BEAUTIES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE ART. 57 



of his operations in this country. All that he has to do, is 

 to respect them where they exist in natural landscape which 

 forms part of his work of art, and so treat the latter, as 

 to make it accord with, or at least not violate, the higher 

 and predominant expression of the whole. 



There are, however, certain subordinate expressions 

 which may be considered as qualities of the Beautiful, and 

 which may originally so prevail in natural landscape, or be 

 so elicited or created by art, as to give a distinct character 

 to a small country residence, or portions of a large one. 

 These are simplicity, dignity, grace, elegance, gaiety, 

 chasteness, &c. It is not necessary that we should go 

 into a labored explanation of these expressions. They are 

 more or less familiar to all. A few fine trees, scattered 

 and grouped over any surface of smooth lawn, will give a 

 character of simple beauty; lofty trees of great age, 

 hills covered with rich wood, an elevation commanding a 

 wide country, stamp a site with dignity ; trees of full and 

 graceful habit or gently curving forms in the lawn, walks, 

 and all other objects, will convey the idea of grace ; as 

 finely formed and somewhat tall trees of rare species, or a 

 great abundance of bright climbers and gay flowering shrubs 

 and plants, will confer characters of elegance and gaiety. 



He who would create in his pleasure grounds these more 

 delicate shades of expression, must become a profound stu- 

 dent both of nature and art ; he must be able, by his 

 own original powers, to seize the subtle essence, the half 

 disclosed idea involved in the finest parts of nature, and to 

 reproduce and develope it in his Landscape Garden. 



Leaving such, however, to a broader range of study than 

 a volume like this would afford, we may offer what, per- 

 haps, will not be unacceptable to the novice a more de- 



