364 



abounding in that quality as to bestow on 

 smoothness the effect of roughness. Heha& 

 laid it down as a maxim, that a smooth 

 building must be turned into a rough one 

 before it can be picturesque ; yet, in this 

 instance, a smooth bird may be made so by 

 means of colours, man\ r of which witli 

 their gradations and changes, are univer- 

 sally acknowledged and admired as beau* 

 tiful. 



I cannot help repeating the same ques- 

 tion on this subject as on the preceding 

 one ; if beautiful and changeable colours 

 with their gradations, added to softness and 

 smoothness of plumage, and to the harmony 

 of the elegant little touches of nature's 

 pencil make birds picturesque, what then 

 are the qualities which make them beau- 

 tiful ? 



But Mr. Gilpin himself has furnished 

 me with the strongest proof how natural it 

 is for all men, when they design to produce 

 a picturesque image, to avoid all idea of 

 smoothness. He has quoted Pindar's cele- 

 brated description of the eagle, as equally 



