DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18733#0134
[ i°4 ]
even some of our own streets, would be near-
ly invisible at their further ends. Neither, in
my opinion, are they always so evanescent; for
not only in dimensions, but also in effetft,
many objedts evade the rules of geometry, as
it does not always happen that their force de-
creasesaccording to their geometrical distances,
but, by a variety of accidents, arising from the
vivacity of the light, or from the rarity or den-
sity of the circumambient air, they vary consi-
derably from their prescribed essedts. Nor
indeed is perspective itself infallible here; for,
is you suppose yourselves. Ladies and Gentle-
men, to have taken the most accurate view (of
a distant town for instance) while the sun has
been obscured by clouds, should they be sud-
denly dissipated, and the sun shine full on that
particular spot, it would scarce seem the same
place it did before: or, some gilded weathercock,
just moved by a little shift of wind, may gleam
irregularity into the keeping of the piece. I have
osten noticed housesat a distance, perhaps bare-
ly sufficient to distinguish them, when suddenly,
by the parting of the clouds, the sun-beams have
been reftedted with great splendor, from windows
which besore were imperceptible. This often
happens in the evening, to houses built on hills,
and
even some of our own streets, would be near-
ly invisible at their further ends. Neither, in
my opinion, are they always so evanescent; for
not only in dimensions, but also in effetft,
many objedts evade the rules of geometry, as
it does not always happen that their force de-
creasesaccording to their geometrical distances,
but, by a variety of accidents, arising from the
vivacity of the light, or from the rarity or den-
sity of the circumambient air, they vary consi-
derably from their prescribed essedts. Nor
indeed is perspective itself infallible here; for,
is you suppose yourselves. Ladies and Gentle-
men, to have taken the most accurate view (of
a distant town for instance) while the sun has
been obscured by clouds, should they be sud-
denly dissipated, and the sun shine full on that
particular spot, it would scarce seem the same
place it did before: or, some gilded weathercock,
just moved by a little shift of wind, may gleam
irregularity into the keeping of the piece. I have
osten noticed housesat a distance, perhaps bare-
ly sufficient to distinguish them, when suddenly,
by the parting of the clouds, the sun-beams have
been reftedted with great splendor, from windows
which besore were imperceptible. This often
happens in the evening, to houses built on hills,
and