the doing of it was a kind of trial of skill between them; but it
gives us room, without any partiality, to say they were both
masters of their art.

The PARTERRE on that side descends from the terrace-walk by steps,
and on the left a terrace goes down to the water-side, from which
the garden on the eastward front is overlooked, and gives a most
pleasant prospect.

The fine scrolls and BORDURE of these gardens were at first edged
with box, but on the queen's disliking the smell those edgings were
taken up, but have since been planted again--at least, in many
places--nothing making so fair and regular an edging as box, or is
so soon brought to its perfection.

On the north side of the house, where the gardens seemed to want
screening from the weather or the view of the chapel, and some part
of the old building required to be covered from the eye, the vacant
ground, which was large, is very happily cast into a wilderness,
with a labyrinth and ESPALIERS so high that they effectually take
off all that part of the old building which would have been
offensive to the sight. This labyrinth and wilderness is not only
well designed, and completely finished, but is perfectly well kept,
and the ESPALIERS filled exactly at bottom, to the very ground, and
are led up to proportioned heights on the top, so that nothing of
that kind can be more beautiful.

The house itself is every way answerable on the outside to the
beautiful prospect, and the two fronts are the largest and, beyond
comparison, the finest of the kind in England. The great stairs go