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in the cultivated field, however beautiful in 

 it's kind, you fee no tranfition, no connection, 

 no gradation among contiguous parts. Even 

 if the hedges introduce no formality of lineal 

 boundary, yet the fmooth uniform furface, 

 whether of grafs, or of corn, joins abruptly 

 with the wood. This in a pifturefque light 

 is difpleafing. 



But you admire the artificial lawn, bounded 

 only with wood ? You then talk of con- 

 trajl^ rather than gradation^ as a fource .of 

 beauty ? 



We do : and fcenes of this kind are often 

 beautiful. But one of their great beauties 

 arifes ftill from gradation. When we talk of 

 contraft, we do not mean fimple oppofoion. 

 Two contiguous ftripes of black, and white 

 produce no effect. Strong oppojitions we fome- 

 times allow, but they muft only appear in 

 tranfient touches : gradation enters into the 

 idea even in contrajl. It is true, in the arti- 

 ficial lawn we commonly require neatnefs ; 

 fo that the rude connections of nature are ex- 

 cluded; but ftill a lawn, bounded with re- 

 gular wood, gives us little pleafure. It is 

 the planter's care to obtain what gradation 

 he can, by bringing fome of his clumps 

 % forward, 



