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recollect having seen before. With regard 

 to improving, that alone I should call art 

 in a good sense, which was employed in 

 collecting; from the infinite varieties of 

 accident (which is commonly called nature, 

 in opposition to what is called art) such 

 circumstances as may happily be intro- 

 duced, according to the real capabilities 

 of the place to be improved. This is 

 what painters have done in their art ; and 

 thence it is, that many of these lucky acci- 

 dents being strongly pointed out by them, 

 are called picturesque. 



He therefore, in my mind, will shew most 

 art in improving, who leaves (a very material 

 point) or who creates the greatest variety of 

 landscapes ; that is of such different com- 

 positions as painters will least wish to alter: 

 not he who begins his work by general clear- 

 ing and smoothing, or in other words, by de- 

 stroying all those accidents of which such ad- 

 vantages might have been made; but which 

 afterwards, the most enlightened and expe- 

 rienced artist can never hope to restore. 



When I hear how much has been done 



VOL. I. A A 



