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magnify fuch a refplendent gloom into fome- 

 thing fupernatural. In a paflkge, which. I 

 lately quoted from Virgil, an idea of this 

 kind is veiy picturefque, as well as poetically 

 introduced. It is in the interview between 

 ^Eneas and Evander, when the old chief 

 informs his noble gueft, that frequently in 

 tempefts the fimple Arcadians believed, they 

 faw heavenly forms behind the groves of the 

 Tarpeian rock. 



Hoc nemus ; hunc, inquit frondofo vertice collem, 

 (Quis deus, incertum eft) habitat deus. Arcades ipfum 

 Credunt fe vidifle Jovem, cum f<epe nigrantem 

 JEgida concuteret dextra, nimbofque cieret. 



As thefe great effects are certainly the moft 

 piclurefque of all aerial appearances, it is 

 rather furprifmg, that landfcape-painters, in 

 general, make fo little ufe of them. It 

 is much more common to fee landfcape 

 painted under the uniform brightnefs of an 

 equal light, than to fee it illumined by 

 thefe grand circumftances of the atmofphere, 

 in which light, and fhade are fo happily 

 combined. 



The landfcape-painter may fay, that effects 

 like thefe are uncommon j and he choofes to 

 paint nature as he generally fees her. 



s 2 



The 



