247 



ure vegetable productions in a manner be- 

 longing to old walls, such as mosses, &e. 

 the tints of which are extremely soft, as well 

 as their general appearance ; and, on that 

 account, they may seem to have just pre- 

 tensions to beauty. But as they announce 

 something of age,decay,and abandonment, 

 the mind, from the powerful and extensive 

 influence of that principle, called associa- 

 tion of ideas, is unwilling to give them a ti- 

 tle, which, as I conceive, implies the fresh- 

 ness of youth ; or, at least, a state of high 

 and perfect preservation. 



Before I proceed any further on this sub- 

 ject, I will offer a few remarks on the above- 

 mentioned principle of association. All ex- 

 ternal objects affect us in two different ways; 

 by the impression they make on the senses, 

 and by the reflections they suggest to the 

 mind. These two modes, though very dis- 

 tinct in their operations, often unite in pro- 

 ducing one effect ; the reflections of the 

 mind, either strengthening, weakening, or 

 giving a new direction to the impression re- 

 ceived by the eye. In a piece of natural 



