in the littleness of human conception, fomething is wanted to bring down natural objects to the level of our comprehenfion. What object in nature is in a state of human perfection? Even in the finest woman a female critic will difcover faults: and in the handsomeft horfe a buyer will point out what in the human eye appear as imperfections. Did ever a landscape painter find a fcene, purely natural, which might not have been improved by the hand of Art, or which he did not actually improve by a stroke of his pencil? A ftriking feature may fometimes be caught where little addition is wanted; but in a rich picturefque view, which will bear to be placed repeatedly under the eye, a portion of lawn is requifite*, and in the wilds of nature we know of no fuch thing.

Therefore our idea of natural is not confined to neglected nature, but extends to cultivated nature

to

* Mr. GRAY, whofe letters to Dr. WARTON, defcribing the natural fcenery of the North of England, have been held out as models of their kind, corroborates our idea.

"Just beyond this opens one of the fweeteft landfcapes that art ever attempted to imitate. The bofom of the mountain fpreading here into a broad bafon, difcovers in the midft Grafmere Water: its margin is hollowed into fmall bays, with bold eminer.ces, fome of rock, fome of foft turf, that half conceal and vary the figure of the little lake they command: from the fhore a low promontory pufhes itself far into the water, and on it ftands a white village with the parish-church rifing in the midst of it hanging inclofures, corn-fields, and meadows green as cmerald, with their trees, and hedges, and cattle, fill up the whole fpace from the edge of the water and just oppofite to you is a large farm-houfe at the bottom of a steep Smooth lawn, embofomed in old woods which climb half way up the mountain-fide, and difcover above them a broken line of crags that crown the

:

fcene,

to nature touched by art, and rendered intelligible to human perception and we venture to recommend, as objects moft worthy the ftudy and imitation of the artists, fuch paffages in nature as give the highest degree of gratification to cultivated minds in general: paffages like the followingno matter whether produced by accident or defignno matter whether it occur in a foreft or a parkor whether it occupy the corner of a common, or fill up a confpicuous quarter of an ornamental ground ::-a lofty wood hanging on a bold afcent; its broken margin flowing negligently over the bofom of the valley, lying broad and bare beneath, and falling gently to the brink of a river, winding gracefully along the bottom.We further beg leave to add in this place, that if a paffage like this especially if the lawn be fpread with cattle, and the whole fcene enlivened by the prefence of the fun, and animated by the fleeting fhadows of the clouds fweeping its varied furface--is incapable of conveying a degree of gratification to the mind of any of our Readers, we have no hope of entertaining fuch a mind in this part of our performance,

fcene. Not a fingle red tile, no flareing Gentleman's houfe, or garden-walls, break in upon the repofe of this little unfufpected paradife; but all is peace, rufticity, and happy poverty in its neateft, moft becoming attire."

Gray's Letters to Dr. Warton, p. 181.

SITE.

BY the Site we mean, not only the place itself, but likewife fo much of the furrounding country as falls within the view.

If the place be already fuited to the furrounding country, and to the particular purpose. for which it is intended, the affiftance of art is not wanted, the bufinefs of the Gardener is precluded. If the Site be nearly in this ftate, the touchings of art are only required. But if the place be greatly deficient, as places in general are, then it is the duty of the artist "to fupply its defects, to correct its faults, and to improve its beauties."

Every PLACE Confists either of ground alone, or of ground and water, or of ground and wood, or of ground, water, and wood.

GROUND.

BY Ground is meant that portion of naked furface, which is included within the place to be improved; whether that furface be fwamp, lawn, roughet, broken-ground, or rock; and whether it be a bill, a valley, a plain, or a compofition of fwells, dips, and levels.

Mr. GILPIN, in his excellent Obfervations on the Wye, &c. (page 62) gives us a fublime idea of what ground ought to be." Nothing, fays he,

gives fo juft an idea of the beautiful fwellings of ground, as thofe of water, where it has fufficient room to undulate and expand. In ground which is compofed of very refractory materials, you are prefented often with harsh lines, angular infertions, and disagreeable abruptneffes. In water, whether in gentle or in agitated motion, all is easy, all is foftened into itfelf; and the hills and the vallies play into each other, in a variety of the most beautiful forms. In agitated water, abruptneffes indeed there are, but yet they are fuch abruptnesses as, in fome part or other, unite properly with the furface around them; and are on the whole peculiarly harmonious. Now, if the ocean in any of thefe fwellings and agitations could be arrested and fixed, it would produce that pleasing variety which we admire in ground. Hence it is common to fetch our images from water, and apply them to land: we talk of an undulating line, a playing lawn, and a billowy furface; and give a much stronger and more adequate idea by fuch imagery, than plain language could poffibly prefent."

The exertions of art, however, are here inadequate and the artist ought not to attempt to create a mountain, a valley, or a plain; and fhould but rarely meddle even with the fmaller inequalities of grounds. The rock stands equally above the reach of human art, and to attempt to make or unmake it is abfurd. Roughets and brokin-ground may generally be reduced to lawn, or hid with wood; and

a Swamp

a fwamp may be drained, or covered with water; whilft lawn may be variegated at pleafure by wood, and fometimes by water.

rill.

WAT E R.

THIS is either fea, lake, pool, river, rivulet, or

A broad lake and a copious river are too great for human art to cope with nevertheless, the margin and the bank may be ornamented, and the furface of the water disclosed to advantage. Rivulets are often in themselves delightful, and, where broad waters are wanted, may be turned to great advantage by art. *Stowe affords a proof of what may be accomplished even with a rill. If the base of the valley be broad, a lake may be made; if narrow, a river.

In countries where natural waters abound, art may improve, but should not attempt to create: but in places naturally dry, the artist may fre. quently call forth the creative powers with fuccefs. In any fituation, however, art must miscarry, if Nature has not furnished a fufficient fupply of materials ftagnant pools are always difgufting: Stews, indeed, may often be neceffary; but, like the kitchen garden, they ought not to be seen.

The feat of Lord Temple, near Buckingham.

WOOD.