NATURAL DECORATIONS. 273 



what they seem, founded on them an argument in support of 

 their visionary art ; but, gilded gewgaws as in this respect 

 science proves them, let us submit them to the moral crucible, 

 and see if we cannot extract from them a something better than 

 ashes, or even grains of gold. We have noticed already that in 

 the addition of colour to the gift of light consequently in all 

 the paintings and gildings, carvings also, of natural objects- 

 there are to be acknowledged so many calls upon our gratitude 

 to the Giver of all the gratuitous pleasures thence derived. 

 In the fulness of their gracious purpose, they are not alone 

 recreations to the eye, but illuminated missals to the mind. 

 In taking a review of these natural decorations, we seem also 

 to discern in them at once a pattern and an apology for our 

 natural love of ornament. This, when restrained within due 

 limits, is not, as we take it, so much a weakness as a graceful- 

 ness of our nature. All devices of ornament are so many 

 embodiments of taste ; and the more these are sought for, the 

 more does the mind of the million require refinement for their 

 production, and acquire a greater measure of it by producing. 

 Our schools of design, what are they but branch establish- 

 ments from the grand academy of nature, whence come all 

 their models ? 



The cunning artificers amongst God's peculiar people, the 

 " wise- hearted '' in whom " the Spirit of God'"' had put it "to 

 devise curious works in gold and in silver," were expressly di- 

 rected to draw their patterns from the natural, in particular 



