34 Landscape Gardening 



things and in inorganized matter, we see on all sides evi- 

 dences of nature struggling with opposing forces. Moun- 

 tains are upheaved by convulsions, valleys are broken into 

 fearful chasms. Certain forms of animal and vegetable 

 life instead of manifesting themselves in those more com- 

 plete and perfect forms of existence where the matter and 

 spirit are almost in perfect harmony, appear to struggle 

 for the full expression of their character with the material 

 form, and to express it only with difficulty at last. What 

 is achieved with harmony, grace, dignity, almost with ap- 

 parent repose, by existences whose type is the Beautiful, is 

 done only with violence and disturbed action by the former. 

 This kind of manifestation in nature we call the Pictur- 

 esque. 



More concisely, the Beautiful is nature or art obeying the 

 universal laws of perfect existence (i.e., Beauty), easily, 

 freely, harmoniously, and without the display of power. 

 The Picturesque is nature or art obeying the same laws 

 rudely, violently, irregularly, and often displaying power 

 only. 



Hence we find all Beautiful forms characterized by curved 

 and llowing lines - - lines expressive of infinity, of grace, and 

 willing obedience: and all Picturesque forms characterized 

 by irregular and broken lines - - lines expressive of violence, 

 abrupt action, and partial disobedience, a struggling of 

 the idea with the substance or the condition of its being. 

 The Beautiful is an idea of beauty calmly and harmoni- 

 ously expressed; the Picturesque an idea of beauty or 

 power strongly and irregularly expressed. As an example 

 of the Beautiful in other arts we refer to the Apollo of the 

 Vatican; as an example of the Picturesque, to the Laocoon 

 or the Dying Gladiator. In nature we would place before 

 the reader a finely formed elm or chestnut, whose well 

 balanced head is supported on a trunk full of symmetry and 

 dignity, and whose branches almost sweep the turf in their 

 rich luxuriance; as a picturesque contrast, some pine or 

 larch, whose gnarled roots grasp the rocky crag on which 

 it grows, and whose wild and irregular branches tell of 



