this deftness of touch was recognised in his own day; one anonymous obituary writer opined: "such, however, was the effect of his genius that when he was the happiest man, he will be least remembered; so closely did he copy nature that his works will be mistaken." in 1772, sir william chambers (though he did not mention brown by name) complained that the "new manner" of gardens "differ very little from common fields, so closely is vulgar nature copied in most of them."