DAWN OF LANDSCAPE GARDENING 
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not forget a bench or seat of the famous Edmond Waller’s the 
Poet, which is so reverenced that, old as it is, it is never to be 
removed, but constantly repaired, like Sir Francis Drake’s 
ship. The present Waller is his grandson. All this fine 
Improvement is made by himself or Aisleby, his father-in-law, 
who had this house and the lands about it, in right of his wife’s 
joynture, but gave it up in the South Sea year to his Son-in- 
law. There is a great deal more still to be done, which will 
cost a prodigious sum, but this gentleman by marriage, South 
Sea and his Paternal Estate [is able] to do what he pleases.” 
After such a charming description it is pleasing to find that Hall 
Barn has been but little altered ; and a seat bearing the poet’s 
name remains to this day. 
Lord Percival was a capital correspondent, and some other 
letters to Daniel Dering give his impressions of the gardens 
he saw on his tour about England in 1723, thus : “ To Wickham, 
7 miles to Lord Shelbum’s [we thought] he would by this time 
have made some tolerable garden or cut fine walks in the 
woods that cover the hills about him, but we were entirely 
disappointed ; the wood is neglected; the gardens which are 
but 4 acres, without tast and neglected too, and the house 
fourty times worse than Lady Bidulf’s on blackheath.” “Col. 
Tyrrel’s called Shotover (near Oxford) about two miles [farther 
on] . . . There is plenty of wood and water about the house, 
and both brought into the circuit of the garden, with regularity 
and bewty. A large octogon bason on the west, and two 
canals on the east; the walks, parterres, terraces, and avenues 
are agreably separated by groves of reverend oak, beech and 
elm trees ; in a word, his garden is already compleated and yet 
he still goes on to gratify his good tast.” Lord Percival was 
evidently a friend of Sir William Temple’s nephew, as he refers 
to him frequently in other letters. It is interesting to follow 
the history of the garden at Moor Park. The following letter is 
dated August 25th, 1724 : “ Called on Jack Temple who lives 
a mile from Farnham. ... It was purchased by the famous 
Sir William Temple, who took great delight in it, and made part 
of the garden, but this gentleman, his nephew, has greatly 
added to it, and rendered it indeed a very pleasant seat. He 
has the advantage of a branch of the River Wye, which is 
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