but can little affect the high, and firmly esta blished reputation of their supposed author; for, in my opinion, it would be just as fair to draw an inference from his former ignorance in painting, as from his former ignorance in writing; just as conclusive, to produce some of his early bad pictures, to prove that he did not paint Mrs. Siddons, or Cardinal Beaufort, as to bring forth early letters, to shew that he did not compose his discourses.

The most valuable part of every man's education, is that which he receives from himself, from his own untutored reflections; especially when the active energy of his character, makes ample amends for the want of a more finished course of study. Such a man, and so formed was Sir Joshua Reynolds; his observations on a variety of subjects, as well as on his own art, were those of a strong original mind, and his language, both in speaking and writing, gave them their full value. In his conversation there was a peculiar mildness, and a simplicity highly interesting, but which promised little else; and I have often been struck with the contrast, between that simplicity of manner, and the vigour of his thoughts and expressions. Some of our commou friends have made the same reflection; and indeed many parts of his discourses, and those, not the least impressive, appeared like transcripts of what he had spoken.

P. 256. 1. 10. I have mentioned in the text the wretch

ed effect of taking away the outside trees
from groups where they had long grown to-
gether; it is to the full as bad when they are
incautiously removed from the front of an ex-
tended wood, for it can hardly ever be done
without making a manifest gap, in itself very
unpleasant, and at the same time letting in
the view towards a number of naked stems
behind. It appears, however, that the founder
of the modern school did it upon system.
"Where the plumage of an ancient wood ex-
tended wide its undulating canopy and stood
venerable in darkness, Kent," says
says Mr. Wal-
pole," thinned its foremost ranks."

One

should really be led to conclude from every expression in this description, that the writer intended to give us a horror for the practice, which yet, from the place where it is mentioned, we must suppose him to have approved. The bad consequence of this system of separating trees which had long grown together, is no where more apparent, than when an old avenue is broken into clumps; yet it may very well happen that a landscape-painter, however strongly he may condemn the alteration as it affected the general views and the character of the place, might find some particular advantages from it with respect to his own art: for as he is not obliged to make an exact por

trait, it is sufficient for his purpose if he discover the principal materials for composition, from the spot where he places himself. He therefore may select a view between any two of the clumps; and as a very slight alteration, in his expeditious art, turns them into groups, the whole may form a very pleasing landscape: again, as only two of the clumps would appear, no one could suspect from such a picture or drawing, that there were other clumps which strongly marked the old line of the avenue from every part where they were seen. this is perfectly fair in the painter with reference to his own art; but were he employed to shew what would be the future effect of

All

breaking an avenue into clumps, it would in the same degree be unfair; it would in fact be a deception, and tend to mislead his employer. Yet this is precisely what Mr. Repton has done, for the purpose of shewing how an avenue may be broken with good effect. He has in one plate represented the avenue on which the operation is to be performed, at its length, and of course as describing the straight line; and in common justice he ought to have given the same view of it when broken: but he well knew what a figure his clumps would make when the straight line was dotted with them. He therefore in the other plate has very dextrously changed both the point of view, and the scale; and as he knew that even

a third clump would have marked the straight line, he has supposed himself at the exact point from which only two of them could be introduced into the drawing; and to this painter-like liberty, he has added that of varying their forms, so as to give them some appearance of natural groups. Mr. Repton cannot be ignorant that when trees have long been pressed on each side by others, whenever one or more of them are left separate, two of their sides must be naked and flattened; and that although by degrees the nakedness is clothed with small boughs and with leaves, hardly any length of time will make the flatness completely disappear. This is what on such occasions ought fairly to be stated; and if a drawing or engraving be made, ought fairly to be represented: but it is singular that the person who has most strongly written against the use of applying painting to landscape gardening, should have furnished the most flagrant instance of its abuse.

271.1.11. Vanity is a general enemy to all improvement; and there is no such enemy to the real improvement of the beauty of grounds, as the foolish vanity of making a parade of their extent, and of exhibiting various unteresting marks of the owner's property, under the title of Appropriation." Where there are any noble features that are debased by meaner objects

where greater extent would show a rich and varied boundary, whatever chokes up, or degrades such scenes, should of course be removed but where there are no such features, no such boundaries, to appropriate, by destroying many a pleasant meadow, and by showing you, when they are laid into one great common, green enough to surfeit a man in a calenture; to appropriate, by clumping their naked hedge-rows, and planting other clumps and patches of exotics, which seem to stare about them and wonder how they came there; to appropriate, by demolishing many a cheerful retired cottage, that interfered with nothing but the despotic love of exclusion, and make amends, perhaps, by building a village regularly picturesque is to appropriate, by disgusting all whose taste is not insensible or depraved, just as an alderman appropriates a plate of turtle, by sneezing over it.

P. 281. 1. 5. I believe there are only three sorts of the lower evergreens natural to this country, holly, box, and juniper; to which, on account of the slowness of its growth, and its doing so well under the drip of other trees, may be added the yew. There is, however, a great variety of exotics which are as hardy as any of our native plants, with many others that will succeed in sheltered spots; and the most scrupulous person will allow, that among firs and pines, the greatest part of which