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became both a grand, and a beautiful objed . 

 but a fimple ftrait road, like this, over a plain, 

 has a different effedl. Tho in fact, it is grander 

 than a winding road, as being more Jimple, and 

 confifting oi fewer parts ; yet as it is at beft only 

 a paltry objeSi, and has not grandeur fufficient 

 to roufe the imagination*, it is, on the whole, 

 much lefs pleafmg, than a road playing be- 

 fore us in two or three large fweeps, which 

 would at leaft have had variety to recommend 

 it ; and might eafily have been contrived, 

 without lengthening the journey acrofs it, on 



a trotting horfe, above two minutes. But 



in matters of this kind, in which furveyors of 

 high-roads are concerned, we expedl beauty 

 only by chance ; and when we obtain it, it 

 is fo much gain. 



In our way to Hounds-down we rode pafl 

 a celebrated fpot, called the Deer-leap. Here 

 a flag was once fliot ; which in the agony 

 of death, colleding his force, gave a bound, 

 which aftonifhed thofe who faw it. It was 

 immediately commemorated by two pofts, 

 which were fixed at the two extremities of 



* See this idea illuftrated page lai. 



P 2 the 



