once admit of a mixture of the picturesque, the whole question will be about the degree of mixture, which muft of course depend on the general character of the place, that of the particular spot, and its fituation. But then all you have faid about beauty in contradistinction to picturefqueness, as far as I can judge, has no object; for who ever thought (unlefs in fome very particular cafes) of introducing picturefqueness exclufive of beauty into garden scenes, or near the manfion?

No one indeed can doubt, that the beautiful ought chiefly to be attended to near the houfe: yet there are fituations, where the prevailing character of beauty, (that is, a greater proportion of softness than of abruptnefs,) would not fo well accord with the style of the place, but where that falfe beauty of Mr. Brown would totally destroy it. The strongest inftance I ever met with of the

truth

truth of this position, was an alteration proposed by a profeffed improver at Powis Caftlé. One of the most striking points in that noble place, is a view through an arch-way after paffing through an inward court. The mountains which divide Shropshire from Montgomeryfhire, (and which from the grandeur of their character, if not from their height, well deferve that name,) appear almoft in the center of it; beyond the arch-way projects a rock, a fort of abrupt promontory, fhooting forward from that on which the caftle is built: on this is a terras furrounded by an old maffive balustrade, fuch as the maffiveness of the caftle required: fteps of the fame character defcend from it to the bottom of the rock, great part of which is mantled with ivy, fome of whose luxuriant shoots twine round the balufters. The effect which this projecting terras has in throwing off the mountains,-the richness of the fore-ground made by its ivied baluftrade,

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trade, its light and fhadow,-the perfect union of its character with the mountains and the castle,—can hardly be conceived by those who have not seen it. The profeffor proposed to blow up this rock and all its accompaniments with gunpowder, in order to make the whole ground fmooth, and gently falling from the castle; in short, to place this ancient irregular fabrick, on a regular green flope. The noble owner, both from his own natural judgment and feeling, and from the advice of Mr. Knight, to whom he mentioned the propofal, not only rejected it, but has repaired all that was broken and defaced in this terras; and has preserved, in its true character, what would have been equally regretted by the painter, by the antiquary, and by every man of natural judgment and reflection.

Too many instances might probably be produced, where fuch facrilege has not been

pre

prevented; and nothing can fhew in fo ftrong a light, the dangerous tendency of recommending a narrow exclufive attention to beauty as a separate quality, even where "the habitation and convenience of man

are to be improved," instead of a liberal and enlarged attention to beauty in its more general fenfe, to character, and to the genius loci. It also fhews the danger of throwing contempt on the study of the picturesque, and of the principles of painting; for had this profeffor acquired the least knowledge of either, he could not have made fuch a propofal. You, who might well have guarded both present and future profeffors from fuch blind undistinguishing attachment to fyftem, have rather sanctioned it by your precepts, though I trust you would not by your prac

tice.

I remember your being confulted about the improvements at Ferney Hall, a small

place

place in the neighbourhood of Mr. Knight, the most striking feature of which is a rocky dell near the houfe. I was extremely pleased to hear that you had asked Mr. Knight's advice with regard to the management of that part, acknowledging that you had not been fo converfant as himself in that style of scenery.

This inftance of your diffidence, and of your wish to draw knowledge from others, not merely to imprefs them with an idea of your own, was what first made me defirous of being known to you. The character I heard of your drawings added to that defire; and as I was perfuaded that the fame diffidence, and readinefs to liften to advice, would lead you to correct any defects they might have, I felt great hopes that the art of landscape-gardening would be fixed on better principles than it had hitherto been; for I little imagined that you would strive to

leffen