A dissertation on oriental gardening /

Abstract

But Gardening is of a different nature: its dominion is general ^its effects upon the human mind certain and invariable; without any previous information, without being taught, all men are delighted with the gay lux- uriant fcenery of fummer, and depreffed at the difmal afpeet of autumnal profpects ; the charms of cultivation are equally feniible to the ignorant and the learned, and they are equally difgufted at the rudenefs of neglected nature ; lawns, woods, fhrubberies, rivers and mountains, affect them both in the fame manner; and every combination of thefe will excite fimilar fenfations in the minds of both.Nor are the productions of this Art lefs permanent than general in their effects.Pictures, Itatues, buildings, foon glut the fight, and grow indifferent to the fpectator s but in gardens there is a continual ftate of fluctuation that leaves no room for fatiety ; the progrefs of vege- tation, the viciiTitudes of feafons, the changes of the weather, the different directions of the fun, the paffage of clouds, the agitation and founds produced by winds, together PREFACE.m together with the accidental intervention of living or moving objects, vary the appearances fo often, and fo confiderably, that it is almoft impoiTible to be cloyed,, even with the fame profpects.Is it not lingular then, that an Art with which a con- fiderable part of our enjoyments is fo univerfally con- nected, mould have no regular profeffors in our quarter of the world?Upon the continent it is a collateral branch of the architect's employment, who, immerfed in the ftudy and avocations of his own profeffion, finds no leifure for other difquifitions ; and, in this ifland, it is abandoned to kitchen gardeners, well fkilled in the culture of fallads, but little acquainted with the principles of Ornamental Gardening.It cannot be expected that men uneducated, and doomed by their condition to wafte the vigor of life in hard labour, mould ever go far in fo refined, fo difficult a purfuit.To this unaccountable want of regular matters may, ia a great meafure, be afcribed the fcarcity of perfect gardens* «r PREFACE.gardens.There are indeed very few in our part of the globe wherein nature has been improved to the beft ad- vantage, or art employed with the foundeft judgment.The gardens of Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and of all the other countries where theantient Ityleftill prevails, are in general mere cities of verdure ; the walks are like flreets conducted in ftrait lines, regularly diverging from different large open fpaces, refembling public fquares ; and the hedges with which they are bordered, are raifed, in imitation of walls, adorned with pilafters, niches, windows and doors, or cut into colonades, arcades and porticos ; all the detached trees are fhaped into obelifks, pyramids and vafes ; and all the receffes in the thickets bear the names and forms of theatres, amphitheatres, temples, banqueting halls, ball rooms, cabinets and faloons.The ftreets and fquares are well manned with ftatues of marble or lead, ranged in regular lines, like foldiers at a proceffion ; which, to make them more natural, are fometimes painted in proper colours, and finely gilt.The lakes and rivers are confined by quais of hewn ftone, and taught to flow in geometrick order; 3 and

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