24 TJie yoiirnal of Foirstry. 



ellipse, the parabola, the hyperbola, and the straight line; and these are 

 liere mentioned in that order in which it may be said that equilibrium 

 or repose prevails in the forces M'hich generate or maintain them. The 

 circle and the ellipse are finite. The orbits or objects contained under 

 them are balanced or self-contained, or such as return into themselves. 

 The parabola, the hyperbola, and the straight line are all aiming at 

 the infinite. Neither of them is balanced so as to return upon itself 

 or terminate in itself. 



Now animation or life manifests itself in nature as an unbalanced 

 force, and moreover in man as something on its way to the infinite. 

 Hence, as symbolizing life, these lines of conic section are expressive 

 in the order of their departure from the circle towards the other 

 members. Thus, a sheet of water with a circular or elliptic margin, 

 even though seen in profile, is a very poor object of regard compared 

 with the sea, the horizon line of which immediately awakens the idea 

 of the infinite. 



I once met with a beautiful instance of the awakening of the emotion 

 of the sublime — the emotion proper to the infinite, at the first sight 

 of the horizon line of the sea in a mind in a state of simple nature. It 

 was that of a nursemaid sent v/ith the children under her charge 

 to the sea-side for their health. She had never seen the sea before. 

 And when the carriage had ascended the mountain-range beyond 

 which lay the home of the family, and the sight of the sea broke 

 upon her eyesight, her features brightened up with an expression 

 at once of energy and repose, of which one would have thought 

 that they were incapable, and after having feasted her gaze and asking 

 what there was beyond, and receiving no answer, she ansM-ered herself 

 by saying, " I think it must be the land of the leal." 



So much for the simple conic sections. But here it is to be remem- 

 bered that no sooner do we leave the orbits of the heavenly bodies 

 and the realm of light where Nature reigns in all her grandeur and 

 triumph ; no sooner do^we come to terrestrial objects, than we find that, 

 as expressive of continually opposing forces, each of the conic lines 

 must generally be taken as a trace or fragment only, and as extending 

 in two opposite directions alternately convex and concave towards 

 the same aspect. From this necessity the straight line alone is 

 exempt. The arc of the circle gives an S-shaped line, while the 

 elliptic arch gives that element of a waved line which Hogarth long 

 ago celebrated in his " Analysis of Beauty " as " the line of beauty." 



Of such lines there are many forms, according as they are composed 

 of elliptic, parabolic, or hyperbolic elements ; and their expressiveness 

 increases in the order wdiich is now indicated. 



Now it is to be maintained that these principles of expression apply 

 equally to all visible nature. They hold good equally of the forest 



