364 



been brick, my comparison would have 

 been more perfect) is Bardolph. 



" But to shew you in what a peculiar de- 

 gree, clear and still water accords with 

 beautiful scenery, and beautiful objects, I 

 will put you in mind of a favourite de- 

 scription of your's in Milton, — that of the 

 clear, smooth lake, in which Eve first views 

 her own image : you surely must feel, that, 

 independently of its being a mirror, the 

 least ruffling of its surface would destroy 

 the idea of that soft repose, which, above 

 all things, is congenial to beauty. What 

 most accords with beauty next to stillness 

 in water (and in many respects, perhaps, 

 in at least an equal degree,) is gentle mo- 

 tion ; and now, having stated some of my 

 principles, let us exctmine what you call 

 the rough scene below. 



" In the first place I must take notice 

 jof one expression of your's in talking of 

 it, which shews that you were thinking 

 more of pointing your battery against me, 

 than of the scene before you : it diverted 

 me to hear you call that an agitated stream, 



