The artists repository and drawing magazine: exhibiting the principles of the polite arts in their various branches (1.1787)

I 69 ]

ferying, that nature in all her works of fancy,
if I may be allowed the exprefiion, where
it feems immaterial whether even or odd
numbers of divifions were preferred, moft
frequently employs the odd ; as for ex-
ample, in the indenting of leaves, flowersa
bloffoms, &c.

" The oval alfo, on account of its variety
with fimplicity, is as much to be preferred to
the circle, as the triangle to the fquare, or the
pyramid to the cube and this figure leffened
at one end, like the egg, thereby being more
varied, is fingled out by the Author of all va-
riety, to bound the features of a beautiful
face.

" When the oval has a little more of the
cone added to it than the egg has, it becomes
more diftinctly a compound of thofe two moft
fimple varied figures. This is the fhape of
the pine-apple, which nature has particularly
diftinguifhed by bellowing rich ornaments of
mofaic upon it, compofcd of contrafted ferpen-
tine lines, and the'pips, as the gardeners call
them, are ftill varied by two cavities and one
found eminence in each.

Could a more elegant fimple form than
this have been found, it is probable that judi-
cious architect, Sir Chriftopher Wren, would

not