Advertisement. THE Author of the following Sheets, being fenfible of the want of a Defcription of HAGLEY, ENVIL, and the LEASOWES, three celebrated places in the neighbourhood of BIRMINGHAM, and within the tour of a day, begs leave to offer this as an Agreeable. Companion, or Guide, to the parties who vifit them. If by taking the utmost care in tranfcribing the Infcriptions, and rendering the Latin ones into English, for the benefit of those not converfant in that language, and particularly defcribing the feveral beauties of thefe delightful abodes, the Author fhall meet with the approbation of the Public, his Defign will be fully accomplished. A DESCRIP English b 22-44 A 49172 DESCRIPTION, &c. A MONG the pleasures of a country life, Gardening is not only a commendable and recreative amufement, but a pleafing and delightful fludy; it fills the mind with the most agreeable fenfations, it charms the eye, and wherever it is introduced, makes the face of nature fmile in elegance and perpetual verdure.- -The modern tafte univerfally adopted in the difpofition of objects, in parks, and pleasure grounds, is natural, lively, and picturesque: The defigner, attentively cau tious of falling into the exploded error, of offending nature, by uniformity, and futile exactnefs, now robes her in all her own fimplicity, and careless dignity; follaws her through all her fweet receffes with the drefs of fancy-affifted by Genius, he hides her blemishes, and with a graceful hand expofes all her offered charms. Tafte Tafte depends fo much upon good fenfe, that it is no wonder such execrable blunders fhew themselves in the many productions that rife before us, without meaning, beauty, or defign. But however dependent taste may be upon what the generality of defigners may be strangers to, I can by no means be perfuaded to think fo much of the latter is required to form even a copious and interefting fcenery; especially where nature hath done her part, in the diverfity of hill, valley, and -I have known a peasant water. fcatter, without defign, fome beauties round his cot, that, were they to stand within the pale of the first park in England, would be an honor to it. The great difficulty lies chiefly in giving the confequence and a ftriking imagery to those fituations, where nature hath denied her agreeable variety; here, genius and fenfe muft for ever go hand in hand, or disgrace and contempt will be the inevitable confequence. |