42 G 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
progressive step being the same, attended with a feeling of confine¬ 
ment, the mind instinctively labours to get free, by swallowing up 
the space between” to reach the end; but a short avenue, leading to 
a principal or garden entrance of a princely mansion, has a good effect, 
as its regularity and exact order are a kind of anticipation of that 
regularity of the structure you are about to enter. 
When the slaughter of avenues was the rage in this country, the 
public voice was raised in their behalf. “ Cannot a chief part of the 
trees be saved, and grouped, by a partial clearance?” was the cry. 
Philo-arborists, the admirers of straight lines, and lovers of shade, and 
even a very popular poet, endeavoured, in the most plaintive terms, to 
avert the doom declared against them. Artists were found to attempt 
this. Mr. Repton, perhaps, was the most successful, who, by breaking 
the lines irregularly, and planting behind and before the groups, ren¬ 
dered these irregular both as to size and outline ; but he could not 
make the striplings associate with the old denizens of the avenue; nor 
will the wished disorder be complete, until the young trees have 
attained their natural altitude.-* But in connection with this attempt 
to destroy the regularity of the avenue, was the expedient of removing 
the approach from between the ranks of trees, and carrying it so as that 
the passenger should not directly enfilade the old line of avenue ; for, 
viewing it from either end, or from not very distant collateral points, 
<l the ghost of the old avenue” would be as striking as ever. 
However such attempts may have been executed, or however they 
may have succeeded, much merit is due to the man who has endea¬ 
voured or endeavours to save the life of an old tree. Its principal 
value, perhaps, consists in its having been planted by a venerated hand, 
at a far distant date, or because it occupies a particular spot, and no 
other. Its value as timber may be very little indeed, and therefore 
avarice need not sign its doom. And yet, with regret be it stated, 
that both poverty and avarice were auxiliaries in the demolition of 
avenues; while, at the same time, selfishness for thriving trees, and an 
ardent, though blind love of them of any age, were proof against the 
prevailing taste of those days; and the consequence has been the pre¬ 
servation of most of the avenues about private residences which are yet 
to be seen in this country. I may repeat that, in a general considera¬ 
tion of avenues as an ingredient in landscape gardening, they are only 
applicable to regal or other palaces, or wherever magnificence, solemn 
dignity, or lofty grandeur, are intended to prevail; —an avenue to a 
cottage is ridiculous. 
But to return to the avenue which has led me into this long digres¬ 
sion, 1 have to remark, that it does not seem to be a part of an old or 
