- 
tle rifes and falls, thefe may be fo humoured in the 
laying out of the ground, as to be rendered very 
great beauties ; but thefe inequalities of the ground 
muft by no means be cut into regular ftiff Hopes, nor 
amphitheatres, as has been too much the prabtice : 
but if the knolls are properly planted with clumps of 
trees or fhrubs, and the Hoping Tides fmoothed and 
left in their natural pofition, they will have a much 
better effedt, than can be given them by all the re- 
gular angles, lines, and flat Hopes, which have been 
till of late, introduced by all the defigners of gardens. 
The tafte in laying out of gardens has greatly altered, 
and has been as greatly improved in England, in the 
compafs of a few years ; for, with the revolution, 
the Dutch tafte of laying out gardens was introduced, 
which confifted of little more than flower-borders laid 
out in feveral fcrolls of Box-work, clipped Ever- 
greens, and fuch low expenfive things ; as alfo the 
walling round, and dividing the feveral parts of gar- 
dens by crofs walls ; fo that a garden confifting of 
eight or ten acres, was generally divided by brick 
walls, into three or four feparate gardens ; and thefe 
were reduced to exabt levels, having many gravel- 
walks, and the borders on each fide crowded with 
clipped trees and Evergreen hedges, dividing thefe 
fmall inclofures again ; fo that the firft making and 
planting of thefe fmall gardens was attended with a 
greater expence, as was the keeping of them afterward, 
than gardens of fix times the extent, when defigned 
after nature. 
Whether this tafte fo univerfally prevailed in England, 
in complaifance to his late Majefty King William, or 
was owing to the low grovelling tafte of thofe perfons, 
who had the defigning of moft of the Englifh gardens, 
it is difficult to determine ; but it is very certain, that 
the gentlemen, at that time, attended very little them- 
felves, to the difpofition of their gardens, but were con- ' 
tented to leave the whole direbtion of them to perfons 
of the meaneft talents that ever profeffed the art ; fo 
that foon after, when another tafte prevailed, thefe 
gardens were almoft totally demolifhed, and it would 
have been well, if a good, that is to fay, a natural 
tafte had fucceeded the other ; but this was not the 
cafe ; for though a more open and extenfive way of 
laving out gardens was introduced, yet this was lit- 
. Z Y tie 
