342 THE AESTHETICS OF 



from the Vegetable. The former stands unalterable and 

 unchangeable in strongly marked fixity, at least far beyond 

 Man thinking and reckoning, at the highest, by centuries ; 

 the latter, on the contrary, with the imprint of organic life, 

 follows in its way the play of the mighty forces of the 

 Earth. The design is not fixed and immoveable, but as 

 the character of Nature in the mass alters, it exhibits other 

 features and looks upon Man, as it were, with another 

 countenance, and the same forms which to-day awaken 

 joyful feelings, may perhaps to-morrow depress the soul 

 with a picture of melancholy desolation. The farther we 

 advance up into high latitudes, the more do the Summer 

 and Winter clothing of Nature differ, and according as the 

 climatal conditions cause one, two, three or four Seasons, 

 so is the physiognomy of Nature now fixed and unchanging, 

 now with characters alternating in manifold ways. But 

 not on this or that isolated condition, but very especially on 

 the mode in which the history of Nature, the course of its 

 changes, determines the time for the accompanying activity 

 of Man, is founded the mighty influence upon the feelings 

 and their play, on the train of thought and its improve- 

 ment. While the dull, faded green of the Fir leaves, 

 under the load of their covering of snow, renders the im- 

 pression of Winter still more gloomy and melancholy, the 

 bright lustre of the evergreen leafy w r oods of the South, 

 feigns a Summer in the breast of Man, even though the 

 frozen body give the lie to that meteorological error. 



It is difficult to give the character of the various Wood- 

 formations in words, with even a small proportion of that 

 vividness and reality which the landscape Painter so readily 

 attains by drawing, foliage, colour and effect of light. 

 Nevertheless, the differences are striking enough to all who 

 approach Nature with open senses. Even the Fir and Pine 



