Having condemned the ill-judged interference of art in the disposition of the ground and water at THORESBY, it may, perhaps, be objected, that I now recommend an artificial management not less extravagant, because I presume to introduce some appearance of rock scenery in a soil where no rock naturally exists; but the same objection might be made with equal propriety to the introduction of an artificial lake in a scene where no lake before existed. When under the guidance of Le Notre and his disciples, the taste for geometric gardening prevailed, nature was totally banished or concealed by the works of art. Now, in defining the shape of land or water, we take nature for our model; and the highest perfection of landscape gardening is, to imitate nature so judiciously, that the interference of art shall never be detected. L'Arte che tutto fa nulla se scopre. ['The art which effects everything, discovers itself nowhere'.]
