To improve the scenery of a country, and to display its native beauties with advantage, is an ART which originated in England, and has therefore been called English Gardening; yet as this expression is not sufficiently appropriate, especially since Gardening, in its more confined sense of Horticulture, has been likewise brought to the greatest perfection in this country*, I have adopted the term Landscape Gardening, as most proper, because the art can only be advanced and perfected by the united powers of the landscape painter and the practical gardener. The former must conceive a plan, which the latter may be able to execute; for though a painter may represent a beautiful landscape on his canvass, and even surpass Nature by the combination of her choicest materials, yet the luxuriant imagination of the painter must be subjected to the gardeners practical knowledge in planting, digging, and moving earth; that the simplest and readiest means of accomplishing each design may be suggested; since it is not by vast labour, or great expense, that Nature is generally to be improved; on the contrary, "Ce noble emploi demande un artiste qui pense, Prodigue de genie, mais non pas de depense."
[Which may be thus Englished:- "This noble employment requires an artist who thinks, Prodigal of genius, but not of expense."
The following paraphrase of this passage is given by Mrs. Montolieu, in her translation:-
"Insult not Nature with absurd expense,
Nor spoil her simple charms by vain pretence;
Weigh well the subject, be with caution bold,
Profuse of genius, not profuse of gold."
The Gardens. 2nd Ed. p. 5.]
*[This appears from the many valuable works on that subject; particularly the well known labours of the ingenious Mr. Speedily, gardener to the Duke of Portland; and from many other useful books produced by English kitchen gardeners. J.C.L]
[Princess Isabella Czartoryska (who later published a treatise on laying out gardens, Mysli rozne o ï¾…) The Gardens, a poem, was translated by Mrs M. H. Montolieu, I805. The Princess planned a Romantic garden for the Powazki estate, near Warsaw, which embodied the ideals of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. - T.T]
