A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

HO R 301 HOR
into execution. According to Lord continued in repute for upwards of a
Walpole, he was painter enough to century ; tor it appears to have been in
taste the charms of landscape, suffi- vogue as late as 1770. The court and
ciently bold and opinionative to dare nation wished to be dazzled by novelty
and to dictate, and born with a genius and singularity, and his long, clipped
to strike out a great system from the alleys, triumphal arches, richly decotwilight
of imperfect essays. He leap- rated 1
parterres, his fountains and cased
the fence, and saw that all nature! cades, with their grotesque and strange
was a • garden. The great principles on ornaments, his groves full of architec-
i which he worked were perspective, ture and gilt trellises, and his profusion
light and shade. Groups of trees broke of statues, enchanted | every class of oba
too extensive lawn ; evergreens and servers. His principal works were the
' wood were opposed to the glare of the gardens
champaign, and, by selecting favourite
of Versailles, Meudon, St.
Cloud, Sceaux, Chantilly, and the terobjects,
and veiling deformities, he re- race of St. Germain. Gray, the poet,
alized the compositions of the great was struck with their splendor when
masters in painting. Where objects ! filled with company, and when the
were wanting to animate his horizon, ' water-works
were in full action; but
his taste as an architect could immedi-^ Lord Kaimes says, they would tempt
ately produce them. His buildings, one to believe, that nature was below
his temples, his seats, were more the! the notice of a great monarch. Le
work of his pencil than of his science Nijtre was succeeded by Dufresny, who,
as a constructor. He bade adieu to differing considerably in taste from that
all the stiff modes of canals, circular, great artist, determined on inventing a
basins, and cascades tumbling over | more
picturesque style ; but his efforts
marble steps. Dealing in none but I the were rarely carried into full execution,
true colours of nature, and seizing upon He, however, constructed in a manner
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i its most interesting features, a new superior to his predecessor, the gardens
creation was gradually presented. The of Abbe Pajot and those of Moulin j and
living landscape was chastened or po- Chemin , creux. After the peace of 1762,
lished, not transformed. The elegant! the English system began to pass into
works of Rcpton, the unrivalled essays , France, and portions of ancient gardens
' of Price on the picturesque, and the were destroyed, to make way for young
valuable pulilications of Gilpin, Madock, plantations a l^Anglaise. Laugier was
Panty, Sang and Loudon, with those of the first author who espoused the Engmany
other writers on landscape and lish style, and the next in order j was
ornamental gardening, have had an ex- Prevot. i It was at this time that Viscount
tensive influence in promoting correct Girardin commenced ! his improvements
ideas of natural scenery. The improv- at P>menonville, and the change of the
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ed style of horticulture, every where horticultural taste in France, may be
apparent in Great Britain, attracted the referred to the last : quarter of the 18th
attention of the other nations of Europe, century. The English style has graand
English gardening became the de- dually , found its way into most civilized
signation for all that was beautiful in countries. Only 25 | years have elapsed
that pleasing art—the synonyme of per- since the London Horticultural Society
fection in rural culture. At the period ! was established, and there are now more
when this new system of laying out than 50 similar institutions in Great
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ground was gaining converts, and be- Britain, which still maintains the first
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gan to be practically adopted, Viscounts rank in the art ; but France is making
Girardin, a French military officer of| great efforts to rival her. A horticulhigh
rank, travelled through England, tural
and, on his return, he not only improved
society was established in Paris
in 1S26, and has already more than two
his seat at Ermenonville in conformity thousand members, and the number is
to that style, but published a work of| rapidly increasing. It has been patron-
great celebrity on the Composition des ised by the court, and most ] of the nobles
Paysages sur le Terrain, ou des Moyens^ and men of distinction in France have
d'embellir la Nature pris des i/a6i7a- I eagerly united with the proprietors of es-
tions. The French style of laying out I tales and practical cultivators to collect
gardens had been settled by Le Notre, and disseminate intelligence throughout
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during the reign of Louis XIV., and flourishing empire. In the various
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that