The most extensive seats laid out in the modern style, in the neighbourhood of .Moscow, are those of Gorinka, a seat of Count Alexy Razumowsky, and Petrowsky Razu mowsky. The former is remarkable for its botanical riches, and an immense extent of glass. The grounds are of great extent, but the surface flat, and the soil a dry sand. A natural forest of birch and wild cherry clothes the park, and harmonizes the artificial scenes. The mansion, built by an Englishman, is highly elegant ; and the attached con servatories, and stoves, and decorated lawn, form a splen did and delightful scene, unequalled in Russia.
Petrowsky Razumowsky contains both an ancient gar den, already referred to in our third section, and a large extent of ground, laid out in the modern style, and adorned with designs by Signior Camporezi. There is some va riety of surface, abundance of birch and fir woods, with some oaks and aspens interspersed, and a large piece of water. Among the ornamental buildings is a cotton ma nufactory, in actual use as such. The practice of intro ducing manufactories as garden buildings, is very general in Russia, and almost peculiar to that country. The palace and gardens- of Count Alexy Razumowsky, and of Pas chow, in Moscow ; of Zaritzine., a singular Turkish pa lace, built by Potemkin for Catherine ; of Astankina Count Cheremetow, Peckra, Prince Galitzin, and various others, would well bear description, but we are necessarily pre cluded from doing this by our limits, and conclude by ob serving, that extent, exotics, and magnificent artificial ob jects, is more the object of the modern style in Russia, than scenes merely of picturesque beauty. We think this may be accounted for, from the general want of tefinement of taste in that country, and partly for its inaptitude for that style.
The nobles of Russia, suddenly rendered aware of being distanced in point of civilization by those of most other European countries, are resolved not merely to imitate, but even to surpass them, in the display or wealth. The most obvious marks of these, in the most refined countries, are necessarily first singled out by rude and ambitious minds, and large magnificent houses and gardens arc de SII'l rather than comfortable and elegant apartments, and beamilul or picturesque scenes ; since, as every one knows, it is much more easy' to display riches than to possess taste.
English gardening was introduced into Poland by the incess Czaitorvska, at Pulhawa. This lady, highly ac complished, of great taste, and much good sense, had been a considerable time in England. She carried to Poland
Mi. Sas age, a gardener. and with his assistance, and that of Mr. Vogt I, and .\ Ir. Frey, artists of Warsaw. she laid out Pulhawa hetweca I 7b0 and 1784, and published in Polish, 'a folio work with plates, on English gardening, in 1801. The situation, like almost every other with which we arc acquainted in Pula' d or Russia, is flat and sandy ; but is somewhat relieved by the Vistula. On the brink of this rivet, on a wooded bank, stands the house, a plain Grecian building, and with the grounds described by Burnet, in his of Poland. (Chap. xi.) Independent clumps of shrubs are more freqm nt in these gardens than would be admit ted by a good taste in England ; but all Poland is a natural forint ; and as the grand object of improvement in every country is, to obtain applause by the employment of art and expence, artificial forms, from their rarity, are better cal culated for this purpose than such as arc more universally beautiful, but so common as to want the charm of novelty, or whose beauties are too refined to be generally under stood. Thus clumps in Poland may be as much esteem ed as groups are in England, on the same principle, that, in a wild country, game is less esteemed than butcher meat, because it is the common food.
The other eminent examples of the modern style, are those of Count Zamoski at Zamoyst, and Count Potocki at Villaneuvc, mentioned in our third section. The first are of limited extent, but the latter, near Warsaw, are very ex and were laid out chiefly from the designs of Prin cess Czartoryska. The gardens of General Benningsen, near Mina, were in a mixed style, and rich in botany, be fore they were destroyed by the retreat of the French army in 1812. Those of Colonel Lachanitzski at Poniemonin, on the banks of the Niemen at Grodno, are not extensive, but contain more romantic and picturesque scenery than any we have seen in Poland.
Our remarks, as to the present state of architecture and domestic arrangements of Russia, will nearly apply to Po land ;but the artier tatri,c, from superior education and re cent intercourse with every. country in Europe, is of a much more active and intelligent nature in the latter coun try, and will, we arc persuaded, within a moderate period, place Poland or a level with any of the continental king doms, more especially if her individuality shall be pre served.