A DESCRIPTION, &c. A MONG the pleasures of a country life, Gardening is not only a commendable and recreative amusement, but a pleafing and delightful ftudy; it fills the mind with the most agreeable fenfations, it charms the eye, and wherever it is introduced, makes the face of nature smile in elegance and perpetual verdure. The modern taste univerfally adopted in the difpofition of objects, in parks, and pleature grounds, is natural, lively, and picturesque : The defigner, attentively cautious of falling into the exploded error, of offending nature, by uniformity, and futile exactnefs, now robes her in all her own fimplicity, and careless dignity; follows her through all her fweet receffes with the drefs of fancy- affifted by Genius, he hides her blemishes, and with a graceful hand expofes all her offer'd charms. Tafte depends fo much upon good fenfe, that it is no wonder fuch execrable blunders fhew themselves in the many productions that rife before us, without meaning, beauty, or defign. But however dependant taste may be upon what the generality of defigners may be ftrangers to, I can by no means be perfuaded to think fo much of the latter is required to form even a copious and interefting scenery ; especially where nature hath done her part, in the diverfity of hill, valley, and water. I have known a peafant scatter, without defign, fome beauties round his cot, that, were they to stand within the pale of the firft park in England, would be an honor to it. The great difficulty lies chiefly in giving confequence and a striking imagery, to those fituations, where nature hath denied her agreeable variety; here, genius and sense must for ever go hand in hand, or disgrace and contempt will be the inevitable confequence. Have you a canal to form? look if you can discover any natural fstream that meanders in a direct line! - Hills rife not uniformly regular, nor are woods, lawns, rocks, or water, confined to a mathematical exactnefs. Beauty in gardening is not to be confidered by a perfect fymmetry, as in a palace; it is compofed, and ever delights, in the wildness of fancy, and a sympathizing irregularity; art must never be visible; and every fcene diftinctly variable; and each so happily blended, or fecluded from the other, as to ftrike the beholder with pleasure and furprize. : This is the grand chain to be observed by the attentive defigner; if one link is broken in the moft trifling object by wrong judgment, it is of fuch importance, that the whole may fall into cenfure, and other beauties be fullied by its deformity. |