50 FORMS AND EXPRESSION OF TREES. 



to those which are the most common a great irregularity 

 of outline, admitting of disproportion without deformity. 

 Symmetry in the forms of natural objects becomes weari- 

 some by making too great a demand upon the attention 

 required for observing the order and relations of the dif- 

 ferent parts. But if the objects in the landscape be irreg- 

 ular, both in their forms and their distribution, we make 

 no effort to attend to the relations of parts to the whole, 

 because no such harmony is indicated. Such a scene 

 has the beauty of repose. The opposite effect is ob- 

 served in works of architecture, in which irregularity puz- 

 zles the mind to discover the mutual relations of parts, 

 and becomes disagreeable by disturbing our calculations 

 and disappointing our curiosity. The charm of art is 

 variety combined with uniformity ; the charm of nature 

 is variety without uniformity. Nature speaks to us in 

 prose, art in verse. 



Though we always admire a perfectly symmetrical oak 

 or elm, because such perfection is rare, it will be admitted 

 that the irregular forms of trees are more productive of 

 agreeable impressions on the mind. The oak, one of the 

 most interesting of all trees, is, in an important sense, 

 absolutely ugly, especially when old age has increased its 

 picturesque attractions. Indeed, if we could always rea- 

 son correctly on the subjects of our consciousness, we 

 should find that a very small part of that complex quality 

 which we call beauty yields any organic pleasure to the 

 sight. The charm of most of the objects in this category 

 exists only in our imaginations. In trees and the general 

 objects of the landscape we look neither for symmetry nor 

 proportion ; the absence of these qualities is, therefore, 

 never disagreeable. It is the nonfulfilment of some 

 expectation, or the apparently imperfect supply of some 

 important want, that offends the sight, as when a conspic- 

 uous gap occurs in some finely proportioned work of art. 



