183 



This bareness is still more out of character 

 in the foreground of an ancient castle, or 

 abbey; yet such a foreground is immediately 

 made,when a building of that kind is unfor- 

 tunately within the circuit of a gentleman's 

 improvements. Fountain's Abbey I never 

 saw, but have heard too much of the al- 

 terations, which . luckily were not quite 

 completed : there is, however, an ancient 

 castle which I have seen, since that boasted 

 improvement took place, of making it 

 stand in the lawn. The lawn has so en- 

 tirely subdued and degraded the building, 

 that had I not known it was really an an- 

 cient castle, I might have mistaken it for 



where the Genius of the lamp takes up a magnificent pa- 

 lace from the place where it stood, carries it into another 

 region, and sets it down in the midst of a meadow. One 

 might suppose that this Genius had been very busy in 

 England; but though the Genius of the bare and bald is 

 not so powerful in his manner of operating, or so amusing 

 in his effects as that of the lamp, yet in this particular he 

 rivals him ; for though he cannot take up a house from 

 the midst of its decorations, and place it in a meadow, he 

 has often made all decorations vanish, and a meadow appear 

 in their place. 



