e should be charged with all the defects of those that
have called themselves his followers, I have seen no good reason
alleged, nor can I suppose it possible to produce one." Many of his
imitators exhibited so little talent in their creations, that Mr.
Browne's name considerably suffered in the estimation of many.

Mr. Gilpin speaks of Browne's improvements at Blenheim in high terms.
Mr. Marshall in his Survey of Stowe and Fisherwick, in vol. i. of his
"Planting and Rural Ornament," and at p. 384, pays a fair tribute to
him. Much general information respecting him may be seen in Mr. Loudon's
chapter "Of the rise, progress, and present state of gardening in the
British Isles." The candour and rich conciseness of this review,
embraces the whole _magic of the art_, as respects landscape
gardening.[90]

FRANCIS ZAVIER VISPRE wrote "A Dissertation on the Growth of Wine in
England", Bath, 8vo. 1786. Mr. Vispre died poor, between thirty and
forty years ago, in St. Martin's Lane. He excelled in painting portraits
in crayons: Sir Joshua much esteemed him. He was a most inoffensive man,
of the mildest manners, and of the purest integrity. I have seen his
portrait in crayons, in an oval, finely finished by himself, but know
not now where that is. On his mode of training the vine _very near the
ground_, see p. 757 of the Encyclop. of Gardening.

WILLIAM MASON, precentor and canon of York, died in 1797. His friend,
Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted an impressive portrait of him, which is
engraved by Doughty. A masterly copy of this fine portrait is in Mr.
Cadell's Contemporary Portraits. A copy is also prefixed to the edition
of his works, in 4 vols. 8vo. 1811, published by Mr. Cadell. His
portrait was also taken by Vaslet, and engraved by Carter, 1771. It is a
large metz etching. He translated Du Fresnoy's Art of Painting, to which
Sir Joshua added some notes. Mr. Mason has prefixed an Epistle to Sir
Joshua, which thus concludes:

And oh! if ought thy poet can pretend
Beyond his favourite wish, to _call thee friend_:
Be it that here his tuneful toil has dress'd
The muse of _Fresnoy_ in a modern vest;
And, with what skill his fancy could bestow,
Taught the close folds to take an easier flow;
Be it that here, thy partial smile approv'd
The pains he lavish'd on the art he lov'd.

Mr. Mason's attachment to painting was an early one, is conspicuous in
many of his writings, and in his English Garden, is vis