159 



wlien considered as accompanying archi- 

 tecture, — a nnitormity of'character too near- 

 ly approachini^ to common natnre. Wlien 

 considered as improved natural scenery- — 

 a want of that playful variety of outline, 

 by which beautiful scenes in nature are 

 eminently distinguished. 



The whole of this, in my idea, points out 

 one great source of Mr. Brown's defects. 

 Symmetry is universally liked on its own 

 account : formality, as such, universally- 

 disliked ; but we often excuse formality for 

 the sake of symmetry : now, Mr. Brown 

 has upon system, and in almost all cases, 

 very studiously destroyed symmetry, while 

 he has in many instances preserved, and 

 even increased formality. lie has also 

 entirely banished strait lines ; not know- 

 ing, or not reflecting, that the monotony 

 of strait lines is fre»]uently productive 

 of grandeur; whereas there is a meanness 

 as well as sameness, in the contiimation of 

 regular curves. The terrace walk, there- 

 fore, which improvers of his school would 

 probably object to on account of its strait- 



