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For this reason, though it would be lost labour to- 

 smooth much, or to raise gentle unevennesses on this 

 ground ; yet it would be proper to give it the highest 

 degree of verdure it is capable of; and whenever the 

 ground naturally forms itself into a concave or con- 

 vex form, that concave or convex should be increased 

 or marked by all the assistance of art. There is 

 scarce a nobler appearance whatever, than that of a 

 natural amphitheatre, whether of grass or of wood. 

 BoxHiLL in SURRY, for the convex form ; the banks 

 of the lake at Blenheim, for the dressed concave; 

 and a great sweep of wood in the way to essen 

 HOSSEN, for the uncultivated concave, are the no- 

 blest examples I have any where seen. 



From the same desire of shewing the great ef- 

 forts of art, the tops of the mountains should be co- 

 vered with planting. There is nothing more desolate 

 and dreary than the top of one of our mountains : 

 covering it with a plantation will take off from that 

 appearance. In our climate trees seldom grow natu- 

 rally on the tops of mountains; and therefore when 

 we see them, we readily guess they are the produce 

 of art. To point out this more strongly, if the top 

 of a mountain run into a ridge, we might plant it in 

 clumps, detached obviously by art from each other; 

 or if it run to a point, we might make the planta- 

 tion in the form of a regular circle. 



For the same reason that objects relating to life 

 should be introduced into tliis situation, and that the 

 appearance of the great efforts of art should not be 

 totally concealed, particular care should be taken 

 to mark and throw open all the natural cascades ; 

 these though they have not a relation to human life, 

 yet by their motion and sound, rouse and animate the 

 attention from that stupor which the view of great 

 and dreary objects creates. There is a fine gradation 

 of inanimate objects up almost into objects of life : a 

 barren hill has a very dead appearance; covered with 

 waving woods, it has a more animated, show ; but if a. 



