to make a figure by refemblance; and for that reafon their fucceffion ought to be regulated as much as poffible by contraft. This holds confeffedly in epic and dramatic compofitions; and the best writers, led perhaps by taste more than by reasoning, have generally aimed at that beauty. It holds equally in mufic: in the fame cantata, all the variety of emotions that are within the power of mufic may not only be indulged, but, to make the greateft figure, ought to be contrafted. In gardening, there is an additional reafon for the rule: the emotions raised by that art are at best so faint, that every artifice should be employed to give them their utmost vigour : a field may be laid out in grand, fweet, gay, neat, wild, melancholy fcenes; and when these are viewed in fucceffion, grandeur ought to be contrafted with neatnefs, regularity with wildnefs, and gaiety with melancholy, fo as that each emotion may fucceed its oppofite: nay it is an improvement to intermix in the fucceffion rude uncultivated spots as well as unbounded views, which in themselves are difagreeable, but in fucceffion heighten the feeling of the agreeable objects; and we have nature for our guide, which in her most beautiful landscapes often intermixes rugged rocks, dirty marshes, and barren ftony heaths. The greatest masters of mufic have the fame view in their compofitions: the fecond part of an Italian fong feldom conveys any fentiment; and, by its harshness, feems purposely contrived contrived to give a greater relish for the interesting parts of the compofition. A fmall garden comprehended under a fingle view, affords little opportunity for that embellishment. Diffimilar emotions require different tones of mind; and therefore in conjunction can never be pleasant *: gaiety and sweetness may be combined, or wildness and gloominefs; but a compofition of gaiety and gloominefs is diftafteful. The rude uncultivated copartment of furze and broom in Richmond garden hath a good effect in the fucceffion of objects; but a fpot of that nature would be infufferable in the midst of a polifhed parterre or flower-plot. A garden, therefore, if not of great extent, admits not diffimilar emotions; and in ornamenting a fmall garden, the safest course is to confine it to a fingle expreffion. For the fame reafon, a landscape ought alfo to be confined to a fingle expreffion; and accordingly it is a rule in painting, That if the fubject be gay, every figure ought to contribute to that emotion. It follows from the foregoing train of reafoning, that a garden near a great city ought to have an air of folitude. The folitarinefs again of a waste country ought to be contrafted in forming a garden; no temples, no obfcure walks; but jets d'eau, cafcades, objects active, gay and splendid. Nay, fuch a garden fhould in fome measure avoid imitating nature, by taking * See Chap. 2, Part 4. king on an extraordinary appearance of regularity and art, to fhow the bufy hand of man, which in a waste country has a fine effect by contraft. It may be gathered from what is faid above*, that wit and ridicule make not an agreeable mixture with grandeur. Diffimilar emotions have a fine effect in a flow fucceffion; but in a rapid fucceffion, which approaches to coexiftence, they will not be relished in the midst of a laboured and elevated defcription of a battle, Virgil introduces a ludicrous image, which is certainly out of its place: Obvius ambuftum torrem Chorinæus ab ara Æn. XII. 298. The following image is no lefs ludicrous, nor lefs improperly placed : Mentre fan quefti i bellici ftromenti * Chap. 2. Part 4. E E qual tauro ferito, il fuo dolore Gerufal. cant. 4. ft. 1. It would, however, be too auftere to banish altogether ludicrous images from an epic poem. This poem doth not always foar above the clouds it admits great variety; and upon occafion can defcend even to the ground without finking. In its more familiar tones, a ludicrous scene may be introduced without impropriety. This is done by Virgil * in a foot-race; the circumftances of which, not excepting the ludicrous part, are copied from Homer †. After a fit of merriment, we are, it is true, the lefs difposed to the serious and fublime: but then, a ludicrous fcene, by unbending the mind from fevere application to more interefting fubjects, may prevent fatigue, and preferve our relish entire. CHAP. Æn. lib. 5. + Iliad, book 23. 1. 879. CHAP. IX. UNIFORMITY AND VARIETY. IN N attempting to explain uniformity and variety, in order to fhow how we are affected by these circumftances, a doubt occurs, what method ought to be followed. In adhering clofe to the fubject, I forefee difficulties; and yet by indulging fuch a circuit as may be neceffary for a fatisfactory view, I probably fhall incur the cenfure of wandering.-Yet the dread of cenfure ought not to prevail over what is proper: befide that the intended circuit will lead to fome collateral matters, that are not only curious, but of confiderable importance in the fcience of human nature. The neceffary fucceffion of perceptions may be examined in two different views; one with refpect to order and connection, and one with respect to uniformity and variety. In the first view it is handled above*: and I now proceed to the fecond. The world we inhabit is replete with things no lefs remarkable for their variety than for their number: thefe, unfolded by the wonderful mechanifm of external fenfe, furnish VOL. I. * Chap. I. U the |