An essay on design in gardening / first published in 1768. Now greatly augmented. Also a revisal of several later publications on the same subject. By George Mason.

  • George Mason
Date:
1795
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on design in gardening / first published in 1768. Now greatly augmented. Also a revisal of several later publications on the same subject. By George Mason. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    / paffages plainly Ihew, that a paradife was then confidered as a fuperior kind of garden. And Xenophon (in the fourth book of his Grecian hiftory) introduces Pharnabazus grievoufly lamenting the deftrudfion of his paradife, which he prized as the moft valua- ble part of his inheritance.] The firft paradifes, which ancient hiftory has at all attempted to defcribe, are thofe of Semiramis. With her the idea of forming them feems to have been a favourite paflion ; for which fhe delayed expeditions, and em- ployed the labour of armies in decorating remoteft corners of her empire: and admi- rable mult have been her genius in the art, if we may be allowed to judge by the roman- tic fituations, on which it was exercifed. [“ Clofe to the mountain Bagiftan,” fays Diodorus Siculus*, “ fhe encamped, and “ there formed a paradife of 12 ftadia in n * Lib. 2. c. 13. circum-