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sculptors ; and in which they certainly 

 meant to display, and not feebly, the graces 

 of their art, — should such ennobled animals 

 be thought less adapted to display those 

 graces, than a jade of Berchem, or Paul 

 Potter. 



The next and last point of difference 

 between us, is with respect to the plumage 

 of birds. Mr. Gilpin thinks the result of 

 plumage, for he makes no exception, is 

 picturesque ; and the whole seems to me 

 another striking instance of his exclusive 

 fondness for that character, and of his un- 

 willingness on that account to allow any 

 beauty or merit to smoothness. Indeed, as 

 he supposes the picturesque solely to refer 

 to painting, and that pictures can scarcely 

 admit of any objects which are not of that 

 character, and as he also allows (or rather 

 asserts) that roughness is its distinguishing 

 quality — it became necessary either to allow 

 that an object might be picturesque with- 

 out being rough, which would contradict 

 his assertion, or to shew that there were 

 other qualities which would render it so in 



