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in the old editions. In the 4to of 1630, the tree is reprefented as blafted, by Hern; and the tale of Hern the hunter frequenting that tree, to be fo old as to be almoft obfolete. In the first 4to of 16:9, no tree is mentioned. The groaning tree is a curious phænomenon: the found of groans was traced to a young vigorous elm. A gentleman called Forbes bored a hole in its trunk, to discover the caufe, and the tree ceafed groaning. It was cut down, but the caufe was not discovered. It feems pretty certain, that the Cadenham oak burfts into leaf about the middle or latter end of December; but these premature fhoots are foon cut off. We have now (November 8th) within our view a mountain afh in bloom, uninjured by the froft, which, with the fevere cold of an easterly wind, is unexampled within our memory at this early feafon; and, if trees were more minutely examined, we have little doubt but irregular foliation would be more often obferved. Mr. Gilpin is of the fame opinion.

The rules for planting clumps with moft fuccefs, and of laying out park fcenery, are given with taste and judgment. The copfe wants dignity, and the rules for managing it deserve not much attention. Our author difapproves of a border being left, when the copfe is cut, and perhaps with reafon. If other circumstances admit, and the fcene requires it, we fee not why the wood should not be occafionally thinned, and never wholly cut down; the trees are feldom of that magnitude to make it inconvenient to carry them off. A copfe, however, as an object of picturefque beauty, may be very fafely neglected. The glen, with few natural advantages, is always pleafing the eye loves to reft on objects at no great distance, to grafp the whole at a glance, and the glen is very advantageous for this comprehenfive view. Let us extract fome excellent remarks for the conduct of the improver:

In many places you fee the glen under the hands of improvement; and when you happen to have a scene of this kind near your houfe, you cannot well have a more fortunate circumftance. But great care fhould be taken not to load it with ornament. Such fcenes admit little art. Their beauty confifts in their natural wildnefs; and the best rule is to add little; but to be content with removing a few deformities and obftructions. A good walk, or á path, there must be; and the great art will confift in conducting it, in the easiest and most natural way to the spot, where the cafcade, the rock, or any other object, which the glen exhibits, may be seen to the best advantage. If a feat or two be thought neceffary, let them be of the rudeft materials; and their fituation no way forced. I have often feen femi-circular areas, on these occafions, adapted to elegant feats, which have been fixed, either

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where openings happened to be prefented, or were purpofely cut through the woods. All this is awkward, and disgusting. Let no formal preparation introduce a view. A parading preface always injures a ftory. The eye receives more pleasure from the cafual objects of it's own notice; than from objects perhaps of more real beauty, forced upon it, with parade, and oftentation.'

The open grove, the next object, detains Mr. Gilpin but a little while he haftens to the foreft, which is his principal subject. He examines with peculiar attention, and traces the various fources of picturefque beauty in the arrangement of its woods, the formation of its vistas and paths. As we find it difficult to follow him in a regular analyfis, we fhall prefer a quotation. The remarks on the influence of the time of the day, and the state of the air, on foreft fcenery, are particularly valuable, as the latter, at least, is often overlooked: indeed, aerial perfpective is by no means fufficiently ftudied.

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The calm, overcast, soft, day, fuch as thefe climates often produce in the beginning of autumn, hazy, mild, and undisturbed, affords a beautiful medium; fpreading over the woods a sweet, grey tint, which is especially favourable to their diflant appearThe internal parts of the foreft receive little advantages from this hazy medium but the various tuftings of diftant woods, are wonderfully fweetened by it; and many a form, and many a hue, which in the full-glare of fun-fhine would be harsh, and difcordant, are foftened, and melted together in harmony.-We of ten fee the effects of this mode of atmosphere in various fpecies of landscape; but it has no where a better effect, than on the woods of the foreft. Nothing appears through mist more beautiful, than trees a little removed from the eye, when they are oppofed to trees at hand: for as the foliage of a tree confifts of a great number of parts, the contraft is very pleafing between the varied furface of the tree at hand, and the dead, unvaried appearance of the removed one.

The light-mift is only a greater degree of hazinefs. It's cbject is a nearer distance; as a remote one is totally obfcured by it. In this fituation of the atmosphere not only all the ftrong tints of nature are obfcured; but all the fmaller variations of form are loft. We look only for a general mafs of foftened harmony; and fober colouring unmarked by any strength of effect. The vivid hues of autumn particularly, appear to great advantage through this medium. Sometimes thefe mifts are partial; and if they happen to coincide with the compofition of the landfcape, this par. tiality is attended with peculiar beauty. I have remarked in other works of this kind, that when fome huge promontory emerges from a fpreading mift, which hangs over one part of it, it wot only receives the advantage of contraft, but it also becomes an obCRIT. REV. N. AR. (IV.) Jon. 1792. ject

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ject of double grandeur. We often fee the woods of the foreft alfo with peculiar advantage, emerging through a mist in the fame ftyle of greatness.—I have known likewise a nearer distance, strongly illumined, produce a good effect through a light drizzling fhower.

Nearly allied to mifts is another incidental appearance, that of fmoke, which is often attended with peculiar beauty in woody fcenes. When we fee it fpreading in the foreft glade, and forming a foft bluish back-ground to the trees, which intercept it; it fhews their foliage, and ramification to great advantage.

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Sometimes also a good effect arifes, when the fky, under the influence of a bleak north-wind, cold and overcaft, is hung with blue, or purple clouds lowering over the horizon. If under that part of the atmosphere the diftant forest happens to range, it is overfpread with a deep blue, or a purple tint from the reflection of the clouds, and makes a very picturefque appearance. And yet I should be cautious in advising the painter to introduce it with that full strength, in which he may fometimes perhaps observe it. The appearance of blue, and purple trees, unless in very remote distance, offends: and though the artift may have authority from nature for his practice; yet the fpectator, who is not verfed in fuch effects, may be difpleafed.'

The laft advice might probably have been spared: the 'blue and purple trees' are only tinged with thefe hues at a remote distance; but the principle is judicious. In nature there is much harfhnefs and many peculiar appearances, and the painter would difplease, if he copied exactly: no artist could bear to look at the difpofition of the clouds, which we have more than once obferved, about fun-rifing: fuch harshness Mr. Gilpin might have inferted among the marks which diftinguish the rifing from the fetting fun. It is not, however, a conftant criterion; for it will occafionally be observed in the evening. Our author defcribes the effects of the 'coming day' with great taste and accurate discrimination. He fpeaks too of its beauty; but we own that we have feldom feen it in a conciliating ftate of mind. The fetting fun embellishes almost every landfcape. The effect of the feafons is oppofite: the coming fpring is almost always beautiful, and the tender green peculiarly inviting the autumn, perhaps, from other confiderations influencing our ideas of picturefque beauty, is a scene, though more varied, feldom inviting. Can variety, arifing from disease and partial death, be pleasing? And even the ripening corn, though it varies the landscape, does not vary it with pleafing hues: it approaches, in its progreffive ftates, to the fading leaf. This may be prejudice: we mean not to fay that it is otherwife; but it is not fingular. The first volume concludes with an intereft

interefting forest hiftory, the various descriptions of foreits and their inhabitants, with a fhort account of the different forefts in England and Scotland.

The fecond volume, though not lefs interesting, will not detain us fo long: the defcriptive fcenery of New Foreft is a fucceffion of pleafing views, of which no one is fo ftriking as to demand our peculiar attention, yet the whole is very entertaining. We may perhaps add alfo, that our author has exhaufted, feemingly, his defcriptive powers, when treating of fingle trees, and of their various combinations; fo that the moft interefting part of this fecond volume feemed, in our opinion, the defcription of the animals; of the cottagers, - particularly of that dreadful scene of fqualid poverty and mifery within, where all without spoke contentment and peace; of the fishermen, &c. The whole is introduced with a hiftory of the New Foreft from the time of the Conqueror, who probably did little more than appropriate it to his own purpofes. The deftruction of towns, &c. fo much lamented by our carly hiftorians, had probably no foundation but in their own prejudices: neither was the foil adapted for fuch a numerous population; nor was the ftate of fociety fufficiently advanced under the Danes and Saxons to render it credible. Shall we not raise a smile, when we prefer tranfcribing the account of the management of the hogs, in the feafon, when they are fuffered to feed on maft, with little particular attention from the fwineherd? We own that we thought it curious, and we believe it to be new.

The first step the fwine-herd takes, is to inveftigate fome clofe fheltered part of the foreft, where there is a conveniency of water; and plenty of oak, or-beech-maft, the former of which he prefers when he can have it in fufficient abundance. He fixes next on fome spreading tree, round the bole of which he wattles a flight, circular fence of the dimenfions he wants; and covering it roughly with boughs, and fods, he fills it plentifully with straw, or fern.

Having made this preparation, he collects his colony among the farmers, with whom he commonly agrees for a fhilling a head, and will get together perhaps a herd of five or fix hundred hogs. Having driven them to their destined habitation, he gives them a plentiful fupper of acorns, or beech-maft, which he had already provided, founding his horn, during the repaft. He then turns them into the litter, where, after a long journey, and a hearty meal, they fleep deliciously.

The next morning he lets them look a little around themfhews them the pool, or ftream, where they may occafionally drink-leaves them to pick up the offals of the last night's meal; and as evening draws on, gives them another pleutiful repaft un

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der the neighbouring trees, which rain acorns upon them for an hour together, at the found of his horn. He then fends them again to fleep.

The following day he is perhaps at the pains of procuring them another meal, with mufic playing as ufual. He then leaves them a little more to themfelves, having an eye however on their evening-hours. But as their bellies are full, they feldom wander far from home, retiring commonly very orderly, and early to bed.

After this, he throws his ty open, and leaves them to cater for themselves; and from hence forward has little more trouble with them, during the whole time of their migration. Now and then, in calm weather, when maft falls fparingly, he calls them perhaps together by the mufic of his horn to a gratuitous meal; but in general, they need little attention, returning regularly home at night, though they often wander in the day two or three miles from their fty. There are experienced leaders in all herds, which have spent this roving life before; and can instruct their juniors in the method of it. By this management the herd is carried home to their refpective owners in fuch condition, that a little dry meat will foon fatten them.'

The hog is commonly fuppofed to be an obftinate, head-strong, unmanageable brute: and he may perhaps have a degree of pofitiveness in his temper. In general, however if he be properly managed, he is an orderly, docile animal. The only difficulty is, to make your meanings, when they are fair, and friendly, intelligible to him. Effect this, and you may lead him with a straw.

Nor is he without his focial feelings, when he is at liberty to indulge them. In thefe foreft-migrations, it is commonly obferved, that of whatever number the herd confits, they generally feparate, in their daily excurfions into fuch little knots, and focieties, as have formerly had habits of intimacy together; and in thefe friendly groups they range the foreft; returning home at night, in different parties, fome earlier, and fome later, as they have been more or less fortunate in the pursuits of the day.

It founds oddly to affirm the life of a hog to be enviable; and yet there is fomething uncommonly pleafing in the lives of these emigrants-fomething at least more defirable, than is to be found in the life of a hog Epicuri de Grege. They feem themselves also to enjoy their mode of life. You fee them perfectly happy, going about at their eafe, and converfing with each other in short, pithy, interrupted fentences, which are no doubt, expreffive of their own enjoyments, and of their focial feelings.'

The chief reafon for tranfcribing the latter part is to rescue the character of this unpleafing animal from an imputation,

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