MISCELLANEOUS. 331 



ornamented within with shells, corals, pieces of 

 looking-glass, &c., disposed in a regular manner. 

 Sometimes, indeed, a more sober species of grotto 

 is attempted, composed of rough masses of stone, 

 representing natural rocks, and covered with moss, 

 and various plants. The difficulties, however, in 

 this art, considered as an imitation of nature, are 

 much greater than most persons suppose. To suc- 

 ceed, the knowledge of the painter and the archi- 

 tect are necessary ; and only those who have been 

 accustomed to study nature with great attention, 

 are sufficiently acquainted with natural forms. 

 The chief aim should be to dispose the parts so that 

 one may forget that the arrangement is artificial. 



There is another idea, however, that may be en- 

 tertained with regard to artificial grottos ; which 

 is, that they need not represent natural caverns; 

 but the supposed productions of enchantment or 

 magic. In this light, most of the incongruities 

 will disappear, and every possible license may be 

 given for the display of imagination and taste. 

 Nothing is supposed to be impossible to magical 

 power : therefore every species of natural or artifi- 

 cial productions may be combined together, and 

 every thing introduced that may excite astonish- 

 ment and surprise. Here there is no necessity for 

 imitating the appearance of natural grottos, but 

 every species of regularity and irregularity may be 

 licensed. The sciences of architecture and me- 

 chanics may thus lend their aid in the construction 

 of places, where mere nature is not the object of 

 imitation, but where every thing may be employed 

 that can have a powerful effect upon the imagination. 



Shell-work, corals, statues, fountains, streams of 

 water, paintings, curious musical pieces of mechan- 

 ism j in short, every thing extraordinary, may be 



