240 



rough clingy stone at equal distances, M ould 

 choose the latter for beauty, whatever he 

 might do for the sake of exact imitation. 

 In speaking of the beauty of this temple I 

 of course have supposed it to be in its per- 

 fect state, and every thing to have corres- 

 ponded with the beauty of its general form. 

 Its actual state suggests many reflections 

 on the effect of partial ruin and decay ; I 

 shall, however, only add for the present, 

 that as a further proof of its beauty, Claude 

 has repeated it much more frequently in 

 his landscapes than any other building. 



With regard to the beauty arising from 

 smoothness in the surface, and softness in 

 the colour of buildings, I cannot forbear 

 mentioning a picture which I have cited in 

 some measure on the same account in a for- 

 mer part ; I mean the seaport of Claude 

 that did belong to Mr. Lock. I do so be- 

 cause it is not only one of the best painted 

 pictures of that studious observer of what is 

 beautiful in art and in nature, but also one 

 of the best preserved: and consequently, 



