¥798.] 
in a ruinous ftate, marks the {pot moft 
favourable for the view. The fouthern 
art of Surrey, anda vaft reach into 
Kent and Suffex, particularly the latter 
county, bounded by the line of elevated 
downs, compofe the field of this ex~ 
tenfive profpe&t, which 1s rather ftriking 
from its extent alone, than from any pe- 
culiar beauty or fingularity of the de- 
tached parts. A flat and tolerably wooded 
country reaches to the downs; which fait 
afford a wavy horizon, broken in fome 
places by gaps; phrough one of which 
the fea, near Shoreham, may in clear 
weather be difcerned by the aid of-a 
giafs. Ina line with Leith-hill are other 
high moors, ftretching away to the weftern 
fide of Surrey. Returning from) Leith- 
hill, a long and fingular avenue of firs, 
planted in fmall clumps at regular di- 
ftances, leads to the main valley we have 
left, by the back of the noble woods and 
plantations furrounding the {cat of Sir 
Frederic Evelyn at WorTron. The 
feat itfelf is an ordinary houle, ftrangely 
placed in a bottom; but few manfions 
can boaft of fuch an impofing ‘accom- 
panyment of lofty groves and thick 
woods, filling and chara¢terifing a large 
traét of land. 
In order to bring our tour round Dork- 
ing within moderate compafs, we will 
now take our courfe from Sir Frederic’s 
ftraight to the chalky ridge we have fo 
jong left; and afcending it, proceed over 
Ranmer common to DENBEIGHS, the feat 
of Mr. Denifon, impending over the town 
of Dorking, to which it atfords one of 
its moft confpicuous objects, This 
houfe was built by Mr. Tyers, firit 
proprietor of Vauxhall, who tran{ported 
to it many of the ideas of his public 
gardens, dark walks, temples, theatrical 
deceptions, ruins, monuments, and the 
like. Thefe have been moftly removed, 
or fulfered to go to decay ; but there re- 
mains on one fide of the houfe a fine 
green terrace, backed with trees; and on 
the other a cloie plantation of confider- 
able extent, crowning the verge of the 
hill. Though taite has done much iefs 
for this place than for Norbury park, yet 
it may be queftioned, whether its fite be 
not equally advantageous, and the pro- 
{pect it commands equally ftriking, with 
refpeét to variety and beauty. Almott 
all the places we have been defcribing lie 
within its view; to which may be added 
the town of Dorking, and all the leffer 
charms of the fubjacent valley. Its de- 
{cent to Dorking is very fteep; ahd the 
road pafles by fome extenfive chalk-pits, 
Leith-bill, &c....Directions concerning Style. 
257 
which are continually wrought, and fur- 
nifh a lime in great efteem for its pro- 
perty of hardening under water. 
It would be eafy to enlarge the lift of 
beautiful fcenes in this neighbourhood,. 
all within the reach of a morning’s walk or 
ride, and affording a fource of daily variety, 
for feveral weeks. ‘The purity of the air, 
the fragrance from an exuberance of aro- 
matic plants and-fhrubs, the mufc from 
numberlefs birds, the choice of fheltered 
or open country, the liberty of wandering 
without obftacle or queftion through the 
moft cultured fcenes, and the perfect 
repofé which reigns all around, unite to: 
render this- tract of country one of the 
moft delightful to the contemplative man, 
and the moft falutary to the invalid, that’ 
T have ever yilited. TAS 
rah EL 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N anfwer to the queries propofed by 
your correfpondent from Leeds, figned 
L. R. B. concerning the beft methed to 
acquire a good ftyle, I beg leave to trou- 
ble you with a few obfervations. 
The attainment of an elegant-and per- 
fpicuous ftyle is, undoubtedly, a conf- 
deration of the utmof importance to every 
perfon who is defirous of communicating 
his fentiments to the public. It is chiefly 
owing to that perlpicuity of arrange- 
ment, and elegance of expreffion, that the 
writings of one author command our at- 
tention more than thofe of another. 4 
man may be poffeffed of a fertile genius, 
and a vigorous imagination, but if he 
has not been accuftomed to commit his 
thoughts to paper, and to arrange his 
ideas in their natural order, his produc- 
tions though fruitful and exuberant, will 
be deftitute of every fpecies of regularity. 
To enter into a minute detail of all 
the particulars neceflary for the acquire- 
ment of a good ftyle, would lead us inte 
a difcuffion almoft fine fine. Tt may, 
however, be proper to obferve, that before 
any author can be held up as a model for 
imitation, it is requifite that we thould be 
acquainted with the fubjeéts on which our 
labours are to be employed. If it be hif- 
torical, we may propofe Hume, Robertfon, 
or Gibbon; if didactic, we may recom- 
mend Addifon, or Johnion ; if philofophi- 
cal, we may offer Locke on the Humaa 
Underftanding. But if the ftyle of any. 
of thefe writers were to be ufed in a dir-" 
ferent departrent of erudition, it would 
make a very uncouth appearance indeed | 
The majeftic and ftately periods of Gib- 
ben would very ill {uit the effays in the 
© Spectator,” 
