House and Garden 
Thirdly. The aspects of exposure, both 
with regard to the sun and the prevalent 
winds of the country. 
Fourthly. The shape of the ground near 
the house. 
Fifthly. The views from the several apart¬ 
ments; and, 
Sixthly. The numerous objects of com¬ 
fort, such as a dry soil, a supply of good 
water, proper space for offices, 
with various other conveniences 
essential to a mansion in the 
country, and which in a town 
may sometimes be dispensed 
with, or at least very differently 
disposed. 
It is hardly possible to ar¬ 
range these six considerations 
according to their respective 
weight or influence, which must 
depend on a comparison of one 
with the other, under a variety 
of circumstances, and even on 
the partiality of individuals in 
affixing different degrees of im¬ 
portance to each consideration. 
Hence it is obvious that there 
can be no danger of sameness 
in any two designs conducted 
on principles thus established, 
since in every different situation 
some one or more of these con¬ 
siderations must preponderate ; 
and the most rational decision 
will result from a combined view 
of all the separate advantages 
or disadvantages to be foreseen 
from each. 
It was the custom of former times, in the 
choice of domestic situations, to let comfort 
and convenience prevail over every other 
consideration. Thus the ancient baronial 
castles were built on the summit of hills, in 
times when defense and security suggested 
the necessity of placing them there, and dif¬ 
ficulty of access was a recommendation 
which, in our happier days, exists no more. 
But when this necessity no longer operated 
(as mankind is always apt to fly from one 
extreme to the other), houses were universally 
erected in the lowest situations, with a prob¬ 
able design to avoid those inconveniences to 
which the lofty positions had been subject; 
hence the frequent sites of many large man¬ 
sions, and particularly abbeys and monas¬ 
teries, the residence of persons who were 
willing to sacrifice the beauty of prospect for 
the more solid and permanent advantages of 
habitable convenience, amongst which, shel¬ 
ter from the wind and a supply of water 
were predominant considerations. Nor shall 
1 withhold the following conjecture, which I 
Effect of cutting down some of the trees in the avenue at Langley Park. 
hope will not be considered as a mere sug¬ 
gestion of fancy : When such buildings were 
surrounded by trees, for the comfort of 
shade, might not the occasional want of cir¬ 
culation in the air have given the first idea 
of cutting long narrow glades through the 
woods, to admit a current of wind? and is it 
not possible that this was the origin of those 
avenues which we frequently see pointing 
from every direction towards the most re¬ 
spectable habitations of the last two centuries? 
AVENUES 
It seems to have been as much the fashion 
of the present century to condemn avenues 
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