H ints on Landscape Gardening 
left the field open to a successor. Repton, who about 
four years later began a term of busy prosperity which 
lasted until his death in 1818, may thus be considered as 
occupying this position. Though undoubtedly influenced 
by the vagaries of Brown’s School, he soon depended upon 
his own resources and invented for himself. Elegance and 
amenity were his chief objects and these he attained en¬ 
tirely by the use of plantations picturesquely disposed and 
massed,—trees, shrubs and flowers freely mixed and left 
to grow or to be smothered out as befalls them in a natural 
forest. He made no use of architecture as his own ma¬ 
terial, for the geometric or formal garden which it in¬ 
volves was a thing quite apart from his school. On 
account of the general truths given in his writings con¬ 
cerning the treatment of estates en grand the following 
extracts are made.—Ed. H. and G.] 
INTRODUCTION 
O improve the scenery of a country and 
to display its native beauties with advan¬ 
tage, is an Art which originated in England, 
and has therefore been called English Gar¬ 
dening ; yet as this expression is not suffi¬ 
ciently appropriate,especially since gardening, 
in its more confined sense of horticulture, has 
been likewise brought to the greatest perfec¬ 
tion in this country, I have adopted the term 
Landscape Gardening , as most proper, 
because the art can only be advanced 
and perfected by the united powers 
of the landscape painter and the prac¬ 
tical gardener. The former must con¬ 
ceive a plan, which the latter may be 
able to execute ; for though a painter 
may represent a beautiful landscape 
on his canvas, and even surpass 
Nature by the combination of her 
choicest materials, yet the luxuriant 
imagination of the painter must be 
subjected to the gardener s practical 
knowledge in planting, digging and 
moving earth; that the simplest and 
readiest means of accomplishing 
each design may be suggested ; since 
it is not by vast labor, or great ex¬ 
pense, that Nature is generally to be im¬ 
proved ; on the contrary, 
“ Ce noble emploi demande un artiste qui pense, 
Prodigue de genie, mais non pas de depense.” 
The following paraphrase of this passage is 
given by Mrs. Montolieu, in her translation : 
“ Insult not Nature with absurd expense. 
Nor spoil her simple charms by vain pretence ; 
Weigh well the subject, be with caution bold. 
Profuse of genius, not profuse of gold.” 
(The Gardens. zd. Ed. p. 5). 
If the knowledge of painting be insufficient 
without that of gardening, on the other hand, 
the mere gardener, without someskill in paint¬ 
ing, will seldom be able to form a just idea 
of ejfects before they are carriea into execution. 
This faculty of foreknowing effects constitutes 
the master, in every branch of the polite arts; 
and can only be the result of a correct eye, 
a ready conception, and a fertility of inven¬ 
tion, to which the professor adds practical 
experience. 
But of this art, painting and gardening 
are not the only foundations ; the artist must 
possess a competent knowledge of surveying , 
mechanics , hydraulics , agriculture , botany , and 
the general principles of architecture. It can 
Fig 2 
hardly be expected that a man bred, and con¬ 
stantly living, in the kitchen garden, should 
possess all these requisites ; yet because the 
immortal Brown' was originally a kitchen gar¬ 
dener, it is too common to find every man, 
who can handle a rake or spade, pretending 
to give his opinion on the most difficult points 
of improvement. It may perhaps be asked, 
from whence Mr. Brown derived his knowl¬ 
edge ?— the answer is obvious: that, being 
at first patronized by a few persons of rank 
and acknowledged good taste, he acquired, 
by degrees, the faculty of prejudging effects; 
partly from repeated trials, and partly from 
the experience of those to whose conversation 
and intimacy his genius had introduced him: 
1 Lancelot, or “Capability” Brown, 1715-1783. 
The Pale 
Water House 
Fig. 1 
The Pale 
The Pale 
House 
24 
