um through
which the object is seen), which it would be out of place to discuss
here, but the chief of which is the natural tendency of the feelings
always to believe objects subtending the same angle to be of the same
height. We say the feelings, not the eye; for the practiced eye never
betrays its possessor, though the due and corresponding mental
impression is not received.]

223. For these reasons, buildings of a very large size are decidedly
destructive of effect among the English lakes: first, because apparent
altitudes are much diminished by them; and, secondly, because, whatever
position they may be placed in, instead of combining with scenery, they
occupy and overwhelm it; for all scenery is divided into pieces, each of
which has a near bit of beauty, a promontory of lichened crag, or a
smooth swarded knoll, or something of the kind, to begin with. Wherever
the large villa comes, it takes up one of these beginnings of landscape
altogether; and the parts of crag or wood, which ought to combine with
it, become subservient to it, and lost in its general effect; that is,
ordinarily, in a general effect of ugliness. This should never be the
case: however intrinsically beautiful the edifice may be, it should
assist, but not supersede; join, but not eclipse; appear, but not
intrude.

224. The general rule by which we are to determine the size is, to
select the largest mass which will not overwhelm any object of fine
form, within two hundred yards of it; and if it does not do this, we may
be quite sure it is not too large for the distant features: for it is
one of Nature's most beautiful adaptations, that she is never out of
proportion with herself; that is, the minor details of scenery of the
first class bear exactly the proportion to the same species of detail in
scenery of the second class, that the large features of the first bear
to the large features of the second. Every mineralogist knows that the
quartz of the St. Gothard is as much larger in its crystal than the
quartz of Snowdon, as the peak of the one mountain overtops the peak of
the other; and that the crystals of the Andes are larger than
either.[49] Every artist knows that the bowlders of an Alpine
foreground, and the leaps of an Alpine stream, are as much larger than
the bowlders, and as much bolder than the leaps, of a Cumberland
foreground and torrent, as the Jungfrau is higher than Skiddaw.
Therefore, if we take care of the near effect in any count