Mount Royal, Montreal 
of grade. Its inclination should be such that a good 
horse, with a fair load, can be kept moving at a trot 
without urging in going up hill, and without holding 
back in going down. How practical! How untech- 
nical! The Mount Royal road, mountain road 
though it is, meets these requirements fully. Its 
average grade is one in thirty-seven; its maximum 
grade, occurring but twice, one in twenty. The 
surface of the drive is everywhere slightly below that 
of its immediate borders, and the borders are graded 
in such a manner that the road seems to ht a course 
marked out centuries ago by Nature herself. But 
there is advantage and justice in holding back some¬ 
thing of importance from the drive, something that 
can be enjoyed only by the pedestrian. Therefore, 
the walks were designed to traverse all parts of the 
park even more completely than that of the drives, 
and to offer even greater facilities for pleasure seek¬ 
ing. This successful meeting of the various and con¬ 
flicting requirements of roads and paths evidences the 
firm possession of fine skill and great art. 
In the words of Mr. Olmsted, “the views from 
Mount Royal surpass in expanse, beauty and variety 
those of any of the common resorts of tourists on the 
Continent.” This may readily be true. There is 
an air of distinction about Montreal itself, due per¬ 
haps to the comparative unobtrusiveness of common¬ 
place commercial buildings and to the prominence 
of a large number and variety of spires and towers 
of architectural excellence and historic interest. 
Beyond the city one can see from the mountain the 
St. Lawrence and the Island of St. Helens and the 
great Victoria jubilee Bridge, and on the other side 
a range of impressive hills. In the distance to the 
southeast the Green Mountains are visible, and to 
the southwest the Adirondacks. To command these 
grand views was an essential part of the design for 
which Mr. Olmsted made provision, and in dis¬ 
cussing such provision he notes discerningly that 
grand views count for most when they are enjoyed 
as successive incidents of a sustained landscape, to 
each of which the mind is gradually led up. This 
means the substitution of a constantly expanding 
and developing scene, like the plot of a well-written 
play, in place of the more easily obtained and much 
less meritorious, sensational and spectacular effects. 
The final test of “Mount Royal” as a public park 
is the one that Mr. Olmsted himself put above all 
others—the provision of charming natural scenery. 
The controlling purposes never lose sight of this end. 
Such compromises with ideal beauty as were made 
were few, and they were absolutely required for 
necessary, practical ends. Without them the park 
could not have been easily and constantly used. 
And so, on this supreme test which includes in a sense 
all the others, the creation of the park and the char¬ 
acter of the design are amply justified. “Mount 
Royal” is, without doubt, one of the most successful 
designs in the history of landscape architecture. 
And why ? Because the conditions were understood 
and appreciated and made the basis of the improve¬ 
ments, and these improvements are but the applica¬ 
tion of a new and original manner of old art prin¬ 
ciples. The result is a public park that is convenient 
and beautiful, and that becomes more and more satis¬ 
fying each year. 
A Tyrolese Courtyard 
