( 65 ) 



reprobate the villa, wherever it occurs. But 

 through a vafl foreft the villa is in better 



o 



tafte j tho I do not apprehend we are under 

 any obligations, on this fcore, to the furveyor 

 of the highways. He took the direct road ; 

 which happened, on this occafion, to be the 

 line of beauty, as it here fuits the greatnefs of 

 the fcene ; and fhews the depth of the forell, 

 and the vaflnefs of it's woods, to the greateft 

 advantage. Regular forms are certainly unpic- 

 turefque j but from their fimplicity, they are 

 often allied to greatnefs. So erTential is fim- 

 plicity to greatnefs, that we often fee inftances, 

 in which the ftillnefs of fymmetry hath added 

 to grandeur, if not produced it ; while on the 

 other hand, we as often fee a fublime effect: in- 

 jured by the meretricious charms of picturefque 

 forms, and arrangements. 



We are not however to conceive of the 

 foreft-vifta, as we do of the tame villas formed 

 by the hand of art. As it is cut through a 

 tract of woody country, it is firft, free from 

 all- formality in the difpofition of the trees. 

 In the artificial vifla, the trees are all of one 

 age, and planted iij regular growth. The 

 whole pkm is the offspring of formality ; 

 and the more formal it is, the nearer it ap- 



VOL. n. F preaches 



