The gardens are laid out in the finest taste: on descending from the back part of the house you enter a verdant lawn planted with clumps of ever-greens, between which are two rows of large stone vases. At the ends next the house are two wolves in stone, done by the celebrated Scheemaker, the statuary; at the farther end are two large lions, and the view is terminated by three fine antique statues, dug up in Adrian’s garden at Rome, with stone seats between them, and behind a close plantation of ever-greens.
On turning to the house on the right hand, an open grove of forest trees affords a view of the orangery, which is seen as perfectly as if the trees were planted on the lawn; and when the orange trees are in flower, their fragrance is diffused over the whole lawn to the house. These are separated from the lawn by a fossee, to secure them from being injured by the persons admitted to walk in the garden.
On leaving the house to the left, an easy slope covered with short grass leads down to the serpentine river, on the side whereof are clumps of ever-greens, with agreeable breaks, between which the water is seen; and at the farther end is an opening into an inclosure, where are a Roman temple, and an obelisk, with grass slopes, and in the middle a circular piece of water.
From hence you are led to the wilderness, through which are three strait avenues terminated by three different edifices; and within the quarters are serpentine walks, through which you may ramble near a mile in the shade. On each side the serpentine river, are verdant walks, which accompany the river in all its turnings. On the right hand of this river is a building that is the exact model of the portico of the church of Covent garden, on the left is a wilderness laid out in regular walks, and in the middle is a Palladian wooden bridge over the river.
With the earth dug from the bed of this river, his Lordship has raised a terrace, that affords a prospect of the adjacent country; which, when the tide is up, is greatly enlivened by the view of the boats and barges passing along the river Thames.
_Chiswick House._ _S. Wale delin._ _B. Green sc. Oxon._ ]
Pictures, &c. in the new house at Chiswick.
Lord Burlington and three of his sisters, Elizabeth, Juliana, and Jane, by Sir Godfrey Kneller.