n 140 3 



never reckoned very creditable to difpiay 

 one's wit on a butt who cannot retort ; and 

 thofe poor fatherlefs opinions, which nobody- 

 owns, and nobody defends, muft be confi- 

 dered in that light: the victories obtained 

 over them both, are alfo much alike in point 

 of glory and difficulty. 



As to the examples themfelves, I imagine 

 that a gravel walk and a fhrubbery, not only 

 may, but often have been painted, though 

 they will not make good pictures. So have 

 wide extended profpecls, and there is one 

 mere bird's-eye view in Claude's Liber Veri- 

 tatis. It might be thought uncandid to fup- 

 pofe, that you mean to reproach the art of 

 painting with not being able to exprefs the 

 fragrance of a fhrubbery, though your words 

 will bear that conftruclion : fuch a conftruc- 

 tion might alfo be fupported by a note in the 

 former part of your Letter*. You there ob- 

 ferve (what a lefs keen obferver might have 



* Page 8. 



difcovered) 



