th its erection, we might expect to find indications of individual and
peculiar feelings, which it would be most interesting to follow out. But
this is no part of our present task; at some future period we hope to
give a series of essays on the habitations of the most distinguished men
of Europe, showing how the alterations which they directed, and the
expression which they bestowed, corresponded with the turn of their
emotions, and leading intellectual faculties: but at present we have to
deal only with generalities; we have to ascertain not what will be
pleasing to a single mind, but what will afford gratification to every
eye possessing a certain degree of experience, and every mind endowed
with a certain degree of taste.

103. Without further preface, therefore, let us endeavor to ascertain
what would be theoretically beautiful, on the shore, or among the
scenery of the Larian Lake, preparatory to a sketch of the general
features of those villas which exist there, in too great a multitude to
admit, on our part, of much individual detail.

For the general tone of the scenery, we may refer to the paper on the
Italian cottage; for the shores of the Lake of Como have generally the
character there described, with a little more cheerfulness, and a little
less elevation,[14] but aided by great variety of form. They are not
quite so rich in vegetation as the plains: both because the soil is
scanty, there being, of course, no decomposition going on among the
rocks of black marble which form the greater part of the shore; and
because the mountains rise steeply from the water, leaving only a narrow
zone at their bases in the climate of Italy. In that zone, however, the
olive grows in great luxuriance, with the cypress, orange, aloe, myrtle,
and vine, the latter always trellised.

[Footnote 14: That Italian mountain scenery has less elevation of
character than the plains may appear singular; but there are many simple
reasons for a fact which, we doubt not, has been felt by every one
(capable of feeling anything), who ever left the Alps to pass into
Lombardy. The first is, that a mountain scene, as we saw in the last
paper, bears no traces of decay, since it never possessed any of life.
The desolation of the sterile peaks, never having been interrupted, is
altogether free from the melancholy which is consequent on the passing
away of interruption. They stood up in the time of Italy's glory, into
the voiceless air, while all th