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THE CHOICE OF A SITUATION BOOK III. 



in their country*, unless they have gone from some compara- 

 tively romantic part of it, whither, if they can, they frequently 



* Hence the poverty and circumscribed ideas of such English landscape painters 

 as have not devoted great part of their time to the study of Cumberland, Scotland, 

 or Wales. Hence also the style of modern gardening, which could never have 

 been introduced by a person whose imagination was stored with images from pic- 

 turesque scenery. To the same cause may be traced the want of national music in 

 England, and the inferiority of such descriptive poets as have not passed great part 

 of their time (as did Spenser) in other countries. And how can it be otherwise ? 

 for what are poetry or painting, but the offspring of impressions? — and impressions 

 can never be good where there are few good objects to convey them. I have fre- 

 quently found, that even such English authors as from their opportunities or pro- 

 fession should be remarkably conversant with scenery, are yet, from the daily habit 

 of seeing nothing but tameness and insipidity, so forcibly struck with occasional 

 views of the grand or romantic, that their descriptions approach to bombast. Even 

 Mr. Whately is to blame in this respect. And what shall I say of Mr. Repton, 

 who seems to consider himself as the centre of all good taste in scenery ? I shall 

 quote, from his " Enquiry into the Changes of Taste in Gardening " what he 

 would wish his readers to mistake for the vale of Downton ; but which only con- 

 vinces me that he has neither an " eye to see, nor a heart to feel nature." 



" Downton Vale, near Ludlow," (is) one of the most beautiful and romantic 

 valleys that imagination can conceive. It is impossible by description to convey 

 an idea of its natural charms, or to do justice to that taste which has displayed those 

 charms to the greatest advantage, « with art clandestine and concealed design'." — 

 So much by way of contrast, before proceeding to the description ; and so much 

 for the objects to be described, which the reader will perceive are " its natural 

 charms," and the manner in " which taste has displayed them." — He proceeds thus: 

 "A narrow, wild, and natural path, sometimes creeps, under the beetling rock close 

 by the margin of a mountain stream. It sometimes ascends to an awful precipice, 

 from whence the foaming waters are beard roaring in the dark abyss "below, or seen 

 wildly dashing against its opposite banks; while, in other places, the course of the 

 river Teme being impeded by natural ledges of rock, the vale presents a calm 

 glossy mirror that reflects the surrounding foliage. The path in various places 

 crosses the water by bridges of the most romantic and contrasted forms; and, 

 branching in various directions, including some miles in length, is occasionally va- 



