THE FOREST. 291 



He penetrated their retreats, and, when lie found 

 a little opening or recess that pleased him, he 

 fixed it on the spot. He studied its various 

 forms — how the bold protuberances of an old 

 trunk received the light and shade — -how easily 

 the large boughs parted, and how negligently the 

 smaller were interwoven — how elegantly the 

 foliage hung, and what various shapes its little 

 tuftings exhibited. All these things he observed 

 and copied with exact attention. His landscape, 

 bare of objects, and of the simplest composition, 

 had little to recommend it but the observance 

 of the minuti^ of Nature. These he characterized 

 with truth, and these alone have given a value to 

 his works. 



On the other hand, Claude, Poussin, Salvator, 

 and other masters, who exhibited Nature more at 

 large, took greater liberties. Their landscapes 

 were generally carried into remote distance, and 

 the beauty of their extensive scenes depended 

 more on composition and general effect than on the 

 exact resemblance of particular objects. 



But the scenery of the internal parts of a forest 

 is not merely confined to trees. There is often 



