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medium of grateful irritation, which pro- 

 duces the sensation of what we call beauty, 

 and which, in visible objects, is called 

 picturesque beauty ; because painting, as I 

 observed to you before, by imitating the 

 visible qualities only, discriminates it from 

 the objects of the other senses with which 

 it may be combined, and which, if pro- 

 ductive of stronger impressions, either of 

 pleasure or disgust, will overpower it : so 

 that a mind not habituated to such dis- 

 criminations, or (as more commonly ex- 

 pressed) a person not possessed of a paint- 

 er s eye, does not discover it till separated 

 in the artist's imitation/' 



" This appears to me/' said Mr. Sey- 

 mour, " to be a very just way of accounting 

 for the taste, which lovers of painting ac- 

 quire for such objects ; and I easily con- 

 ceive how a relish for them in painting, 

 may beget such a relish for them in reality, 

 as may be strong enough to overcome the 

 disgust of many nauseous accompani- 

 ments: but I will t look round the room, 

 and tell you freely what effect the pictures 

 which happen to strike me, have upon my 



