New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-17

She knows that IL her gardens places OF
enchantment they are also places Of what we
may call constructive logic. schemes worked out
with much science went TO the
building Of mighty palace. Her book is valu-
able. therefore not alone for the delightful i'm
pressons it contains, but for its luminous
exposition OF the ideas on which the character
istic Italian villa was based. In q brief intro
duction she lays stress upon the Importance of
keeping those ideas in the right perspective If
you propose 10 make of them in this coun-
try. They must be exploited here. if exploited
at all, mot In the letter, but in the spirit" "A
marble sarcophagus and a dozen twisted col
will not" she observes, make an Italian
garden; but a piece of ground laid out and
planted on the principles Of the old garden craft
will be. not indeed Italian garden in the
literal sense. but. what is far better. garden
well adapted to its surroundings as were the
models which inspired 1T"
The models with which she deals in this book
Gre drawn from the villas round about Florence
and Rome, Siena and Genoa. and here and
there in Lombard OF Venetian territory. She
does not. Of course. exhaust the feld-to do
that would require q very much larger volume
But she makes so Judicious choice that what
with her careful descriptions, Mr. Parrlsh's
drawings. and the reproductions given from
photographs, the reader may form very clear
idea Of what the true Italian garden is like
One passage in the introduction is so useful
that must quote il:
One day the architect looked forth from the
of the garden. the intIosing landscape was nat
UralIy incuoed; The Two formed part OF the same
The recognition of this fact was the first step
RenassssIce: the next Vas the arcnicect as
eovery Of the means Dy which nature and art mignt
70 deal vita. his garden must be adapted to the
be adapted 10 The requirements OF the inmates OF
the house. in the sense OF providing shady walk:
eohVsnienGy adceSsiep and lastly It must 1t
HdaD,ed to the Landscape around it.
However much other factors may, contribute to
re total impression Of charm Se5 by eamnat ms
flowers, The sunlight the rich tntng of time one
harmony CT design which is independent of any
adventurous effects. This does not Imply that
EsTasn itseIf The more permanent materials 5 o.
green foliage the effects Of rushing or motoniess
water, above all the lines OF the natural scenery
things are as beautiful at one season as at another
end even these are but the accessories of the fund1
mental plan. The inherent beauty of the garden
lies in The grouping Of its parts-in the erginI
\ sunny open spaces with cool woodland shade. the
PropoTuon between terrace ana bo~hng green OF
path. None Of these details was negligible to the
sideed The dstT69tion Of shade and sunlight
straight lines Of masonry and ripPled lines o
bis whole composition to the scene about it
Throughout her book Mrs, Wharton shows
these principles in action rs il were. AS she
takes the reader along the paths and terraces OF
the villa d'Este at Tivo or beneath the glorious
oaks OF the Villa Lante at Bagnaia, she points
out 70 him the structural factors in the beauty
around him. The buildings themselves are not
neglected. The authors knowledge of architect
ure keeps pace with her knowledge of garden
craft, and her pages are marked by a keen sense
OF what Italian gardens in their genera.
effect TO the edifces which look down upon
them. Indeed, the purely architectural inspira-
ton OF the old designers is the one to which
the experienced observer is always returning
Everything contributed to the strengthening
OF that inspiration, not only the whole aesthetic
drift Of the Renaissance, but even the presence
Of the cypress and the stone pine in the country
point which would have been glad TO see
treated at some length by Mrs. Wharton.
We would have been glad also. by the way. II
. she had seen fit TO reproduce few of Zocchfs