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shew us, that the obvious, the only pro- 

 cess in ornamenting any smooth surface, 

 independently of colour, must be that of 

 making it less smooth, that is, compara- 

 tively rough : there must be different de- 

 grees of roughness, of sharpness, of projec- 

 tions; and this is the character of those or- 

 naments that have been admired for ages. 

 The column is smooth ; the ornamental 

 part, the capital is rough : the facing of a 

 building smooth, the frize and cornice 

 rough and suddenly projecting : it is so in 

 vases, in embroidery, in every thing that 

 admits of ornament; and as ornament is 

 the most prominent and striking part of a 

 beautiful whole, it is frequently taken for 

 the most essential part, and obtains the 

 first place in descriptions. Thus Virgil in 

 speaking of a part of dress highly orna- 

 mented says, 



Pallam gemmis auroque rigcntem. 



And Dryden in the same spirit, when de- 

 scribing the cup that contained the heart 

 of Guiscard calls it, 



A goblet rich with gems, and rough with gold. 



