Blenheim, Castle Howard, and indeed almost all the prin cpal noblemen's seats in the ancient style, w ere laid out during this, the preceding, and part of the latter reigns, or between the years 1660 and 1720.
Nothing of consequence appears to have been done to the royal gardens in the reign of George 1. though, near the end of it, Vanburgh was appointed surveyor of the gar dens and waters of the crown. In the succeeding reign, Queen Caroline enlarged and planted Kensington gardens, and lormed what is now called the Serpentine river, by uniting a string of detached ponds. This was a bold step, and led the way to subsequent changes of taste. Lord Ba thurst informed Daises Barrington, that he was the first who deviated from the straight line, in pieces of made wa ter, by following the natural lines of a valley, in widening a brook at Rt skins, near Colebrook ; and that Lord Straf ford, thinking it was dune from poverty or economy, asked him to own fairly how little more it would have cost to have made it straight.
Cannons, the magnificent scat of the Duke of Chandos, is one of the principal places laid out in the ancient style in this reign. We are not acquainted with the French art ist who gave the design, but the execution was superin tended by Dr. Blackweil, a physician and agriculturist of some note. As far as we have been able to learn, the last extensive residence laid out in the ancient style, in the south of England, was Exton Park, in Rutlandshire, finish ed about the year 1730. Kent had already returned lroin Italy, and been employed as a painter and architect, and began to display his genius a few years afterwards, as a landscape gardener.
In this brief outline of the progress of the ancient style in England, we have not had room to detail the numerous improvements made by private individuals ; preferring ra ther to notice what had been done in the gardens of the court, which, as they generally lead the fashion in every country, may be considered as a tolerably exact index of the state ofa nation's taste. The reader who is desirous of tracing more mintrely the history of gardening and laying out grounds, among the landed proprietors of England, will find himself amply gratified by consulting " The Beau ties of England and !rates," a in which is exhausted every soul ce of antiquarian and topographical research, up nearly to the present time.
Useful and decorative gardening, in the early ages, are necessarily so much connected, teat in our history of the former art in Scotland, we have necessarily embi•. the greater part of what WiS known of the latter. NVe have, therefore, to veter to the article HORTICULTURE. or ,f,rne part of what might have here occupied our attention. From
the early and long continued connection of this nation with the French, much of the manner, style of living and of art, bears the marks of importation from that people. This is obvious to the most indifferent observer, in the common architecture and arrangements of the towns built previous ly to the union, and not less so to the curious enquirer in that of the country seats and gardens of the same pe riod.
The earliest distinct notice of a royal attention to gar dens is well known ; Tames III. being blamed for " de lighting more in musick and policie, (probably from the French pour, to remove, level, or improve ; or from a cor ruption of 8e hzolir, to improve one's self, levelling and smoothing the grounds about a house, being naturally the first step after it is built,) and building, than lie did in the government of his realm." (Pitscottie's Chronicles of Scotland, 1590.) The general residence of this monarch was Stirling Castle ; and a marsh in the vale below is said to have been the site of the royal gardens. Enough re mains to justify a conjecture, that at this early period they displayed as much skill as those of any other country. We allude to a mound of earth resembling a table, sur rounded by turf seats, the scene, no doubt, of rural festivi ties, and an existing proof of the royal attention to the sub ject.
At Falkland is a large square enclosure, on a dull flat, in which there exists only a few stunted ash trees, though the boundary stone wall is still a formidable fence. The gardens of Holyroodhouse appear to have been exceeding ly confined ; the boundary wall only remains, and there are some indications of the rows of trees which stood in the park, which seems to have extended to the base of the ad joining hill, Arthur's Seat. The palace of Scone, we learn from Adamson, a poet of the 17th century, was surround ed by " gardens and orchards, flowers and fruits ;" and the park, in which are still some ancient trees, "abounded in the hart and fallow deer." Generally a few old trees in rows adjoin the other royal residences, and oldest baronial castles; but they give no indications to what extent art was carried in their disposi tion, till about the end of the 17th century, when the grounds of the duke of Hamilton were planted, in all pro bability by a French artist. The design of Chatelherault, an appendage to that palace, named after, and in imitation of the residence of that illustrious family in France, there can be little doubt would be taken from the plan said to have been given by Le Notre, for the original residence hear the town of that name, in the department of Vi enne.