the west, and the improvement of the water towards the southwest, which is, at present, almost totally hid by the intervening quincunx of trees [as shewn in fig. 212], which have been suffered to outgrow the original intention of Le Nôtre, who

meant it to form a foreground to the picture, which ought to be seen over it [as shewn in fig. 213].

Of all the subjects on which I have been consulted, few have excited so much interest in my mind as the plan for these gardens. This may partly be attributed to the importance and peculiar circumstances of the place; but, perhaps, more especially to its being the youngest favourite, the child of my age and declining powers: when no longer able to undertake the more extensive plans of landscape, I was glad to contract my views within the narrow circle of the garden, independent of its accompaniment of distant scenery.

The large and magnificent palace recently erected in his best style of Gothic architecture, by James Wyatt, presents two fronts of more than six hundred feet, of beautiful stone, by a depth of one hundred and thirty to one hundred and seventy feet from north to south; and from the richness of its ornaments, and the quantity of its mass, it must be considered

as one of the most splended specimens of wealth recently expended under the guidance of taste.

It may, perhaps, be asked by the fastidious antiquary, whether the whole edifice most resembles a castle, an abbey, or a collegiate pile. To which may be given this simple answer :-it is a modern house, on a large scale, where the character of the rich Gothic of Henry VII. has been successfully introduced and imitated. And, knowing the wish of the

noble proprietor to direct every part of the improvements, both in the house and grounds, I could not but feel highly gratified on being desired to give my opinion concerning the manner of adapting the ground near the house to the magnificence and importance of the place and its possessor.

The situation of the new house, built over the cellars and foundation of the ancient monastery, has not much beauty of locality to boast; though commanding a very extensive view of park to the south, yet the surface is flat, and without water. Although the park abounds in fine woods and large trees, yet in the view from the windows the landscape is naked and uninteresting.

Under such circumstances, we had only two modes of treating it; either to bear with the nakedness and flatness of the prospect, and enliven it by bringing the deer and cattle near the eye, or else to exclude the landscape altogether, by bringing plantations near the house; and I recommended both these expedients in the manner explained by the map. The boundary fence of the pleasure-ground having been completed before I visited the spot, I have not had sufficient influence to effect its removal; but I was permitted to suggest the plantation of about eight acres, which hides one half of the naked lawn, forming a rich mass of foliage near the eye. It was next to be considered how best to convert the interior of this mass to the purposes of beauty, convenience, and variety, with some degree of novelty in the plan.

Every part of a modern pleasure-ground is alike; and, unless varied by views into the adjoining country, we soon tire of the sameness of gravel walks, in serpentine lines, with broad margins of grass, and flowers, and shrubs, everywhere promiscuously mixed and repeated; and, therefore, I ventured boldly to go back to those ancient trim gardens, which formerly delighted the venerable inhabitants of this curious spot, as appears from the trim box hedges of the monks' garden, and some large yew-trees still growing in rows near the site of the monastery.

I delivered my opinion, elucidated by many drawings, some of which have since been realized, and with some I had hoped to enrich this volume; but, I am informed, the book has been mislaid, and I can, therefore, only describe the general

principles of what I had the honour to suggest, by a reference to the map [fig. 214], and a sketch from memory of the rosary [fig. 215] and the conduit, or holy well, for which a Gothic design is given [fig. 216], with a hint of its relative situation, shewing the rosary and entrance to the monks'

garden.

No less than fifteen different kinds of gardens were proposed in the map, of which Nos. 1, 2, 3, 14, and 15, belong to the modern style of pleasure-ground, but the others are all different; viz. in

No. 4, I proposed a conduit, or holy well, in an inclosure of rich masonry, and decorated by flowers in vases, &c. This is supposed to front the centre of the conservatory. No. 5, the winter garden, with covered walk open to the south, which is a luxury that no place should be without. No. 6 is the monks' garden restored.

"The close clipp'd box, th' embroider'd bed

In rows and formal order laid,

And shap'd like graves (for mindful still
Of their last end, the church doth will,

E'en in their joys her sons should be
Pensive in very gaiety)."

HON. MRS. E. ERSKINE.

No. 7, disposed in groups, the various kinds of foreign trees which will bear so sheltered an inclosure.

No. 8, availing ourselves of a very large building, the magnolia, and other American plants, will here find an appropriate situation.

Nos. 9 and 10, are gardens with beds raised to meet the eye,

and very unlike any other garden. The grotto is an excavation formed out of an old pool, instead of filling it up; and the whole area of No. 12 has been formed into small hills and valleys, and so surrounded by plantation, that its original flatness is totally disguised. In the rosarium, No. 13, is proposed a fountain, supplied from the holy well, and then led into the grotto, from whence it is finally conducted into the drinking-pool in the park, presenting, from one and the same source, a redundance of water under different appearances.