is again put in motions French writers, generally speakingly ate extremely correctv in this particular: the English, on the conn trary, are fo irregular as fcarce to deferve sazi criticifmas actors not only fucceed each o+ ther in the fame place without connection bot, alwhat is still worfe, they frequently: fucceed each other in different places. This change of place in the fame act, ought nee ver to be indulged for, befide breaking the unity of the act, it has a difagreeable effect. After and interval, the mind can readily accommodate itself to any place that is neceffary, juft as readily as at the commencement of the play; but during the re-I prefentation, the mind rejects change of place. From the foregoing cenfure muft be excepted the Mourning Bride of Con greve, where regularity concurs with the beauty of fentiment and of language, to make it one of the most complete pieces Englandi has to boast of I must acknowledge, how every that in point of regularity, this ele gant performance is not altogether unex ceptionable. In the four first acts, the u nities of place and time are ftrictly obferved MAHO

but

but in the last act, there is a capital error with refpect to unity of place. In the three firftofcenes of that act, the place of action issa room of state, which is changed to a prison in the fourth fcene: the chain of the actors withal is broken; for the perfons in troduced in the prifon, are different from those who made their appearance in the room of ftate. This remarkable interruption of the representation, makes in effect two acts instead of one: and therefore, if it be a rule, that a play ought not to confift of more acts than five, this performance is fo far defective in point of regularity. I may add, that even admitting fix acts, the irregularity would not be altogether removed, without a longer paufe in the reprefentation than is allowed in the acting; for it requires more than a momentary interruption, to enable the imagination rea dily to accommodate itself to a new place, or to prorogation of time. In The Way of the World, of the fame author, unity of place is preferved during every act, and a ftricter unity of time during the whole play than is neceffary.

CHAP.

T

HE books that have been compofed upon architecture and upon embellifhing ground, abound in practical inftruction neceffary for a mechanic: but in vain would we rummage them for rational principles to improve our tafte. In a general fyftem, it might be thought fufficient to have unfolded the principles that govern these and other fine arts, leaving the application to the reader: but as I would neglect no opportunity of illuftrating thefe principles, I propofe to give a fpecimen of their application to gardening and architecture, being favourite arts, though I profefs no peculiar fkill in either.

Gardening was at firft an useful art: in the garden of Alcinoous, described by Howe find nothing done for pleafure

mer,

merely.

merely. But gardening is now improved into a fine art; and when we talk of a garden without any epithet, a pleasure garden, by way of eminence, is understood. The garden of Alcinoous, in modern language, was but a kitchen-garden. Architecture has run the fame courfe. It continued ma

ny ages an useful art merely, before it afpired to be claffed with the fine arts. Architecture therefore and gardening must be handled in a twofold view, as being useful arts as well as fine arts. The reader however will not here expect rules for improving any work of art in point of utility. It is no part of my plan to treat of any ufeful art as fuch. But there is a beauty in utility; and in difcourfing of beauty, that of utility ought not to be neglected. This leads us to confider gardens and buildings in different views they may be deftined for use folely, for beauty folely, or for both. Such variety in the destination, bestows upon gardening and architecture a great command of beauties complex not less than various, which makes it difficult to form an accurate tafte in thefe arts, And hence

that

that difference and wavering of taste which is more remarkable here than in any art that has but a fingle destination.

Architecture and gardening cannot otherwise entertain the mind, than by raifing certain agreeable emotions or feelings; and before we defcend to particulars, these arts fhall be prefented in a general view, by showing what are the emotions or feelings that can be raised by them. Poetry, as to its power of raising emotions, poffeffes juftly the first place among the fine arts; for scarce one emotion of human nature is be yond its reach. Painting and fculpture are more circumfcribed, having the command of no emotions but what are produced by fight. They are peculiarly fuccessful in expreffing painful paffions, which are difplay'd by external figns extremely legible *, Gardening, befide the emotions of beauty by means of regularity, order, proportion, colour, and utility, can raife emotions of grandeur, of sweetness, of gaiety, melancholy, wildness, and even of furprise or

*See chap. 15.

wonder.