Pantheon at Rome accords with this description, and it has been very universally recognised as more effectually suggesting the idea of grandeur than any other building at Rome.

Nor do I apprehend, that even these two circumstances are all that are necefsary to produce this effect; for I have doubtlefs seen some objects, in which both magnitude and simplicity are combined, without exciting an idea of grandeur. I do not recollect any object at present in this neighbourhood to which I could refer the reader for an illustration here; but I think it may be in some measure done thus. There is a high, plain, unornamented brick wall that surrounds the King's Bench prison in Southwark, which, in its present state, conveys to my mind an idea of something approaching to grandeur. The wall is new and neat, and all the joints, when viewed near at hand, appear plainly conspicuous. But it is easy for any one to conceive, that were this wall covered over with a coating of plaster which was worn down in part, and partially discoloured, instead of conveying an idea of grandeur, it would appear to be a shabby, mean, disgusting object. Here the same magnitude and simplicity of form remains, but the effect is lost. Before an object, then, can excite the sensation of grandeur, I conceive, it must not only be large in size, and simple in form, but the parts must also be symmetrically arranged and compactly put together; otherwise the effect will be lost.

To these I would add, that the parts which come near the eye must be striking and bold; and hat the bject must be one, and clearly definite; for where it

runs along in one direction till its size dwindles into insignificance, it tends to distract rather than to fill the mind. Where the structure is so large then as not to admit of being all seen to advantage as one whole, it ought to be so divided, as that each part, when viewed near, may be considered as a whole; and then the other parts may serve to heighten its effect by way of contrast.

Hitherto I have only directed the attention to entire structures. But when we consider the striking effect. that ruins are universally admitted to excite as objects of grandeur, this may, perhaps, seem to counteract the foregoing reasoning in some degree; and therefore these objects require to be examined.

It is admitted, then, as a fact very universally recognised, that ruins of large structures are well calculated to excite an idea of grandeur; I believe it will not be denied, that they operate even more powerfully in this respect than the buildings themselves in general when they were entire. Let us not then lose sight of these precious facts, whatever shall become of our foregoing reasoning.

But do all ruins produce this effect? No. There are many which excite only the ideas of disgustful desolation. It is those only which are of great magnitude, whose projections are bold, whose elevation is lofty, and that discover undeniable vestiges of symmetrical arrangement, which are calculated to impress the mind with an idea of grandeur. They have lost, indeed, that simplicity of form which I have conceived to be an indispensable feature of grandeur in a perfect

large and few, so as to allow the imagination to combine them into a simple whole that can be easily grasped by the mind, they can never, when nearly viewed (in as far at least as my sensations have indicated) produce a vivid impression of grandeur. When viewed from a distance, I conceive that nothing but magnitude simply can produce the sensation of grandeur; and in that way even the upper part of Drury Lane Theatre constitutes an object of grandeur when seen from Surrey and the adjacent parts, though it is totally destitute of every other requisite that could attract notice. When ruins that are seen from a distance exhibit fantastic forms, and bold elevations, they produce a striking effect, which has been demoninated picturesque, but which has a much more intimate connexion with the sensation of beauty than of grandeur.

If, in all disquisitions concerning objects of taste, strong and vivid sensations were thus to form the basis, like facts in physics, and our reasoning faculty were only resorted to for the purpose of extending our views to others of a similar kind, and thus connecting, arranging, and combining them in various ways, and then deducing general conclusions, much good might result from it; and such disquisitions might afford both pleasure and instruction: but when persons who have none of those native, unsought for, warm and feeling perceptions of mind, departing from the province which nature afsigned to them in this world, shall sit down to analyse what they never perceived, and by a series of dry hypothetical arguments shall pretend to overrule the strong propensities of nature, by telling why we should be pleased with this thing, or dislike that,

runs along in one direction till its size dwindles into insignificance, it tends to distract rather than to fill the mind. Where the structure is so large then as not to admit of being all seen to advantage as one whole, it ought to be so divided, as that each part, when viewed near, may be considered as a whole; and then the other parts may serve to heighten its effect of contrast.

by way

Hitherto I have only directed the attention to entire structures. But when we consider the striking effect. that ruins are universally admitted to excite as objects of grandeur, this may, perhaps, seem to counteract the foregoing reasoning in some degree; and therefore these objects require to be examined.

It is admitted, then, as a fact very universally recognised, that ruins of large structures are well calculated to excite an idea of grandeur; I believe it will not be denied, that they operate even more powerfully in this respect than the buildings themselves in general when they were entire. Let us not then lose sight of these precious facts, whatever shall become of our foregoing reasoning.

But do all ruins produce this effect? No. There are many which excite only the ideas of disgustful desolation. It is those only which are of great magnitude, whose projections are bold, whose elevation is lofty, and that discover undeniable vestiges of symmetrical arrangement, which are calculated to impress the mind with an idea of grandeur. They have lost, indeed, that simplicity of form which I have conceived to be an indispensable feature of grandeur in a perfect

large and few, so as to allow the imagination to combine them into a simple whole that can be easily grasped by the mind, they can never, when nearly viewed (in as far at least as my sensations have indicated) produce a vivid imprefsion of grandeur. When viewed from a distance, I conceive that nothing but magnitude simply can produce the sensation of grandeur; and in that way even the upper part of Drury Lane Theatre constitutes an object of grandeur when seen from Surrey and the adjacent parts, though it is totally destitute of every other requisite that could attract notice. When ruins that are seen from a distance exhibit fantastic forms, and bold elevations, they produce a striking effect, which has been demoninated picturesque, but which has a much more intimate connexion with the sensation of beauty than of grandeur.

If, in all disquisitions concerning objects of taste, strong and vivid sensations were thus to form the basis, like facts in physics, and our reasoning faculty were only resorted to for the purpose of extending our views to others of a similar kind, and thus connecting, arranging, and combining them in various ways, and then deducing general conclusions, much good might result from it; and such disquisitions might afford both pleasure and instruction: but when persons who have none of those native, unsought for, warm and feeling perceptions of mind, departing from the province which nature afsigned to them in this world, shall sit down to analyse what they never perceived, and by a series of dry hypothetical arguments shall pretend to overrule the strong propensities of nature, by telling why we should be pleased with this thing, or dislike that,