s and favour my
Retreat and thoughtful Solitude. Ye verdant plains, how gladly I
salute ye! Hail all ye blissful Mansions! Known Seats! Delightful
Prospects! Majestick Beautys of this earth, and all ye rural Powers
and Graces! Bless'd be ye chaste Abodes of happiest Mortals who here
in peaceful Innocence enjoy a Life unenvy'd, the Divine, whilst with
its bless'd Tranquility it affords a happy Leisure and Retreat for
Man, who, made for contemplation and to search his own and other
natures, may here best meditate the cause of Things, and, plac'd
amidst the various scenes of Nature, may nearer view her Works. O
glorious Nature! supremely fair and sovereignly good! All-loving and
All-lovely All-Divine! Whose looks are so becoming, and of such
infinite grace, whose study brings such Wisdom, and whose
contemplation such Delight.... Since by thee (O Sovereign mind!) I
have been form'd such as I am, intelligent and rational; since the
peculiar Dignity of my Nature is to know and contemplate Thee; permit
that with due freedom I exert those Facultys with which thou hast
adorn'd me. Bear with my ventrous and bold approach. And since not
vain Curiosity, nor fond Conceit, nor Love of aught save Thee alone,
inspires me with such thoughts as these, be thou my Assistant, and
guide me in this Pursuit; whilst I venture thus to tread the
Labyrinth of wide Nature, and endeavour to trace thee in thy Works.']

[Footnote 9: Comp. Jacob von Falke, '_Der englische Garten_' (_Nord
und Sued_, Nov. 1884), and his _Geschichte des modernen Geschmacks_.]

[Footnote 10: _Dessins des edifices, meubles, habits, machines, et
utensils des Chinois_, 1757.]

CHAPTER X

[Footnote 1: '_Die Alpen im Lichte verschiedener Zeitalter_,'
_Sammlung wissenschaftlicher Vortraege_, Virchow und Holtzendorff.
Berlin, 1877.]

[Footnote 2:

Geschaefte Zwang und Grillen Entweihn nicht diese Trift;
Ich finde hier im Stillen Des Unmuts Gegengift.
Es webet, wallt, und spielet, Das Laub um jeden Strauch,
Und jede Staude fuehlet Des lauen Zephyrs Hauch.
Was mir vor Augen schwebet Gefaellt und huepft und singt,
Und alles, alles lebet, Und alles scheint verjuengt.
Ihr Thaeler und ihr Hoehen Die Lust und Sommer schmueckt!
Euch ungestoert zu sehen, Ist, was mein Herz erquickt.
Die Reizung freier Felder Beschaemt der Gaerten Pracht,
Und in die offnen Waelder Wird ohne Zwang gelacht....
In jaehrlich neuen Schaetzen zeigt sich des Landmanns Glueck,