NATURAL DECORATIONS. 



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what they seem, founded on them an argument in support of 

 their visionary art ; but, gilded gewgaws as in this respect 

 science proves them, let us submit them to the moral crucible, 

 and see. if. we cannot extract from them a something better 

 than ashes, or even grains of gold. We have noticed already 

 that in the addition of colour to the gift of light consequently 

 in all the paintings and gildings, carvings also, of natural ob- 

 jectsthere are to be acknowledged so many calls upon our 

 gratitude to the Giver of all the gratuitous pleasures thence 

 derived. In the fulness of their gracious purpose, they are not 

 alone recreations to the eye, but illuminated missals to the 

 mind. .In taking a review of these natural decorations, we 

 seem also to discern in them at once a pattern and an apology 

 for our natural love of ornament. This, when restrained 

 within due limits, is not as we take it, so much a weakness, as 

 a gracefulness of our nature. Air devices of ornament are 

 so many embodiments of taste ; and the more these are 

 sought for, the more does the mind of the million require 

 refinement for their production, and acquire a greater measure 

 of it by producing. Our schools of design, what are they 

 but branch establishments from the grand academy of nature, 

 whence come all their models ? 



The. cunning artificers amongst God's peculiar people, the 

 "wise-hearted " in* whom " the Spirit of God" had put it " to 

 devise curious, works in gold and in silver," were expressly 

 directed to draw their patterns from the natural, in particular 



