Vol. V.] = Retrofpect of Domefiie Literature. ALifcellanies. 
~] 
plication of the enquiry to landfcape gar- 
dening is novel, and throws great light on 
the fubjeét. Mr, P. is in truth a wor- 
{hipper of nature, and may exclaim, with 
Peter Pindar, 
Thou art my goddefs, Nature ! Io to thee, 
Parent of dove-eyed peace, I bend the knee, 
The fecond effay treats on the decora- 
tions near the houfe; Mr. P. conceives, 
that Acre the embellifhments of art are not 
only to be employed, but even in fome de- 
gree to be difplayed: to go at once from 
art, from the obvious and avowed work of 
man, THE HOUSE, to fimple, unadorned 
nature, is too fudden a tranfition; and 
wants that fort of gradation and congruity, 
’ which, except in particular cafes, is fo 
neceflary in all that is co pleafe the eye 
and the mind. The decorations, there- 
fore, of an ornamental garden, like thofe 
belonging to fome of the Italian villas, 
fhould be rich, regular, and fymmetrical ; 
according with the manfion, they may 
unite fculptured and architectural mag- 
nificence, fuch as terraces, fountains, pa- 
rapets, ftarues, vafes, baluftrades, &c. 
Stiff and glaring formality, however, 
may be avoided by a judicious mixture 
of irregular and varied vegetation: the 
prevailing fondnefs for fimplicity, there- 
fore, and the defire of banifhing all em- 
bellifaments of art, are feverely cenfured. 
Architecture and buildings are the fub- 
ject of the concluding effay : here Mr, 
P. makes a judicious diftinétion between 
architecture in towns, where 1t may be 
faid to be principal and independent ; 
and architeGiure in the country, where it 
is, in fome meafure, fubordinate and de- 
pendent on the furrounding objects. 
The building, which may be juftly ad-’ 
mired ina ftreet or a fquare, where 
fcarcely any thing but the front is con- 
fidered, and little elfe is feen, if tran{- 
ferred to the country, where it does not 
blend with the fcenery, may be bald and 
unpicturefque. An architeét, therefore, 
fhould be acquainted with the principles 
of painting, and ‘fhould apply them to 
his own art; fuch an one will not be fo- 
licitous to fink all the. offices under 
ground, that his houfe may ftand a fort 
of eye-trap to al! paffengers, ftaring and 
impudent; he wt not remove every 
tree which intercepts the view, and level 
every hill which rifes within fight ; bur, 
on the contrary, will rather wifh to con- 
ceal fome parts of the building, in order 
to give an interefting and picturefque 
effeét to others. Mr. P. has direéted the 
attention of painter-architects to a fub- 
je&, which has not been fuficiently ftu- 
died, namely, the fummits of their build- 
gir 
ings. Here again he has illuftrated the 
effects of art, by fiinilar effeéts in na- 
ture. The form and charaéter of rocks 
are the moft analogous to thofe of build- 
ings: the different effeéts produced by 
the intricate and broken outline of fome, 
and the flat monotonous fummit of others, 
may inftrucét the architeét how tame is 
the level flated furface of moft modern 
houfes, interrupted only by a few foli- 
tary and afpiring chimnies, in compari- 
fon with the rich and varied roof, with 
which Wanbrugh has fo magnificently 
ornamented Blenheim. 
A great variety of obfervations on this 
and the other eflays, difplay the moft 
chafte and cultivated tafte; but Mr. P. 
has already fafcinated us to dwell on his 
volume longer than is quite confiftent, 
perhaps, with the nature of our retrof{pect. 
With regret we leave him. 
Mr. Jackson, that enchanting har- 
monift of Exeter, has publithed a mif- 
cellaneous volume of very great merit : 
the effay, which gives a title to his book, 
is called “ The Four Ages.” In this 
Mr. J. with great propriety, has invert- 
ed the order of the ages as it was efta- 
blifhed by the ancients: he afferts, and 
we are forry to be unable to difcredit his 
affertion! that no golden age has yet 
exifted, but im poetry. Thofe periods 
of uncivilized fociety, when each man 
made laws for himfelf, 
Nullaque mortales preter fua littora nérant, 
are degraded into the iron age; to each 
age vir. J. has attributed what he con- 
ceives to be is. diftinguifhing charaéter- 
iftics, and from them it appears, that we 
are advanced into the filver period. Mr, 
j. has touched on a variety of other 
fubjects in this volume, poetry, painting, 
muiic, architeéture, literary compofitions, 
&e. &c. in all of which he has difplayed 
confiderable genius, tafte, and difcern- 
ment. Acollection, in three volumes, has 
lately appeared, of Oliver Goldfmith’s. 
“ Mifcellaneous Works :" this collec- 
tion is a very acceptable prefent; for 
the effays, criticilms, and jeux d’efprit, 
of that eccentric character, have hitherto 
been buried among the periodical rub- 
bifh of the time when they were writ- 
ten. Dr. Bancrorr has publithed the 
firft volyme of his ‘Experimental Re- 
fearches, concerning the Philofophy of 
permanent Colours, &c.’” In this vo. 
lume Dr. B. treats of all the /ubfantive 
colours, and of thofe adje&ive colours, - 
from among the antmal and vegetable 
kingdoms, which produce the yellows. 
To underttand the méaning of this di- 
vifion of the articles ‘ufed in dying, we 
mutt 
