2. Natural beauty of ground.—As the right lines and geometrical forms of the architect take the lead in grounds of artificial beauty, so the flowing and broken lines, and un defined forms of the landscape painter, take the lead in those of natural beauty. To create them in ground, is generally impracticable and unadvisable ; but where they exist concealed by accidental deformities, or incomplete in expression, through dulness in their leading features, art may relieve from the impediments to beauty, even though the situation is some distance from the eye. In recluse scenes immediately under view, art may aspire to create beauty even from a tame flat, but especially from its oppo site, a flat abounding with deformities. In effecting all those purposes, the same principles apply. The first thing to fix in the mind is the desired surface, or that style of natural ground which is best to be imitated. The next thing is to examine on what parts, forms, and lines, the natural beauty of this ground chiefly depends ; if undula ting, whether the concave or the convex prevails; if broken ground, whether horizontal and perpendicular, or curved and inclined lines prevail. These are then to be imitated in the improvement, ever keeping in view the important principle of a whole as the end of connection, and the other principles we have discussed as the means of producing it.
I. The removal of accidental deformities, forms one of the commonest operations on ground. Old quarries and other pits, useless cattle ponds, open drains, mounds of earth, marks of ridges, are to be considered of this descrip tion. As they have been raised by art, so, in dispersing them, the best general rule is to restore the natural sur face ; but sometimes the remains of fences are so nume rous, that advantage may be taken of the earth to be re moved, and some variety given to a surface otherwise dull and featureless. If the fence consists of a great number of turns of different lengths, by removing both the mound and part of the surface on each side of the drain, a small wind ing hollow or vale may be formed : the effect of which may be heightened, by placing the earth removed on adjoining indications of natural eminences ; not so as to form knolls, but so as to connect and harmonize with the prevailing idea of expression. The most simple and obvious improvement of exhausted quarries and dry pits, is to plant them; but this, though it will form a series of pleasing scenes, is not alWays consistent with the general expression to be created, and such groups as would arise from these spots, might destroy breadth of light and connection, independently of excluding distant objects. In this case, they must be fill ed up by undergrowths, or by lowering the adjoining sur face in such a way, as not to interfere with general effect, or a sufficient descent for the surface water. Where bro.
ken ground enters into the idea of the composition to be ef fected, open drains, or hollow pits, afford line sources of picturesque beauty, especially if the ground is dry, or can be readily under-drained. This character, however, can
seldom he introduced as an original feature ; but in ground naturally leading to abrupt and broken lines, it may be more desirable to improee this expression, than attempt creating a more polished surface.
In cases of this sort, almost every thing depends on the introduction of wood, copse, and verdant roughnesses, to harmonise the broken surface ; for mere broken ground, without a character of luxuriance and wildness cated by wood, is seldom better on a smaller scale than a surface deformed by scars.
2. Natural bumps or excrescences arc not uncommon in many g•ninds which have not been subjected to agricultu ral improvement. When these are not large, the process of fallowing with the plough will remove them ; when they arc of some magnitude, they may often become sources both of polished and picturesque beauty. If they are nu merous, and so distributed as that by the removal of some, and the enlargement through that means of others, they may give an impression of undulation, especially if situat ed on a naturally irregular surface. If on a declivity, and covering rocks or huge stones, a mixture of flowing lines with abruptnesses may he happily introduced.
3. varied but yet dull surface, may often be improved by a slultut artist. By studying the character indicated by nature, it will generally he found, that the deficiency of ex pression is owing to the hollows being in part clogged up, either naturally or by long continuation under the plough ; and the swells lowered in a corresponding degree by the same process. In this case, the obvious improvement is, to remove earth from the hollows, and place it on the emi nences, ever keeping in view the natural expression, and avoiding to end the improvement by leaving the hollows guttets, and the eminences pointed ridges. This sort of improt einem is not a very obvious one, though often at tended with surprising effects, for every foot of depth taken from a hollow, and laid on an adjoining hill, adds two feet to the height of the latter.
4. In recluse scenes, immediately under the eye, art may create a sort of miniature of beautiful ground. Man is but a puny object, compared to those of inanimate nature. He may overlook a distant hill separated by low ground ; but a mound of three paces in height, placed near the eye, con fines the view, and all other objects being shut out, ac quires, if apparently a work of nature, a degree of inpoi t ante in his imagination. Winding walks, four feet below the surface, will supply earth for accompanying them by wavy hills or swells eight feet high. If these hills or swells arc formed and connected, so as to produce a varied and natural-liee whole, with every change of position, a very suitable basis will be raised for a picturesque shrubbery, or flower garden. It was to this sort of art that garden at Twickenham was indebted for so great a variety of beauties in a small space ; and the flower garden at Lord Harcourt's, at Nunchatn, near Oxford, was laid out under the eye of Nlason the poet, on the same principles.