( 239 



SECT. VIII. 



THE permanent beauties of a diftant woody 

 fcene arife firft from it's form. There 

 is as much variety in the form of a dijlant wood, 

 as in that of a fingle tree. We fometimes fee 

 continuous woods ftretching along the horizon 

 without any break. All feems of equal 

 growth j the fummit of the wood is con- 

 tained under one flrait line. This, except 

 in very remote diftance, is formal, heavy, and 

 difgufling. The fhape of diftant woods is 

 then only pi&urefque, when it is broken by 

 a varied line. This variation is, in fome degree 

 occafioned by the different iizes of trees ; but as 

 the fize of trees, where the diftance is great, 

 has little effecT:, it is chiefly, and moft eflentially 

 occafioned by the inequalities of the ground. 



A regular line at the bafe of a long range of 

 woody-fcenery, is almoft as difgufting as at 



the 



