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turns, of flashes of light: objects the most 

 familiar, are placed by him in such sin- 

 gular, yet natural points of view • he 

 strikes out such unthought-of agreements 

 and contrasts ; such combinations, so little 

 obvious, yet never forced nor affected, that 

 the attention cannot flag ; but from the 

 delight of what is passed, we eagerly listen 

 for what is to come. This is the true pic- 

 turesque, and the propriety of that term 

 will be more felt, if we attend to what 

 .corresponds to the beautiful in conversa- 

 tion. How different is the effect of that 

 soft insinuating style, of those gentle tran- 

 sitions, which, without dazzling or surpris- 

 ing, keep up an increasing interest, and 

 insensibly wind round the heart. 



It. is only by a habit of observation added 

 to natural sensibilit3% that we learn to dis- 

 tinguish what is really beautiful, from 

 what is merely smooth and flowing, and to 

 give a decided preference to the former : 

 by the same means also we gain a true 

 relish for the picturesque in visible objects, 

 and likewise for what in some measure 



