Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-11-18


he or better prepare for the delights which the
lend when he has oveeaped these vain bounds against evil
presently witnesses within.
Beneath him, with new wonder, now he views
To all delight of human sense exposed,
In narrow room Natures whole wsah-yea, more,
heavn on earth for bissul Paradise
OF God the garden was, by him in the east
Of Eden planted Eden stretched her line
From Auan eastward to the royal towers
OF great Selucia built by Grecian Kings,
Or where the of Eden long before
Dwelt IN Telassar in this pleasant soil
His tar more pleasant garden God ordained;
Out Of the frle ground he caused 10 grow
All trees OF noblest kind for sight, SMELL taste
And all amid them stood the tree of life, 'n.
High, eminent blooming ambrosal fruit
Of vegetable gold and, next TO life,
Our death the tree Of knowledge grew fast by,
knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ILL.,
We pass the passage that tells Of the river which, piercing
ia way beneath the mount, waters Eden There else
where in the description enough for all that part Of
picturesque effect; and extract is already frightening US
with its length That river famous realms, of which
he chooses not to speak:
But rather to tell how if art could tell,
How from that sapphire fount the crisped brooks,
Rolling on orient pearl aud sands of gold,
With mary under pendant shades
Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed
Flowers worthy Paradise, which not nice art
In beds and curious knots, bot Nature boon
Poured forth profuse on hill and dale and plain,
Both where the morning sun first warmly smote
The open field, aud where the unpierced shade
Inbrowned the noontde bowers. Thus was this place
A happy rural seat, of various view; n.
Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm
Others whose fruit, Furnished with golden rind,
Hung amiable, Hesperan fatles true,
If true, here only, and of delicious taste;
Betwixt them, lawns or level DOWNS and iocks
Grazing the tender herb nterposed
Or palny hillock the aowery lap
Of some irriguous Wiley spread her store, ,..a ..
Flowers OF all hue, md without thorns the rose;
Another side, outrageous grots and caves
OF cool recess, DER which the maning vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant; meanwhile murmuring waters fall
Down the slope hill, dispert, or in lake
That to the frnged bank with myrtle crowned
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.
Here is every thing that echant in prospect by still
with motion, and charm the wider an endless
Variety wild and yet orderly Further animate the scene
sounds yet sweeer of woodland music are now brought in
the varied harmones of the grove and crowned with those
classic associations which they naturally suggest the last
finishing grace of the elysan landscape
The birds their choir apply; airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell Of grove and field, attune
The trembling leaves, while universal Pan,
Knit with the Graces and the Hours in dance,
Led on the eternal spring Not that fair field
OF Emma, where Proserpine gathering flowers,
Herself, a falrer flower, by gloomy Dis
Was gathered, which cost Ceres all that pain
To seek her through the world nor that sweet grove
Of Daphne By Orones, tn inspired
Casalan spring, might with this paradise
Oi Eden strive; nor that Nyseian isle
Grit with the river Triton, where old Cham,
Whom Gentiles Ammon call aud Lybian Jove,
Hid Amalthea and her fJrid son
Young Bacchus from his stopdame Rhea's eye;
Nor where Abassin Kings their issue guard,
Mount Amara, though this by some supposed
True Paradise under the Ethiop line
BY Nilus' head enclosed with shining rock,
whole days journey high, but wide remote
From this Assyrian garden, &c.
We have given this latter part of the passage merely
call up to readers recollection the several spots Away:
most famous for their beauty and Of which the descriptions
may have furnished to Milton the materials blended into this
masterpiece of the picturesque.
Lesser instances of perfect Landscape Gardening we nigh
produce from this great painter nothing can for mnute
beauty, exceed the composition Of Adam and Ewes Iura
lodge, at 6s9 Of the book gsyer
any thing supass the vngpess of the pictures in the
Allegro AMI Pseroso, every line in which is often the dis
tinctes image Of charming But have adduced
abundany enough to show that IL Pope first taught the pac-
tce Of Picturesque Gardening Milton whose immed
descriptions offered the models OF and brought about
its creation.
Certainly, II has been pretended that the great author OF
the Inducvc Method Of Philosophy has likewise claim
this invention. Yet it seems to impossible read hi,
d" Essay Gardening (Bacons Essays, NLyH.) without
perceiving that his ideas have scarcely trait Of the thing
hem and that bis general conception is Of something entirely
different.
We had proposed to cite from Virgil NV George, 65,
Dydsn's TransIation) and from Piny tic Youngers Eps
tes the eEactes descriptions which survive Of the Roman
gardens, useful and ornamental but why should write
more when We have possibly already written than will
be read there be any body yet satiatc with the sub
jec let him TO Msson's English Garden" and DeIes
"Jsrdns" in verse, to ReptOn and Downing in prose.