Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/334

 320 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

as if they had been brought down by the fury of the waters; others look as if fliattered and blalled by the force of lightning : the build- ings are fome in ruins, others half- confumed by fire, and fome mife- rable huts difperfed in the moun- tains ferve at once to indicate the exiftence and wretchednefs of the inhabitants. Thefe fccnes are generally fucceeded by pleafing ones. The Chinefe artills, know- ing how powerfully contrail ope- rates on the mind, conllantly prac- tife fudden tranfitions, and a llrik- ing oppolition of forms, colours, and fhades. Thus they conduct you from limited profpeds to ex- tenfive views ; from objedls of hor- ror to fcenes of delight ; from lakes and rivers, to plains, hills, and woods ; to dark and gloomy colours they oppofe fuch as are brilliant, and to complicated forms fimple ones ; dirtributing, by a judicious arrangement, the different mafles of light and Ihade, in fuch a man- ner as to render the compofition at once diftindl in its parts, and Ilrik- ing in the whole.

Where the ground is extenfive, and a multiplicity of fcenes are to be introduced, they generally adapt each to one fingle point of view : but where it is limited, and affords no room for variety, they endea- vour to remedy this defedl, by dif- pofing the objects fc, that being viewed from different points they produce different reprefentations ; and fometimes by an artful difpofi- tion, fuch as have no refemblance to each other.

In their large gardens they con- trive different fcenes for morning, noon, and evening ; ereding at the proper points of view, build- ings adapted to the recreations of

each particular time of the da^ : and in their fmall ones (where, as has been obferved, one arrange- ment produces many reprefenta- tions) they difpofe in the fame manner, at the feveral points of view, buildings which, from their ufe, point out the time of day for enjoying the fcene in its per- feilion.

As the climate of China is ex- ceeding hot, they employ a great deal of water in their gardens. In the fmall ones, if the fituation admits, they frequently lay almoft the whole ground under water ; leaving only fome iflands and rocks : and in their large ones they introduce extenfive lakes, rivers, and canals. The banks of their lakes and rivers are variegated in imitation of nature ; being fome* times bare and gravelly, fometimes covered with woods quite to the water's edge. In fome places flat, and adorned with flowers and fluubs ; in others deep, rocky, and forming caverns, into which part of the waters difcharge them- felves with noife and vioiencei Sometimes you fee meadows co- vered with cattle, or rice grounds that run out into the lakes, leaving between them paffages for veffels ; and fometimes groves, into which enter, in different parts, creeks, and rivulets, fufficiently deep to admit boats ; their banks being planted with trees, whofe fpreading branches, in fome places, form arbours, under which theboats pafs. Thefe generally conduft to fome very interefting objeft ; fuch as a magnificent building ; places on the top of a mountain cut into lerraffcs : a cafinc fituated in the midft of a lake ; a cafcade ; a grotio cut into a variety of apart-

meats;