DAWN OF LANDSCAPE GARDENING 
231 
“ Brackley. 14 Aug : 1724 Friday night, 
7 a clock. 
" Dear Daniel, 
“ Yesterday we saw Lord Cobham’s house, which within 
these five years has gained the reputation of being the finest 
seat in England. . . . The gardens by reason of the good 
contrivance of the walks, seem to be three times as large as they 
are. They contain but 28 acres, yet took us up two hours. It 
is entirely new, and tho' begun but eleven years ago, is now 
almost finished. From the lower end you ascend a multitude 
of steps (but at several distances) to the parterre, and from 
thence several more to the house, which, standing high, 
commands a fine prospect. One way they can see 26 miles. 
It is impossible to give you an exact Idea of this garden, but 
we shall shortly have a graving of it. It consists of a great 
number of walks, terminated by summer houses, and heathen 
Temples of different structure, and adorned with statues cast 
from the Anticks. Here you see the Temple of Apollo, there 
a Triumphal Arch. The garden of Venus is delightful; you 
see her standing in her Temple, at the head of a noble bason of 
water, and opposite to her an Amphitheater, with statues of 
Gods and Goddesses ; this bason is sorounded with walks and 
groves, and overlook'd from a considerable heigth by a tall 
Column of a Composite order on which stands a statue of 
Pr : George in his Robes. At the end of the gravel walk leading 
from the house, are two heathen Temples with a circle of water, 
2 acres and a quarter large. In the midst whereof is a Gulio 
or pyramid, at least 50 foot high, from the top of which it 
is designed that water shall fall, being by pipes convey'd 
thro' the heart of it. Half way up this walk is another fine 
bason, with pyramid in it 30 foot high, and nearer the house 
you meet a fountain that plays 40 foot. The cross walks end 
in vistos, arches and statues, and the private ones cut thro' 
groves are delightful. You think twenty times you have no 
more to see, and of a sudden find yourself in some new garden 
or walk, as finish'd and adorn'd as that you left. Nothing is 
more irregular in the whole, nothing more regular in the parts, 
which totally differ the one from the other. This shows my 
Lord's good tast, and his fondness to the place appears by the 
