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sloped and shaven, or being turned into 

 regular pieces of water, brooks were some- 

 times stopped partially and to different 

 degrees of height, and every advantage 

 were taken of the natural beauties of their 

 banks, a number of pleasing and varied 

 effects might be obtained. There are often 

 parts, where by a small degree of digging 

 so as to lower the bottom, or of obstruction 

 by mere earth and stones, the water would 

 lie, as in a natural bed, under banks enrich- 

 ed with vegetation ; by such means there 

 would be a succession of still, and of run- 

 ning water; of clear reflection, and of 

 lively motion. 



These beauties are so great, and so easily 

 obtained, that before a running stream is 

 forced into a piece of stagnant water, the 



thaginians, which perfectly describe the effect of that 

 operation ; 



His eyelids they pared; 

 Good God how he stared ! 



Just so do those improvers torture a brook, by widening 

 it, cutting away its natural fringe, and exposing it to " day's 

 garish eye," 



