varieties I have been speaking of, might, 

 from natural causes, have acquired them ; 

 and then to shew how art may so prepare 

 the ground as to give a kind of guidance 

 and direction to the operations of nature. 

 It is easy to conceive some natural 

 lakes, in which, though the shape of 

 the ground and the turns of the water, 

 might, from their winding and undulation, 

 be extremely pleasing, yet the monotony 

 would be very great ; as, for instance, 

 among bare downs, or close-bitten sheep- 

 walks : for where the soil and turf are 

 firm, the descent gentle and uniform, so 

 that the rain-water, from its spreading 

 easily over the general surface, does not 

 produce any breaks or gullies — the mono- 

 tony would arise, from what, in many 

 points of view, might very justly be con- 

 sidered as perfections. The whole outline 

 of the immediate bank in such a piece of 

 water, would have little more variety than 

 that of one of Mr. Brown's, though it would 

 be free from its formality, and affected 

 sweeps: and were natural wood to grow 



