70 



and formalit}' of a garden clump. The 

 forest thicket has, therefore, a great ad- 

 vantage in point of variety, and playful- 

 ness of outhne; and perhaps, the mixture 

 of oak and beech, with yew, thorn and 

 holly, were there no other varieties, is not 

 inferior in real beauty to any mixture of 

 exotics. AVhat then ought to be the dif- 

 ference between the forest thicket, ^nd 

 that which might be introduced in a 

 lawn? Exactly the difference which cha- 

 racterizes the two scenes. The one is wild, 

 rough, and neglected: the other smooth 

 and cultivated. In the lawn, therefore, 

 brambles, and briars that crawl on the 

 surface,* and whatever gives a rude and 



* I have confined my remark to those plants which crawl 

 on the surface ; as it is from that circumstance that they 

 have a rude and neglected appearance, however they may 

 suit the painter as a fore-ground : but where any flexible 

 plants have climbed up trees, they are highly ornamental ; 

 nor can any thing be richer or gayer, than wild roses, or 

 clusters of berries intermixed with foliage, and hanging 

 from it in festoons. Then as the grass may be kept neat 

 about tbeir stems, they do not give the idea of slovenly 

 neglect. 



