BEAUTIES OF THE ART. 39 



tare rank the lowest; nature in them being imitated in her 

 own forms and materials, in such a manner as to produce 

 none of the pleasure experienced in the contemplation of art. 

 Next to these, we should place imitations in the geometric 

 and in the gardenesque manner, as these depend upon choice 

 materials arranged in regular and systematic, or in elegant and 

 artistical forms, for the admiration which they elicit. And 

 highest in the scale, we rank picturesque and beautiful imi- 

 tations of nature, which join to fine forms, and elegance in 

 arrangement, the higher beauty of sentiment or expression. 



In practice, however, the entire new arrangement, or in 

 other words, the creation of a landscape garden on a large 

 scale, will seldom be attempted in this country. In a multi- 

 tude of examples in the United States, the grounds of places 

 to be improved as country residences, have already a conside- 

 rable degree of natural beauty, in scattered groups and thick- 

 ets of trees, etc., for the destruction of which no theory of 

 art will apologize ! The art of Landscape Gardening, in these 

 instances, will be displayed in adding, to the natural beauties 

 already existing, all those graces and elegancies which are 

 its characteristics. Smoothing all harshnesses inconsistent 

 with refined habitation, introducing groups of rare and beau- 

 tiful trees, shrubs, and plants, and heightening the whole by a 

 polish and keeping, corresponding to the style and character of 

 the place and mansion, or the wealth and means of its occupant. 



Besides these beauties of form and expression in the diffe- 

 rent modes of laying out grounds, there are certain universal 

 and inherent beauties, common to all the styles, and indeed 

 to every composition in the fine arts. Of these we shall es- 

 pecially point out those growing out of the principles of 



UNITY and VARIETY. 



Uniti/, or the production of a whole, is a leading principle 

 of the highest importance in every art of taste or design, 



