13 



upon it, though that must always be a 

 source of variety, yet alone it would not 

 be sufficient ; for there are many varieties 

 of a striking kind, which exclusively be- 

 lono; to iiround, and of which wood cannot 

 supply the place; however necessary it be 

 to accompany, and to give them their fall 

 value. What is it then that would give to 

 a lake of this kind a higher interest with 

 lovers of painting, and with many other 

 persons of natural taste and observation ? 

 and what would be the causes of such a 

 change ? This is the inquiry I propose to 

 make, and this will lead to the examples 

 of that mode of imitating nature which I 

 have already mentioned. 

 ' To give rise to picturesque circumstances 

 in such a lake, we must first suppose the 

 soil and the turf, instead of being firm, to 

 be in parts of a looser texture, and conse- 

 quently to be more easil}^ acted upon by 

 frost and water. The winter torrents would 

 in that case wash some of the ground from 

 the higher parts, which by degrees wouM 

 accumulate, and form ditibrent moundi 



