The Garden History Society

Count Ferenc Széchényi's Visit to English Parks and Gardens in 1787

Author(s): Jȯzsef Sisa
Source: Garden History, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Summer, 1994), pp. 64-71
Published by: The Garden History Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1587002 .
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 JOZSEF SISA

COUNT FERENC SZECHENYI'S VISIT TO ENGLISH

PARKS AND GARDENS IN 1787

AlthoughAnglo-Hungarian culturalties have existed for centuries,until the late

eighteenthcenturythere was hardlymorethanrandominterestin thereveredbutremote
islandnationin Hungary.It wasattheendof theeighteenthcenturythata moreintense
feeling,indeedgeneraladmiration arosefor England.2Hungarianaristocrats travelled
therein greaternumber,and thoughit was not usuallytheirprimarypurpose,these
journeysoften includedvisits to parksand gardens.Their experiencesundoubtedly
contributedgreatlyto the birthandproliferation of thelandscapegardenin Hungary.3
Owing to his prominent role in his country's social life, CountFerencSzechenyi's
four-month in
longstay England andScotland in 1787-88hadspecialsignificancein this
context.
The Szechenyis,a familyof Catholicbackground andfirmHabsburgloyalty,were
amongthe wealthiestpeoplein eighteenth-centuryHungary.CountFerenc (1754-I820)
as a youngmandecided'to be a usefulcitizenof the country';whatfollowedwasa life
markedbyprofoundchangesof convictionandpreoccupation, periodsof intenseactivity
withpassivityandevendepression.4
alternating A supporterof JosephII's autocratic
yet
enlightenedpolicies,he receivedhighofficefromthe rulerin 1785;he resigneda year
later. After Joseph II's death in I790 Szechenyi became a member of the group of
noblemenwho stroveto introducesocialreformseven at the expenseof their own
privileges.Theconspiracy of theHungarian Jacobinesandtheirsubsequentexecutionin
1795,andthe effectsof his wife'sseriousillness,causedSzechenyito sinkinto a deep
depression.Whenherecovered,theformerfreemason hadturnedintoa bigotedCatholic
withunquestioning respectforauthority.Againhe receivedpublicoffices,yet thistime
fromthereactionary andnarrow-minded FrancisII. WhenSzechenyiresignedin I808,
he wasawardedthe highesthonourof the Habsburgempire,the Orderof the Golden
Fleece.All his life Szechenyiwasa patronof menof learning.In I802 he donatedhis
collectionof engravings,medals,maps,andbooksto the nation,therebyfoundingthe
HungarianNationalMuseum.Todaythe HungarianNationalLibrarybearshis name.
CountFerencSzechenyivisitedEnglandafterhis firstresignationin 1786. The
journey,which lasted from May 1787 to February1788, took him to Prague, Dresden,
Leipzig,Berlin,Hamburg,Louvain,Brussels,Ghentand includeda visit to Worlitz
gardenanda monthanda half'srestat Spaa,beforehe setfooton Englishsoilat Dover
on Io SeptemberI787.It is clearfromhistraveldiarythatSzechenyi's
maininterestwas

Vorosmartyu. 48, Budapest, o164 Hungary

 JOZSEF SISA 65
in the sociallife andeconomicconditionsof the countrieshe visited, as he wantedto learn
things that could later be beneficialto his country.5In Englandhis attentionturned to
parks and gardensas well, some of which he describedin considerabledetail. The first
one he had the opportunityto observewas PainshillPark.
15 Sep. We went throughKingstonto Cobham.6A nice buildingwith an Englishgarden,it
wasboughtby the presentowner,Mr. HopkinsfromHamilton;7the latterhadlaid out this
undulatinggardenwithall the greatesteffortsas the gardenis surroundedmostlyby a waste
heath,whichin itself surprisesthe travelleras a greatdealof wastelandcanbe observedon
bothsidesfromLondonto Cobham.Hamiltonhadthepleasureafter36yearsto seehis garden
in fullperfection.A bellat theentranceannouncesthearrivalof strangersto thegardener,and
onegoesroundthegardenin a cabrioletdrawnby a smallhorsewhichis led by a boy. It is not
allowed to trample because one might damage the roots of the grass of the meadow.8 Such a
cabriolet costs 5 shillings. In the garden we saw among other mature foreign trees9 a cedar of
Lebanonwhichhadgrowndownto theground,laureltreesandbushes,a lakewithfishes,10a
vineyardnearby,and, to the right from the place wherewe stood, old ruins.1lThe view
forwardextendeddownto theheaths.Wealsoobservedthefollowingtrees:weepingwillows,
corkwood(asortof pine),12candleberry, fromwhichin Americaa kindof waxcandleis made,
MagnoliaCatalpa,orientalplane, etc. The buildingsare as follows:a woodentemple,13a
towerfromwhichonecanoverlookthewholegarden,a hermitagemadeof wood,verysimple,
witha parlouralsoof woodandwoodenfurniture,whichis perhapsnot fit fora hermitage.A
salonovergrownwithgreenplants,whichdisplaysin nichessomeoldfragmentsfromItaly,14
then a Turkishtent fromstitched,greycanvas,with stiff tassels,and a gilt crescenton the
dome.15It is a pitythatroundinsidethetent,insteadof divans,armchairsarearranged.Then
a templeof Bacchus,withcolumnson theoutsideandwoodenfiguresofgodsbetweenthem,16
inside the temple is Bacchusfrom alabaster,which, along with other alabasterpieces
representing Romanemperors,17 costHamilton1500pounds.The emperorsof courseshould
nothavebeenplacedin thetempleof Bacchusroundtherevellinggod, astheywerenotall his
admirers.Finallythereis a hugegrottoof sparbroughtfromDerbyshire,whichmakes,dueto
the waterflowingalongsidethe salonandthe glitteringiciclesof the sparin the salonandthe
covered walk that leads there, the most vivid impression.18Otherwise the park has the most
beautiful valleys and different diversions, water conducted through a machine [a small
diagram representing a water wheel],19 a few benches for sitting, lots of woods, inconspicu-
ously placed alleys and beautiful and close mown lawn everywhere. The foot-paths and
carriage-waysare rarelygravelled. The park is called Painshill. We ate here double-laid bread
and butter with lamb in the middle, which they call lamb sandwiches here.20 [p. I05]

The next day Szechenyiand his companionsmade an excursionto see parksin and
near London.
i6 Sep. We drove across the glorious Hyde Park, which is open to all carriagesand
horsemen,21 throughthealmostinfiniterowsof houses,thenoverthebridgeon theThamesto
Richmond,in thecountyof Surrey.To therightfromtheroadandnearRichmondHill is the
Chinesetowerin KewGardens.22 The inn in RichmondHill is on an elevation[. ..] [B]efore
eating,fromthis buildingwe hadthe mostbeautifulviewof the distantplainof thiscountry.
TheThames,whichpassesbeautifullythroughdifferentparksadornedwithbushes,treesand
lawns, can be seen ?t three differentplaces up to Syon Park (it belongsto the Duke of
Northumberland).23 The innkeeperhimselfhasa prettylittlegardencloseto his house.The
alleyleft fromthe house towardsRichmondprovidedus the excellentopportunityfully to
enjoythis magnificentview. The parkdisplaysrightat the entrancenearthe wall the most
beautifulgreenery,anavenueof fourrowsof treesleadsforwardto thebeautiful,greenareas,
whichgratifythe observer'seye withgravelledroads,a splendidpondandnumerousforeign
treesand bushes.But the most gloriousis the beautifulThames,whichflowsmagnificently
alongtheleft sideof thePark;it oftenhidesbehindthewindinglanesof theparks,oftensplits,
 66 COUNT FERENC SZiCHtNYI'S VISIT

and then appearsagain in its full glory. They separate Syon Park from the latter, and one can
often catch a glimpse of the large country house of the Duke of Northumberland in its full
beauty. There are no structures or statues here, only a lot of benches for sitting, mostly
opposite the Thames and this building. [p. I07]

Szechenyi began his tour of the country on 22 September; it lasted until early November.
The first country house that we saw in Essex was Wanstead, the property of Earl Tillney,24
four miles from London. It is situated on the right of the road: beautiful greenery, with a large
pond in it surrounded by alleys flanked by two or three rows of trees in front of the house,
which consists of two wings crowned by balustrades, a Corinthian portico, and two flying
stairs. [p. 427]

He proceeds to describe the interior of Wanstead House in detail, then returns to the
park.
In the garden, which consists partly of green lawns crisscrossed by gravelled paths, partly of a
forest and a number of indigenous and foreign trees, the grotto is remarkable. Its sombre
entrance, covered with different minerals, petrificationsand shells, evokes fear. The visitor is
surprised at first sight that the grotto, the interior of which is also very cleverly composed of
minerals, petrificationsand shells, and one side has three arches, that this lovely grotto, which
is otherwise well situated, commands no better view than a stagnant, foul water. On the
outside there is a sarcophagus after the ancient taste, carved of wood and painted like iron,
which is therefore very deceptive. We also found a kind of door like a [small diagram
representing a triangle], where one side is movable.25 [pp. 428-29]

From Wanstead Szechenyi travelled to Colchester, then to Ipswich, Yarmouth, Nor-

wich, Cambridge. From Cambridge, on 30 September, he set out to visit Boughton.
Boughton is situated three miles from Barton and belongs to the Duke of Montagu. It lies in a
valley, and one cannot see it until one is already there. The avenues hither are beautiful with
the numerous, lovely alleys crossing each other in different ways mile after mile, flanked by
tall trees. It is the only one of its kind in England. The house itself is entirely patterned after
Versailles. ... In the park a great number of deer can be seen. [pp. 470-7I]

The next stop is at Northampton. Not far from here is the

seat of the Earl of Strafford.26The building follows the old taste, is not especially furnished, it
is not remarkablefor pictures or other objects of art [.. .] yet it offers exciting vistas through
the alleys that pass through the garden. The garden is small, but lovely; the place with the
most beautiful view over the remote meadows and hills is on the highway side. From this and
from the park the house is separatedby a wall sunk in a ditch, which is imperceptible from a
distance. There stands a kind of semicirculartemple made of laths covered with white linen,
which can be rotated round an axle hidden in the ground, in accordanceas one wishes to avoid
the wind. Not far from the place where one can enter the park and drive to the house there is a
look-out tower. The Earl spends four months in the town, two months here, the other six in
the much more beautiful Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire, and loves solitude!27
[pp. 473-741]

From here the journey takes Szechenyi to Leicester and then Nottingham.
About three miles from Nottingham towards Derby we arrive at Wollaton Hall, the seat of
Lord Middleton, which can be found in a pleasant park and from which one can have a good
view among others of Nottingham Castle. [p. 493]

Szechenyi proceeds to describe the interior of the house with obvious delight. In the
course of the tour of the rooms they were entertained by their host, afterwards they
 JOZSEF SISA 67
visited the grounds;Szechenyipreparessmalldrawingsof some of theirfeatures,such as
the kitchen gardenand one of the conservatories(Figures I and 2).
In the breakfastroom,whichcommandsa good view of the garden,we receivedwine and
biscuitsas a refreshment,andMilordshowedus roundthegarden.In the conservatory there,
besidesa numberof foreignplants, there are good pineapplesand excellentAlexandrian
grapes,whicharecalledGeisdutten in Austria.Theyarethickerthana thumb,sweetandvery
tasty.Outsidethe roadleadingto the buildingMilordshowedus his watersin the park,on
whichtherearesmallfabricatedthingsforpleasuretrips,thedairy,andin thedistancea farm,
wherehe hadwhitecows, a rarityin England,28[...]
AfterbiddingfarewellMilordgaveus a man, who showedour postilionthe way to his
kitchengarden.In the prettyparkwe passedby largeherdsof deer.The kitchengardenhas
sections;threerunlengthwise,andone crosswise,whichtogetherforma square,I thinklike
this [small diagram].The gardenerhad been given orders to show us everything:and
everywherewe foundindustry,natureandartunited.Everypartitioningwallis hollowand
transmitsthroughstovesandfluestheheatto themoredelicateplantsattachedto them,which
the climatein this partof the worlddoes not offerthemin due measure.The conservatory
('summer-house') deservesthegreatestadmiration; it is about600feetlongandespeciallyrich
in beautifulplants. Here, there is againa great numberof the above-mentionedgrapes.
Besidesthisone thereis anotherone, wheremostlyflowersarenursed,the shapeof its planis
[smalldiagram].In themiddleits widthis 25 feet, at the shortsidesI6 feet, andits lengthis 80
feet. Five Gothicwindowsat the bend, and two on both straightsides [smalldiagram],
oppositethe doorat the centrea halfwindow,andat bothendsof the lengthanotherwindow
anda gate[smalldiagram].The heightof thewholethingcanbe aboutI6 ft. The interiorwall
to the Northis 2 ft thickandhas a hollowspaceof 9 inches.The wallto the North9 inches
thick,4 anda half,whichis thewidthof a brick29to the South.The stoveswherethefluesare
heatedareon the Northside,in thecentreunderthehalfGothicwindow,separatedby a wall,
and stokingoccursfromoutside.Fromthese ovens proceed[smalldiagram]left and right
walledflues to both ends, which (like Lirenlir[?] stoves)treble. The first turn has 3 feet
height,the [smalldiagram]second2 ft 6 in, the 3rd27 ft 3in. The fourth2 feet. The lastflue
runshorizontally(like all the others)towardsthe middle,and lets out the smokethrougha
chimney.Thegardenergaveme a rootfroma kindof grassandflower(thrift)whichmultiplies
extraordinarily,it has nice thick green part and lovely flowerets.As for the beautiful
cut-leavedmignonettehe assuredme thathe hadcutoff thelastonesfromthepreviousyearin
themonthof February,andin Junethisyearhe wasagaindue to servehis masterwith them.
He presentedme with a few of themfor the journeyat LordMiddleton'scommand,andwe
droveoff, througha lovelyavenueflankedby threerowsof trees,towardsDerby.[pp. 494-97]

Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester,Halifax, Leeds are the next stops of the
itinerary,where Szechenyiis fascinatedby the industrialachievementsof the country.
This part of his diary is increasinglydevoted to the descriptionof lead mines, textile
mills, and warehouses,and is often illustratedby small diagramsof differentmachines.
Szechenyigoes as far as Selkirk, Edinburgh,and Glasgowin Scotland, then returnsto
London. On 8 JanuaryI788 he leavesLondon, and on 1 Januaryhe crossesthe English
Channelto Calais. Travellingthrough Lille, Brussels, Coblenz, Wiesbaden, and other
towns of Germanyand Austria, he winds up his journeyin Vienna on 7 February.
While he was away, the transformationof the small formalgarden of his country
house at Nagycenk, westernHungary,into a landscapeparkwasin progress;in fact work
had alreadybegun in I784.30Influencedperhapsby his newly-acquiredexperiencesin
England, on 20 September 1787 Szechenyi sent a letter from London to his caretaker
back at Nagycenk, instructinghim, insteadof restoringthe wall of the orangery,to pull
down the whole thing.31Yet the landscapingof Nagycenkgardenwas a slow and gradual
68 COUNT FERENC SZECHENYI'S VISIT

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Figure I. A page from Szechenyi'straveldiarywith drawingsof the plan of

WollatonHall and its kitchen garden
Photo:Budapest,MagyarOrszagos Leveltar
 JOZSEF SISA 69
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Figure 2. A page from Sz6chenyi'straveldiarywith drawingsof one of the

conservatoriesat WollatonHall
Photo: Budapest, Magyar OrszdgosLevltdir
 70 COUNT FERENC SZiCHtNYI'S VISIT

process, and Szechenyihimself was in two minds aboutit.32It took anotherfew decades
until it had been completedby CountFerenc'sanglophileson, Count Istvan Szechenyi.
But that is anotherstory.
It was in the I78os that the firstlandscapeparkswere laid out in Hungary.33Ferenc
Szechenyi'svisit to Englandand the landscapingof his gardenwas a remarkableepisode
in this respect. Remarkable,but not unique. In due courseotherHungariansfollowedin
his footsteps.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The proper annotationof Szechenyi'sdiary would
not havebeen possiblewithoutthe valuableinforma-
tion providedby severalpeoplein England.I wish to
thankfirstof all David Jacquesfor his commentson
the parksand gardensdescribedin the diary,andfor
encouragingme to clarifyobscurepoints. He has also
REFERENCES
I. For the history of Anglo-Hungarianrelations,
see Gy. Gomori,Angol-magyar kapcsolatoka xvi-
xvII szdzadban(Anglo-Hungarianconnectionsin
the sixteenthand eighteenthcenturies)(Budapest,
I989); S. Fest, Angolirodalmihatdsokhaztnkban
SzechenyiIstvtn fellepeseig(Englishliteraryinflu-
ences until the appearanceof Istvan Szechenyi)
(Budapest, I917).
2. L. Orszagh,"'Anglomania"in Hungary,
1780-I900', The New Hungarian Quarterly, xxII
(I98I), No. 82, pp. 168-79.
3. J. Sisa, 'Landscapegardeningin Hungaryand
its English connections',Acta HistoriaeArtium,
xxxv (1990-92), pp. 193-206.
4. The fullest accountof Ferenc Szechenyi'slife
can be found in L. BartfaiSzabo,A sdrvar-
felsovidekigrofSzechenyi-csaladtortenete(The his-
tory of the Count Szechenyifamily of Sarvarfel-
s6videk), II (Budapest, I9I3), a work based on a
wealth of originalarchivalmaterial.
5. The traveldiaryis in the HungarianNational
Archivesin Budapest(MagyarOrszagosLeveltar:
P 623. A Szechenyicsaladlev6ltara.I. kotet, 12.
sz. 9. Descriptioitineris seu peregrationisper Ger-
maniam,Belgium, Galliam,Angliamet Scotiam
anno I787-88). It is writtenin Germanand con-
sists of 59I pages. Only partsof it follow a strict
chronologicalorder, such as the first one which
covers Szechenyi'sjourneyuntil I6 September.
Some other sections beartitles like 'Bemerkungen
fiberEngland'(Remarkson England), 'Einige
Bemerkungenin London' (Some remarksin
London), while the last part covers Szechenyi's
travelsin the Englishand Scottishcountryside.
The manuscripthas continuouspagination;after
each paragraphquoted I have includedthe page
numbersin squarebrackets.The manuscriptin
extensohas not been publishedin Hungaryor in
any other country. A brief descriptionof Szeche-
nyi's journeybased on the diarycan be found in
BartfaiSzabo'swork (op. cit. pp. 295-3Io, the sec-
tion on Englandpp. 306-o1). A more extensive
accountof it, in fact an abridgedtranspositionof
invited John Phibbs to comment on Wanstead,
Jeanette Ray on Toddington, and Lawrence
Aldersonof the Rare Breeds SurvivalTrust on the
white cattleat Wollaton.I am alsoindebtedto Mavis
Collier for having sent me abundant material on
PainshillPark.
the diarywas publishedin I936, H. Marczali,
'GrofSzechenyiFerenc utazasai'(The journeysof
Count F. Sz.), Budapesti Szemle, CCXL(I936),
No. 699, pp. I27-5I, No. 700, pp. 291-323; the
section on Englandand Scotlandpp. 298-323.
6. Painshillis at Cobhamin Surrey.This land-
scape, survivingintact into the middle of the twen-
tieth century, was in 1948 divided into different
ownerships.Subsequently,the parkgreatly
deteriorated.Its restorationstartedin the I980s.
7. The Hon. Charles Hamilton (I704-86)
designedand laid out Painshillafteracquiringthe
land in I738-40. He did not build a house there,
but lived in an earlyeighteenth-cenzuryhouse
which was alreadythere, near the site of Bond
Hopkins'shouse. He had no inheritanceand bor-
rowedall of the money to acquirehis land. Even-
tually, by 1773, he had to pay his debts and sold
Painshillto BenjaminBond Hopkins in I773.
Szechenyiis referringto the presentPainshill
House which was built for Bond Hopkins- the
exteriorwas finishedby 1776, work continuedon
the interiorfor a numberof years. The architect
was RichardJupp. BenjaminBond Hopkins did
not take up residenceat Painshilluntil I790, he
died in I794.
8. Szechenyi'sremarkis of particularinterest, as
it seems to indicatethat Bond Hopkins reallywas
taking an interestin his park. The year before,
1786, John Adams, futurePresidentof the United
States, had remarkedthat Bond never came to
Painshill.
9. Hamiltongrew many species of North Ameri-
can evergreensin an earlypinetumin the Alpine
Valley areaat the west end of the garden.
Io. It is the large serpentinelake.
1I. The view Szechenyidescribeswith the vine-
yardand the ruins would have been from the
easternend of the lake. The 'ruins'were the
'GothicAbbey', a mock ruin. There is a good
paintingby Barrettcorrespondingto this view.
12. The corkwoodis in fact Quercussuber,the
cork of Spainand Italy.
 JOZSEF SISA
13. The 'wooden temple' is the Gothic Temple.
All of Hamilton'sbuildingswere of wood or brick,
made to look like stone (except the grotto).
14. It refers to the RomanMausoleum,the
ruined arch of Constantine,with a centralurn.
I5. It was constructed by 1760 either from a
design by Henry Keene, or based on his drawing.
The blue and white tent, which had an elliptical
ground plan and a brick shell, was last recordedin
1870. It was reconstructedin I992-93 50 yds fur-
ther south from its originalsite. See M. Collierand
D. Wrightson, 'The re-creationof the Turkish
Tent at Painshill',GardenHistoryxxi (1993),
pp. 46-59.
I6. In fact plasterstatuesof Apollo Belvedere,
Venus de'Medici, Mercury,and Venus Marina.
17. The statue of Bacchussaid to be antique
Grecianmarblewas 7 ft 4 in. high and there were
twelve antiquebusts of the Caesars.
18. The grotto spans two islandsin the lake.
The exterioris coveredwith oolitic limestonefrom
Bath and Gloucestershire.The interioris covered
with gypsum flakes stuck into plaster.This gyp-
sum was often referredto as Derbyshireor satin
spar. The ceilings all consisted of artificialstalac-
tites made of wooden frames, plasteredand
coveredwith flakesof gypsum. The grottowas also
decoratedwith many crystals,coralsand fossils,
and water trickledaroundthe main chamberover a
series of rocky alcoves, pools and cascades.(The
grotto is being restoredbut it will be some years
beforeit is completed.)
I9. This was the waterwheel which raisedwater
from the River Mole into the lake.
20. The paths at Painshillwere all of mown
grass or sheep tracks. There is now a small flock of
sheep there - perhapsone might still get a lamb
sandwich.
21. Hyde Parkwas the upper class's chief resort
for riding and carriagerides whilst in Town.
22. Szechenyimust have passedalong Turnham
Greenand crossed the river at Kew Bridge. Kew
Gardenswould then have been on his right hand
side as he took the road to Richmond.
23. The view over the Petershammeadowsand
the Thames valley to the west was famousand a
great attraction.Nearby is the Richmondgate into
Richmondpark.
24. In fact the seat of Lord Tylney.
25. The grotto is generallyassumedto have been
built in 1760 and severaldescriptionsof it survive.
(See also W. Angus, Seats of theNobilityand Gentry
in GreatBritainand Wales,in a collectionof select
views..., 1789. PI. 53.) Its destructionseems to
have begun in the middle of the nineteenthcentury
and it was burnt down in 1884.
26. The seat of the Earlof Straffordnear
Northamptonwas BoughtonPark. This Boughton
is two miles from Northamptontown centre, and is
not to be confused with the more famousBoughton
House, the seat of the Duke of Montagu. Thomas,
1st Earl of Strafford,purchasedthe place in 1717,
by which time there was alreadya complex forest
71
gardenadjacentto older gardens,with a lengthy
terracearoundsouth and west sides, hedged
wilderness-work,and a gravelledvista down to the
London Road. In the park to the north there was
an avenue system and lakes. This is shown on a
Badeslade view. William, 2nd Earl (1722-91), was
a friend of Horace Walpole, and a keen Goth. He
added the HawkingTower, a mock churchtower,
to the north-westcornerof the forest gardenby
I756. The 4th Duke of Devonshire, who lived at
Boughtonin the 1730s, erectedthe Obelisk, of
Greciandesign and dated I764, on higher ground
to the south. From about 1770 Wentworthset
about creatinga Gothic landscapein the park to
the north. The followingwere erected:the
Spectacle,a castellatedarch, dated 1770; a mock
fortifiedcastle at GrottoLodge (now Fox Covert
Farm), 1770; a grotto of the I77os at a petrifying
spring;a castellatedhouse and offices at Bunker's
Hill Farm, I776. There may also have been a
temple near Little BrickhillSpinney(destroyed
late 1940s).
27. His main seat was WentworthCastle, not
WentworthWoodhouse,the seat of his cousin and
deadly rival, Lord Rockingham.Toddingtonwas
the ancestralhome.
28. It was one of the early herds of polled white
cattle about which we have records. It existed
before the BritishWhite becamea breed but it can
properlybe regardedas one of the earlyherds of
that type. The herd died out in about 1820.
29. Szechenyi'sremarkon the margin:'NB. a
mistakein the measurement'.
30. For Nagycenk garden, see K. Orsi, 'A
nagycenkikastelyparkt6rtenete'(The historyof
the park of the countryhouse at Nagycenk),
Miiemlekvdelemxx (I976), pp. 4-12; G. Jellicoe,
S. Jellicoe, P. Goode, M. Lancaster,TheOxford
Companionto Gardens(Oxford- New York,
1986), p. 387; J. Sisa, K. Orsi, 'Conservinghistoric
parksand gardensin Hungary',LandscapeDesign,
xii (1987) No. 2, pp. 24-25.
31. MagyarOrszagosLeveltar:P 623. A Szeche-
nyi csaladleveltaraviII. kotet 20. cs. fol. 8; Bartfai
Szab6, op. cit., p. 445.
32. In 800o,for instance, he said he did not
want an English gardenerbut one who could grow
fruits. BartfaiSzabo, op. cit. p. 561. It is thought-
provokingthat the GermanauthorStieglitzdedi-
cated one of the plates in his architecturalpattern-
book to Ferenc Szechenyi, a plate which represents
a Gothic ornamentalstructurefor a park. C. L.
Stieglitz, Zeichnungen derschonenBaukunstoder
Darstellungidealischerundausgefiihrter Gebiiude. ..
(Leipzig, from 1798), plate LXXIII,'Ein Gartensitz
in Form eines gothischenThurmes. D6die a Fran-
cois Szechenyi'.
33. On the subjectof landscapegardeningin
Hungarythe most recent comprehensivework is
A. Zador's'The History of the English Gardenin
Hungary',Acta HistoriaeArtium,xxxiII (1987-
88), pp. 291-344.