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Repton, Humphry, 1752-1818 / Observations on the theory and practice of landscape gardening: including some remarks on Grecian and Gothic architecture, collected from various manuscripts, in the possession of the different noblemen and gentlemen, for whose use they were originally written; the whole tending to establish fixed principles in the respective arts
(1803)
Chapter V: Woods--Whateley's remarks exemplified at Shardeloes--intricacy--variety--a drive at Bulstrode traced, with reasons for its course--further example from Heathfield Park--a belt--on thinning woods--leaving groups--opening a lawn in great woods--example Chashiobury, pp. 60-64
Page 61
61. specimen of these, rules, which require but little further elucidation. The beech woods in Buckinghamshire derive more beauty from the; unequal and varied surface of the ground on which they are planted, than from the surface of the woods themselves; because they have generally more the appearance of cop.ses., than of woods: and as few of the trees are suffered to arrive to "The parts must not, however, on that account, be multiplied till they are too minute to be interesting, and so numerous as to create confusion. A few large parts should be strongly distinguished in their forms, their directions, and their situations; each of these .may afterwards be decorated with subordinate varieties, and the mere growth of the plants will occasion some irregularity, on many occasions more wiU not be required. "Every variety in the outline of a wood must be a prominence or a recess; breadth in either is not so important as length to the one, and depth to the other; if the former ends in an angle, or the latter diminishes to a point, they have more force than a shallow dent or a dwarf excrescence, how wide soever: they are greater deviations from the continued line which they are intended to break, and their effect is to enlarge the woaod itself. "An inlet into a wood seems to have been cut, if the opposite points of the entrance tally, and that shew of art depreciates its merit: but a difference only in the situation of those points, by bringing one more forward than the other, prevents the appear- ance, though their forms be similar. ",Other points which distinguish the great parts, should in general be strongly marked; a short turn has- more spirit in it than a tedious circuity ; and a line broken by angles has a precision and firmness, which in an undulated line are wanting: the angles should indeed be a little softened, the rotundity of the plant, which forms them, is sometimes sufficient for that purpose; but if they are mellowed down too much they lose all meaning. "Every variety of outline hitherto mentioned, may be traced by the underwood alone; but frequently the same effects may be produced with more ease, and much more beauty, by afew trees standing out from the thicket, and belonging, or seemiig to belong to the wood, so as to make a part of its figure."
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