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of the current. Straight lines are fometimes indulged, in order to keep in view fome interesting object at a distance.

Senfible of the influence of contrast, the Chinese artists deal in fudden tranfitions, and in oppofing to each other, forms, colours, and fhades. The eye is conducted, from limited to extenfive views, and from lakes and rivers to plains, hills, and woods: to dark and gloomy colours, are oppofed the more brilliant : the different maffes of light and fhade are difpofed in fuch a manner, as to render the compofition diftinct in its parts, and ftriking on the whole. In plantations, the trees are artfully mixed according to their shape and colour; thofe of fpreading branches with the pyramidal, and the light green with the deepgreen. They even introduce decayed trees, fome erect, and fome half out of the ground. In order to heighten contraft, much bolder ftrokes are risked: they fometimes introduce rough rocks, dark caverns, trees ill formed, and feemingly rent by tempefts, or blafted by lightning; a building in ruins, or half confumed by fire. But to relieve the mind from the harfhnefs of fuch objects, the sweetest and most beautiful scenes always fucceed.

The Chinese study to give play to the imagination: they hide the termination of their lakes; and commonly interrupt the view of a cafcade by trees, through which are seen obfcurely the waters as they fall. The imagination once roufed, is difpofed to magnify every object.

Nothing is more studied in Chinese gardens than to raise wonder or furprise. In fcenes calculated for that end, every thing appears like fairy-land; a torrent, for example, conveyed under ground, puzzles a ftranger

*Tafle has fuggefted to Kent the fame artifice. A decayed tree placed properly, contributes to contraft; and alfo in a penfive or fedate fate of mind produces a fort of pity, grounded on an imaginary perfonification.

a ftranger by its uncommon found to guess what it may be; and to multiply fuch uncommon founds, the rocks and buildings are contrived with cavities and interstices. Sometimes one is led infenfibly into a dark cavern, terminating unexpectedly in a landscape enriched with all that nature affords the most delicious. At other times, beautiful walks infenfibly conduct to a rough uncultivated field, where bushes, briers, and ftones interrupt the paffage : looking about for an outlet, fome rich profpect unexpectedly opens to view. Another artifice is, to obfcure fome capital part by trees, or other interpofed objects: our curiofity is raised to know what lies beyond; and after a few fteps, we are greatly furprised with fome fcene totally different from what was expected.

These curfory obfervations upon gardening, fhall be closed with fome reflections that muft touch every reader. Rough uncultivated ground, difmal to the eye, infpires peevifhnefs and difcontent may not this be one caufe of the harfh manners of favages? A field richly ornamented, containing beautiful objects of various kinds, displays in full luftre the goodnefs of the Deity, and the ample provifion he has made for our happiness. Ought not the fpectator to be filled with gratitude to his Maker, and with benevolence to his fellow creatures? Other fine arts. may be perverted to excite irregular, and even vicfous emotions but gardening, which infpires the purest and most refined pleasures, cannot fail to promote every good affection. The gaiety and harmony of mind it produceth, inclining the fpectator to communicate his fatisfaction to others, and to make them happy as he is himself, tend naturally to eftablish in him a habit of humanity and benevolence.*

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* The manufactures of filk, flax, and cotton, in their prefent advance toward perfection, may be held as inferior branches of the fine arts; becaufe their productions in drefs and in furniture infpire, like them, gay and kindly emotions favourable to morality.

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It is not eafy to fupprefs a degree of enthusiasm, when we reflect on the advantages of gardening with refpect to virtuous education. In the beginning of life the deepest impreffions are made; and it is a fad truth, that the young ftudent, familiarized to the dirtinefs and diforder of many colleges pent within narrow bounds in populous cities, is rendered in a meafure infenfible to the elegant beauties of art and Is there no man of fortune fufficiently patriotic to think of reforming this evil? It feems to me far from an exaggeration, that good profeffors are not more effential to a college, than a fpacious garden fweetly ornamented, but without any thing glaring or fantastic, fo as upon the whole to infpire our youth with a tafte no lefs for fimplicity than for elegance. In that refpect, the university of Oxford may justly be deemed a model.

Having finished what occurred on gardening, I proceed to rules and obfervations that more peculiarly concern architecture. Architecture, being an ufeful as well as a fine art, leads us to diftinguish buildings and parts of buildings into three kinds, namely, what are intended for utility folely, what for ornament folely, and what for both. Buildings intended for utility folely, fuch as detached offices, ought in every part to correfpond precifely to that intention; the flightest deviation from the end in view, will by every perfon of tafte, be thought a blemish. In general, it is the perfection of every work of art, that it fulfils the purpofe for which it is intended; and every other beauty, in oppofition, is improper. But in things intended for ornament, fuch as pillars, obelifks, triumphal arches, beauty ought alone to be regarded. A Heathen temple must be confidered as merely ornamental; for being dedicated to fome

deity, and not intended for habitation, it is fufceptible of any figure and any embellifhment that fancy can fuggeft and beauty admit. The great difficulty of contrivance, refpects buildings that are intended to be useful as well as ornamental. Thefe ends, employing different and often oppofite means, are feldom united in perfection; and the only practicable method in fuch buildings is, to favour ornament less or more according to the character of the building: in palaces, and other edifices fufficiently extenfive to admit a variety of ufeful contrivance, regularity juftly takes the lead; but in dwelling-houfes that are too fmall for variety of contrivance, utility ought to prevail, neglecting regularity as far as it ftands in oppofition to convenience.*

Intrinfic and relative beauty being founded on different principles, must be handled feparately. I begin with relative beauty, as of the greater import

ance.

The proportions of a door are determined by the ufe to which it is deftined. The door of a dwellinghoufe, which ought to correfpond to the human fize, is conlined to feven or eight feet in height, and three or four in breadth. The proportions proper for the door of a barn or coach-houfe, are widely different. Another confideration enters. To ftudy intrinfic beauty in a coach-houfe or barn, intended merely for ufe, is obvioufly improper. But a dwelling-houfe may admit ornaments; and the principal door of a palace demands all the grandeur that is confiftent with the foregoing proportions dictated by utility it ought to be elevated, and approached by steps; and

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*A building must be large to produce any fenfible emotion of regularity, proportion, or beauty; which is an additional reason for minding convenience only in a dwelling-house of imali tize.

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it may be adorned with pillars fupporting an architrave, or in any other beautiful manner. The door of a church ought to be wide, in order to afford an eafy paffage for a multitude: the width, at the fame time, regulates the height, as will appear by and by. The fize of windows ought to be proportioned to that of the room they illuminate; for if the apertures be not fufficiently large to convey light to every corner, the room is unequally lighted, which is a great deformity. The steps of a stair ought to be accommodated to the human figure, without regarding any other proportion: they are accordingly the fame in large and in fmall buildings, because both are inhabited by men of the fame fize.

I proceed to confider intrinsic beauty blended with that which is relative. Though a cube in itself is more agreeable than a parallelopipedon, yet a large parallelopipedon fet on its fmaller bafe, is by its elevation more agreeable; and hence the beauty of a Gothic tower. But fuppofing this figure to be deftined for a dwelling-houfe, to make way for relative beauty, we immediately perceive that utility ought chiefly to be regarded, and that the figure, inconvenient by its height, ought to be fet upon its larger bafe the loftinefs is gone; but that lofs is more than compenfated by additional convenience ; for which reafon, a figure fpread more upon the ground than raised in height, is always preferred for a dwelling-house, without excepting even the most fuperb palace.

As to the divifions within, utility requires that the rooms be rectangular; for otherwife void spaces will be left, which are of no ufe. A hexagonal figure leaves no void spaces; but it determines the rooms to be all of one fize, which is inconvenient. A room of a moderate fize may be a fquare; but in very large

rooms

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