Not deterred by the sneer of ignorance,* the contradiction of obstinacy, the nonsense of vanity, or the prevalence of false taste, I made the attempt; and with the counsels and advice of men of science, and the countenance of some of the first characters in the kingdom, a very large portion of its scenery has been committed to my care for improvement. Hence it might be expected, that with some degree of confidence I now should deliver the result of my observations; yet, from the difficulties continually increasing with my knowledge of the subject, I submit this work to the public with far more diffidence than I did my former volume: because in this, as in every other study, reflection and observation on those things which we do know, teach us to regret our circumscribed knowledge, and the difficulty of reducing to fixed principles the boundless variety of the works of Nature. *[The ignorance and obstinacy here alluded to, relate to the frequent opposition I have experienced from gardeners, bailiffs, and land stewards, who either wilfully mar my plans, or ignorantly mistake my instructions.]
