prove into the highest Pitch of Astonishment and Devotion when we contemplate his Nature, that is neither circumfcribed by Time nor Place, nor to be comprehended by the largest Capacity of a Created Being. HE has annexed a fecret Pleafure to the Idea of any thing that is new or uncommon, that he might encourage us in the Pursuit after Knowledge, and engage us to fearch into the Wonders of his Creation; for every new Idea brings fuch a Pleafure along with it, as rewards any Pains we have taken in its Acquifition, and confequently ferves as a Motive to put us upon fresh Discoveries. HE has made every thing that is beautiful in our own Species pleafant, that all Creatures might be tempted to multiply their Kind, and fill the World with Inhabitants; for 'tis very remarkable that where-ever Nature is croft in the Production of a Monster (the Refult of any unnatural Mixture) the Breed is incapable of propagating its Likenefs, and of founding a new Order of Creatures; fo that unless all Animals were allured by the Beauty of their own Species, Generation would be at an End, and the Earth unpeopled. IN the laft Place, he has made every thing that is beautiful in all other Objects pleasant, or rather has made fo many Objects appear beautiful, that he might render the whole Creation more gay and delightful. He has given almost every thing about us the Power of raifing an agreeable Idea in the Imagination: So that it is impoffible for us to behold his Works with Coldness or Indifference, and to furvey fo many Beauties without a fecret Satisfaction and Complacency. Things would make but a poor Appearance to the Eye, if we faw them only in their proper Figures and Motions: And what Reafon can we affign for their exciting in us many of those Ideas which are different from any thing that exists in the Objects themselves, (for fuch are Light and Colours) were it not to add Supernumerary Ornaments to the Universe, and make it more agreeable to the Imagination? We are every where entertained with pleafing Shows and Apparitions, we discover Imaginary Glories in the Heavens, and in the Earth, and fee fome of this Visionary Beauty poured out upon the whole Creation; but what a rough unfightly Sketch of Nature fhould we be entertained with, did all her Colouring difappear, and the feveral Distinctions of Light and Shade vanish? In fhort, our Souls are at prefent delightfully loft and bewildered in a pleafing Defufion, and we walk about like the enchanted Hero of a Romance, who fees beautiful Caftles, Woods and Meadows; and at the fame time hears the warbling of Birds, and the purling of Streams; but upon the finishing of fome fecret Spell, the fantastick Scene breaks up, and the difconfolate Knight finds himself on a barren Heath, or in a folitary Defart. It is not improbable that fomething like this may be the State of the Soul after its firft Separation, in respect of the Images it will receive from Matter, tho' indeed the Ideas of Colours are fo pleafing and beautiful in the Imagination, that it is poffible the Soul will not be deprived of them, but perhaps find them excited by fome other Occafional Caufe, as they are at prefent by the different Impreffions of the fubtle Matter en the Organ of Sight. I have here fuppofed that my Reader is acquainted with that great Modern Discovery, which is at prefent univerfally acknowledged by all the Enquirers into Natural Philofophy: Namely, that Light and Colours, as apprehended by the Imagination, are only Ideas in the Mind, and not Qualities that have any Existence in Matter. As this is a Truth which has been proved inconteftably by many Modern Philofophers, and is indeed one of the finest Speculations in that Science, if the English Reader would fee the Notion explained at large, he may find it in the Eighth Chapter of the fecond Book of Mr. Lock's Effay on Human Understanding. N° 414. Wednesday, June 25. Alterius fic Altera pofcit opem res conjurat amicè. 15 Hor. F we confider the Works of Nature and Art, as they are qualified to entertain the Imagination, we fhall find the last very defective, in Comparison of the former; for though they may fometimes appear as Beautiful or Strange, they can have nothing in them of that Vaftness and Immenfity, which afford fo great an Entertainment to the Mind of the Beholder. The one may be as Polite and Delicate as the other, but can never shew her felf fo Auguft and Magnificent in the Defign. There is fomething more bold and masterly in the rough carelefs Strokes of Nature, than in the nice Touches and Embellishments of Art. The Beauties of the most stately Garden or Palace lie in a narrow Compafs, the Imagination immediately runs them over, and requires fomething elfe to gratifie her; but, in the wide Fields of Nature, the Sight wanders up and down without Confinement, and is fed with an infinite variety of Images, without any certain Stint or Number. For this Reafon we always find the Poet in Love with a Country-Life, where Nature appears in the greatest Perfection, and furnishes out all thofe Scenes that are most apt to delight the Imagination. Scriptorum chorus omnis amat nemus & fugit Urbes, Hor. Hic Secura quies, & nefcia fallere vita, Mugitufque boum, mollefque fub arbore fomni. Virg BUT tho' there are feveral of thefe wild Scenes, that are more delightful than any artificial Shows; yet we VOL. VI. D find find the Works of Nature ftill more pleasant, the more they resemble those of Art: For in this cafe our Pleasure rifes from a double Principle; from the Agreeableness of the Objects to the Eye, and from their Similitude to other Objects: We are pleafed as well with comparing their Beauties, as with furveying them, and can reprefent thei to our Minds, either as Copies or Originals. Hence it is that we take Delight in a Profpect which is well laid out, and diverfified with Fields and Meadows, Woods and Rivers; in thofe accidental Landskips of Trees, Clouds and Cities, that are fometimes found in the Veins of Marble; in the curious Fret-work of Rocks and Grottos; and, in a Word, in any thing that hath fuch a Variety or Regularity as may feem the Effect of Defign, in what we call the Works of Chance, IF the Products of Nature rife in Value, according as they more or less refemble thofe of Art, we may be fure that artificial Works receive a greater Advantage from their Resemblance of such as are natural; because here the Similitude is not only pleafant, but the Pattern more perfect. The prettieft Landskip I ever faw, was one drawn on the Walls of a dark Room, which stood oppofite on one fide to a navigable River, and on the other to a Park. The Experiment is very common in Opticks. Here you might difcover the Waves and Fluctuations of the Water in ftrong and proper Colours, with the Picture of a Ship entering at one end, and failing by Degrees through the whole Piece. On another there appeared the Green Shadows of Trees, waving to and fro with the Wind, and Herds of Deer among them in Miniature, leaping about upon the Wall. I must confefs, the Novelty of fuch a Sight may be one occafion of its Pleafantnefs to the Imagination, but certainly the chief reafon is its near Refemblance to Nature, as it does not only, like other Pictures, give the Colour and Figure, but the Motion of the Things it reprefents. WE have before obferved, that there is generally in Nature fomething more Grand and Auguft, than what we meet with in the Curiofities of Art. When therefore, we fee this imitated in any meafure, it gives us a nobler and more exalted kind of Pleasure, than what we receive from the nicer and more accurate Productions of Art. On this Account our English Gardens are not fo entertaining to the Fancy as thofe in France and Italy, where we fee a large Extent of Ground covered over with an agreeable mixture of Garden and Foreft, which reprefent every where an artificial Rudenefs, much more charming than that Neatnefs and Elegancy which we meet with in thofe of our own Country. It might, indeed, be of ill Confequence to the Publick, as well as unprofitable to private Perfons, to alienate fo much Ground from Pafturage, and the Plow, in many Parts of a Country that is fo well peopled, and cultivated to a far greater Advantage. But why may not a whole Eftate be thrown into a kind of Garden by frequent Plantati ons, that may turn as much to the Profit, as the Plea fure of the Owner? A Marth overgrown with Willows, or a Mountain fhaded with Oaks, are not only more beautiful, but more beneficial, than when they lie bare and unadorned. Fields of Corn make a pleasant Profpect, and if the Walks were a little taken care of that lie between them, if the natural Embroidery of the Meadows were helpt and improved by fome fmall Additions of Art, and the feveral Rows of Hedges fet off by Trees and Flowers, that the Soil was capable of receiving, a Man might make a pretty Landskip of his own Pos feffions. WRITERS who have given us an Account of China, tell us the Inhabitants of that Country laugh at the Plantations of our Europeans, which are laid out by the Rule and Line, becaufe, they fay, any one may place Trees in equal Rows and uniform Figures. They chufe rather to fhew a Genius in Works of this Nature, and therefore always conceal the Art by which they direc themfelves. They have a Word, it feems, in their Language, by which they exprefs the particular Beauty of a Plantation that thus ftrikes the Imagination at firft Sight, without difcovering what it is that has fo agreeable an Effect. Our British Gardeners, on the contrary, instead of humouring Nature, love to deviate from it as much as poffible. Our Trees rife in Cones, Globes, and Pyramids. We fee the Marks of the Sciffars upon every Plant and Bush. I do not know whether I am fingular in my Opinion, but, for my own part, I would rather look up |