ΤΟ

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

THE PRINCE OF WALES,

&c., &c., &c.

THE approbation YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS was pleased to express of the general outline of an opinion I had the honour to deliver concerning the GARDENS of the PAVILLON, induces me to hope that this WORK will meet with the same gracious reception, as it contains the reasons on which that opinion was founded.

I have the honour to be,

With the most profound respect,

YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS's

Most faithful and most obedient humble Servant,

H. REPTON.

Harestreet, near Romford, Essex;

February, 1806.

PREFATORY OBSERVATIONS.

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In a small Work published in 1806,* it was mentioned (page 41), [see p. 340 of the present volume], "That we were the eve of some great change in landscape gardening "and architecture, in consequence of our having lately "become better acquainted with scenery and buildings in the "interior provinces of India:" it was also mentioned, that "my opinion had recently been required in some great works "of this style, THEN in too early a stage of progress to be "referred to." This was in allusion to my having, at that time, completed the original MS., of which the following work is an exact copy.

As many parts of this volume may appear to recommend a degree of novelty, to which I have frequently objected in former publications, it will, perhaps, subject me to some severity of criticism. I must, therefore, plead for candid and indulgent hearing, while I explain the origin of the following work, and endeavour to justify its intentions.

At a time when the wealth of individuals has been increasing in this country, beyond the example of all former periods, it would not be an uninteresting subject of inquiry, to consider how far the more general diffusion of GOOD TASTE has kept pace with the increased wealth of individuals; or, rather, the effect which that increased wealth has produced on the taste of the country generally. But in the following

"An Inquiry into the Changes of Taste in Landscape Gardening and Architecture, &c." [See this work, reprinted in the present volume, with the exception of what had appeared in "Hints and Sketches," in p. 321 to p. 357.] Amongst the most obvious effects of sudden wealth in the country, is the change of property from the hereditary lords of the soil, to the more wealthy sons of successful commerce, who do not always feel the same re

pages I shall confine my observations to the united arts of landscape gardening and architecture.

The natural effect on the human mind of acquired wealth, is either an ostentatious display of its importance to others, or a close application of it to selfish and private enjoyment; and, very frequently, both in the same individual. And this effect may be traced in the modern practice of what is called improving both houses and palaces. In the former, if the inside display of magnificence or comfort be accomplished, the external architecture is little attended to; while, in gardening, the perfection of improvement seems to consist in the extent of ground appropriated to the private enjoyment of the possessor and his friends. It has frequently been observed, "that England would, in time, become the garden of "Europe, by the continual increase in the number and extent "of its improved places:" but the improvement of individual places has rather injured than benefited the traveller, because all view is totally excluded from the highways by the lofty fences and thick belt with which the improver shuts himself up within his improvement. This arises from the seclusion which is, perhaps, in some cases, necessary; but which, in the course of long practice, I have generally observed to be carried too far; and has introduced the fashion, that in all places, whether of five acres or of five thousand, the first step is to inclose with a wall, or pale; and the next, to cover that boundary with a belt, or plantation.* This gratifies the desire spect for the antiquity or dignity of venerable mansions: and, although some may have sufficient taste to preserve the original character of such places, yet, in general, the display of recent expense in the newness of improvement is too prevalent. Hence we have continually to regret the mutilation of the old halls and manor houses, where the large bay windows, the lofty open chimneys, and picturesque gables of Queen Elizabeth's time, give place to the modern sashes and flat roofs, with all the garish frippery of trellis, and canvas, and sharp-pointed pea-green Gothic porches, or porticos of Grecian columns reduced to the size of bedposts.

This remark will be more striking, when exemplified by a comparison between a new place and an old one. In the former, a brick wall, or close paling, is put so near the road as to leave no margin of waste land, while the old hedgerow thorns and pollard trees are taken away, to make room for young plantations of firs, and larch, and Lombardy poplars. How

of seclusion and private enjoyment, while that of displaying great possessions has introduced the fashion of considering the importance of a place by its extent, rather than by its variety; and describing it rather by its number of acres, than by its beauties!!

This same false principle of mistaking greatness of dimensions for greatness of character, has, of late, extended itself to the arts of every kind: the statuary surprises by the immense blocks of marble which fill the Abbey, and St. Paul's! -the painter by an expanse of canvas too large for any private houses!-the jeweller, by large masses of amber and aqua marina, which, by their size, outweigh, though they cannot outshine, the diamond and the ruby!—while, in architecture, the first question concerning a house is, WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF THE ROOMS? Indeed everything is swelled out in the same proportion. Thus we continually see, in modern houses, windows too large to be glazed; doors too large to be opened; furniture too large to be moved; and even beds too lofty to be reached without a ladder!!!

Having long regretted the prevalence of this mistaken fashion, I was rejoiced to receive his Royal Highness's commands to deliver my opinion concerning a place which was deemed by everybody too small to admit of any improvements; and, indeed, such it actually was, according to the modern system, which required UNCONFINED EXTENT WITHIN ITSELF,

AND ABSOLUTE EXCLUSION FROM ALL WITHOUT.

On my arrival at Brighton, I found the same system already begun, by the preparation for a belt of shrubs close to

different from the ancient manorial domains! where the public road has a broad margin of herbage, enriched with thorns and spreading timber, under whose twisted branches the rough and knotty pale admits a view into the park, where romantic and decaying oaks denote the old proprietor's taste and preference for picturesque objects, rather than for the intrinsic value of his timber while, on the contrary, the new possessor, who has, perhaps, lately paid dearly for the timber, is too often anxious to realize the value of his purchase, by converting to profit every tree that has ceased to grow, and is, therefore, deemed ripe for the axe.

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the garden wall: and, in conformity to another fashion of modern gardening, there was to have been a coach-road, to enter by a pair of lodges, and to proceed to the house through a serpentine line of approach, as it is called. The principle on which this plan was suggested, arose from confounding the character of a garden with that of a park; and it is hardly possible to give a more striking example of the absurdity of applying a general system to every situation. It is not, therefore, to be wondered at, that the acknowledged good taste of his Royal Highness should see the necessity of having recourse to new expedients; what these are, will appear in the following pages: but I shall candidly acknowledge, that, for many of them, I am indebted to the elegance and facility of the Prince's own invention, joined to a rapidity of conception and correctness of taste which I had never before witnessed.

It was evident, in the present instance, that every attempt to increase the apparent extent of ground on these principles must have betrayed its real confinement; while, on the contrary, I trust it will appear, that, if there were a thousand acres attached to the Pavillon, such a garden as is here described, would not reasonably occupy more than five or six.

Although it may at first appear that the following observations are more especially applicable to the garden of a palace, under peculiar circumstances of confinement, yet they may be extended to every other place, from the ornamented cottage to the most superb mansion; since every residence of elegance or affluence requires its garden scenery; the

This error is so common, that there are few places in which the character of a garden is preserved near the house; and, therefore, a detached place, called the flower garden, has been set apart, occasionally, at such an inconvenient distance, that it is seldom visited. Among those few in which the garden scenery has been admitted to form part of the landscape from the windows, I can only mention, Wilderness, Earl Camden; Bromley Hill, the Right Hon. Charles Long (now Colonel Long); St. Leonard's Hill, General Harcourt; Longleat, Marquis of Bath; and Ashridge, Earl Bridgewater. Out of some hundred places, these are all I can recollect where the views from the windows consist rather of garden than of park

scenery.