LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
455 
is not seen, winding round a beautiful green knoll, on which stands 
an ornamental cattle shed, and over a dip to the right are seen the 
church spire and some of the other buildings of the town of -, 
alluded to in my first letter, and beyond these the summits of the 
Chiltern Hills bounds the view. The direction of this glade is not 
only marked by the descending and somewhat winding hollow, but is 
tastefully flanked by noble masses of beech and other forest trees, which 
advance or recede variedly along its sides, exhibiting all the stronger 
and fading lights so interesting to the beholder in the act of prospection. 
There is a seat at the point where this glade is first seen from the 
jdeasure ground; and its imposing extent and striking features, when 
chequered by shadows and enlivened by flocks and herds, well deserves 
a pause to contemplate its varied beauties. Its effect is moreover 
heightened by comparison with the closer scenes through which we have 
lately passed; indeed I was involuntarily riveted to the spot on my 
first stroll, and often review it with increasing pleasure, especially now 
as the foliage is daily more and more exposed. 
The glade does not terminate abruptly at the ha ! ha ! but is pro¬ 
longed across to the west side by trees planted within the pleasure 
ground. 
From the seat whence I have been noting the above particulars, the 
leading walk is carried parallel to the sunk fence, and has here all the 
advantages and character of a terrace. This is continued quite across 
the glade till it enters the flanking plantation towards the north. This 
group is partly open grove and shrubbery. Passing this we have 
another interesting change of scenery. The high ground to the north¬ 
ward is densely clothed with fine timber trees, rising like the seats of 
an amphitheatre from the sunk fence at the north end of the pleasure 
ground up to the crown of the hill. This wood forms the back ground 
to a fresh feature, which, compared with what we have yet seen, forms 
an agreeable contrast. On the north of the orchard there was an old 
gravel-pit, of considerable depth, and in area about three quarters of 
an acre ; this was in the way of completing the plan of the garden and 
pleasure-ground, but it was wisely and tastefully determined to include 
it within the sunk fence, and a very interesting thing has been made of 
it, proving the truth of what is said to be a rule among landscape 
gardeners, that when a scar or eye-sore deforms a scene, the best cure 
is either to hide or ornament it. This has been judiciously done with 
the pit in question ; the abrupt banks towards the north were left 
untouched, except inserting a double strata of rough stones round high- 
water mark, and raised ; and as it was known that there was a sub¬ 
stratum of clay below the gravel, the idea of filling the pit with water 
