DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18972#0360
332
THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING. [letter iii.
hills as they tempt you, following glen or shore
as your eye glances or your heart guides, wholly
scornful of local fame or fashion, and of every
thing which it is the ordinary traveller's duty to
see, or pride to do. Never force yourself to admire
anything when you are not in the humour; but
never force yourself away from what you feel to be
lovely, in search of anything better: and gradually
the deeper scenes of the natural world will unfold
themselves to you in still increasing fulness of pas-
sionate power; and your difficulty will be no more to
seek or to compose subjects, but only to choose one
from among the multitude of melodious thoughts
with which you will be haunted, thoughts which
will of course be noble or original in proportion to
your own depth of character and general power of
mind; for it is not so much by the consideration you
give to any single drawing, as by the previous dis-
cipline of your powers of thought, that the character
of your composition will be determined. Simplicity
of life will make you sensitive to the refinement and
modesty of scenery, just as inordinate excitement and
THE ELEMENTS OF DRAWING. [letter iii.
hills as they tempt you, following glen or shore
as your eye glances or your heart guides, wholly
scornful of local fame or fashion, and of every
thing which it is the ordinary traveller's duty to
see, or pride to do. Never force yourself to admire
anything when you are not in the humour; but
never force yourself away from what you feel to be
lovely, in search of anything better: and gradually
the deeper scenes of the natural world will unfold
themselves to you in still increasing fulness of pas-
sionate power; and your difficulty will be no more to
seek or to compose subjects, but only to choose one
from among the multitude of melodious thoughts
with which you will be haunted, thoughts which
will of course be noble or original in proportion to
your own depth of character and general power of
mind; for it is not so much by the consideration you
give to any single drawing, as by the previous dis-
cipline of your powers of thought, that the character
of your composition will be determined. Simplicity
of life will make you sensitive to the refinement and
modesty of scenery, just as inordinate excitement and