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precife bounds. I fufpect that the proportions in ufe have been influenced in fome degree by the human figure; the capital be ing conceived as the head, the bafe as the feet. With refpect to the bafe indeed, the principle of utility interpofes to vary it from the human figure: the bafe must be fo proportioned to the whole, as to give the column the appearance of stability, duny

In architecture as well as in gardening, contradictory expreffions ought to be avoided. Firmness and folidity are the proper expreffions of a pedeftal: carved work, on the contrary, ought to be light and delicate. A pedestal therefore, whether of a column or of a statue, ought to be fparingly ornamented the ancients never ventured any bolder ornament than the baffo-relievo.

To fucceed in allegorical or emblematic ornaments, is no flight effort of genius; for it is extremely difficult to difpofe them fo in a building as to produce any good effect. The mixing them with realities, makes a miferable jumble of truth and fiction *. In a

See chap. 20. fect. 5.

X x 2

baffo

baffo-relievo on Antonin's pillar, rain ob tained by the prayers of a Chriftian legion, is expreffed by joining to the group of fol diers a rainy Jupiter, with water in abun dance running from his head and beard. De Piles, fond of the conceit, carefully informs his reader, that he must not take this for a real Jupiter, but for a symbol which among the Pagans fignified rain: an emblem ought not to make a part of the group representing real objects or real events, but be detached from it, fo as even at first view to appear an emblem. But this is not all, nor the chief point. Every emblem ought to be rejected that is, not clearly expreffive of its meaning: if it be in any degree obfcure, it never can be relifhed. The temples of Ancient and Modern Virtue in the gardens of Stow, appear not at first view emblematical; and when we are informed that they are fo, it is not eafy to gather their meaning. The spectator fees one temple in full repair, another in ruins: but without an explanatory infcription, he may guefs, but cannot be certain, that the former being dedicated to Ancient

3

Virtue,

Virtue, the latter to Modern Virtue, are intended a fatire upon the present times. On the other hand, a trite emblem, like a trite fimile, is difguftful*. Nor ought an emblem more than a fimile to be founded on low or familiar objects; for if the objects be not agreeable, as well as their meaning, the emblem upon the whole will not be relifhed. A room in a dwelling-house containing a monument to a deceased friend, is dedicated to Melancholy. Its furniturė is a clock that ftrikes every minute to fig nify how swiftly time paffes: upon the mo→ nument, weeping figures and other hackney'd ornaments commonly found upon tomb-ftones, with a ftuff'd raven in a corner verfes on death, and other ferious fubjects, infcribed all around. The objects are too familiar, and the artifice too appa rent, to produce the intended effect.

The statue of Mofes ftriking a rock from which water actually iffues, is alfo in a false tafte; for it is mixing reality with representation: Mofes himself may bring

See chap. 8.

water

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water out of the rock, but this miracle is too much for his ftatue. The fame objection lies against a cafcade where we see the ftatue of a water-god pouring out of his urn

real water.

It is obferved above of gardening, that it contributes to rectitude of manners, by infpiring gaiety and benevolence. I add another obfervation, That both gardening and architecture contribute to the fame end, by inspiring neatness and elegance. It is obferved in Scotland, that even a turnpike road has fome influence of this kind upon the low people in the neighbourhood. They acquire a taste for regularity and neatnefs; which is display'd first upon their yards and little inclofures, and next within doors. A tafte for regularity and neatness thus gathering strength, comes infenfibly to be extended to dress, and even to behaviour and manners, siw . Dodamo fat englong will insupole to analmang valled ཞ་པ་ཕུལ། ཡིག་ཧི

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◄HAT there is no difputing about "taste”, meaning taste in its most extenfive fenfe, is a faying fo ge nerally received as to have become a proverb. One thing indeed is evident, that if the proverb hold true with refpect to any one external sense, it must hold true with refpect to all. If the pleasures of the palate disdain a comparative trial and reject all criticism, the pleasures of touch, of fmell, of found, and even of fight, must be equally privile ged. At this rate, a man is not within the reach of cenfure, even where, infenfible to beauty, grandeur, or elegance, he prefers the Saracen's head upon a fign-poft before the best tablature of Raphael, or a rude Gothic tower before the fineft Grecian building: nor where he prefers the smell of a

rotten

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