residences ever referred to as the only examples of faults or beauties; but merely as those which more immediately occurred to the author at the time of writing. Both kinds of references became necessary, not only as illustrations of my principles, but as tests of their truth and practicability. And I may add, that in some instances it is done to silence and set at defiance a certain class of men, who are ever ready in theory to coincide with such principles as may be deemed new or excellent; while by their practice they shew that they neither understand nor feel the force of such principles. I may remark here, that where I use the word improver in the following pages, I as commonly allude to such as direct the operations upon their own grounds as to professors. When I use the term Designer, or Landscape Gardener, I of course allude to Professors. If when speaking of them, generally, I have occasionally used strong language, it must be attributed to two causes; in the first place, to the general obstinacy and dogmatical manner in which Mr. Brown's disciples, and those who may be called geometrical architects*, give * I mean those who never consider picturesque effect, and the harmony of the building with the situation, but do every thing by geometrical elevations, without any reference to surrounding scenery. their plans and opinions, without being able to reconcile what they propose with common sense, or ever condescending to alter or improve them agreeably to the natural taste of their employers; and, in the second place, to a firm conviction of their truth, and a strong feeling of their importance. It would have been easy to have softened them off by palliatives, or even to have used weak expressions; but I have in every instance found, that writers who have adopted this practice were actuated, not by real diffidence or modesty, but by a conscious deficiency of knowledge-weakness of intellect—or, an undecided opinion with regard to the subject. Good taste and nature are the same, and their impressions being congenial to unprejudiced minds, are decisive, clear, and permanent. Language is the offspring of impressions. Not a single remark, however, will be found, either on art or its professors, but what is perfectly in unison with that candour and politeness, which, if wanting, would display such a bad taste as might justly induce the reader to doubt my judgment in every thing else. A number of the plates in this volume are mere geometrical elevations, plans, or sections, and therefore are chiefly to be considered in connection with the text. The others are alike illustrative; but being views of the same scenes under two dif ferent styles of improvement, they also serve, by a mere inspection of them, to characterize the nature of that part of the improvements proposed which regard picturesque effect. Such are Plates VII. VIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XXIII. with their contrasts, and also the other plates placed together at the end of Vol. II. All these, except Plates VII. and VIII. are taken from nature; and though it would be next to ridiculous to say, that every particular must be done exactly as shewn in them, yet the general style of the alterations can never be mistaken for that of modern gardening. In opposing these improved views to those of the scene in its previous state, it would have been easy to have rendered the beauties of the one and the defects of the other much more striking, by finishing the one engraving more than the other. But this I have uniformly avoided, as a trick unworthy of science. Neither have I ever used slides in Mr. Repton's manner, to which I have the same objections*. But I wish it particularly to be remarked, that I have not in any case given a fictitious age and form to the trees in these drawings, as is commonly done. In them, as in every part of the work, a rigid adherence to truth is observed. I now submit this work to the reader, with that confidence which arises from a strong experimental conviction, that the See Appendix, No. L leading principles assumed, and the practices recommended, are founded in good taste and utility; but, at the same time, with that deference to public opinion, which humility requires, and that openness to correction and advice which a sense of human imperfection renders necessary, and which good taste naturally dictates. CONTENTS. Proposed mode of pursuing an inquiry into the principles of taste... C |