An Essay on Taste

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

A N

ESS AY ON

TASTE. B Y

ALEXANDER GERARD, Profefibr of

the

M. A.

Moral PHILOSOPHY and LOGIC,

MARISCHAL COLLEGE

in

of Aberdeen.

WITH THREE DISSERTATIONS On

fame

the

B

Y

VOLTAIRE.

De

Mr.

SUBJECT.

Mr. D A L E M B E R T, F. R. o N T E s o^u i E Mr. De '

M

Omnes quae

tacito fint

in

quodam artibus

S.

u.

fenfu, fine ulla arte aut ratione, et prava ac rationibus

rea

Ci

jud leant.

c.

de Oratore,

lib. iii.

LONDON, Printed

for

A.

MILLAR

A. KINCAID and

J.

BELL,

MDCCL

I

in

the

Strand,

in Edinburgh.

X.

ADVERTISEMENT, 'THEEDINBURGH SOCIETY for the encouragement of arts, fciences, maand agriculture propofed, in the

nufatfures,

a gold medal to thebeft ESSAY year i/55> E As T en and, not having affigned it that

T

-,

"This repeated the propofal in 1756. determined the author to enter on the following

year,

enquiry

the nature

into

which principles of

of tfajle

-,

the general

only he presented to the

So-

that the whole might exceed the ciety, fufpefting limits effay.

jeft,

which they had Jixed, by requiring an rfhe judges appointed for that fub-

having been pleafed

to

him, he

it

was atfrjl

is

encouraged

to ajfign the

premium

to offer the whole,

as

to the public; compofed,

CON-

541036 ENGLISH

[iii]

CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION.

PART into fajle refolded

I.

it's

fimple principles.

SECT. I. Of the fenfe or tafle of Novelty. SECT. II. Of the fenfe or tajle of Sublimity. SECT. III. Oftbefenfe or tafle of Beauty. SECT. IV. Ofthefenfeor tafle ofImitation. SECT. V. Of'the fenfe or tafle of Harmony. SECT. VI. Oftbefenfe or

SECT. VII. Ofthefenfeor

PART

3;

13. 3

1.

49. 59.

-

of Oddity and 66.

tafle

of Virtue. 74.

tafle

-

Ridicule.

I.

page

II.

of tafle by the union and improvement ofifsfimple principles.

'fhe formation

SECT. the

I.

Of the

union of the internal fenfes and

ajjijlance they receive

pajjion.

-

from

delicacy -

of

79.

a 2

SECT.

CONTENTS. SECT.

Of

II.

the

tajle.

SECT.

III. Tiajle

what

SECT. SECT. SECT. SECT.

influence -

ill,

of judgment upon -

90. improvable; how; and in -

-

-

refpeffs.

IV. Offenfjbility offafle.

V.

Of refinement

ofTafle.

1

99. 06.

1

16.

1 VI. Ofcorretfnefs of Tafte. 34. VII. Of the due proportion of the prin148. ciples of

/*.-

Xoyi^sj'tv/jki^'-

Tff^-' TfiT&? yap ixwru Jox Jia a\ t TJ a^og^tr) trct-^n^K^Ta. ctaTu TB avn'itou' TO ol mdvrot u$ a-t/ovra X^ynv, x.'ira.yivuffX.AA. J. v( Homines ad Deos nulla .

(0}

re

propius acccdunt,

quam

ft-

lutehominibusdanda. Pro Ligar. ia* (/) Illud ingcnium, quod folum populus Romanus par perio fuo habuit. (q) *HJ>)

cj

Controv.

lib.

i.

^gvynjn tK7XuSc a/?riXoiarar,

'

l.xSa

i'd'or

Tftetra, Oft/yac ,

?-

^ Mv7?t>-

citigs atXo7rJ?>4{t oe'mSfcio,

By

-

Of the

28

By

tajle

PART

of

I.

the fame means, an Italian poet reprefents

which he

Venice^

as greater

celebrates,

than

"Rome.

Sipelago I'yberim prefers, urbem adfpicc utramqite Illam homines dices ^ bane poftiiffe Deos.

;

SANAZAR.

becomes grand by the metaphoriby the relation, which Gods ; and its grand-

Venice

cal ufe of pelagus, and it is faid to bear to the

eur

is

increafed,

by companion with Rome t

great, but at the

acknowleged

fame time pur-

pofely degraded, by the oppofition of fyber to pelagitSy and its relation to men. The

power of imparting fublimity .

to objects

by giving them

which

naturally have

it

not,

tion to others,

is

an advantage peculiar to the by language ; for the reft

arts,

which

a rela-

imitate

can attain the fublime, only by copying fuch as are themfelves poffefled of that

objects

quality (r). *Oi

gat

TOT' irpatTsWlo

itct

o^Saj Eayyaj^js,

Kati yetg lyuv lirixu%&' etv ptTci n.6yu ir* ret WYI. In this latitude he explains it, treating of the neryoui,

the vehement, and even the beautiful and elegant.

die

'

Of

3&

the tafle of,

the orders below them;

&cT

'

PART 1

or the defect of

fublimity in compofitions of art or genius, which propofe to imitate originals or treat

fubje&s confefledly noble, gives us diftafte

and

infpires

likewife

contempt.

from

Meannefs arifes often when low arid gro-

aflbciation,

as when images mean fimiles, objedts, are Thus alib, applied to an important fubjeft. words and phrafes become mean, when they excite mean ideas, either by their proper fig-

veling ideas are fuggefted

nification, or

only by

;

taken from

and

by their being ordinarily thofe of inferiour rank.

ufed

SECT.

31]

1

SECT. Of

the fenfe

or

III.

tafle

objeds

BEAUTIFUL kinds, and produce of different principles of

THE

firft

fpecies

of Beauty*

are

of

different

pleafure by means nature.

human

of beauty

is

that otfigure*

and belongs to objects pofleffed of uniformity^ Each of thefe quavariety and proportion. in fome degree j but all of them lities pleafes ',

united give exquifite fatisfaction.

FACILITY if it is

in the conception of an object,

moderate, gives us pleafure

thinks well of

itfelf,

when

it

is

:

the

able to

mind form This

conception without pain or labour. conftitutes the value of perfpicuity of thought it's

and language, which tion to

is

agreeable in oppoii-

obfcurity, as this occafions

an uneafy

fearch into the meaning of the the parts or of the which whole, tendency requires greater labour than we are willing to beftow. Hence

too

it is

that uniformity

agreeable.

and

fimpllclty

become

Objects endued with thefe* qualities

Of the

32

tafte

of

PART L

beauty.

mind

(hey do not diftradl our attention, or hurry us too fait from one fcene to another : the view of

lities

into

enter eafily

the

:

the whole, and, impelling the apart fuggefts mind to imagine the red:, produces a grateful exertion of its energy. in all the beautiful

ACCORDINGLY,

works

of nature, uniformity is preferved in the general appearance of the correfpondent parts.

And

though a perfectly accurate regularity is avoided, both in natural effects and in the fine arts ; yet fo much of it muft be retained, as to keep the variety from degenerating into Regular figures perplexity and confufion. are in general preferred to irregular j and

fuch

as

have

to

fuch. as have

requifite to

the beauty of Even when a

parallel

not.

is

fides

Equality every piece of painting (s). in the appearance of the perfeft fimilarity counterparts feems to be fludioufly fhunned, (s) Alters pars

Aut

deferta

tabulafiet,

vacuo ne

dom

frigida

camro^,

pluribus altera formis

Fcrvida mole fua fupremam exurgit ad oram. Sed tibi fie pofitis refpondeat utraque rebus,

Ut

fi

aliquid furfum fe partc attollat in urf,

Sic aliquid parte ex alia conmrgat, et t,

gerr.inas

cumulando

FRESN.de

ambas

zequaliter oras.

Art.

Graph,

ver. 14;.

as

SECT.

Of the

III.

as in a fide

tafle

of beauty.

view of a human

33

the atti-

face,

tude of the body, or the profile of a building ; yet ftill it muft be fo contrived, that, does not exhibit a fenfation, it may notwithstanding, according to the rules of

though

it

perfpe&ive, fuggeft the idea

To

formity.

of exacl uni-

beftow fimplicity upon a mul-

titude of feparate

phenomena, the

pher traces them up to common and general caufes ; and it is only has done

fo,

philofoqualities;

when he

that the beauty of fcience be-

gins (/)

BUT

when

uniformity,

perfect and Un-

apt to pall upon the fenfe, to grow to fink the mind into an and languid, uneafy

mixed,

is

of indolence.

ftate

It

cannot therefore alone

produce pleafure, either very high, or of very long duration. Variety is neceflary to enliven

it.

Where

degenerates into

this

is

wanting, uniformity

dull formality.

Variety iri the fenfe of gratifies novelty, as our ideas vary in pafiing from the contem-

fome meafurc

plation of one part to that of another. (/)

ideas parts jett.

;

;

This

Uniformity and Tim;, licity are, flriflly fpeafdhg, diftinft the former implying the fimilarity of the correspondent the latter the fcwnef. of linhke parts in the whole obas both pleafe by the fame principle, it was?

But

judged

uoneceflary precifdy to diftingaifl) them here.

D

tran-

Of the

34

tranlition puts the it

PART

of beauty.

tajle

mind

in

action,

I.

and gives

employment, the confcioufnefs of which

is

agreeable ().

IN the works of nature we find variety ftudioufly fought after, as in the uneven furface of the globe ; the infinity of fhapes and hues in the flowers that adorn it ; the intricate windings of rivers ture,

which we even

artj

and

;

the wildneffes of na-

fet ourfelves to

ten thoufand

in

copy by

other inftances.

To

procure it, the Architect enriches his buildings with ornaments of different forms. In all works of tafte, too great uniformity is avoided by numberlefs graceful attitudes, by varying of members, and by contrafting the parts (x).

which often greatly contributes tcf beauty, confidered as a fpecies of variety ; at lead its agreea_ blenefs is derived from the fame caufe ; and variety is mofl (a)

Intricacy,

may be

B

aturalJy

combined with uniformity,

intricacy

with fimplici-

'y-

(*) Inque Figurarum cumulis

non omnibus idem

Corporis inflexus, motufque ; vel artubus omnes Converfis pariter non connitantur eodem ;

Sed quasdam

in diverfa trahant contraria

Tranfverfeque

FRESN.

^,

So great

aliis

is

mgenious

the

membra,

pugnent, et czetera frangant. de Art. Graph, ver. 137.

in producing beauty, that aa has lately anatyeJit, not altogether witli-

power of variety

artift,

who

i

WERE

SECT.

Of

III.

WERE

the tajle of beauty.

the variety indeed

j

boundlefs,

the

mind would be

fatigued and pained with continual (hitting from part to part, without the;

profpect of any end of its labour : be difpleafed and difgiifted, when to that, after numberlefs efforts

it it

would found

conceive

the object, the endlefs diflimilitude and perplexed comppfition of the parts ftill baffled

endeavours, and hindered

its

ing

its

A

idea.

it

from perfect-

certain degree of uniformity

mufl therefore be blended with the objects;

other ways this variety,

variety of inftead of

producing moderate energy, would fubject us to infurmountable toil, which would make our pleafure foon degenerate into pain* 4

THESE two

qualities,

by thus moderating

the effects of one another, increafe the pleaout reafon, refolves almoft the whole of it into that principle " th* defines the art of compoftng to be nothing elfe but " art of He holds uniformity no further nevarying well."

and

teflary, than

convey the idea of reft or motion, It But here he goes too far. were eafy to point out inftances, where uniformity is ftudied, though it cannot have any degree of this effeft and he acwithout

it is

requifite to

poffibility

of

falling.

:

a comfofed variety ; which He indeed fufneceflarily implies a mixture of uniformity.

knowleges that beauty

refides only in

ficiently proves that uniformity is not the only, or chief princiYet it often by itfdf conftitutes fomef ple of perfeft beauty. degree of it ; as in the ftraight and parallel fides of a canal.

D

2

furc

Of the

36

tajle

PART

of beauty.

I.

fure refulting from each : giving the mind at once the oppofite gratifications of facility and

mixed with, and mellowing

aftive exertion,

one another.

PROPORTION

confifls not fo

much

in

re-

lations of the parts precifely menfurable, as in a general aptitude of the flrudture to the

end propofed

j

which experience enables us

than any Its inmethods can determine it. fluence on beauty is therefore derived from ftnefs (

^

IN the

is produced the only of or which comes fentiment, beauty thought the under head that beauty j properly prefent

which

fecorid

arifes,

way

when

the fubject defcribed

is

agreeable to fight, as light, flowers, fields, meadows, groves or when it is illuftrated by -,

images from things that are fo agreeable. This is one great part of the beauty of paftoral

and enters

;

in

fome degree

into

every

kind of poetry (c).

To

the third caufe, or the union of both

the former, imitations of beautiful originals, It figure and colour, owe their beauty. obfervable that the arts which ufe the/e in-

by is

ftruments have greater advantages for imitatThis they can ing beauty than fublimity. reprefent, as we have feen, only by fuggefting ideas of grand objects ; but the copies would not, if confidered as originals, be grand ; fince they are almoft ever deftitute of

tude, (f)

its

The

moft

efTential

requifite,

magniBut imita-

other qualities which render fentiments beautiful morality, elev**

or agreeable, as metaphor, fable, antithefls tiou, &c. belong to other clafles.

tions

SECT.

Of

III.

the

tafte

47

of beauty.

tions of beautiful originals, their refemblance to thefe,

independent of are beautiful

;

fmce they cannot other ways exhibit their beauties to the thought, than by themfelves and often poflefling them in fome degree :

they poffefs types.

A

them

as perfectly as their

ftatue has the

arche-

fame regularity and

A

proportion as its original. painting may equal the object it reprefents, not only in fymmetry and propriety, but in colour.

THE

clafTes

of beauty, which

been explaining, are

we have

diftinct in their princi-

though by reafon of the fimilitude of they are reduced to the fame But they are often in things varioufly genus. and united, by their union they render our In a fine face all fatisfaction more intenfe. the principles of beauty are combined. To an exact fymmetry and regular proportion of varied features, and parts nicely adapted to

ples,

their feeling,

their feveral purpofes,

is

fuperadded complex-

ion, compofed of white and red, colours beautiful in themfelves rendered ftill more fo by

the artful manner

in

which they

are difpofed,

and by their indicating health and frefbnefs ; and the grace of the whole is heightened by a quick

48

C)f the

tajle

of beauty.

PART

1*

a quick expreflivenefs of afpecl, which forces us inftantaneoufly to perceive acutenefs, fagaor the like amiable city, fedatenefs, fweetnefs, qualities, in the

gant form

mind which animates

the ele-

while the approbation attending this perception is refkdled back upon thg face

j

which gave occafion

to

it.

SECT,

t49

SECT. the

Of

fenfe or

of

tafte,

which,

as

it

IV.

tafte

and

EXACTNESS tion fupply us

J

of imitation*

livelinefs

of imita-

with another pleafurc has no peculiar name, is

exprefled by that of beauty ; and fome termed relative or fecondary, to by it from the kinds above diftinguifh explained,

commonly is

which

We

are

called

abfolute

have a natural

fenfe,

or primary (d).

which

is

highly

a

defigned refemblance, though there be nothing agreeable in the original. Similitude is a very powerful principle of aflb-

gratified

by

ciation,

which,

by continually

the ideas in which

it is

connecting

and leading

found,

our thoughts from one of them to the other, produces in mankind a ftrong tendency comparifon.

gy

implies

to

the

in

a gentle exertion of the mind, it is that account agreeable. As a farther ener-

very

on

As comparifon

is

acl:

requifite for difcovering the original

the copy grateful (J)

See

;

and

as

this difcovery

confcioufnefs of our

HUTCH ESON'S

by

produces a

own

difcern-

Enquiry into the original of ouc Treat. I. Seft. iv.

ideas of beauty and virtue.

E

merit

Of the ta/lc of 50 ment and fagacity, and of fuccefsj

feeling

Part

imitation.

I.

includes the pleafant the recognizing refem-

blance, in confequence of comparifon, augAnd when the imiments our pleafure (e). tation

intended, our admiration of the (kill

is

and ingenuity of the artifl diffufes itfelf over the effect from which that Ikill is inferred, and compleats the delight which the work infpires.

HENCE the

rapture with whichaconnoifleur

beholds the capital performances of the eminent matters in painting or fculpture. Hence

the main excellence of poetical or eloquent defcriptions

of which

the characteriftical

j

perfection

from the author's judicioufly the mod efTential and ftriking quafelecting lities of his fubject, and combining them into fuch

arifes

picture as quickly revives in the

a

and ftrongly imprefles on his mind idea of the original. The fundamen-

reader,

a lively

tafceauty of metaphor and allegory

lies in their

inunuating the analogies of things that of fimilitude and comparifon in their more explicitly -,

propofing thefe analogies. ( e)

Ates

yei(>

rwro

&aireti

xtp.

jgaijyTi xati

rxf

By this they com-

ttKorxt ygutTe(f

ffvHwyifafyau, TI

CTJ

tuotfott

ffvf*^i?t

API2TOT.

y.

municatc

Sett.

IV.

Of tie

tafle

of imitation.

municate finenefs to a fentiment.

5

1

Moft of

the figures and tropes of eloquence derive their grace from their being fo employed, as to correfpond with the natural expreffions or objects of thofe paffionsandfentiments, which

actuate the orator, or

which he would

infpire

Improbability, which is of refemblance to natural things, al-

into his audience.

a

want

a fable or ftory lefs entertaining j the improbability be very great, or extend to the material parts, it often makes it

ways renders and

if

wholly naufeous.

WHEN

excellent originals are imitated, the derive their charms, not merely from copies exactnefs of imitation, but alfo from the ex-

cellence fication

which they reprefent; and the gratiwhich thefe copies afford may almoft

as properly be afcribed to beauty or fublimity as to imitation. As the beauty here is com-

principles, it will of confequence compounded in its effect, and will ra-

plicated in

be

alfo

vifh the

it's

mind much more than either of its con-

ftituents alone.

An

Hercitles y exhibiting pro-

portion, ftrength, and fortitude

muftbe a

finerftatue than the

of a ^berfitei tus,

vrSilenus.

which reprefented

E

in perfection,

exadeft imitation

The works of

Pc/ygno-

beautiful objects,

2

were

doubt-

Of the

52 doubtlefs

more

tafte

Part

of imitation.

L

delightful than the pictures of

Dionyfius or Paufon,

however

Skillfully

they

might reprefent ordinary or

The

ancient Greek,

faulty objects (f). or the modern Italian

be preferable to the Flepainters will always mijh, who, though they imitate wellt do not

make a judicious choice of fuch beauties of nature as defer veto be imitated (g). TheMargites of Homer could not have given us fo high enwe receive from the Iliad.

A

tertainment as

comparifon^however nicely fuited to the fubject, will pleafe ftill more, if it is taken from what conveys no ideas, but fuch as are noble and agreeable : and indeed by fuggefting fuch as are ftrongly the reverfe, it will be fuffi(f)

KWr?ot, Tlctvjui $e AFJ2TOT. wip irouir. xitp.

Tlokvyiurot pit

cpoiovi;

*f.

^a'got/f,

A<W*it,

et fuit fimilitudinis Ixjlit.

Oral,

lib. xii,

quam

pulchritu dim's

amantior.

cap. 10.

proof

SECT. IV. Of

the ftfjleof imitation.

57

And could a perproof of the higheft (kill. fon be formed to delicacy of tafte, and yet kept from feeing a picture till he were adult ; fcarce conceivable what rapture he mould

it is

when he

feel,

difcovered

fir ft

it

to

be but a

plane varioufly (haded, after Jiaving firmly believed, that, like the objects he had been

accuftomed

to, it

had

itfelf

the prominences

And reprefents (k). as every difficulty of execution heightens our and

cavities

which

it

fkill by which it is furrnounted, not only the importance of the work, but alfo the of reprefenting paffion and character by difficulty

idea of the

and colour, increafe the beauty of hiftory-painting. In this view poetry, imitating by figure

inftituted fymbols, is

on moft

than the other arts it

noways refembling things, more imperfectly mimetic

fubjects :

but this imperfection gives

a kind of merit, as that art to

Handing But

jects.

(k}

Hence

is

able notwith-

fugged very lively ideas of its ob what conflitutes its unqueftionable

in the celebrated contcft

between a painter and a from

ftatuary, concerning the merit of their arts, both argued real principles

of excellence

;

the lUtuary pleading the perthe painter the fuperior in;

fection of refemblance in his art

The blind man gave the pregenuity wLich his difcovered. The controverfy cannot b determined, ference to the latter. till it is previoufly fixed, which principle is, on the whole, eligible.

fuperi-

Of

58

fuperiority to

ofimitation. PART

the tafte

all its fifter

arts,

is

its

I.

peculiar

and unrivaled power of imitating the noblefl and moft important of all fubjedts, the calmeft fentiments of the heart, and ters difplayed in a

long

feries

human

charac-

of conduit. For

in determining the comparative merit of the imitative arts, we muft not only eftimate the excellencies of the inftruments or manners of imitation, alfo the

which they refpedively claim

moment of what they

j

but

imitate,

the

value of the ends to which they are adapt*

ed

(/).

(/)

All this muft be taken under confederation, in order to

explain the nature of any one of the fine arts : and it is only after the nature of each has been unfolded that we can judge

of their relative importance. &n.q>ipm o\ ctMykwv rpKr'n>' y* ? * yiret jT/goi? pip&i, i ra ^ tu tit *ut xcti

?,

*>

ht^

^n

SECT.


Qvyy TO ctixxhimx. 'HAE^IA ofuiw VA9H.

MAS.

^

^croc.

TIP.'

>.-y.

fi.wjfftt,

aM* ri r^

fi

lion i

SECT. V.

Of

the tafte

of harmony.

65

their objedls and natural exprefinfufes into the breaft paffions correfettles into calm ; ferenity, melts in-

tion with fions,

it

fpondent

to tendernefs or pity, finks into forrow, fooths into melancholy, agitates with terror, elevates

with

j.oy,

excites to courage, or enraptures

with devotion

;

and thys inexpreffibly delights

the foul.

SECT.

(

66

)

SECT. Of

the

fenfe

VI.

or tajle of Ridicule.

our enumeration of the fimple powers conftitute Tafte, we muft not

INwhich

fenfe, which perceives, and is graby the odd, the ridiculous, the humorous, the witty 3 and whofe gratification often produces, and always tends to mirth, laughter, and amufement. Though inferior in dignity to the reft, it is far from being de-

omit that

tified

It has a province, lefs fpicable. important indeed than that of the others, yet both ufeful and agreeable. As they judge of grave

and momentous fubjeds, it claims the fole jurifdidtkm over fuch as are more ludicrous, ITS object is in general incongruity or a of relation furprifing and uncommon mixture and contrariety in things. More explicitely; it is gratified by an inconfiftence and diffonance -,

of circumftances

in the

fame

objects nearly related in the

Jimilitude

or

object

main

;

;

or

in

or by a

unexpected between unlike. oppofite and

relation

things on the whole

JARRING

Of the

SECT. VI.

tqfte

of ridicule.

JARRING and incongruous

67

clrcumilances

the fame fubject form an abiurmeeting we are apt to be diverted. which with dity, Such are cowardice in a boafter ; ignorance in

in a man of what he ought or pretends to know dignity of any kind blended with ;

meannefs

;

fentiments or ftyle in compofition

We

are difpofed unfuitable to the fubject. to combine the parts of things into a whole,

and

to

beflow upon them unity and intimate we expect that they mould be all j

relation

confident, fuitable, and of a piece

we

find

;

and

when

them otherways, we pronounce them

ridiculous and abfurd.

WE

compare in of the fame qualities jecls

ted

;

fubjecl:,

and behaviour

cially of the

An

only the of fub-

alfo

oppofition of charac-

in different perfons, efpe-

fame family or

forms a diverting contraft. in

but

refembling or orherways nearly connecand their contrariety affects us with a

fimilar fenfation. ters

this light not

its

feeling,

moves our

profeffion, often

A

paflion intenfe

excited by a trifling caufe,

A

laughter. glaring difproportion betwixt the means and the end, when

the means are cither unequal to F 2

its

attain-

men:,

Of the

63

tafte

of ridicule.

PART!.

ment, or too laborious and expenfive for its importance, is on the fame principle ridiculous.

So excurfive is the human fancy, that it continually leads us to compare things the moft diffimilar ; and as on the former comof incongruity, fo parifons the appearance this the difcovery

analogies,

and

of unlocked for

relations,

pleafure and amufement.

on

likenefles,

proves a fource of Inferior animals

provoke our mirth, whenever they mimic the actions or fagacity of human creatures.

OBJECTS, conceived to be in any of thefe ways incongruous, always gratify the fenfe of : but they may excite at the fame time a more important feeling, which, by occupying the mind prevents our attending

Tidicule

to the incongruity, or extinguishes the fentiment thence refulting, as foon as it begins to rife.

/

of

Enormous

vice,

though of

all

things

mod

incongruous to the natural fyftem our minds, is never efleemed ridiculous (0).

the

(p) Nee injjgnis improbitas, et fcelere junfta, nee rurfus feria infignis agitata ridetur : facinorofos majore quadam

quam

ridiculi, vulnerari

forte jadant.

volunt

Cic. deQrat*

;

miferos illudi nolunt,

mivi,

niii fe

lib. ii.

Pain

SECT. VI.

the tafte of ridicule.

Of

69

Pain or miiery is never in itfelf ridiculous; it can become fuch only by being accidentalwith unfuitable connected circumftances, ly

and by

failing to excite pity fo intenfe as

up the ludicrous

fvvallow

WIT, Humour

',

ful

imitations of

nals

;

which

may

fenfation.

and Ridicule (p) are odd and incongruous

pleafe us not only

(kill-

origi-

by (hewing

them often more perfectly than we could have ourfelves obferved them ; but alfo by which

fuperadding the gratification

from

own

imitation.

This

gratification

nature feribus, but

timent which

and only

is

altered

is

refults in

its.

by the fen-

attends the objeds imitated, the contempt or

ferves to heighten

amufement which they produce. (/>)

The

author

is

well

award

that

thefe three modes- of

It would be a imitation are widely different. very curious work to afcertain the peculiar nature of each, and to mark its

real diftinftion

from the

reft.

But as the fubjeft

is

in

a

great meafure new, it could not be examined with accuracy, or fo as to produce convidion of the juftnefs of the theory, in a And a large difquifition would be very narrow compafs. to i's fhare in an enquiry concerning tafte in was therefore judged proper to be contented with pointing out what is common to wit, humour, and ridicule; and with giving examples which fhew that the theory here eftablifhed extends to all of them.

more than general.

falls

It

V

F

In

3 .

Of the

70 IN

all

thefe

tafte

PART L

of ridicule.

modes of

imitation the incon-

gruity of the object in itfelf, or in refpect of the imagery ufed for illuftrating it, is obvious.

When

Butler reprefents

ranks as intent

all

on reforming the church and the ftate, he employs a furprizing complication of wit and

humour

in order to ridicule the

epidemical

There is a wonderful mixture of diffonance and relation j dijfinance, between, the ordinary occupations of low mechanics, diftrac~tion.

and the

difficult

and

tion

and noble

office

government

political

of

legifla-

-

t

relation,

not

only as the perfons thus incontinently employed are the fame, but alfo as their demands of redrefs are generally expreffed in language adapted to the ftyle of their refpeclive voca-

The defcription of Hudibrass becomes witty, by the ftrange conlearning traft between the dignity of the fciences afcribed to him, and the proofs of his underftand-

tions

(y)

(q).

Then Tinkers bawl'd

aloud to

fettle

Church, Difcipline, for patching Kettle, &c. Botchers

left

old cloaths in the lurch,

And fell to turn and patch the church &c. And fome for old fuits, coats, or cloak;

No furplices HVDIB.

nor fervice book. Par.

i.

Ca.nt. 2. ver.

536, &.'

Being remote, and veilwere, they give exercife to our faand, by drawing out the vigour of

fined approbation. ed, as

it

culties

;

the mind, continue to pleafe,

and more palpable jer the fenfe. palled upon

when

qualities

They

the grof-

have entirely

are like thofe

which, though not fo agreepleafe much longer than fuch

delicate flavours,

able at

firft,

as are too lufcious, or too

The

organ (g). (g)

The

both to (

eft, ' '

tatte

in a variety

and the external

quaenam caufa

fit,

without affigning

of inftances, with regard

"

fenfes.

enim diftu

Difficile

maxime

cur ea, quae

fenfus noftros

impellun , voluptate, et fpecie prima acerrime commovent, ab iis celerrime faftidio quodam et fatietate abalianemur.

'

Quanto colorum pulchritudine,

'

in picturis novis pleraque,

*

ftimulate the

profulion of ornament,

truth of this obfervation Cicero,

illuftrates

the caufe,

much

etiam,

fi

varietate floridiora funt

et

quam

in veteribus

?

quae

tamen

primo afpe&u nos ceperunt, diutius non deleftant:

'

cum

'

Quanto molliores funt, et delicatiores in toque teneamur. cantu flexiones, et falfae voculae, quam certa? et feverx ?

'

iidem nos in antiquis tabulis

illo ipfo

horrido obfole-

modo

aufteri, fed, fi fxpius fiunt, mulLicet hoc videre in reliquis fenfibus, unguentis minus diu nos deleftari, fumma et acerrima fuaet magis laudari quod vitate conditis, quam his moderatis

quibus tamen non

titudo ipfa reclamat.

:

terrain, '

efle

quam quod crocum

modum

et

olere videatur.

mollitudinis et

Izevitatis.

In ipfo taclu

Quinetiam guf-

be-

I

SECT. V.

Of

refinement of

123

ta/le.

beftowed on the part^ in Gothic flruclures, may pleafe one who has not acquired enlargement of mind, fufficient for conceiving one view their relation to the whole j but

at

no fooner fuperior

is

than he perceives

this acquired,

elegance

more

the

in

but

architecture.

mulic gives fmall delight

Italian

when once

the ear

is

fym-

fimple

metry and proportion of Grecian

at

firft

to take in

opened

the complexity of its harmony, and the delicate relations of difcords, introduced with

and refolutions, it then The lame may be gives exquifite delight. obferved of the refinements of poetry and eloquence, of wit and humour. The copious ikillful preparations

and varied declamation of Cicero

make

will

a quicker impreffion, than the fimple, nervous eloquence of Demcfthcnes ; but this gives the higheft and moft durable fatisfaction to a fine tafte.

The

polite

and know-

ing are chiefly touched with thole delicacies, tatus, qui eftfenfus ex omnibus maxime voluptarius, quippe dulcitudine prxter cxtcros fenfus commovetur, quam cito id,

quod valde dulce

" "

uti,

aut cibo

ea,

qux

leviter

fatietatem.

failidium

j

eit,

diilci

cc rcfpuit

afpernatur

diutius poteft

?

cum

?

quis potionc

utroque

in

enere

fenfum voluptatc movcant, facillime fugiant

Sic

omnibus

fmitimum

eft,"

in

rebus, voluptatibus

Cic. dc Orat.

lib. .

maximia

iii.

which

PART II. Of refinement of tafle. 124 which would efcape the notice of a vulgar eye.

IT

is

poflible to acquire fo great refinement,

cpecially when tafte is accompanied with genius, that we conceive in idea a ftandard of

higher excellence, than was ever mfatt produced j and, meafuring the effects of art, by this abfolute and exalted form, we always mifs fome part of that immenfity, which we have figured out to ourfelves (b). Lionardi

da Vinci

is

faid to

have conceived fo high a

ftandard of perfection, that, from defpair of reaching it in the execution, he left many

When imaginapictures unfinished. inflamed and elevated by the perfection exhibited to it, it goes on of its own accord

of

his

tion

is

to fancy completer effects, than artifts have found means actually to produce j by reafon (b}

M. Antonius

difertos ait fe vidiffe multos,

eloquentem

omnino neminem. eloquentiae,

ct

quam

InJidebat videlicet in ejus mente fpecies cernebat animo,re ipfanon videbat. Malta

in fe, et in aliis defiderans,

pellari eloquens pofiet videbat.

fam animo quandam formam erat, eos,

neminem plane %Habuit

qui rele ap-

profeftocomprehen-

quoniam nihil deformam non

eloquenti, cui

quibus aliquid, aut plura deerant, in earn

poterat includere.

eminet inter omnes

Ipfe Demofthenes, in

per implet aures meas

:

omni genere ita funt

avid^

dicendi,

quamquam unus tamen non

et capaces

quid irumenfum, infinitumque defiderant.

:

et

fern,

femper

ali-

Cic. Orat.

o

SECT. V.

Qf

of fome unpliablenefs

in the

excell in

every thing

:

each

by fome predominant talent. excellence of one enables us of another.

faultinefs

em-

always to fall performer can

No

of our conception.

jfhort

materials

the execution feems

ployed,

125

refinement of tafte.

characterifed

is

The

particular difcern the

to

And by combining

the virtues-that are difperfed among the different matters, into one image; as Zeuxis produced an Helen, by feledting, from many beautiful virgins, the parts that were in each moft beautiful (/) ; we form in our minds a

model of though

perfection,

the

parts

of which,

taken from different originals,

rendered confident, by the

fkill

are

with which

A man of genius pofthey are articulated. fefled of fo fublime a ftandard, endued with fuch exquifite refinement of tafte, in whatever art he pradtifes, will

not merely

jects,

phocles, (0 (k)

much

as

as

reprefent are,

but,

they they ought to be ().

P/in. H'ijt. Nat. lib.

ob-

A

tafte

xxxv. Cap. 9.

Indeed the great matters individual nature,

his

like So-

in

every art imitate, not fo

as a fublimer ftandard,

which

exifts

own conceptions. This Ariftotle obferves in po_ vwr. xi$. 9'. The fame is true of painting. See

only in their etry,

irtfi

above, Part

i. Sett. This fubjeft is explained with 4. equal and elegance, by the author of A Commtntary and Notes n Heract't epijile to the Pifoes. Note on ver. 317.

iolidity

thus

126

Of

refinement cf

tajle.

PART

II.

thus refined will not capricioufly reject whatit perceives to be deficient :

ever

Nam

nequs chorda fonum reddit, quern volt ma*

nus

et

mens

;

Nee femper firiet, quodcunqm minabltur

But

it

can be

fatisfied

and

the higheft perfection that

filled, is

arcus.

only with

practicable.

REFINEMENT of tafte exifts only, where, to an original delicacy of imagination, and natural acutenefs of judgment, is fuperadded a long and intimate acquaintance with the beft performances of every kind. None

fhould be ftudied, but fuch as have real excellence ; and thofe are chiefly to be dwelt

upon, which difplay new beauties on every review. The moil confpicuous virtues will

be

Farther application will at firft perceived. difcover fuch as lie too deep to ftrike a fuperficial

nefs

eye j efpecially if we aid our own acuteby the obfervations of thofe, whofe iupe-

rior penetration, or

more accurate fludy has

produced a genuine fubtlety of

tafte.

An

able mafter, or an ingenious critic will point out to a novice, many qualities in the compofitions of genius,

or the productions of art,

which, without fuch alMance, would have long,

SECT. V.

Of

127

refinement of tafte.

long, perhaps always, remained undiscovered by him. And repeated difcoveries of this

kind, made either by one's own fagacity, or by the indication of others, beget in time an a capacity of making habitual refinement, fimilar ones,

WHERE be

with

refinement

is

and vulgar.

coarfe

and quicknefs.

facility

wanting, tafte mud It can take notice

only of the grofTer beauties ; and is difgufted The only with the moft (hocking faults. thineft difguife, the leaft

to elude

its

fcrutiny.

of

It

depth

is

fufficient

infenfible to the

is

and nature

they are too an imprcffion to be As favages can be touched with obferved. but what excites the utmoff extranothing, of vagance paffion, fo a grofs and barbarous

delicacies

tafte

art

and make too

fine,

can

relifh

:

flight

nothing that

Chafte pable or overdone. not acutenefs to perceive ;

is

not either palit has

beauties

complex ones

it

has not force enough to comprehend. Looking only to

what

is

the

furface,

it

often approves

really faulty or defective,

and

is

indif-

what

poflefles the utmoft elegance. Its decifions are, of confequence, difpropor-

ferent to

tioned

to

the real merit of the objects: the

moft glaring, the

leaft

'

artificial

performances are

)

128

Of

PAR T

refinement of tape.

It.

It has been are.fure to gain the preference. often remarked, that a certain groflhefs and want- of refinement in the ILnglifi tafte, al-

lows, and. even

demands

and indelicacy

in

ments, which .would be gant

tafte

a boldnefs, a groflhefs,

their

theatrical

entertain-

intolerable to the ele-

of a French audience.

'

BUT, an

excefiive or

falfe refinement,

equally to be avoided (I).

It is like

a

is

weak-

ly conftitution, which is difordered by the minuteft accident ; or like a diftempered fto-

mach, which

naufeates every thing.

capricioufnefs of mind,

It is

a

which begets an ha-

bit of conftantly prying into qualities that are remote, of difcoverin'g imaginary delicacies,

or faults

while one

to his view

which none what

clfe

can perceive

lies

perfectly

open

like the old Philofopher,

who

blind to

is j

;

on the contemplation of the he could not fee the pit that that heavens, Or it is had been dug directly in his way. a minutenefs of tafte, which leads one to feek

was

(I) ''

"

fo intent

True

,ple, *

.*.:

a proper fait

medium betwixt

connoitre

.en elles-me'ines, fans qu'on

4 -
t T/X. a. xt. r'. ad-

X^.

as a genuine beauty. TvT)j x<x T ra Atov 'f 01.

Aoyf.

EPMOr.

iri

vi ?} iota*, rp.

'.

xi^.

i.

fenti-

SECT. V.

Of

correftnefc

of

137

tafte.

Lucans extravagance, and fentiments (a). Statiuis impetuofity are often on the confines of true majefty and vehemence ; and Virgil's correclnefs has fometimes drawn upon him an

Afgraces, undiftinguimed glare, and falfe ornaments border upon beauty, and This very fometimes gain the preference. circumftance -has procured, from a florid accufation of flatnefs and

enervation.

fected

tafte,

dern

higher approbation to the poets of moof ancient Greece Italy, than to thofe

and Rome.

Extravagance

for invention It

j

fervility for

no eafy matter

is

in

may

be miftakeni

what

is

natural!

every cafe to place a

betwixt poverty and fimplicity; confufion and agreeable intricacy; obfcurity and refinement ; prolixity and copioufnefs ;

juft barrier,

languor and foftnefs

;

enervation and perfpi-

or to diftinguifh the formal from the folemn j the exceflive from the bold and maf:

cuity

terly, or

the

Protogenes tures,

(tiff

is

by extreme care to obtain corredtnefs

which he

for

(a]

and infipid from the correct. to have difpirited his pic-

faid

is

5

cenfured by Apelles, as not

Je cloute qu'elle deplu aux Poctes de notre Cede, ct en effet fi condannnable dans le ver. Bti-

el'e ne feroit pas

lean

Remarq, fur Lovgm, Bwhours, La Man. de blcn

fenf.

Dial. 3.

knowing

Of

138

corrcftnefs

knowing when

to

of

give

P^RT

tafte.

over (b}.

II.

Cicero

himfelf records and approves many turns of wit, which to a modern tafte appear low or coarfe j many of the ornaments which he re-

commends for

to an orator, would pafs with us In the extremes, mere pun and quibble.

affectation

from wit;

and frigidity diftortion of

buffoonry from

are

very different thought or illiberal

humour ; and

fcurrility or in-

from genuine ridicule : but there are which very good judges particular inftances, vective

may hefitate, before they can affign them to onefpecies or the other. Beauties and blemiihes often fo far refemble in their general appearance, that an imperfect tafte

found them

may

approving where

;

it

readily con-

mould con-

demn, or blaming what merits praife. It is only a well cultivated tafte, implying vigorous judgment, fharpened by every cafe pull

exercife, that can in

off the mafk,

and certainly

diftinguim them.

CUSTOM

enables

us

exactnefs and precifion.

form ideas with By ftudying works

to

() Cum Protogeais opus, immenfi laboris et curse, fupra roodura anxie miraretur, dixit omnia fibi cum illo paria efle, aut

illi

tabula

meliora; fed uno fe prasftare, nefciret

nimiam diligemiam.

quod

manum

ille

de

memorabili praecepto, nocere faepe Plin. Rift. Nat. lib. xxxy. cap. 10.

tollere

;

of

SECT. VI. of

Of

clear

tions of thofe qualities, beautiful or deformed :

tafte.

139

diftincl:

concep-

of

corre5lnej\

we acquire

tafte,

and

which render them

we

take

in at

one

the efiential properties; and thus glance eftablifh in the mind a criterion, a touchftone all

of excellence -and depravity. Judgment alfo becomes fkilful by exercife, in determining, whether the object under confederation perfectly

agrees

While

it

is

may, through want of clear kind, at leafl

with

this

unaccuftomed

mental ftandard. to a fubjedt, it

own imbecillity, and for ideas of the characters of the

its

miftake refemblance for identity j or be unable to diftinguifh them, with-

out laborious application of thought, frequent But when -trials, and great hazard of error. ufe has rendered any fpecies of exertion familiar,

it

eafily

wherever there

We

grow

fo

and

difcriminates,

infallibly

the minuteft

is

well

difference.

acquainted with every

form, and have ideas fo perfectly adequate, that

we

are fecure againft miftake,

ficient attention lities

beftowed.

is

of things are prefented to

unmixed, portions,

gruous,

in their

The tafte

when

fuf-

real

qua'pure and

genuine features and pro-

and excite ientiments

entirely

con-

"4 "."

JUSTNESS

Of

140

of

correftnefs

JUSTNESS of

tafte

PART II.

tafte.

extends

ftill

farther, than

to the diftinction of counterfeit for real.

We

can compare the fentiments produced, and difcover readily the different clafies, to which not only feel in general they belong.

We

we

that

are

but perceive in what

pleafed,

manner

not only difcern that there isfome merit, but alfo of what determinate kind that merit is. Though all the fenparticular

of

fations

tafte

analogous and

j

liar feeling,

its

who

diftindl:

has a

the higheft degree, yet each has its pecu-

in

are,

fimilar

;

fpecific

form, by which one

idea of

exactnefs of judgment, rence from the others.

it,

and

may mark It is this

pofleflfes its

diffe-

which be-

ftows precifion and order on our fentiments. it they would be a mere confufed

Without chaos

:

we

{hould, like perfons in a mift,

fee fomething, but could not tell what we faw. Every good or bad quality, in the

works of f$ai

art or genius

would be a mere je ne

qttcy. ,

As alfo

a correct tafte diftinguifhes the kindsy it

meafures the degrees of excellence and Every one is confcious of the

faultinefs.

degree of approbation or

diflike,

which he beflows

SECT.

W

Of

correflnefs

of

141

taftc:

But fometimes the ideas beftows on objects. we retain of thefe fenfations are fo obfcurc, or our comparing faculty

we

only

know

is

in general,

fo imperfect,

that

one

that

gratifica-

is higher or more intenfe than another; but cannot fettle their proportion^ nor even

tion

perceive the excefs, except it be confiderable. are often better pleafed at firft with fuperficial glitter or gaudy beauty, which, having

We

no

become on examination

folidity,

infipid or

than with fubftantial merit, which will tfand the tefl of reiterated fcrutiny j

diftafleful,

#o

i

$?, Te

cafritt

magis

fi prvpius Jtes*

;

non formidat acumen Judicis argutwn qu<e

\

the perceptions of an improved tafte are always adequate to the merit of the objects*

But

as

an accurate judgment is fenfible, on Comthe leaft diverfity in the degree of parifon, of fo

the pleafure or pain produced.

And

if

we

have afcertained thofe qualities, which are the caufes of our fentiments, reflection on the degrees of them, which things poffefs, will help to regulate our decifion, and prevent our being impofed upon by any ambiguity in

oar feelings

i

giving

us both an exacter ftan-

dard,

'

Of corntfnefs

142

of

PART 1L

tajle,

dard, and an additional fecurity againft judg-

ing wrong*

THE

accuracy of that

quifite,

tafte

fhall not

it

may become

fo

ex^

only difcriminate the

and degrees of gratification j the leaft varieties in the manner

different kinds

but

alfo

mark

of producing applied

ally

It is this

it.

works of

to

accuracy, habitutafte,

that lays a

foundation for our difcovering the peculiar

charade r and manner of

different matters,

A

implies the nicefl

capacity

exaclnefs,

for

:

>*.

it

juflly affigned as an infallible

is

proof of real and >\'.\t' ;}*.

as

this,

welMmproved

-;.,*

tafte.

y

INCORRECTNESS of tafte may arife, either from the dullnefs of our internal fenfes^ or from the debility of judgment* The former renders our fentiments obfcure and ill-defined, and therefore latter-

lations

difficult to

be compared.

The

incapacitates us

even of

for perceiving the rethe cleareft perceptions, or

In either the moft diftinguimable qualities. the mind is diftrafted with cafe, fufpenfe

and doubt. This is an uneafy ftate, from which we are defirous to extricate ourfelves, by any means. tafte

enough,

If

we have

not vigour of of the

to determine the merit

object,

HF.CT. VI.

Of

corretfnefs

of

143

taftt.

characters, we take by up with any flandard, however foreign or Auimproper, that can end our wavering. intriniic

its

object,

thority in all its truth and reafon.

genius faults, is

will

forms ufurps the place of The ufage of an admired

procure

t

even

approbation

from one whofe

tafte is languid.

to

He

unable readily to detect them; and their

being committed by fo great a mafter, and intermixed with many beauties, will keep

him from even

fufpecting that they can be and confequently prevent his fcruwrong the of the Like fun, which canfpots tiny. ;

not be difcovered by the naked eye, the faults of an eminent genius require fomething more to enable us to difcern them, than the

elements of

tafte

which nature beftows:

thefe are invigorated

appear

in

by

culture,

the general fplendor.

Shake/fear

may

they

till

will dif-

The genius of

betray an unformed tafle into

an approbation of the barbarities^ which are often mingled with his beauties. The wits

of king Charles

s

court are faid to have allowed

One Cowley an undiftinguifhed admiration. much with be too Congreves may pleafed remark which it is

incongruity to the characters The veneration we

wit, to

its

to

afcribed.

have for antiquity,

aided

by the (how of learning,

144

Q/

of

correffnefs

tajle.

learning, which acquaintance with and by the malignant joy, which

it

implies, feels

envy

in depreciating cotemporaries, often ftamps a value on its productions, difproportioned to their intrinfic merit

Et

:

terns femota^ fuifque

nifl qu<e

faftidit et odit.

Vemporibus defunEia videt,

The opinion commends

and example of others often re-

what

to us,

fafhionable or

is

new,

without our taking the pains to examine it. And their opinion is often not founded on

judgment, but dictated by

intereft,

friendmip, enmity, Every period of party fpirit. time has produced bubbles of artificial fame, which are kept up a while by the breath of or

famion, and then break nihilated.

The

of ancient

writers,

vived

their

at

once and are an-

learned often bewail the lofs

whofe characters have

works

but,

j

could retrieve them,

perhaps,

we mould

find

if

fur-

we

them

only the Granvilles, Montagues, Sfepneys, and of their time, and wonder by what Sheffield* infatuation or caprice they could be raifed to Falfe or imperfect rules, either notice (c).

eftablimed by ourfelves, ceived from others, (c)

may

or

implicitly recorrupt or conftrain

RAMBLER, No. j

106.

bur

S E c T VI,

Of corretfnefs

.

our

tafte,

Had

criticifm in

hands of one, inferior to

of tajle.

145

and render our decifions unjuft. in

it's

infancy fallen into the

judgment and

Arijhtle-,

a

penetration,

number of precarious

and unnatural rules might have long obtained an undifputed authority. A prevailing turn and difpofition of mind often makes us unable to relifh any thing, but what falls in with and thus perverts and prejudices our judgit, ment. Hence generally proceeds the depravity of public tafte,

ence

it

and the pernicious influhas on public entertainments and dra-

matic works fure,

: and hence, in a great meathe connection of the tafle of a people

with their morals. *** il^

THESE

corruptions of tafte can be avoided only by eftabliming within ourfelves an exadl ftandard of intrinfic excellence, by which we

may try whatever is prefented to us. It will be eftablimed by the careful fludy of the moil correct performances of every kind, which are But generally indeed the moft excellent.

though they mould only

rife to mediocrity, of laying the foundation on far fuperior correftnefs, than fuch as are the whole, but faulty in fome particulars :

they are

fitter

for

L

foj:

Of correftnefs

146

of

PART

tajle.

II.

greater the beauties, the readier arc the faults to debauch the tafte. 'Till it is

for the

formed, and has acquired confiderable vigour, dangerous to be much converfant with

it is

thofe productions, the virtues of

which

are

eminent, but blended with many faults. The chief utility of criticifm lies in promoting cor-

In the moft imperfect efthe critic will, at leaft, of authority fays, excite our attention, and provoke our enqu'-* But every one who really merits the ry. redtnefs of tafte. -the

name conveys much more momentous

inftruc-

and more effectually teaches juftnefs of thinking, by explaining the kind and degree

tion,

of every excellence and blemim, by teaching

what

us

are the qualities in things,

to

which

we owe

our pleafure or difguft, and what the principles of human nature, by which they are produced.

CARE however muft our

tafte

be taken to preferve

unconfined though exact, to avoid

that fcrupulous formality, often fubilituted for true correctnefs, which will allow no deviation

from

eftabliftied rules..

To

difapprove general law, when the obferved, and when the end is, per-

a tranfgreffion of a fpirit is

haps more effectually, promoted,

is

notjujtnefs

Of correttnefi

SECT. VI. nefs,

Who

but fertility diflike

will

of t a/It 147 and narrownefs of tafte. the landfcapes of Poi^JJin^

though he has difregardedcorredtnefs of drawing in his animals ? Parmegiano is faid by good judges to owe the inexpreffible greatnefs of manner

in his pictures,

juft proportion

in

to the neglect of

fome of the members of

his

A

contra&ed tafte is chiefly incifigures. dent to thofe, who would fupply the want

of natural

talents,

by the drudgery of appli-

But

in every thing, the finical is efdifferent from the neat, the exact fentially

cation.

from the

precife,

the

regular

from the

formal.

SECT*

SECT. Of

the due

VII.

Proportion of the Principles

of Tafte.

TH

E

laft

and complete imfrom the due feveral principles, and the

finishing

provement of tafte

proportion of

it's

regular adjuftment of

refults

all

it's

fentiments,

ac-

cording to their genuine value; fo that none of them may engrofs our minds, and render us infenfible to the

reft.

This

is

juftnefs

and

correftnefs, not confined to the parts of obTafte is je&s, but extended to the whole.

not one fimple power ; but an aggregate of many, which, "By 'the refemblance of their their fubjects, energies, and the analogy of

and caufes, readily aflbciate and are combiBut every combination of them will ned. not produce a perfect tions,

tafte.

In

all

compoli-

fome proportion of the ingredients

muft be preferved.

members,

all

A

fufficient

number of

feparately regular and well for-

med, if either they be not of a piece with one another v or be in the organization ima comely properly placed, will produce, not confiftent animal, but an incongruous

and

monfter

Of tie principles of taftf.

SECT. VII.

In like

monfter.

manner,

149

our internal

if

are difproportioneo! to one another, or not duly fubordinated in their conjunction, we may judge well enough of fome parts,

powers

or

of particular fubjecls, but our

tafte will

be upon the whole diftorted and irregular.

As an overgrown member, by drawing the nourifhment from the reft, makes them weak and puny ; lo one of the principles of tafte may, by it's too great ftrength, detract

from the others

own of

;

natural force

by attaching us

and,

gratifications,

theirs,

important.

and operation of the entirely to

render us too

little

it's

fenfible

though perhaps equally or more If, through an exceflive liveli-

nefs of imagination, our fentiments of excellence and deformity are too violent, they will fo tranfport us,

fcrutinizing and

may

be fenfible

A

corredl.

prevent judgment from comparing them our tafte and feeling, but will be inas to

:

mind over fond of

fublimity

will defpife the lefs elevated pleafure, refults

which

On

from elegance and beauty.

the

other hand, a foul devoted to the' foft imof beauty is unable to expand itfelf prefiions into the conception of fublimity. prevai-

A

ling

relifh

for the

new, the witty, the huL 3 mourous,

j

Of

50

will render

which has

not,

The want

qualities (d).

of due proportion

common

fources

one of the

is

moil: fertile caufes of falfe tafte

the moft

II.

every thing infipid, or cannot, fuitably to it's na-

have thefe

ture,

PART

tie principles oftajle.

mourous,

and one of

;

of that variety of

forms and modifications, which

true

tafte

affumes Every one has a predominant turn of genius and tafte, by which his relifh is more adapted to fome one in different perfons.

This fpecies of excellence, than to others. is inevitable on account of the diverfities incident to

Le

(d)

men,

poete dont

in the natural bent

le talent principal

fe trouve bientot prevenu

eft

of their

de rimer richement,

que tout poeme dont

les

rimes font

negligees nefauroitetrequ'un ouvrage mediocre, quoi qu'il foit rempli d'invention, et de ces penfees tellement convenables au fujet,

qu'on

eft furpis qu'elles

foient neuves.

Commefon

talent

pour 1'invention, ces beautes ne font que d'un foible poidsdans fa balance. Un peintre qui de tous les talents necef-

n'eft pas

le grand artifan, n'a que celui de bien colo~ qu'un tableau eft excellent, ou qu'il ne vaut rien en La general, fuivant que 1'ouvrier a fju manier la couleur. poefie du tableau eft comptee pour peu de chofe, pour rien meme dans fon jugement. II fait fa decifion fans aucun e^ard

faires

pour former

rer, decide

aux

parties de Tart qu'il n'a point.

bera dans

Un poete

en peinture tom-

meme erreur,

en pla^ant au deflbus du mediocre, le tableau que manquera dans 1 ordonnance et dont les expreffions feront baffes, mais dont le coloris meritera d'etre admire. Jlffiex.

la

Crit. fur la poeji: et fur la peinture. part II.

.

25.

temper

Of tbe principles

SECT. VII.

oftafle. 151 which always renders temper and paffions them peculiarly acceffible to fomc kinds of gra;

tification or difguft.

or the

humble

According

as the

fublime

paffions, the grave or the lively,

are predominant in the ftruclure of the foul, our reliili will be keeneft for the grand or the ele-

/

gant,theferious or the ludicrous. In this manner, the neceflary imperfection of human nature prevents our ever being able to eftablifh a proportion and ceconomy of our internal fen-

A

accurate in every refpecl:. fmall is not cenfured, becaufe it is difproportion

fes, nicely

natural it is

:

but

when

acknowleged

and

it

exceeds certain bounds, a partial

to degenerate into

diftorted form.

This

diftortion

is

not,

however, fo much owing to the original exThat cefs of one principle as to other caufes. lays the foundation of it the natural inequality,

obfervable.

The

j

but

tbefe

and render

augment it* more

principal of thefe caufes

is

a narrownefs of mind, by reafon of which, we cannot comprehend many perceptions at once, without confulion relations,

and afcertain

,

nor trace out their

their

ment,

without diftracYion

We

upon a

fix

part,

feparate fentiment, blind to the nature

refpeclive

mo-

and perplexity. are engrofled by the which it excites, we are

we

of the other parts, or,

L

4

at

the principles

Of at leaft,

as

to

of

PART

tafle,

II

cannot extend our thoughts fo far, all into one conception.

combine them

A due

proportion of the principles of tafte prefuppofes the correctnefs of each, and into

cludes, additional

an enlargement and

it,

comprehenfkm of mind,

THAT fenfes

it

may be

muft

all

acquired,

the internal

be equally exercifed.

If,

accidental difufe or perverfion, any of

has fallen below

it's

proper tone,

it

by

them

muft, by

be again wound up to it. particular attention, Habitual exercife promotes an harmonious fubordin'ation of the principles of

tafte,

by

It producing a large compafs of thought. renders Ideas and fenfations fo determinate

and the

the

familiar, that

them

find

room

mental

to

eye;

lie

largeft

collections of

diftinctly

and

at

the

expofed to time

fame

ftrengthens judgment to fuch a pitch, that eafe the moft complicated it can view with fubjects,

them.

and decide with accuracy concerning enlargement and extenfive

'Till this

amplitude of

tafte

is

once acquired, our de-

muft be has a whole

terminations

Every

art

contrivance, this

is

it's

efTentially

for

difpofition,

main

requisite

:

it's

defective.

object

:

the

and expreffion of the merit of th? parts

SSCT.

VH.

Of tie principles

not fo parts ai'ifes,

of

much from

tafle.

1

53

their feparatc their relations

elegance and rimming, as from and therefore, no true judgto the fubject ment can be formed, even of a part, without :

a capacity

of comprehending

once, and eftimating

THOUGH

pleafure

all its

whole

the

at

various qualities.

and pain are counterof them may be dif-

in tafte, our fenfe parts

If uneafy and paffions preponderate in the confti-

proportioned and unequal.

gloomy tution,

and form the prevailing temper, they

produce a fuperior pronenefs to fentiments The chearof disapprobation and diflike. ful and pleafurable affe^ions, on the other hand, diffufe a tincture over

which makes

us

admiration, than of quality

is

all

our

powers,

much more its

fufceptible of This ineoppofite.

frequently deftiuctive of true tafte.

A

perfect and faultlefs performance is not Our gratification to be expected in any art. muft in every cafe be ballanced againft dif-

guft

;

beauties againft blemifhes

;

before

we

have compared aud meafured them, we can form no judgment of the work. For want of the quicknefs and compafs of thought, for this, or of inclination to employ it,

Of the principles it,

we

lencies

often

and

err in faults

are fometimes

A

the fame part.

PART

oftajle.

IT,

Excel-

our decifions.

united in

member may be

fo ele-

to gain the applaufe of gantly finished, the unfkillful ; but fo unfuitable to its place, fo prejudicial to the unity and effect of the as

whole,

as

to

the

deferve

fevereft

cenfure

in every performance, beauties and blemimes are to be found in different parts.

But

A

contracted It

is

mind

fixes

on one or the other.

related of Apollodcrus, an ancient painthe deftroyed his fineft pictures, if he

er, that

could difcover in them any, even the minutcft Some critics, as if poffeffed with the fault.

fame

frantic fpirit,

will

condemn

a thoufand

beauties of the higheft rank, on account of a few intermingled faults, which bear no

proportion to them, and do not perhaps at On the contrary, the all affect the whole.

merit of a fingle part will ftrike a more candid judge fo ftrongly, as to make him over-

look multitudes of

overbalance

BUT

faults,

which

infinitely

it.

a perfon of true tafte forms his judg-

ment only from the

furplus of merit, after an accurate comparifon of the perfections and the

SECT. VII. the

faults.

Of the principles of tajle. 15$ And indeed the greateft critics (e)

allow the chief merit, not to the greater number but to the higher rank of beauties ; ',

not to that precifwn and conftant atention to every

trifle,

which produces a cold and

lan-

guid mediocrity, but to that noble boldnefs of genius, which rifes to the height of excellence, with a kind of fupernatural ardor, that makes it negligent with regard to numberlefs

minutia

in

;

fine,

not to that faultlefs infi-

our blame, but to that pidity, which efcapes however (haded by which, daring exaltation, inaccuracies, or even debafed by the mixture

of grofs tranfgreffions, forces our admiration. Demofthenes, has been juftly preferred to Hyper ides, Archilochus to Eratojlhenes, and Pinman mould juftly dar to Bacchylides.

A

expofe himfelf to a fufpicion

of bad

tafte,

who

approved a faultlefs, uninterefting tragedy, more than Othello or King Lear j or

who

gave Waller greater applaufe than DryTitian has been blamed for incorrecl:-

den.

nefs of defign

among SartOy

the

who

moft

Xy

far

finimed

fuperior to all

fcrupulous

(e) This fubjeft vj>. TJ*.

but he will ever hold a rank

j

painters,

is

Andrea

del

drawings with care and diligence.

profeffedly

his

examined by Lenginus,

trip

AJ-.

2

Where

156 \Of

Where

tbe principles

eminent merit

of ta/te. is

found,

P^RT real

II.

tafte

difdains the malignant pleaiure of prying in-

to faults (f). -'

Ubi plura

nitent

ncn ego panels

Offendar maculi;, qttas aut inciiria Ant humana parnm caiit natura.

THUS we

have explained the manner, in the principles of tafte muft be confijied, to form its juft extent ; and the finifli-

which

ing

As all

it

muft

receive, in order to

its

perfection,

neceiTarily includes both judgment and the reflex fenfes j fo it muft by culture,

it

be improved in fenfibility, refinement, corredtnefs, and the due proportion of all its parts.

In whatever degree any of thefe qua-

are wanting, in the fame, tafte muft be Could any critic unite them all imperfect.

lities

in a great degree, to his fentiments we might appeal, as to an unerring ftandard of merit, The in all the productions of the fine arts.

nearer one comes to a complete union, of thefe qualities of tafte, the higher authority will his decifions juftly claim.

But when

(f) On leur repond qu'un poeme ou un tableau peuvent, avec de mauvaifes parties, etre un excellent ouvrage, &c. Reflex. Crit. fur la poefa et

fur la peinture, part

ii.

26.

none

SECT. VII.

Of the

none of them

is

principles

of

tafle.

157

wanting, a peculiar predo-

minance of one will by no means vitiate tafte. They are fo analogous, that an eminent degree of one will fupply the place of fome meafure produce the

another, and in

fame

effect

:

or rather, perhaps, one cannot

without implying all an inferior degree. LonDionyfms of HaUcarnaffus y and Arijlo-

exift in full perfection,

the

reft, at leaft

gi?2S,

in

But it will fcarce poflefTed fine tafte. that the firft peculiarly excelin fenfibility, the fecond in refinement,

tle, all

be

denied,

led

and the laft in corretfnefs and enlargement. There is none of the ancients, in whom all the four appear to have been more equally, a

or in

higher degree, combined,

(

than in

Quintilian.

BEFORE we conclude our

refearches,

it

will not be amifs to explain the place, which tafte holds among our faculties ; and to point

out

its

genuine province,

and

real

impor-

tance.

PART

[

159

]

PART Province

'The

and Importance of

SECT. How far

tfajle

defends

IT

ed, are ;

en

the Imagination.

from which

commonly

which

is

Tajle.

I.

has been obferved above,

internal fenfes,

tion

III.

that thofc

tafte is

form-

referred to the imagina-

confidered as holding a mid-

dle rank between the bodily fenfes, and the rational

and moral

faculties.

IT muft be owned

that the vulgar divi-

of our faculties are generally fuperfiOur mental operations, and inaccurate.

fions cial

though of all things the

mod

intimately pre-

fent to us, are of fuch a fubtle

and

tra.nfitory

when

they are reflected on, they in a great meafure elude our view, and their limits and diftinctions appear involved in obnature, that,

fcurity

and confufion.

The common

diftri-

bution of our moft obvious powers, our external

i

PA&T

Trf^ and imagination.

i6o

ternal fenfes,

is

acknowledged

III,

be faulty

to

:

much more may we

expect inaccuracy in the ordinary methods of claffing fuch as are All divisions of Icfs generally attended to.

our derived and compounded powers muft be liable to error, till the fimple qualities >

from which they proceed, have been

invef-

tigated.

Ir Sometimes happens, notwithftanding, that,

by

a kind of natural anticipation,

flrike out jufter divifions, than

we

could have

been expected, without reflection on the real This holds in the prefoundation of them. fent cafe. If we will but recollect and compare thofe qualities of human nature, from which tafte has been explained, we fhall be

convinced, that either

from Tafte

its

all

phenomena

proceed,

from the general laws of fenjation, or certain operations of the imagination. therefore, though itfelf a fpecies of

fenfation,

is,

in refpect of its principles, juftly

reduced to imagination.

THAT

tafte is

fenfaproperly a kind of

tion, can fcarce be called in queflion, by any

one

who

hat

clear

and

diftinct

ideas.

It

fupplies us with fimple perceptions, Entirely dif-

SECT.

I.

different

fajle

from

fenfe or

nal

all

by

and imagination^ that

we

161

receive

by exterThefe make u&

reflection.

acquainted with the forms and inherent quaof things external; and with the nature

lities

own powers

of our tafte

exhibits a fet

and operations

though confequent on ferent

refult

but

thefe,

are really dif-

from, but are not in-

the primary and direct perception objects. They are however equally un-

cluded

of

which

;

:

of perceptions, which,

in,

in their feeling, as incapable of conceived prior to experience, as imbeing

compounded

mediately, neceffiirily, and regularly exhibited in certain circumftances, as any other fenfation whatfoever (gj.

Tafte

is

fubject-

(g) Indeed'as our external fenfes are ultimate and original it may perhaps be taken for granted that this cii% cumitance is effential to the idea of a fenfe, and that no

principles,

power of the mind can be properly exprefled by this name, which is derived and compounded, and capable of being rcfolved into fimpler principles. According to this hypothefis, To enquire whethe powers of tafte would not be fenfes. ther they are or are not, may perhaps be deemed a difputc about words, as the determination will depend upon the defiIt is however of fome real moment, that nition of a fenfe.

the powers of the mind be reduced into clafles, according to their real differences and analogies ; and therefore, that no definition be received,

tribution of them.

which would difturb the regular that the powers of tafte may

And

difwith,

the greatcft propriety be reckoned fenfes, though they be de-

M

cd

1

62

ed

*Tafle find

to the

-our

PART

imagination.

III,

fame general laws, which regulate

other

To

fenfes.

out

trace

thefe

all

rived faculties, will, it is hoped, appear from the following are dire&ed by the phenomena of our faobfcrvations.

We

reducing them to

culties, in

ofafenfezre thefe. fueh fimple perceptions, tia

who

channel to thofe

power which

The

claffes.

obvious phasnome-

a power, which fupplies us with as cannot be conveyed by any other are deftitute of that fenfe. It is a It

is

its perception immediately, as foon as exhibited, previous to any reafon concerning the of the object, or the caufes of the perceptions. It qualities Is a power which exerts itfelf independint of 'volition, fo that,

its

object

receives

is

while we remain in proper circumftances, we cannot, by any aft of the will, prevent our receiving certain fenfations, nor alter them at pleafure, nor can we, by any means, procure thefe fenfations, as long as we are not in the proper fituation for receiving them by their peculiar organ. Thefe are the

circumftances which characterize a fenfe.

Sight, for Lnftance

conveys 'fimple perceptions, which a blind

man

bly receive.

A man who opens

ly perceives light

ceiving

it,

make him

They

efforts

of the

while his eyes are open

cannot

pofli-

noon immediate-

will can prevent his perj

and no volition could

Thefe characters eviand to reflexion or conby which we perceive what pafTes in our minds. perceive

dently belong to feioufnefs,

;

no

his eyes at

all

it

at midnight.

the external fenfes,

likewife belong to the powers

oftafte; harmony, for a fimple perception, which no man who has not at muficai ear can receive, and which every one who has an ear immediately and neceflarily receives on hearing a good The powers oTta*fte~are therefore to be reckoned fentune.

example,

fee.

tion. all

is

Whether they are ultimate powers, is Thofe who are unacquainted with

a

fubfequentquef-

philofoph) reckon our powers ultimate qualities of the mind. But nature- de-

and produces numerous effefts, by a few of txtenfive influence; and it is die bufmefs of phi.

lights in Simplicity,

would

4

and imagination. SECT. I. T'afte 163 We fhall Would be foreign to our fubjed:. mention but one law of fenfation, which has lofophy to inveftigate thefe caufes, and to explain the phenomena from them. On enquiry it appears that the internal fenfes are

not ultimate principles, becaufe

all their phaenomena by fimpler qualities of the mind. Thus the pleafure we receive from beautiful forms is refolvible into

can be accounted

for,

the pleafure of But* facility and that of moderate exertion. notwithftanding this difcovery of the caufes of our reflex fenfations, we may continue to terra them fenfes, fince it does not contradict any of the phenomena, on account of which this name was Beautiful originally beftowed upon them.

forms have uniformity, variety, and proportion j but the pleafure they give us an immediate fenfation, prior to our

analyfmg them, or difcovering by reafon that they have thefe We find, on examination, that uniformity and proqualities. portion are agreeable.

As they enable

objeft with facility and variety

as

;

it

us to conceive the

hinders this facility

from degenerating into languor ; and thence we conclude, that the pleafant fentiment of beauty is the refult of thofe fimple principles

which difpofe us to

relifh

moderate

facility,

and

but the fentiment of beauty arifes, without our reflecting on this mixture. This fentiment is compound in its principles, but perfectly fimple in its feeling. If,

moderate

difficulty

;

this mould feem to imply a contradiction, let it be remembered that two liquors of different flavours may, by their mixexcite in the palate ture, produce a third flavour, which fhall

from

of

as fimple, as that which it any In like manner, the perception of whitethe ingredients. nefs is as fimple as that of any colour ; but philofophers

receives

a fenfation

caufe, it is compounded of the Lord Verulam * concludes from fome the external fenfe of tafte is compounded of experiments that

know

that, in refpeft of its

fcven primary colours.

*

AW.

Qrg.

lib.

M

ii.aph. a6.

2

been

164 been

by

and imagination.

faftc

fo often hinted

immediate

its

at

effects

PART

III.

already, and which, and remoter confe-

quences, has fo great influence on the fentiments of tafte, that it will be proper in a few

When

an object is prefenwords to illuftrate it. ted to any of our fenfes,the mind conforms it felf to its nature and appearance, feels an

emotion, and analogous

is

of

j

put in a frame fuitable and

which we have a perception

Suppofe this conclufion juft, tafte would be a derived power; but ftill it would be a diftinft fenfe, as its and fpecifically different in their perceptions are peculiar, and tangible qualities. Juft fo each feeling both from odours fmell and touch.

principle

becaufe it,

and

of its

tafte is

with reafon accounted a particular fenfe,

perceptions,

however produced, are peculiar to Each conveys

from all others. fpecifically different which, in refpeft of their feeling,

perceptions,

are original,

though the powers, by which they are conveyed, are derived. It is fcarce neceflary to obferve that our afcribing the fentijnents of tafte to mental procefles is totally different from afdo not prove are deductions of reafon. lerting that they that certain objects are grand by arguments, but we perceive

We

them to be grand, in confequence of the natural conftitution of our mind, which difpofes us, without reflection, to be Reafoning may, pleafed with largenefs and fimplicity. Lowever, be employed in exhibiting an objeft to the mind, and yet the perception that exhibited,

foning

may

may be

properly

it

has,

when

belong to a

the objed fenfe.

is

Thus

once rea-

neceflary to afcertain the circumftances, and de-

termine the motive, of an a&ion j but it is the moral fenfe that perceives it to be either virtuous or vicious, after reafon lus difcovered its motive and its circumftances,

by

SEc T

by

.

I.

fafle

and imagination.

confcioufnefs or reflection.

165

Thus

diffi-

a confcioufnefs of a grateful culty produces exertion of energy : facility of an even and

flow of fpirits : excellence, perfectregular of or ion, fublirnity, begets an enlargement imor confcious deficience and mind pride ;

of

and painful

perfection,

a depreffion

humility.

This adapting of the mind to

its

prefent object

the immediate caufe of

of the pleafures and pains of

many and,

is

foul,

by

nifhes

its

confequences,

many

others.

it

augments

Though

tafte

;

or dimi-

the actions of

the mind fucceed one another with furprifing quicknefs, they are not inftantaneous : it requires fome time to pafs from one difpofition or employment to another. Every frame of

mind

has a kind of firmnefs, tenacity, or obit averfe to quit it's ftinacy, which renders hold.

Every

fenfation or emotion, as

refifts

poflible,

much as

We

diminution or extinction.

once any object, which has engrofled our thoughts, and to turn in an infhnt to another (b). Even after an

find

difficult to difmifs

it

object

is

at

removed, the frame

it

it produced, the gave the mind, continues, and ur-

impetus ges us to go on in the fame direction quires time and labour to deftroy it. (h)

Difficile eft

QUINT.

In/1

Oret.

:

it

re-

If the

mutarc habitum animi fcmel conftitutunn. lib. iv.

M

cap. 2.

3

.

fucceed*

1

66

Fafte

PART

and Imagination.

fucceeding object

demand

III.

a different confor-

mation of mind, our application to it muft, on this account, be lefs vigorous, and its im-

But

preffion fainter.

if

it

be analagous to

finds the fuitable difpofidon already raifed, and therefore ftrikes the fenfe

the preceding,

with

it

Hence the mighty

all its force.

effi-

which

perceptions acquire, in poetry or eloquence, by being introduced in a pro-

cacy,

due preparation. Hence per order, and with the influence of an habitual and prevailing x

temper or turn of mind, gruous perceptions, and

As

as are incongruous.

of

tafte

they

of

in

in

enlivening condebilitating fuch

far as the fentiments

depend on thefe principles, fo far immediately from the general laws

arife

fenfation.

WE

can

otherwife,

our external fenfes no

explain

than by marking their differen-

ces, reducing them to claffes, and delineating the laws of exertion common to all, or pecu-

each.

liar to

They

are original

qualities

of

human more

nature, not refolvible into any others, ultimate and fimple ; but tafte, in moft

of

forms, at

its

condary power.

leaft, is

We

a

derivative

can trace

it

up

and

fe-

to lim-

pler principles, by pointing out the mental that produces it, or enumerating the

procefs

qua-r

SECT.

I.

qualities,

formed.

and imagination. 167 combination of the it is which by Thefe are found, on examination, T*ajle

no other than certain exertions of imaThat this may become more obgination. to be

vious,

we

mall briefly afcertain the nature detail of

and extent of fancy, by exhibiting a its

principal operations,

as far as

they con-

cern the prefent fubject.

IMAGINATION

of

is firft

all

employed

in

prefenting fuch ideas, as are not attended with remembrance, or a perception of their having been formerly in the mind. This defect

of remembrance, as

them

ferring folves their

prevents our re-

it

to their original fenfations,

djf-

But when bonds of union,

natural connection.

memory has loft their real fancy, by its aflbciating power, confers upon

them new loofe,

ties,

ranges

of forms.

that they may not lie perfectly them in an endlefs variety

Many

of thefe being reprefenta-

tions of nothing that exifts in nature,

ever

is fictitious

or chimerical

is

what-

acknowledged

be the offspring of this -faculty, and is But wild and lawlefs as termed imaginary. to

this faculty appears

to

be,

it

commonly ob-

ferves certain general rules, aflbciating chiefly ideas which referable, or are contrary, or thofe

M

4

that

1

68

PART

and Imagination.

tfafte

III

that are conjoined, either merely by cuftom, or by the connection of their objects in vicicotxiftencf,

nity,

or caufation.

It

fometimes

prefumes that ideas have thefe relations, when they have them not ; but it generally difcovers

them, where they arej and by this means becomes the caufe of many of our moft important operations

(/').

WHEREVER ideas any of

mentioned,

it

gernefs, pafles it

fancy fuppofes, or perceives in the uniting qualities juft now readily, and with a kind of ea-

from one

idea to

its

aflbciates

;

beftows fuch a connection on them, that

they become almoft infeparable, and generally Their union is fo ftrong, appear together. the tranfition from one to the other

is

fo eafy,

mind takes in a long train of related with no more labour than is requifite for

that the ideas

viewing a fingle perception j and runs over the whole feries with fuch quicknefs, as to

be fcarce

On (/)

this

fenfible that

account,

it is

when

a

mifting

its

number of

objects. diftinct

For inftance, fome ideas are of fuch a nature,

whenever they occur, they impel

to

aftion.

It is

that,

by making

fuch ideas frequently occur, by constantly fuggefting them, that repetition produces the cuftomary tendency, and habitual pronenefs to an aftion, which is an effential part in every active habit.

ideas

SECT.

Falte

I.

and

imagination.

169

ideas are firmly and intimately conne&ed, it even combines them into a whole, and confiders them as all together compofing one perception.

This

the origin of all our complex perfancy which thus beftows unity

is

ceptions. It

is

on number, and unites things into one image, which in themfelves, and in their appearance to the fenfes, are diftincl and feparate. All the objefts that affect tafte, and excite its fentiments, are certain forms or pictures by fancy, certain parts or qualities of

made

things,

which

combines into complex modes.

it

IDEAS, which

which

are

ther.

The

are thus

compounded, or

without competition, only aflbciated, communicate, by the clofenefs of their relation, their qualities to one anoeven,

difpofition

contemplated the

which makes change

it,

with which the mind

firft,

force

by

its

own

and by the ftrength of

which keeps

this

force

continues while

we view

we

a

imagine, by

firmnefs,

requifite to deftroy the-

or

union,

from being applied,

kind of

the others. illufion,

And

that they

which in reality was and we perception of them them the qualities which are necef-

produced the

brought

difpofition, to the

afcribe to

fary for

its

production.

;

A

perception,

by

being

To/Ie

170

PART

and imagination.

being connected with another, that pleafant, or painful,

becomes

itfelf

is

III,

flrong,

vigorous,

Hence may be agreeable or difagreeable. deduced the force ofympatby which enlivens y

our ideas of the pafiions infufed by

it to fuch a pitch, as in a manner converts them into the paffions themfelves.

IF indeed the connected ideas have fuch a

degree of relation, as unavoidably leads us to compare them, the phenomenon will be rethe effecT: of the comparifon overbalof the ajjociation. An idea will that lancing or lefs lefs pleafant, painful appear weaker, verfed,

than

it

which

really

by being introduced by one

a greater degree of thefe quapoflefTes if

lities,

with

is,

it

is

at the

fame time compared

it.

IMAGINATION

fometimes

operates

fo

not only to aflbciate, or even combine, but alfo to confound together ideas or fenfations that are related, and to miftake ftrongly,

as

one for the

other.

This

is

the caufe of our

often afcribing the pleafure or the pain,

which

merely from our own operations, to the objeds about which they happen -to be refults

employed

5

and of our confounding together objeds,

SECT.

and imagination. ideas, which are contemplated

I.

fajte

or

objects,

with the fame or a of

likevvife the fource

like

It

difpofition.

many

is

which

figures, in

ufed for another, as metaphor, denomination, abufion, and the like.

one thing

its

is

IMAGINATION does not confine but often ads own weak ideas j

junction with our fenfes, and fpreads

on

fluence

their

emotions,

and

aflbciated

with

con-

its

in-

Senfatilons,

impreflions.

affections are,

itfelf to

in

its

by

power,

others,

readily introducing fuch as referable them, either in their feeling or direction. Nay, they are capable of a

than even our ideas

for they ; them, be conjoined, but alfo mixed and blended fo perfectly together, that none of them {hall be diftinctly perceiv-

clofer union,

may

not only,

able in

the

like

compound, which

arifes

from

their union.

ALL

thefe are operations

which

of imagination,

naturally proceed from exertions, and are the principles,

its

fimpleft

from which the fentiments of tafte arife. Thefe fentiments are not fantaftical, imaginary, or unbut are univerfally produced by ; the energies of fancy, which are indeed of the

fubftantial

Fa/it

172

and imagination.

PART

III.

the utmoft confequence, and have the moft extenfive influence on the operations of the

By being compounded with one

mind.

other, or with other original qualities of

man

nature, they generate moft of our

an-

hu-

com-

pounded powers. In particular, they produce affeftion, and tafle of every kind ; the former, by operating in conjunction with thofe qualities of the mind, which fit us for latter, by being combined with of fenfation. laws the general

action

j

the

.

SECT.

(

'73

SECT. Of the

II.

connexion of tafte with genius*.

TASTE

may be

eflential

dant of genius

;

according as

more

one akn

ow ledges

connexion.

confidered either as an

Party or as a neceflary atten-

nius in a

paft

)

we

confider ge-

or lefs extenfive manner.

It is

Every

that they have a very near fo evident, that it has almofl

maxim, that the ableft performers the bed judges in every art. How

into a

are alfo

maxim is juft will beft appear, by the narure and principles determining briefly far the

of genius.

THE

firft

invention,

and leading quality of genius is confifts in an extenfive

which

comprehenfivenefs of imagination, in a readinefs of aflbciating the remoteft ideas, that In a man of genius are any way related. the uniting principles are fo vigorous and quick, that whenever any idea is prefent to the mind, they bring into view at once all others, that have the leaft connection with it.

As

the magnet felects

of matter the ferruginous

from a quantity

particles,

which happen

Of the

174 pen

be

to

PART

connexion of

fcattered

through

without

it,

making an impreffion on other

lit.

fubftances

;

fo imagination,

by a fimilar ^rnpathy, equally out from the whole comdraws inexplicable, fuch nature ideas of as we have occalion pafs for,

without attending to any others

prefents all

them with

as if

conceptions had been explicitly our view, and fubjected to our

poffible

expofed

and yet

;

as great propriety,

to

choice.

AT

firft

thefe Materials

may

lie

in a

rude

and indigefted chaos but when we attentively review them, the lame afibciating power, :

which formerly made us

fenfible

of their

connection, leads us to perceive the different degrees of that connection ; by it's magical force

ranges

them

into different fpecies, according

to thefe degrees j ditpofes the moft ftrongly related into the fame member j and fets all

the

members

in that pofition,

out as the moft natural.

which

it

Thus from

points a

con-

fufed heap of materials, collected

genius,

after repeated reviews

tions, defigns a regular

whole (k)

by fancy, and tranfpoli-

and well proportioned

(k).

This operaiion of genius,

isdefcribed with

all

in defigning it's productions, The the beauties of poetical expreffion, in

f leafures of imagination t B.

iii.

ver.,

348

410.

SECT.

II,

THIS

tafte

with genius.

brightnefs and force of imagination luftre on it's effeds, which will

throws a

for ever diftinguifh

and try.

them from the

lifelefs

infipid productions of inanimated indufDiligence and acquired abilities may

aflift

or improve genius

but a fine imagina-

;

Hence is derived tion alone can produce it. in all the it's inventive fubje&s to which power This is poflefTed in comcan be applied. the painter, the poet, the mufkian, by the orator, the philofopher, and even the it

mon

mathematician.

In

each indeed,

it's

form

has fomething peculiar, ariling either from the degree of extent and comprehenfion of

fancy; or from the peculiar prevalence of fome one of the aflbciating qualities ; or

from the mind

being,

by

original

conftitu-

more tion, education, fludy, ftrongly turned to one kind than the others. example, or

A

GENIUS

for

the fine arts implies, not

only the power of invention or defign, but likewife

a capacity to exprefs it's defigns in Without this, it would not apt materials. only be imperfect, but would for ever lie latent, undifcovered,

ly the

which

and

ufelefs.

It is chief-

peculiar modification of this capacity, adapts a genius to one art rather than

another

j'&e connexion of

176

PART

III.

To

form a painter, the ideas affembled by fancy muft give him a view of their correfpondent objects, in fuch order and another.

as will enable him to exhibit the proportion, the to eye, by an imitation of it's original

To form a poet, they figure and colour. muft lead the thoughts, not to the corporeal forms of things, but to the figns, with which by

the

common

ufe of language, they arc

that

fo

connected;

with propriety,

he may employ them and harmony, in ex-

force,

ideas of his fubject. citing flrong

CULTURE

may

ftrengthen

invention

;

knowledge is neceflary for fupplying a fund from which it may collect it's materials j but improvement chiefly affects the capacity of Painting requires a mechanical produced by exercife mufic a know-

expreffion. (kill,

:

of founds, derived from ledge of the power and eloquence an acquainexperience poetry :

tance with

all

the force of words and inftitu-

ted figns, an advantage

which can be

obtain-

ed only by careful ftudy.

THUS genius is the grand architect, which not only choofes the materials, but difpofes them into a regular ftrudture. But it is not able to finifh

it

by

itfelf.

It

needs the amftance

SECT.

Ofiafte <witb genius.

II.

tance of ertions.

Though

the different

ex-

it's

relations

of

fome meafure, determine the

the parts, in

form and

and moderate

to guide

tafte,

we

pofition of each,

acquire

much

ampler aflurance of it's rectitude, when tafte has reviewed and examined both the defign It ferves as a check on mere and execution. fancy

it

;

interpofes

judgment, either apand rejects many ;

it's

proving or condemning

which

thingi,

unaflifted

genius would haVe

allowed.

THE

diftinct provinces

being thus marked

how

out,

it

of genius and tafte will be eafy to dif-

they are connected. They muft be connected in a confiderable degree, but fince they both fpring from imagination

cover

far

:

as

it

is

differently exerted in each,

nection will

their con-

not be perfectly accurate and

uniform.

GENIUS

is

not always attended with tafte

and proportioned. It is fomc precifely equal times incorrect, though copious and extenfivc. fometimes bold, yet can transfufe no deBut it licacy or grace into it's productions. It is

is

never found where *

ting.

The fame

principles,

which

tafte

is

altogether

wan-

of the

vigoui aflbciating renders genius quick and

N

com-

Of

178

taflc

with genius.

PART IH,

comprehenfive, muft beftow fuch ftrength on the feveral dependent operations of fancy,

which generate

tafte,

as mall

make

that fa-

culty confiderably active and perceptive (/). The genius of the greateft matters in every

kind has not been more perfect than their tafte. The models they have given are fo finimed and correct, that the general rules and precepts of the art, afterwards eftablimed by critics, are deduced from their practice, and the very fame which they obferved,

The

though uninftrudted. fubjected

the

to

till

antiquity

after

cornpofed

had

Thefe great originals an excellent genius, but vigour of theic imagina-

flourished.

The

tafte.

Art of

the greateft tragic poets of

pofTeffed, not only

equal

was not

epos

when Homer

Arijlotle did not write his

Iliad.

poetry,

rules,

them

into unexplored tracts} and they had fuch light and difcernment, as, without danger of error, directed their courfe in this

tions led

(I) f

rl ]

There

genius and fenfilillty

is

in

tafte.

and

one view a

A

delicacy

ftill

clofer

connexion between

genius for the fine arts implies, at leaft,

of tafte, as an

means of this every form

efiential part

of

it.

By

man

of true genius fo for. cibly, as perfectly to enrapture and engage him, andhefeleds the circumftances proper for chara&erifing it, and imprefles ftrikes

a

them upon others, with the fame vivacity, that he apprehendg them himfelf. See this elegantly explained in A difcourft on /Tv

feetical imitation.

% I,

untrod-

Of

S"ECT. II.

tafle

ivith genius.

Tafle united with ge-

untrodden wildernefs.

nius renders theefFeds of the latter like to dia-

monds, which have dour (m).

BUT wanting

tafte

great folidity as fplen-

often prevails

they

;

as

where genius is cannot them-

who

may judge,

The operations, that depend the on imagination, may be vigorous enough to form a high relifti, though it be deftitute

felves

perform.

of that brightnefs and extenfion, which ncccflary for alTociating

a comprehenfive genius.

principles

is

The

ftrong and ac-

may be

within their bounds, though thefe bounds And foundnefs and ftrength of be narrow.

tive

judgment may be poUcHed without confiderable genius; but mutt always, if joined with any degree of the internal fcnfes, produce This renacutenefs and judnefs of tafte. dered Anftotle

he was

not,

the

greateft

like Longinus>

of llejl

critics,

tho'

'with a poet's

fire.

(m)

Lc

be! efprit eft de la nature de ces pierres precieufes,

II n'y a rien d e qui n'ont pas moins de folidite, que d'eclat. plus beau qu*un diamant bien poli et bien net; il eclatc de

tous cotez, etdans toutes fes parties.

Quanta fodtzxa,

tanto

C'eft un corps folide qui brille cocfiilence et

du corps.

;

ha

c'eft

fplendore.

un

brillant qui a

de !a

iv. Entrtt. J*jtriff$ tt d* Eugene.

N

2

IT

180

Of

tails

PART

with genius.

III.

IT muft however be acknowleged, that genius will always throw a peculiar brightnefs

upon

tafte,

as

it

enables one, by a kind of

contagion, to catch the fpirit of an author, to judge with the fame difpofition, in which

he compofed, and by

this means to feel every beauty with a delight and tranfport, of which a colder critic can form no idea. The fine

genius of Longinus catches fire, as it were, from the mentioning of a fublime paffage,

and hurries him on to emulate in his explication of

it.

it's

fublimity by the

Quintilian,

fame union of genius with tafte, delivers his fentiments with the utmoft elegance, and enlivens the abflractnefs of precept by the mofl beautiful and appofite figures

and images.

SECT.

SECT.

Of the

III.

of Tafte on critkifm.

influence

tafte gives the laft finishing to genius in the author or performer, fo is it the fundamental ingredient in the character of the

AS critic.

The

greateft refinement

tafte is necefTary,

qualify one for

and

but not alone

this office.

A

juftnefs

fufficient,

critic

of to

muft not

only feel, but pofTefs that accuracy of difcernment, which enables a perfon to refeft upon his feelings with diftindtnefs ? them to others,

TASTE

and to

the particular

perceives

explain,

beauties

and thus fupplies the facts, for which we are to account; and the experiments, from which our conclufions are to be But thefe conclufions cannot be deduced.

and

faults,

formed without 4 vigorous ty, the

greateft force for the moft careful

abftracting facul-

of reafon, a capacity and correct induction,

and a deep knowledge of the principles of hu-

man

nature.

One

does not merit the

name

merely by being able to make a collection of beauties and faults from perfor-

of a

critic,

N

3

mance

1

82

Of taftc

PART

en criticifm.

III,

to "tell in general j that thofe pleafe, thefe difpleafe j fome more, feme lefs. Such particular obfervations fall

tnances in the fine arts

as

much mort

of genuine criticifm, as a col-

letion of facts and experiments does of phir Jolbphy j pr a feries of news papers of a fyftem

of politicks. They are it's rude materials, and nothing more. And to exhibit them is the whole that tafte can do.

IN order therefore to form an able critic, mud be attended with a rjhilofophical

tafte

thefe materials to genius, which may fubject a regular induction, reduce them into claiTes,

and determine the general vern them (n).

In

rules

which go-

all this

operation refpeft muft be had to the fubjecls in which the excellencies or blemimes refide, and to the fimili-

tude of the qualities themfelves, or of the fenti-

ments which they () Nihil

eft,

qod

excite. Thefe are the circum-r ad artem redigi

poffit, nifi

ille

prius,

^ui ilia tenet, quorum artem inftituere vult, habeat illam fcientiam, ut ex is rebus, quarum ars nondum fit, artem efficere

Omnia

poflit.

jifperfa et difllpata

fere,

quondam

denique ipfarationedicendi.

dam

quz

funt conclufa nunc artibus,

fuerunt, ut in muficis,

Adhibita

extrinfecus^x alio genere quodam,

in

hac

eft igitur ars

quontotuni

quod f.bi rem diflblutam, divulfamque conglu. ratione qutdam coftrhigeret. Cic. dt Orat. lib. i.

fkilofophi affumunt, quae linaret, et

fiances

SCT.

Of tap on criticifm. common to a variety of

phenomena, which bution of them.

we

that

refer

it

particular regulate our diftrinot enough to difcover

mud

It is

are pleafed or difpleafed

;

we muft

preciie fpecies of either

the

alcertain

8j

j

III.

ftances

;

to the fentiment or the expreffion

and ;

to

the defign or the execution ; to fublimity or beauty 5 to wit or humour.

THE

qualities

common

to the lower clafTes

will naturally be determined firft, by regular induction. But a true critic will not reft fatif-

with them.

fied

and pufhing

By renewing the

induction,

to a greater degree of fubtlety, will afcertain the lefs conspicuous proper-

he

ties,

which

it

unite feveral inferior fpecies under will carry on his ana(0) ; and

the fame genus lyfis,

till

he difcovers the higheft kinds, and

prefcribes the moft extenfive laws of art, and thus arrives at the moft univerfal difti notion 3

that can

be made, without falling into the

uninftructive affirmation of

or faultinefs in general (e)

Turn

mere excellence

(/>).

funt notanda genera, et ad certum

citatemque revocanda.

communione quadam,

Genus autem fpecie

eft id,

numerum,

quod

fui

pau..

fimileis

autem diiFerenteis, duas aut plu r autem funt, quie generibu

Partes

reis

compleftitur panels.

iis,

ex quibus emanant, fubjiciuntur.

Cic.

ibid.

This order of proceeding from the more particular, to the more general diftinftions of our fentiments may, perhaps* (p)

N

4

To

Of fade

184

PART

on criticifm.

1IL

,

To

complete the criticifm, and render

it

truly philofophical, the common qualities of the fevcral claffes, both fuperior and fubordi-

muft be compared with the principles nature, that we may learn by what means they pleafe or difpleafe, and for what nate,

of

human

reafon.

AXL

included in perfect criticifm, requires therefore the greateft philo? fophical acqtenefs, united with the mod exthis

is

which

feem liable to an objc&ipn drawn from matter of fa& for it would appear, that critics have determined the moft univerfal ciafles, but have not yet fufficiently afcertained the fpecics :

.

that are fubordinate to them.

which they are charged, neral.

This

is

The common

defedl,

with,

that their obfervations are too geundoubtedly the cafe, /as criticifm has been, is,

that it has been feigenerally, managed: and the reafon is, dom cultivated by a regular and juft induction. It was long

ago obferved by Lord Vtrulam, that there are two kinds of indudtion, one imperfect and inefficient, which leads us at once

from experiments, to the moft general conclufions ; the othef legitimate and perfect, but fcarce ever ufed, which rifcs gra*'

'

* '

lefs

viae funt,

*'

"

"

Dux general, to more general principles. atque efle poffunt, ad inquirendam et inveniendam Altera a fenfu etparticularibus advolat ad axioveritatem.

dually from

Almata maxime generalia, atque haec via in ufu eft. tera a fenfu et particularibus excitat axiomata, afcendendo continentur et gradatim, ut ultimo loco perveniatur ad max-

ime generalia ; quae

jib.

i.

aph. 19.

In

via vera eft, fed intentata."

criticifm,

as well as in

farmer method has been generally praftifed.

AW.

Org.

philofophy, the

Indeed in what-

quifite

SECT.

III.

Of

tafte

on criticifm.

185

of tafte. If tafte is quifite perfection wanting our conclusions muft be defective, faulty, or precarious

philofophical genius, our

if

:

fervations will be trifling,

fuperficial,

obuncon-

nected, and perplexed with too great particularity. '

IT has been often obferved that nature

is

the ftandard and archetype of all true rules of criticifm. Indeed the fate of criticifm has

been fimilar to that of every fpecies of philoIt has fallen into the hands of incafophy. pable profefTors, who, without any regard to {he reality of nature, have attempted to prer

ver regards fentiment, there is a peculiar temptation to pur*ue this courfe. For the very feelings excited by qualitiet that belong to different genera t being fenfibly diftincl, direct

men,

fome meafure,

in

mark

to

But

fufficient precifion.

it

diftinguifh them, requires attention

though not with and acutenefs to

the lefler varieties of fentiment, which correfpond to the

fpecies

The

of each.

matter of faft objecled only ftiews.

a wrong method therefore, that criticifm has been cultivated by of induction. The confequence has been, that even thofe to be afcertained, are loofc diftinclions, which

general

uncertain, and

died,

till

arc

rife

more

appear a defeft that can never be remeof induftion is applied, and critics b e

defined

the other fort

content to ""as

ill

j

from particular

general.

the fentimeRts of

tafte,

principles,

gradually,

to fuch

Thus only can our concept ons of all which they arc qualities by and determinate.

and of the

excited, be rendered accurate

fcribc

1

86

Of

fcribe rules,

tajle

on critlclfm.

formed by

their

PART III. own imagina-

The accidental ufage of an eminenj author on a particular emergency, has been converted into a flanding law, and applied to

tions.

cafes no ways fimilar: arbitrary reftraints have been impofed without neceffity, and even mining faults have been recommended But thefe falfe fyftems of critias beauties.

cifm, like their kindred ones in philofophy, have obtained only a local and temporary re-

Genuine criticifm is evidently very different; and is juftly efteemed a faithful For itinveftigates thofe tranfcript of nature. it's in qualities objects, which, from the in-

ception.

mud

variable principles of human nature, always pleafe or difpleafe j defcribes and dif-

tinguimes the fentiments, which they

produce

\

and impartially regulates

in fact

it's

general conclufions according to real

moft

pheno-

mena.

SECT*

SECT.

Of

the objetfs

IV.

of

tafte*

feOff

WE

have fecn the importance of tafte, the performer, and the

both to

But its proper office and extenfive judge. influence will perhaps appear flill farther,

by confidering ferent light.

ploying

itfelf

With regard

its

It

objects in a

may

fomewhat

dif-

be conceived as em-

about nature, arf, and fciencf. to

nature,

which

is

the

com-

mon

fubject of the other two, tafte and reaIn art, fon are employed in conjunction. tafte

is

the ultimate judge, and reafon but its In fcience, reafcn is fupreme,

ininifter.

but

may fometimes

pfing tafte as

As

reap an auxiliary.

advantage,

from

reafon inveftigates the laws of nature, It fills us its beauties.

tafte alone difcovers

with admiration of the ftupendous magnitude of the mundane fyftem. It is charmed with the regularity, order, and proportion, which every part of it difplays, even to the moft illiterate;

with the beauty and variety of co1

louri,

1

88

^

Of the

lours,

the

which

fitnefs

of

cbjetfs

and

utility

of

with the inexhauftible fucceffion of to view.

PART

tatle.

tinge the face of nature

new

all

its

;

III.

with

productions

;

and endlefs

diverfity,

objects, which it prefents difclofe a thoufand deli-

Flowers

'

Animals appear

cate or vivid hues.

Here the ocean

ly fymmetry.

in

come-

fpreads forth there the 5

fmooth and boundlefs furface

it's

a verdant

earth forms

carpet.

Mountains

with rugged majefty 5 the valleys wear a pleafant bloom ; and even the dreary wilrife

dernefs

The ry,

is

day

not deflitute of auguft fimplicity. ufhered in by a fplendid lumina-

is

whofe beams expofe

view the beauties

to

of the world, and gild the face of nature. And when the curtain of night veils terrefeye, the wide expanfe with ftars, and opens the appears fpangled of multitudes of worlds paft recprofpeft trial

objects

from our

koning. Spring, fummer, autumn, prefent us with natural beauties, in the fucceflive periods of their

growth

;

and even

ftern

many objects undeftroyed, from which a vigorous tafte may extract no inconwinter leaves

ilderable degree

SCARCE any

of entertainment. art

is

fo

mean,

fo

entirely

mechanical, as not to afford fubjects of tafte. Drefs,

SECT.

Of

IV".

the objefis of fajle.

i

S0

Drefs, furnitnre, equipage will betray a good or bad tafle : nay the loweft utenfil may be

But the ugly in the kind (q). which imitate the excellencies of

beautiful or finer arts,

nature, fupply it with more proper materials ; and thence derive their merit. Mufic, painting, ftatuary, architecture, poetry, and elo-

quence, conftitute territory, in

which

it's

peculiar

it's

authority

and domeflic

is abfolutely In this department, genius receives decrees with implicit fubmiflion ; and

fupreme. it's

reafon

is

but

into view,

of which

THE truth

it's minifter, employed to bring and reduce into form, the fubjecls

it is

to judge.

not only of but alfo of beauty or

fciences are fufceptible,

or falfehood

;

deformity, excellence or defect.

As

the for-

jner are primarily regarded, reafon, by which they are diftinguifhed, here reigns fupreme,

and

is

merit.

the immediate and proper judge of Tafte exercifes only a fubordinate

jurifdiclion,

and muft be employed in fubfer-

vience to understanding.

When

this

fub-

how great a degree the beauty of thefe meaner fubregulated by the fame principles, from which ihat of the nobler fprings, appears in man/ inilanccs, produced by (q)

jefti

Mr

In

is

Hfgarti,

in his jinalvfu

f Ltuuij. ordination

the objects

Of ly

ART

tajtt.

lit.

is

introduced* reafon

dence of

of

perverted, and tafte is principaland erroneous theories arc! falfe regarded,

ordination

;

j

is

Imagination

fubftituted

for

prejudice fupplies the place of eviplaufible fables are embraced inftead

An

folid truths.

immoderate attachment

to novelty or antiquity, to fublimity or fimplicity,has often in fcience given rife to whimfical

and diftorted explications of To one or other

principles,

the phaenomena of things.

of thefe

caufes,

fyftems of

we may

afcribe

moft of the

philofophy, that have ever in the world. prevailed

BUT

falfe

tafte,

when under

of reafon, and ufed only

the entire controul as

it's

afiiftant,

is

It highly ufeful in fcience. judges, not only of the manner in which fcience is communi-

cated, but alfo of the

fubjecl

matter

itfelf.

Every juft conclusion, by extending our knowledge of nature, difcovers fome new beauty in the conftitution of things, and fupplies ad-

The pleafure, to taire. gratification attends the perceptions of this faculty, ftrongly prompts us to exert reafon in philo-

ditional

which

fophical enquiries, and, with unremitted duity, that it's

to explore

we may

approbation,

the

obtain it

iecrets

that

confirms

of

pleafure.

the

affi-

nature

By

deductions

of

SECT. IV.

Of

the. cbjetts

of

191

ta/le.

of reafon, and, by making us feel the beauty , heightens our convidtion of the truth

of

The Newtonean

conclufions.

it's

more

not

is

fatisfying

by the

{landing,

juft

the

to

reafonings

theory under-

on which

founded, than agreeable to tafte, by it's As the operations fimplicity and elegance. it

of

is

tafte are

quick,

and almoft inftantaneous,

fometimes difgufted with the bungling appearance of principles, and leads us to fuf-

it is

ped: them, before reafon has had time to difcover where the falfehood lies. king of

A

Spain,

who had made

confiderable

progrefs

hare been highly with the and perplexity, confufion difgufted in

in

aftronorny,

is

faid

to

which the Ptolemaic fyftem

motipns of the

fubmitted to that hypothefis difliked

it.

His reafon

but his

;

the

involves

bodies.

celeftial

tajle

Inftead of cenfuring the confti-

tution of nature,

he (hould have fufpecled

the

which reprefented

explication,

it

as

irregular, and ill contrived. When the mundane fyftem is juftiy explained, it appears to

be adjufted with the proportion j the fenfe firms the theory, and

niceft

regularity

of which fills

us

at

and

once con-

with admiration

of the fupreme wifdom.

SECT.

I

t

SECT. the pkafures

Of

V.

of

Tajle. 1

obfervationswehave madeconcer* ning the fubjecls of tafte not only af-

THE certain

it's

genuine province, but likewife, in it's extenfive utility and

fome meafure, evince importance.

It will

not however be impro-

complete our view of it's advantages, by confidering it's effects, both immediate and remote.

per to

IT

the immediate fource of pleasures, not The only innocent, but elegant and noble. powers of imagination are a ftriking inftance is

munificence of our creator, furnimed us not only with thofe

,of the

who

has

faculties,

which

are neceffary for the prefervation of our being, but fuch alib as may fit us for receiving a rich variety of enjoyment. And by the

improvement of

may

be

ftill

more

thefe powers, our pleafures

farther multiplied,

exquifite. for enjoyments,

A

and rendered

fine tafte qualifies a

man

which

others are perfect (hangers, and enables him to derive entertainment from almoft every thing in art or nature.

It

to

enlarges his fphere of happinefs,

1

SECT.

Of the pleafures

I.

1

93 which employ the mind without fatiguing it, and gratify without

by

oftajli.

yielding delights,

cloying.

THE

pleafures

of

though

taft*,

lefs

im-

proving than fuch as are mtelle&ual, are often as

generally

great,

more

rapturous, always

We need but and infufed are attend, by every objeclr, they The without labour or expence of thought. beauties of nature are open to all : and tho*

more

univerfally attainable.

property , moft men may have the enjoyment of many of the wonders The improvement of tafte is eafier, of art.

few can have the

and more

certain,

than that of reafon.

Some

are indeed incapable of the higheft perfection of it : But few are fo entirely deftitute of the

natural feeds of

pleafure from all

as

it,

not to

as

receive

fome

proper objects. Though cannot attain fuch juftnefe of difcernment,

may

it's

qualify

gain them

them

for

being judges, or

there are j authority fcarce any, who may not acquire the fenfibithat is requifite for their own gratifility y as

critics

cation.

THE

pleafures of tafte are not like the graof external fenfe, followed by un-

tifications

O

eafinefs

1 .

Of the pleafures

94

of

PA*T

tajle.

III.

nor reflected upon with They are confefiedly of an

cafmefs or fatiety diffatisfaction.

;

A

relifh for them adds digniand commands no inconfity to a character, derable degree of approbation. man, who devotes a confiderable part of his time to the

higher order.

A

of fenfe, is an object of contempt or indignation : but a perfon who can fill up thofe parts of life, that afford no opportunities

gratification

with pleafures of

for focial offices,

can find entertainment for

many

tafte,

who

hours in a

gallery of pictures, or in a collection of poems, is

efteemed on

of

tafte

Juftnefs very account. an author as high a degree procures of reputation, as the moft curious ab {tract difquifitions.

this

Ariftotle's

critical

works are

his logic. To the generally valued than later he owed the veneration of his implicit followers; a veneration which free enquiry

more

has

already

of the former,

extinguished all

:

but

on account

ages will probably admire

him.

THE

fentiments of tafte fpread a luftre over

The pleafures of moft of our enjoyments. fenfe and the external decorations of life would be infipid and defpicable to every man if ideas of elegance and of underftanding,

mag-

SECT.

Of

I.

the pkafures of tafie.

magnificence, derived from tafte, were not them. Tafte ftamps a value

aflbciated with

upon

riches,

as the

procuring

it's

gratifications

the great end, for which they are defired, and the worthieft ufe to which can be

is

applied,

they the execution of benevolent and

.vir-

tuous defigns alone excepted.

2

SECT,

i

96

S E C T. the

Of

of Tafle on the charafter

effeEls

and

THE

VI.

paffions.

more remote

arife

advantages of tafte it has on the

from the influence

and the character.

paffions

THE

as well as tafte,

depend for the on imagination \ and production

their

paffions,

therefore reafonably be expected to bear enter

may

fome analogy to it. Were it proper to on a full difcuffion of the origin of the it

fions,

derive

and

paf-

might be fhown, not only that they their particular

their exiftence,

their

various

turn,

degrees of ftrength, from

the operations of fancy, but alfo that they in many iuftances, .to the very

owe them,

fame operations of fancy, which produce the fentiments of tafte. Fancy forms the pictures

which

affect tafte,

veral diffant ideas into

fame

by compounding

one whole

pictures excite the

fe-

;

and thefe

paffions.

AJfocia-

on tafte; and has examined the

iion has a very great influence

every philofopher,

who

affections

SECT. VI.

Of tie

efetfs

of

197

to/If.

has remarked

with tolerable care,

affections

the great dependence which they have

Many

aflbciation.

pafby

and

;

fource of

this

many

of them principle

arife

on from fymthe

likewife

is

fentiments of

Both

tafte.

our fentiments and our affections are often rendered more intenfe by the mixture of concomitant emotions. flrong imagination'

A

produces a vigorous and lively tafte ; andj it is always attended with keen and ardent paflione.

THUS

tafte

and

affection are effects of the

fame caufe, ftreams ifTuing from the fame fountain ; and muft therefore be in a confiderable meafure fimilar,

likewife

They

tually influence one another, rive a farther fimilarity.

mu-

and hence de-

We

have remark-

ed already, that the- prevailing paffion often enlivens the fenfations of tafte, and deterT particular form. Tafte as often augthe. vigour of the paflions, and fixes Prefent a mere their prevailing character.

mines

it's

ments

good or evil ; the mind feels Mention a particular advantage

abftract idea of

no emotion.

or difadvantage

forrow a

man

is is

;

defire or

averfion, joy

immediately arroufed.

or

Tell us that

generous, benevolent, or compaf-

O

3

fionate,

Of

'198

fionate, or

on the contrary that he

is

III.

fordid

or hardhearted

felfifh,

of

PART

the effttfs of tajle

his character

this general account ; too indefinite to excite ei-

is

ther love or hatred. tions, in

which

Rehearfe a

feries

of ac-

thefe characters

have been difplayed; immediately the ftory draws out the affections correfpondent. It is only a perception enlivened by fancy, that affects our

A

active powers. very general idea is fo uncannot that flable, lay hold of it : but fancy when a particular idea is prefented, the ima-

gination dwells upon it, cloaths it with a variety of circumftances, runs from it to other ideas, that are

connected with

it,

and finimcs

a picture of the object reprefented by that idea,

which

will infallibly produce a fuitable

Now

affection.

if

we examine

the colours,

which imagination throws upon our ideas, in order to enable them to excite the paf-

we

fions,

them tafte.

mod

fhall find that

the greateft part of

from the fentiments of Honours have a great influence on men but greateft on thofe, whofe tafte are extracted

;

of fuch a ftrudture, as to give them a high relifli of the magnificence and pomp, which

is

the poffcffion of honours naturally procures.

There a

is

fcarce

perfon more

quality, that recommends ftrongly to our friendship,

any

than

SECT. VI. than a

way

Of

the effetfs

or another.

painting

A

of

tafle.

our

fitnefs for gratifying

genius

tafte in

for

199 fome

mufic or

fometimes more fpeedily and

will

certainly introduce

a flranger

who

or good offices of a man,

to the is

notice

a tolerable

than more important acwhich he is not equally of complifhments, A to fenfe of beauty has genejudge. qualified

judge in thefe

arts,

much

greater influence upon the amo.rous paflion, than the mere appetite for fen-

rally

and is fometimes fo powerful, fual pleafure as even to overbalance, in our choice, the na-,

of agreeable mental qualielegant entertainment is prepared,

tural approbation ties.

An

We

hunger, but to pleafe tafte. may perhaps venture to aflert, that every appetite and paflion in our nature, except ava-

not to

fatisfy

rice alone, or the love

of

money

for the fake

of hoarding, derives it's origin and it's vigour, in a great meafure, from thofe ideas, which imagination borrows from tafte, and aflbciates

with the object of that

paflion.

This

being the cafe, the paflions will naturally receive one tincture or other, in every man, according to the particular conftitution of his tafte,

O

4

WE

200

Of

WE find by between the Great

III,

experience fuch a connexion and the paffions of men,

taftes

would

as thefe obfervations (

PART

the efefis of tafle.

fenfibility

of

taftc is

lead us to expect.

generally

accom-

Women have /panied with lively paffions. always been confidered as pofleffing both in a more eminent degree than men. nefs of tafte

is

effential to poetic

Horace has affigned

to poets the

dent turn of paffion,

!

correfpon-

characterifes

A

grofs, uncultivated

produces a groflhefs

and indelicacy of

them genus tafte

when he

Quickj and

genius

paffion, it

vails,

irritabile.

But wherever a delicate

tafte prebeftows a certain refinement and ele-

gance on our principles of action, which

makes

us defpife

coarfe,

which vulgar minds purfue with

many

objects as grofs

and ar-

and even when we are attached to the fame things with other men, it gives a very dour

:

to our manner of affecting peculiar politenefs them. Savages haAe a grofsnefs both of tafte

and of paffion, which diftinguimes them from The vulgar in every nacivilized nations.

by the fame circumWhatever quality polite.

tion are diftinguifhed, ftance,

from the

the tafte of a nation, is gives a tincture to found to tinge alfo the national character.

The

SECT. VI.

the effetfs

Of

of

201

tajle.

The. French have a peculiar delicacy of tafte

and a peculiar through

their

vivacity

manners.

:

and elegance runs

The

irregularity

and

boldnefs of the Englijh tafte correfponds exof the nation. actly with the general fpirit

The

ftatelinefs,

which the Spaniards

affect

analagous to the

lofti-

in their behaviour,

nefs is

is

which they approve

in compofition. It difficult matter to trace a like connec-

no between

tion

tafte

and character in indivi-

duals.

THIS connection may be owing,

in

fomc

meafure, to the influence, which the paffions have on tafte. But it can fcarce be doubted, that it arifea as frequently from the tincture,

which

cite the

rived

gives to the paffions recollect that the ideas

tafte

when we

paffions are,

:

efpecially

which ex-

in a great meafure, de-

from the fentiments of

tafte.

IF it fhould farther appear, that a juft and well regulated tafte has a peculiar tendency to confirm virtuous affections and principles,

importance would be ftill more conlpiThofe who have enquired, whether has this tendency, feem to have run into

it's

cuous. it

extremes.

Some

reprefent thefc qualities in actions

202

and

adtions

III.

which excite our mothe fame with thofe qua-

affections,

ral approbation, as

which,

lities,

PART

the ffetfs cf tafte.

Of

in a picture or a

poem, produce

the gratification of tafte ; and think that it is the fame faculty, which is pleafed in both

But experience will fcarce fuptafte for the fine arts, port this opinion. and a high fenfe of virtue, which, on this cafes (r).

A

hypothefis,

parated

moral rive

would be the fame,

would probably lead us to defrom other principles, than thofe from

faculty,

it

which

tafte

been explained.

has

feems however to be

as little

termining with others, that

has no in-

may be fepaupon morality (s). from virtue j it may accidentally lead It

men

to act vicioufly, for

that

it is

than to

it's

gratification

:

but

naturally more favourable to virtue vice, may be inferred from many of

the

acknowledged mind.

MOST wrong to

There

reafon for de-

tafte

fluence rated

are often fe-

and a careful examination of the

:

qualities

paflions

fome perverfion of (r) This

is

of the

human

may be

tafte,

traced up which produces

often aflerted, or very direftly infinuated,

by

Lord SHAFTESBURY. (j) This opinion iicsy

is

See Charafleriflics, paffim . maintained by Mr. BROWN, EJfey on

7.

them,

SECT. VI.

Of

the efetfs

us

of

203

tafte.

their

to

them, by leading mifapprehend It would be almoft fuperfluous to

objects.

undertake a formal proof, that luxury, prodigality,

from

this

evident, that, if tafte

were

arife

ambition,

And

caufe.

it is

chiefly

fo as to difcover that it is perfectly formed, or a falfe beauty fublimity, or at lead an inferior fpecies, that belongs

their objects

;

and

if it

the purer and nobler it

may be employed,

to thefe

or

vices

were accuftomed to

,

which which now

fubjects about

thofe ideas,

miflead fo many, muft lofe a great influence

Vice is often promoted by tafte upon them, or wrong applied let tafte be ill formed :

rendered correct and

juft, vice will

be almoft

for our opinions of things will extinguifhed be, in moft cafes, true and fuited to their ;

natures.

A

MAN who is acquainted with high and noble pleafures naturally defpifes fuch as are A relifh for the gratifications of far inferior. tafte will

enable a man,

in

fome degree,

to

undervalue the pleafures of fenfe, and to difregard the calls of appetite, which are the greateft

good

obftrudions

affections.

puts very

little

to

A man

the

prevalence

of an improved

of

tafte

value on fenfual delights, except

Of

204

PART III. of tafte come to him, recommendthey

the effetfs

as cept fo far And it has ed by an opinion of elegance. obferved a that been already perfectly juft tafte would enable him to ftrip this recom-

mendation in a great meafure of

ANY fentiment

or affection

it's

force.

which

is

fuita-

ble to the prevailing biafs of the mind, will derive peculiar ftrength from that biafs.

A

and elegant

juft

mind

tafte,

frequently employed

an habitual difpofition, more congruous to the agreeable feeling, and gentle impulfes of kind affection, than to the

puts the

into

more tumultuous paffions. ty,

and

the

mind

The

agitations of the rougher exercife of tafte begets fereni-

fatis faction. is

prone

fection finds the

and

fuited to

itj

in a

which

foil,

When

thefe

to benevolence.

prevail,

This

af-

mind it

already in a temper ftrikes deep it's roots, as

fupplies

it

with

it's

natural

A

man is nourishment, in great abundance. feldom better difpofed to friendftip, generofiand the whole train of kind affections, ty, love, than

when

his

mind has been

foftened,

by

the charms of mufic,

painting, or poetry. It is universally acknowledged, that thefe arts, when properly applied, are very powerful in

recommending

virtue.

And

their

power arifes,

SECT. VI.

Of

the efetfs of tafte.

205

from the circumwe now are Their ftance which confidering. immediate gratifications, by producing a conin a great mcafure,

arifes,

gruous difpofition, prepare the mind for being deeply imprefTed with the moral fentiments

and

affections,

which they

are fitted

to

in-

fmuate.

ALL have

the principles of the fo near a connection, that

human mind one of them

can fcarce be confiderably altered, but it produces a fimilar alteration in the reft. vi-

A

tafte,

gorous

not only

is

affected

with every

the minuteft object, directly prefented to it; but imparts alfo a peculiar fenfibility to all

the other powers of the foul. Refinement tafte makes a man fufceptible of delicate

of

feelings

on every occafion

-,

and thefe increafe

tKe~acutenefs of the moral fenfe, and render all it's fite.

perceptions ftronger and

On

this

account a

man

more exquiof nice tafte

will have a ftronger abhorrence of vice, and relifli for virtue, in any given fitu-

a keener ation,

in the

than a perfon of dull organs can have,

fame circumftances.

in part that

many

Hence it proceeds

actions are reckoned either

virtuous or vicious by civilized nations, to favages

appear perfectly indifferent.

which This

may

20 6

Of

the effetfs

of

PART

tajlt.

IIL

rather be afcribed to an elegance of tafte

may

gradually introduced by fociety, than to any The moral peculiar difpofition to virtue. fenfe is, in favages, fo dull that the qualities of thefe actions are imperceptible to them,

and

fentiments

their

weak

in

other inftances are

Civilized nations have

in proportion.

delicacy fufficient to perceive

moral

qualities

which make no impreiTion on a this delicacy renders more and ; favage vigoin rous, proportion, the perceptions which they have from thofe actions that are approved in actions,

or difapproved by favages themfelves. Thus the cultivation of tafte gives new force to the fentiments of the moral faculty, and by this

means

renders

it

vicious paffions,

IT tafte

is

more powerful

to

and iupport the

reprefs the virtuous.

likewife to be obferved that,

and the moral fenfe are actions

and

diftinct

though powers,

affections are

fit to gravirtuous and obligatory What is js often alfo beautiful or fublime.

yet

tify

many

both.

vicious

may

What

is

be at the fame time mean, de-

formed, or ridiculous.

A

man, whole

tafte

uncultivated, has no motive in thefe cafes, but what arifes from the moral principle.

is

A

perfon of improved

tafte,

not only has

this

in

SECT. VI.

tie efetfs of tafte.

Of

207

but is capable of adgreateft ftrength, ditional motives derived from tafte ; and, hav-

in

it's

a double impulfe, mufl be more ing thus than the other. It muft ftrongly prompted

be acknowledged indeed that fome vices apor elegant, and may therefore pear fublime be recommended by

have thefe is

things

a lefs degree than the to external Superiority

virtues.

oppofite

But they always

tafte.

qualities in

Admiration

nobler than ambition.

of thefe vices therefore implies a defect of juft

Where this

tafte.

prefers

faculty virtue to vice.

is

perfect,

it

always

.ftiilN order to give the foregoing obfervations

their full weight, it is neceflary to remember that many 'different caufes concur in

the characters of men.

Tafte

is

forming but one of

thefe caufes j and not one of the moft It is

fill.

not therefore to be expected that

the character fhould be, perfectly analogous to the

may

in

every

tafte.

inftance,

Other caufes

counteract the influence of this principle

and render the turn of the paflions to

*

power-

it's

ftructure.

of a good

On

this account,

diflimilar

examples

joined with grofs paflions or a vicious character are far from being fufticient tafte

to prove that

4

tafte

has no connection with morals.

208

Of

of

111.

heterogeneous competition be otherwife accounted for. All our

conclufions concerning

human

be founded on experience

but

:

cefTary that every conclufion diately

fion

PART

tajle.

This

morals.

may

the effetts

nature muft is

it

A conclu-

deduced from experiment.

is

ihewn

not ne-

mould be imme-

often fufficiently eftablimed, if it be that it neceffarily refults from general

of the human mind, which have been afcertained by experiment and induction. This is the natural method of eftabliming

qualities

fynthetical conclufions j efpecially where an effect is produced by a complication of caufes.

This

the cafe in the fubject of our prefent The character and the paflions are l^jenquiry. is

affected tafte is

by many one.

different caufes

Tafte in the fine

of which

;

arts

may appear to be wanting in fome men, becaufe they have had no opportunities of exercifing it

on

fubjects of that kind;

while, at the fame

time, the natural principles of it being vigorous, and all men being converiant about the objects of affection, it may beflow a delicacy and refinement on the character. Affectation

may

difguife the paflions

j

imitation

der them unfuitable to the turn of bit

may make them run

tafte has,

notwithftanding,

cy to influence them.

may ren-

tafte

counter to

it

;

ha-

:

but

a natural tenden-

THREE

DISSERTATIONS O N '

A

T

S

E.

B Y

Mr.

De VOLT A i

Mr.

De

Mr.

D'A L

MoNT E AND E

MB

s

R E, QJJ

E R T.

i

E u,

ADVERTISEMENT. HE

following

eflays,

upon the fame fub-

jett which ProfeJJbr GERRARD has treated in fuch a mafterly manner, are the productions

of three of the great eft and moft elegant writers, that

the

French nation has ever produced,

^here can then be no doubt about their to

a place in

title

which, by fuch a vawill contain, perhaps, all that

this volume,

luable addition,

can be faid concerning the principles the nature, ,

of true

tafte;

treated by the beft.

extent, the rife and decline matters hitherto injudicioujly

and

the characters

many pens, and but fuperficially by But notwitbftanding the merit of

thefe ejjays, it

is

owing

to

Mr. GERRARD'S

candid and generous permijpon that they are admitted into a volume which was appropriated y

to his

own

excellent

'The genuine performance. anxious thofe difpells fears of riwhich are the a narrow and vality, refult of

love

of truth

felfijh

ambition,

emulation.

and not of a

Bejides,

noble

and generous

Mr. GERRARD'S

talents

render fuch anxious fears entirely groundlefs. P 2 On

ADVERTISEMENT.

212

On

other

the

be

cannot

down

hand,

difpleafed,

to pojlerity

in

our ingenious profejjbr that his name Jhould go

company with

thofe

of

MONTESQUIEU, D'ALEMBERT, and VOLTAIRE.

effays

of the two

latter

Tfhat of the late prefident

pieces.

are finijhed

MONTES-

an imperfect fragment, an ajjemQUIEU blage offcattered thoughts, the frjl firokes of his pencil, in which we fee the noble fubjett is

in part, and the principal colours Jketched out that enter into the compofition of true tafte

thrown

carelejly

the noble artiji

upon the canvafs.

was drawing

materials

his

For while

his outlines,

and

he

'was

work,

for gathering feized with a diforder, which prevented him

it the fnifliing touch, and deprithe republick of letters of one of it's bright-

from giving ved eft

ornaments,

the

thoughts,

however, offuch

an original genius, unconnected as

they may be, acceptable to fuch as know that true fublime always to be found in

'will be highly

there

is

the frjl mailers,

are

a

and mojl imperfect Jketches of great and that the rude dejigm of a RUBENS

infinitely

more valuable than many a correfl

and jfinijhed piece.

A N

kV

s

T A

2i 4

Mr.

DE VOLTAIRE'S

voluptuous fenfibility, and rejects the contrary with loathing and difguft ; like the palate alfo,

often doubtful, and, as

it is

wildered,

it

were, be-

whether it mould objects, and frequent-

not knowing

relifo or reject certain

influence of habit to ly requires the give

it

a

fixed and uniform determination.

To have a tafte> fuppofes fomething more than merely to perceive, and to difcern with accuracy the beauty of any work or object. This beauty muft be/?//, as well z& perceived 5 the mind muft be touched and affected by it This feeling in a lively and fenfible manner. however, in order to conftitute true taflet muft not be a vague and confufed fenfation 5 but muft be attended with a diftinct view, a quick and comprehenfive difcernment of the various qualities, in their feveral relations and connexions, which enter into the competition And in this of the object we contemplate.

we

fee another ftriking

refemblance between

the intellectual taftc and the fenfual one

;

for

perceives immediately the mixture of different wines, fo the man of

as

a nice palate

quickly difcern the motley mixture of different ftyles in the fame production ;

tafte will

and

let

the beauties and defects

be ever fo clofely

ESSAY ON TASTE* blended in an object, will always be capable of diftinguifhing the former from the clofely

latter.

As the

corruption of the fenfual tafle difcovers itfelf by a relifh for only thofe delicate

and high feafoned dimes, in which all the refinements of art have been employed to excite a forced fenfation

of pleafure

j

fo the de-

intelleftual tafle manifests itfelf pravity of the to far-fetched and iludied an attachment by

ornaments, and by a want of beauties

The

which

relifli

unaffected

are

for thofe

and natural.

corruption of the fenfual tafle, which delight in fuch aliments as are dif-

makes us

gufting to thofe, whofe organs are in a good ftate, is in reality a kind of difeafe ; nor is that depravity

of the

intellectual tafte

which

makes many

prefer the burlefque to the fubthe laboured ftiffnefs of art, to the and lime, beautiful fimplicity of nature, lefs a difeafe in

our mental frame.

THE

intellectual tafte

is

much more form-

ed by education and culture, than the fenfual one j for though the latter may be brought,

by

habit, to relim

ing and difguft

$

what

yet

it

at firft excited loath-

does not feem to have

P 4

been

ai6

DE VOLTAIRE'S

Mr.

been the intention of nature, that the generalfhould acquire by cuflom and ity of mankind thofe fenfations and experience, perceptions

which is

are neceffary to their prefervation.

otherwife with

the intellectual

tajle

:

It it's

formation requires time, inftruclion, and exyoung man uninftrucled in the perience.

A

of mufic and painting, let his natural be ever fo quick and lively, will fenlibility arts

not immediately diftinguifh, in a grand concert of mufic, the various parts whofe connexion and relation conftitute the effence and charm

of the compofition, nor will he perceive in a picture the gradations of light and fhade, that harmony of colours, that correctnefs of defign

which characterize a

finished

piece

;

but in procefs of time, and alfo by degrees, he learns both to hear and to fee in a more perfect

manoer.

The fame

uninflrucled

perfon will find a variety of emotions arife in his mind, the

firft

time he

is

prefent at the

reprefentation of a fine tragedy j but he will neither perceive the dexterity of the author in

maintaining

the unities, nor that

exquifite

by which the drama is fo managed, that no perfon enters upon the fcene nor quits it art

without an evident reafon, nor yet that ftill nice and difficult art of making the va-

more

rious

ESSAY ON TASTE. rious fubordinate interefts terminate ter in

one,

which abforbs them

217 and cen-

all.

It

is

only by the force of habit and reflexion, that

he

will

tafte,

diftinguim thefe feveral objects of

and

feel

delightful fenfations

from

cumftances, of which formerly he had

cirlittle

or no idea.

ELEGANT

and able and

cate their feelings

artifts

may communi-

their

difcernment to

and thus excite tape in a nation, which, without them, had never known it's others,

refined pleafures.

By

frequently contempla-

ting the works of great and eminent matters the powers of nature in the various arts,

we imbibe, as it were, tofte, and illuflrious men, fo as to of thefe fpirit come at length to look at a gallery of paintings arife into

the

with the eyes of a Le Brun, a

Le Sueur;

PouJJin^ or a to hear the declamation of Quinaut's

with the ear of a Lulli-, and the airs and fymphonies with that of a Rameau. Nay, we even read works of learning and genius,

operas,

with a portion of that

fpirit

that appears in

their compofition.

IP in the arts

firft

and fciences

periods of the culture of the it has fometimes happened that

US'

Mr.

that a

DE VOLTAIRE'S

whole nation have been unanimous

in

the praife of authors full of defects, and whom fucceeding ages have beheld with indifference,

and even with contempt j the reafon is, that thefe authors had natural beauties which

were perceived by all, while that juft difcernment that was necefiary to diflinguifh their numerous defects, and which is lefs the gift of nature, than the refult of time, habit, and reflexion, was as yet acquired by none. Thus

who had

Lucilius, tation

among

been in the higheft reputhe Romans, funk into oblivion

when Horace

arofe ; and Regnier was univeradmired by the French, until Boileau fally if there are feveral ancient and j appeared

authors,

who

have maintained

their

credit,

notwithstanding the abfurdities that are to be found in every page of their writings, it muft

be the authors of thofe nations, among whom no judicious and correct writer has appeared to open their eyes, like Horace among the

Romans, and Boikau among the French. IT

is

a

common

faying,

difpttting about taftes

:

And

that

there

if

tafte

by

is

no

here be

undcrftood the palate, which loaths certain and relimes others, the maxim is

aliments jultj

becaufe

it is

needlefs

to

difpute about

what

ESSAY ON TASTE.

219

corrected, or to attempt reconftitution and mechanifm of

what cannot be

forming the But the maxim is organs merely corporeal. when applied to that falie and pernicious, intetteflual tafte t

and

arts

which has

fo

charms,

for it's objects the thefe objects have real in reality a good ~tafte

As

fciences.

there

is

a perceives them, and

bad one which and them there are certain not$ perceives we which methods, by may often correct thofe mental defects which produce a depra-

which

But it muft be granted, at the ved tape. fame time, that there are certain phlegmatick fpirits,

certain

which nothing can enflame, and alfo diftorted intellects, which it is im-

to rectify ; with fuch therefore, it poflible vain to difpute about taftes, becaufe is in

they have none

IN

many

at all.

things Tafle feems to be of an and without any fixed or

arbitrary nature,

uniform direction, fuch as in the choice of drefs and equipage, and in every thing that does not come within the circle of the finer In this low fphere it mould be diftinarts. guifhed, for

it

methinks,

by the name of fancy

\sfancy rather than

tafte>

5

that produces

fuch

DE VOLTAIRE'S

Mr.

fuch an endlefs variety of tory modes.

THE

tafte

of a nation

new and contradio

may

become extremely depraved

degenerate and and it almoft ;

always happens that the period of it's perfection is the forerunner of it's decline. Artifts

through the apprehenfion of being regarded as mere imitators, ftrike out into new and un-

common paths, and

turn afide from the beau-

fimplicity of nature, which their predeceflbrs invariably kept in view. In thefe ef-

tiful

is a certain degree of merit, which from induftry and emulation, and cafts over the defects which accompany their

forts there arifes

a

veil

The

productions. their

publick, fond of novelty, invention ; but this applaufe

applauds foon fucceeded by fatiety and difguft. new fet of artifts ftart up, invent new

is

A me-

thods to pleafe a capricious tafte, and depart ftill further from nature than thofe who firft

ventured from fancy. rates

Thus into

it's paths into the wilds of the tafte of a people degene-

the grofleft

whelmed with new

corruption.

inventions,

Over-

which fuc-

ceed and efface- each other with incredible rapidity, they fcarcely know where they are, and caft back their eager and anxious defires

towards

ESSAY ON TASTE.

*it

towards the period, when true tafte reigned under the empire of nature. But they implore it's return in vain ; that happy period cannot be recalled, it depofits however in the cuftody of certain choice fpirits the fublime pleafures of true

which they

tafte,

cherifh and

remote from the of the depraved and capricious profane eye

enjoy in their little circle, multitude.

THERE

where

are vaft countries,

thofe uncultivated waftes,

where

has

tafte

Such are

not yet been able to penetrate.

civil

fociety

has never been brought to any degree of perfection, where there is little intercourfe

between the

fexes,

and where

all

reprefenta-

tions of living creatures in painting and fculpture are feverely prohibited by the laws of

Nothing

religion.

narrow, and

fo

renders

little,

if

I

the

may

mind ufe

fo

that

expreflion, as the want of focial intercourfe j this confines it's faculties } blunts

the

paffion,

and

of genius,

edge

and leaves

Befides,

to

where

wanting, the

a

ftate

of languor that could

every principle, the formation of true

inactivity

contribute

damps every noble in

feveral of the

reft

4

mud

tafte.

finer arts

neceflarily

are

languifh

and

222

Mr.

and decay, other.

arts,

fince they are

6V.

infeparably con-

together, and mutually fupport each This is one reafon, why the Afi-

nected

aticks

DE VOLTAIRE'S

have never excelled in any of the and hence alfo it is that true tafle

has been confined to certain countries in Europe.

REFLEXIONS

REFLEXIONS ON THE

USE

ABUSE

and

o

F

PHILOSOPHY In

MATTERS

that are properly relative

T O

TASTE. ByMr.D'ALEMBERT, Member of the

F. R. S.

French academy, of the Royal academy of Sciences at Paris, and of the Royal academies of Prujfia and Sweden, &c.

REFLEXIONS ON tH tJSEaiid

In

ABUSE

MATTERS

of

E

PHILOSOPHY

that are

properly relative

TO

T A

TH

E

S

T

E*. fo celebrate

philofopriical fpirit,

ed by one part of our nation, and fo

decried by another, has produced different fcnd

even contrary effects, according as we it with refpecT: to the or in

confider

Sciences,

relation to the Belles Lettres.

the fphere of fcience, to

Operating in

which

it

properly

Thefe Reflexions were read by Mr. d'Alemlert before the Profit academy, the f 4th of March 1757.

belongs

Mr.

224 belongs,

it

explaining

D'ALEMBERT'S has

all

limits to that paffion for things which arofe from the fet

towering pride of fyftem ; but entering into the circle of Belles Lettres it has prefumed,

on the contrary, before

call

it's

feelings of the

to

it's

tafte.

to analyfe our pleafures, to tribunal the more

elegant

human mind, and

examination the If the

to

fubmit

various objects

wife moderation,

of

which has

been obferved, in thefe later times, by philofophers in matters of fcienee, has inet with much contradiction ; is it furprizing that the encroaching fpirk of the new adventurers in literature has alfo been oppofed ? This philofophical fpirk, applied to the objects of tafte,

muft undoubtedly

difpleaie fuch of

our

writers as imagine, that, in matters of tafte, as well as in thofe of a more ferious kind,

every paradox ought to be rejected, every

new

merely opinion baniihed, and that, This way of thinking, becaufe it is new.

however, appears to me both unreafonable and pernicious ; we cannot extend too far the liberty of examining, judging, and inventing in matters of fpeculation and literary amufement,

even though,

liberty

mould be

efforts.

The

in

utterly

flight

many

cafes,

unfuccefsful

in

that it's

of genius muft be unreftrained,

ESSAY ON TASTE, retrained, fince

it is

often in the midft of

excurfions that

wildeft

Such

fublime.

alfo

it

creates

it's

the true

the cafe with the fa-

is

culty of reafon, or the philofophical

fpirit*

Let us therefore permit this difcerning fpirit to extend indifcriminately, though fometimes without fuccefs, it's infpeclion to all the oband by that means jects of our pleafures, it

put

in a capacity

of ftriking out

and conducting genius

new paths, unknown

itfelf into

regions.

ONE in

it's

of the great advantages of philofophy application to matters of tafte, is it's fo

admirably adapted to cure, or to that exceffive veneration for a certain prevent, being clafs

we may

of authors, which

name of

literary fuperflition.

call

It will

by the juftify

our efteem of the ancients by rendering that cfteem rational, and reducing it within it's proper bounds;

them

it

will prevent our

in their defects

;

will

it

admiring

(hew us

their

equals in feveral of our modern writers, who, becaufe they have followed the models exhibited by the ancients, are fo unreafonably modeft as to efteem themfelves inferior to their mafters. this

But

it

will be afked,

method of analyzing

whether metaphyfically mat-

Q, 2

ter$

D'ALEMBERT'S

Mr.

ters of feeling

and fentiment, will not be at-

tended with

many

ther

it

inconveniencies

will not often

which

into the reafons of things

damp our

?

Whe-

engage us

to enquire have no rea-

by leading us into the cuftom of difcufling coldly what was defigned by nature to touch and to inflame, fuch (hackles upon true genius, as to and fon at

all,

pleafure

put render it fervilely timorous, and check Let us endeavour enterprizing ardour? give a fatisfa&ory anfwer to

it's

to

thefe important

queftions.

from being generally means an arbitrary no by poflefled, yet This is a truth acknowledged on all thing. thofe reduce tafte to mere both who fides, by and by thofe alfo and perception, feeling

TASTE, though

far

is

who would

bring

it

within the fphere of rea-

But we muft obferve foning and difcuffion. at the fame time, that all the beauties and perfections,

which appear in the productions

of nature or of

art, are

not properly the ob-

are jects of tafte, whofe perceptions tenfive than many are apt to imagine.

lefs

ex-

There

are certain charms of a fublime and ftriking

kind, which equally affect

of which, consequently,

all

all

obfervers,

and

the various or

ders

ESSAYONTASTE.

227

ages and nations of But there the world, are competent judges.

ders of mankind, in

is

alfo

all

another fpecies of beauty, which only minds, that are poflefled of a

affects thofe

certain delicacy of feeling, and imperceptible to vulgar fpirits.

which

which remains

The

beauties

belong to this clafs, are beauties only

of a fecond order; becaufe objects, which excite the idea of grandeur, furpafs thofe

which

affect us

elegance.

only by their gracefulnefs and of this fe-

The charms however

of objects are thofe, which it remoft fagacity to difcern, and the to feel truly ; and delicacy greateft accordingly they abound moft in thofe nations where

cond

clafs

quires the

focial intercourfe has contributed to

the per-

and multiplied the fources It is then in of pleafure and enjoyment. fection of the arts,

of beauty, which is adapted to the contemplation of the difcerning few, that we are properly to look for the objects of tafte.

this clafs

Thefe tafte,

obfervations lead us naturally to define Faculty of diftinguijhing, in the

as the

works of art, the various qualities to

which are

excite pleafure or difgujl^

in minds adapted that are fufceptible of delicate fentiments and perceptions.

CL3

IF

D'ALEMBERT'S

Mr.

228

IF then

tafte

be not an arbitrary thing,

it

muft be founded on fixed and evident princithe application of which, we may ples, by form a decifive judgment of all the various productions of

The

art.

truth

that

is,

the

fource of our pleafures and of our difgufts fo lies folely and intirely within ourfelves ; that, if

we

with attention upon our

reflect

mental frame, we mall find there general and invariable rules of tafte, whicrTwill ferve as the criterion of beauty all

the objects,

and deformity, in

which the fecundity of the

different arts prefents to our view. From hence it follows, that the fame philofophical ipirit,

which

obliges us, for

want of fufficient

evidence, to fufpend every moment our enquiries about the nature and qualities of thofc objects that are without us, ought, on the contrary, to animate our refearches with refpect to the objects and the nature of taffe, which -lies obvious to our examination, as it

exifts

within us, and conflitutes a part of

The true philofopher the fame will, time, eafily perceive that this examination mutt be confined within our mental frame. at

proper limits. fearches

We

upon any With the hopes of

muft never,

fubject, rifing

in

flatter

our re-

ourfelves

to Firfl frinciples y

which

ESSAY ON TASTE.

229

which a thick veil perpetually conceals from To inveftigate the prithe eyes of mortals. mitive and mctaphyfical caufe of our various would be as chimerical a project, pleafures

attempt explaining the operation of exBut as the ternal objects upon our fenfes.

as to

has been reduced to

origin of our knowledge a fmall number of fenfations

;

fo the fources

of thofe pleafures, that are relative to tajle, may be traced out by a few evident obfervations

upon the manner

Thus

feel.

in

which we perceive and

far the true fage

extends his re-

but here alfo he (lops, and defcends from hence, as from firft principles, to thofe

feaFches,

confequences that refult from

his

accurate

obfervations.

IN analyzing

taftt

we

(hall find

many qua-

neceflary to the proper exercife of that perceptive power which cfcape the notice of

lities

inattentive

obfervers.

It

does not confift

accuracy and rectitude of judgwholly ment, however rare and precious this quality in

may

No

:

be, nor yet in a delicate fenfibility alone. there is yet, farther, a considerable

aflemblage of fenfes and powers

(if

I

may

fo

fpeak) which enters into it's compofition, and which we muft therefore carefully take

Q^

4

into

Mr.

D'ALEMBERT'S A

into the account.

few examples

will

When we

luftrate this obfervation.

il-

read a

fublime piece of poetry, what are the powers aqd faculties of our nature to which the bard addrefles himfelf

are various

They

?

fome-

;

times he fpeaks to our imagination, fometjmes to our affections, fometimes to our the external fenfe or

to

reafon, but always

Verfe is a fpecies of harorgan of hearing. with refpecl to which the ear is too mony, Delicate to

reafon

to

admit of the

itfelf,

make

leaft

upon fome

defect; fo that

occaftons,

certain facrifkes to rhime.

is

obliged

A

plulowith all his penetration and dethen, fopher licacy of fentiment, will be an incompetent

judge

He

of poetry,

if

he has not a good ear. which refult

will aflert that the pleafures

from poetick harmony are merely chimerical j that

authors of whatever kind their

all

pro-

ought to addrefs themfelves alone to the underftanding and the heart; nay, by captious reafonings he will caft an

ductions

may

be,

apparent ridicule upon the care and induftry,

which

are

periods,

employed

fo as

and pleafing philofopher,

to

in

arranging words and

to render

the

who

ear.

them harmonious

Thus

a

natural

pofTefled no other external

ftnft

ESSAY ON TASTE.

231

fenfc but that of feeling, would hold it as a impbffible, that diftant objects fhould

thing

operate

upon our bodily organs, and would

prove his aflertiun by fophifrical arguments, to which no fatisfadory anfwer could be given, as long as he was deprived of fight and bearing. Such is the cafe of that philofopher, who, without a delicate ear, pretends to

have a

tafte

does no real

He

for

poetry. injury to a

imagines he

poem, when, by

tranfpofing the words, he deftroys their harmony and cadence, and he will attribute the

which the poem acquires by change, power of prejudice and cuftom, to which he acknowledges his languor and

flatnefs,

this

own

to

the

involuntary fubjection.

He

will

never

once imagine, that, by breaking the meafure and tranfpofing the words, he has deftroyed the delightful harmony that refulted from their metrical arrangement and proportions. To judge however properly of fuch a conduct

we have only to aik ourfelves, what we fhould think of a mufician, who, to prove that the pleafure of melody is founded in opinion and not

in nature,

mould

fpoil

a fine

by deftroying the proportion and fymmetry the -pf founds, of which it was compofed. air

IT

D'ALEMBERT'S

Mr.

232

IT

is

not thus that

the true philofopher

from poextremes, he will entirely to nature on

will judge of the pleafures that arife all

Avoiding wifely

etry,

neither attribute

them

the one hand, nor wholly to opinion on the other.

are

He

more

or

will obferve,

that, as all nations

agreeably affected with the

lefs

charms of mufick

may

not

all

in general, though they delight in the fame particular

kinds of melody are

all,

in

;

in

fo,

like

manner, they

fufceptible of pleafure

general,

from poetick harmony, though the poetry of one people may differ extremely from that of another. difference,

It is

by examining

that the

attentively >his

true fage will

at length to determine

how

be able

far the pleafures

we

receive from poetry and mufick are influenced by habit ; what real additions they derive from thence, and what imaginary

ones they receive

from

opinion.

For he

will ever diftinguifh between that pleafure, which is the refult of habit, and that which arbitrary, and merely founded on opinion ; a diftindtion hitherto not fufficiently attended

is

to,

in treating this fubjec~t,

withftanding,

daily

but which, not-

experience

fufficiently juftifies.

ESSAYONTASTE.

certain pleafures that immediately, and that pervade the

juftifies.

us

flrike

233

There are

moment

foul the very

prefented

that their objects are

there are others,

;

which

require

time to produce their proper effect ; which are received with indifference or difguft, until the mind has been modified by their action

upon

it

to a certain degree,

and are then en-

joyed with the qnickeft fenfations of delight. How often has it happened, that a piece of

mufick whJch we have heard,

for the firfl

time, without

any agreeable emotion, has afterwards in us the moft extatick

excited raptures,

when, by

the car has been

it's

being often repeated,

length able to diflinguKh and to perceive charms, complicated the whole delicacy and force of it's exprefliat

it's

on.

THIS is a {hiking inftance of the pleafures which arife from habit, and which muft by no means be looked upon as arbitrary, becaufe they

may

indifference,

be,

at

firfr,

received with

and have the force of prejudice

them,

THUS

Mr.

234

THUS

D'ALEMBERT'S

a philofophical connoiffeur will

be

maintain every faculty and every

careful to

fenfe in their refpe&ive privileges, and to atgood ear the authority that be-

tribute to a

longs to it, in deciding concerning the merit of poetical competitions. But, at the fame time, he will be far from thinking, that the to pleafe the external fenfe poet's attention can juftify his difpenfing with the more im-

portant obligation of fatisfying the reafon and imagination of his readers, by the juftnefs of his ideas,

and the fublimity of

As

his views.

perfuaded that the firft and moft important rule of good writing requires a conformity between the ftyle of an author, and

he

is

the matter which he

treats,

fo nothing will

him more than common and

difguft ideas expreffed

with the vain try.

A

plain

with

affectation,

pomp and harmony and eafy profe

trivial

and adorned of poe-

will,

in

his

opinion, be preferable to fuch numbers as derive their principal merit from their ca-

dence, and

little

or

none from the truths

and fentiments which they are employed to embellim and fet off. Feelingly fenfible of the charms of poetick imagery, he is, on that very account, pleafed with fuch imaalfo

ges

ESSAY ON TASTE, ges alone, as are

new and

flriking;

and yet

even to thefe he will prefer, without hefitation,

thofe beautiful fentiments

in a noble and affecting are ufeful to mankind.

which unfold,

manner, truths that

IT muft, however, be carefully obferved, that though a philofopher be pofTeffed of all that variety of fenfes and faculties that enter into the competition of true tafte, yet this is not all that is required in the matter now

under confideration ; it is farther necefTary, that the exercife of thefe faculties be not too

much confined to one particular fet of objects. The famous Malebranche could not read the moft fublime verfes without a certain wearinefs and difguft ; and yet his ftyle abounds with all the grand characters of poetry, and is full of imagination, fentirnent, and har-

mony about

j

but his imagination, entirely occupied purely intellectual, confined

matters

energy to the creation of philofophieal fyilems ; and the high degree of feeling and vivacity with which he was endued, only

it's

make him embrace with ardour, as what was no more than mere hypothetruth, fis. Though his profe was extremely har-

ferved to

monious,

D'ALEMBERT'S

Mr.

monious, yet poetical harmony had no charms to him ; which may perhaps be owing to one

of the following reafons : either that the fenhis ear was confined to the harmoilbility of of profe j or that a mechanical and natuny ral

him

talent enabled

to write

his perceiving profe without

harmonious

it,

juft as hia

him in philofophy imagination had ferved without his knowledge, or as a mufical inwithout

ftrument produces,

confcioufnefs,

well-proportioned founds.

v!

j^;^ '^; :

-'

*;

IT is not only to a want of delicacy in the tn'md, or of fenfibility in the external organs of perception, that we are to impute all erroneous judgments in matters of pleafure

we

duction of

tafte.

The

from any excellent proor may be derived from

receive

art,

is,

different fources.

analyfis confifts

The therefore,

true in

philofophicai diftinguifhing

well thefe various fources, and keeping them feparate from each other, that fo we may refer to

each what properly belongs

to

it,

and may not attribute our pleafures to caufes that have had no fort of influence in their production. rules of

each

It

art

has been obferved, that the (hould be taken from the

moil

E S S AY O N T A

T E.

S

237 moft excellent compolitions which each refhas furnilhed, and the ouic; viition pective art is

undoubtedly

juft.

It

is

not however by

the confufed aggregate of pleafure, by the collective reiult of the agreeable perceptions,

which that

thefe competitions have produced in us are to fix the rules of taftt ; but

we

by

aft of the

that reflex

mind/ which enables

us to diftinguifh the particular paflages that excited in us delightful fenfations from thofe

which were only defigned

as

(hades in the

for the exhaufted piece, or as refting places attention of the reader, and alfo from thofe

where the author has exhibited marks of inFor want of obferving voluntary negligence. this method the imagination warmed by certain beauties of the nobleft kind, which may fhine forth in a work, otherwife full of the moft monftrous defects, will gradually become infenfible

of thefe defects

form them

into beauties,

;

nay, will tranf-

and conduct us at

length to that flupid enthufiafm, which, by

admiring every thing indifcriminately, peror rather feels nothing truly.

ceives,

by

a confufed

many

Thus

and mechanical impreffion,

will be led either to eftablifh falfe rules

4>f tajle,

or,

what

is

equally pernicious, to fubftitute

23S

Mr.

D'ALEMBERT'S

fubftitute arbitrary notions in the place of fixed principles; to contract the fphere of the 1

to prefcribe bounds to our pleafures in j order to render them infipidly uniform, and

arts

to confine the efforts of genius and induftry

within a narrow

circle.

IT is the province of philofophy to break thefe inglorious bonds afunder; but fhe cannot be too circumfpecl in the choice of the by which this noble deliverance is The late Monf. De be accomplimed. motte maintained that verfication was not

arms, to la

compofitions ; but to an fo of a rational fufceptible opinion prove defence, he injudicioufly launched into para-

eflential to dramatical

wrote againft poetry in general, and thereby did nothing but injury to his caufe he might as well have wrote againft mufick

dox,

:

of every kind, in order to prove, that the choThis ingenious rus is not effential to tragedy. writer

was under no

necefllty of

combating

the prejudices of the publick againft his opiniThere was, on, by fuch fenfelefs paradoxes. methinks, a much fhorter way of proving his point, and that was, to have compofed his celebrated tragedy of Ines dc Cajiro in profc,

the

ESSAY ONTASTE.

239 the affecting nature of a fubject fo tenderly have encouraged him to interefting, fhould venture upon this innovation, and thus the theatre

would have been enriched with a new

dramatick poetry. But an ambifpecies of tious defire of being diftinguifhed from the

crowd

leads

men

fometimes to combat, in

theory, received opinions, while a timorous felf-love, that dreads all new and dangerous

attempts through the apprehenfion of mifcarrying, obliges them to follow thofe veVy It is here that we opinions in practice. may obferve a confiderable difference between the

philofopher and the legiflator j the latter difhis private conduct, with the laws penfes, in which he impofes upon others j while the philofopher obferves in his work, the rules \vhich he condemns in his preface.

THE two

fources of error

which we have

been hitherto confidering, viz. the want ot fenfibility, on the one hand, and the want of that

reflexion,

which

is

requifite to diftin-

guim the true caufes of our pleafures, on the other, will be the occafion of perpetuating that tedious controverfy, fo often renewed, and fo injudicioufly carried on, the merit of

R

the

Mr.

D'ALEMBERT'S

Their advocates, under the the ancients. enthufiaftick admiration, are an of impulfe too prone to exalt their productions upon the whole, on account of the ftriking beauthat appear in fome of the parts j while their adverfaries refufe thofe applaufes that are due to the parts, on account of the defects

ties

that appear in the whole.

THERE is however another error, into which the philofophical critick is more liable to fall, and to avoid which, he muft confehis principal attention. This quently employ error confiftsin applying to the peculiar objects tafte, principles, which, though true in

of

themfelves, yet have no relation to thefe ob^Every one is acquainted with thofe jects. lines in the tragedy

of the Horatii,

vouliez vous qu'ilft centre trots ? Qu'U mourut* akrs k fecurut*. qu'un beau defefpoir

Que

Ou

The *

heroick expremon of the aged father mouruf, has been juitly and univerfally

To

enable thofe, frho don't under/land the Frend> lan-

into the true fpirit of this ingenious criticifm guage, to enter it will be proper to obferve, that in CorreiUii tragedy of the to inform the old Horntius, that fforatii, a mefTenger arrives

admired

;

ESSAY ON TASTE.

241.

and the following verfe as juftly and univerfalJy condemned ; and yet the common principles of metaphyficks will furadmired;

nifli

arguments or rather fophifms, to

this verfe againil all It will

juftify

the rules of true

be alledged, for inftance, that

tafte.

this fe-

cond verfe

is necefTary to exprefs all the feelthat ings pafled in the mind of the old Horafor tilts; though it was his duty to prefer the

death of his fon to a

was

ftill

more

life

natural

of difhonour to

wim

that

yet it fon

;

his

might efcape by the means of his valour, and that, animated by a noble deffair^ he might ftand alone againfr his three adverfaries, and return victorious from the combat. This defence, however plaufible upon metaphyfical principles, two of his Tons were

is

abfolutely mifapplied in the

killed,

The

the three Curiatir.

and that the third was flying from

venerable old

man

is filled

with

in-

The meflenger dignation at the condudt of his remaining fon. to excufe him, addrcfTes himfelf thus to the incenfed father: What

other refource

bad be than ft&bt, overpowered

ty three combatants ? tins} or

A

tbatfucfour that

words Agloriom conclude the

deatb,

firft

line

is

glorious death

adnilnijlredly

a

as he iva

f

old tiora*

noble defpair.

Thefe

which are equivalent to %'// tnourut, in the French, and give us a linking

inftance of the true fublime.

Mr. WMembert

(replies the

What

follows

is

censured

by

for the excellent reafons offered in his elegant

obfervations on this paflage.

R

2

cafe

Mr.

242

D'ALEMBERT'S

us, where the queftion is not the mere expreffion of truth and concerning nature, but concerning fuch expreffions of

cafe before

both as are ftriking and fublime. According to the reafoning of the metaphyfical critiek, the fecond verfe, as it contains the fentiment that is the moft natural of the two, mould have preceded the firft, which, by that means, would have loft the greateft part of it's force.

Befides

;

gid than

nothing more feeble, flat, and frithis fecond verfe, even when ref-

it's true and natural place. For the neceffity for the old Horatius's cxprefling the defire which that verfe con^

tored

to

where

is

Will not every one fuppofe, difficulty, that it would have been tains

more

?

rejoicing to

him

to

without infinitely

have feen his fon

living, and crowned with victory, than falling a victim to the fuperior force of his enemies ? The poet then had no occafion to ex-

which every one muft fuppofe ; the only fentiment which fuited that violent ilate of emotion in which the venerable old

prefs a defire

man now

was, the only affection which was

be difcovered upon fuch an occafion, proper and in circumftances where the glory of his to

Country and of his

name were immediately concerned^

ESSAY ON TASTE.

243

concerned, was that heroick courage, which engaged him to choofe for his Ton a noble

death rather than a

The

life

of dishonour and in-

cold and

tardy reafonings of famy. flow and phlegmatick fpirits are very different from the fudden and prodigious bounds*

nobly fired, make towards fublime; the latter, difdaining to remain, even for a moment, in the fphere of vulgar fentiments, underftand much more

which minds, the true

exprefs, and foar to fentiments and thofe flight

than they

with a rapid paflions that

ftrongeft marks of energy and Their progrefs refembles that of grandeur. one of Homer s gods, whofe fourth flride brought him from one end of the univerfe to

carry the

the other.

THUS

then

it

in matters of happens, that,

the demi-philofopher (if 1 may employ that term) leads us from the paths of truth

tafte,

and nature,

to

which

it

is

the province of

true philofophy to reftore our wandering fteps. both to the It is therefore an injury done Belles Lettres and to Philofophy, to imagine that they are either incompatible with, or preWhatever relates to judicial to each other.

R

3

Mr.

244

D'ALEMBERT'S

our ideas and perceptions, and even to our fentiments and feelings, is the true domain, It would the proper fphere of philofophy. therefore be as unreafonable to confine her to the heavenly bodies,

or

to the

material

as it would be to limit fyftem of the univerfe, to the praifes of the gods, or the poetry The true fpirit of philoof love. pleafures is

fophy

fo far

tofte,

that

it is,

from being in oppofition to on the contrary, it's moft

fupport, as it teaches us always to fet out from true and evident principles, to obferve that every art has it's peculiar nature,

folid

every fituation and affection of the mind

it's

proper character, and every object it's diftinclive colouring, and thus prevents our con-

founding the limits by which the various kinds are fo carefully diftinguifhed. Such is

the nature, excellence, and

philofophical

fhews

that

fpirit,

it is

the

power of the

abufe of which,

not truly poffeffed.

IT has been remarked by fome, that the fubmitting the objeds of tafle to analytical difcuflion is adapted to blunt the delicacy of the feeling powers, and to the fire and

damp

vigour of genius. *

But

this effect is not to

be

feared.

ESS AY Feared. in the

vents,

ON TASTE.

445

The true philofopher knows that moment when genius creates and inwill

it

or reftraint;

admit of the

not that

it

loves

to

without controul and without

leaft

check

rum forward

rule, to

produce

indifcriminately the monftrous and the fublime, and to carry down it's rapid flream

gold and mud mingled together by the impeReafon, therefore, tuofity of it's courfe. gives to genius, while it creates a boundlefs liberty,

and even permits

career until

it

exhaufts

down

to repofe,

which

it is

like

it's

it

to continue

it's

vigour and finks

thofe firey

courfers,

tame any other way than by throwing the bridle upon their necks. But then it is the time for reafon to exercife it's authority, and to fit in judgment upon impoffible to

of genius. Accordingly, it preferves whatever was the off-fpring of a true and noble enthufiafm, effaces, on the

the productions

contrary,

whatever was produced by the

ir-

regular fallies of an over-heated imagination, and thus enriches the republick of letters with maflerly performances in all the various kinds. tafte,

Where who does

the writer of genius and not perceive in the heat of

is

compofition, that one part of his mind (if I

R

4

may

D'ALEMBERT'S

246

Mr.

may

fo exprefs

myfelf ) feparates

the other which

is

employed

in

from

itfelf

competing,

motions, and to give them a free courfe, and alfo points out before hand what is afterwards to be effaced ? in order to obferve

it's

THE

true philofopher ufes much the fame in judging of the productions of others, that he employs in compofing his

method

He

own.

begins

by giving himfelf up

lively fenfations of pleafure,

high and

to the

which

generally arife from the firft impreffion that a new and mafterly performance makes upon

Perfuaded however,

the mind.

that

real

beauties gain in proportion as they are attentively

examined, he

recollects himfelf j

tends his refearches to the caufes of his faction

fingles

j

them out one

exfatif-

after another

j

between illufory fenfadiftinguiihes carefully tions, and deep and lafting impreflions ; and

by

this analytical

procedure

is

rendered capa-

ble of pronouncing with judgment concerning the merit of a work in general, and of

each of

it's

FROM

particular

and conftituent

thefe obfervations

we

(hall

parts.

be fur-

with an anfwer to a queftion, which has

ESSAY ON TASTE. has been often propofed, and bated, viz.

a

work of

preferred Feeling

the

firft

is

Whether,

alfo

much

247 de-

in

judging concerning fentiment or feeling is to be

tafte y

reafoning and difcuffion? for undoubtedly the natural

before

judge

moment,

Difcuffion

for the fecond,

and the fecond judge will, almoft always, confirm the decisions of the firft in thofe who, with a quick and delicate

perfons, fenfe of beauty, are fo happy as to poflefs a But the difaccurate difcernment. juft and will be alledged, {till remains; it for as fentiment and difcufllon will'not always ficulty,

be agreed, what muft be done when they differ

?

Is

it

not

bed

in all

cafes to follow

fentiment as our guide, and hold always by it's decifion ? Is it not a miferable occupation,

be difputing againft our and what obligations agreeable fenfations, under to lie fhall we philofophy if it manito diminim our plcafures ? tend feftly will

many

afk,

to

We

cannot anfwer

quefiion without the utmoft regret; becaufe we are obliged to acknowledge the effect of philofophy to be,

in reality,

this latter

what

it is

here reprefented to

be.

THUS

Mr.

SUCH

D ALEMBERT '

'

S

unhappy lot of humanity^ knowledge we acquire ferves only is

that the

the

to give us a mortifying view of the fcenes of error and illufion, through which we have parTed,

and

is,

almoft always, attended with

The rude the diminution of our pleasures. of our anceftors rendered the imiimplicity received preffions they

from the monftrous

productions of the ancient theatre, more livethan thofe which we receive, ly and ftriking in this polimed age, from the mod perfect of our dramatick performances. The nations, which we furpafs in knowledge and in re-

happy than we are ; and their wants are numerous than ours, and they are fatif-

finement, are not fince both their lefs

fied

lefs

defires

with pleafures of a

than thofe which

we

lefs

elegant kind,

We

fhould purfue. be to not, however, willing exchange our the for of thofe nations, ignorance knowledge or for the rude fimplicity of our anceftors. For, though this knowledge may diminish our pleafures, yet it flatters our vanity.

We

applaud ourfelves on account of that delicacy and refinement, that render us difficult to be pleafed,

and even look upon them

as merito-

rious.

ESS AY ON TASTE. Self-love

rious.

is

249 and

the reigning paffion,

that which, generally fpeaking, we are the moft eager to gratify. The pleafure we derive from thence, is not, like many others,

the effect of a fudden and violent impreffion ; uniform and permanent, and may there-

it is

fore be enjoyed at leifure.

THESE teemed

reflexions,

methinks, will be

e-

to juflify philofophy from the accufations that have been brought againft fufficient

We

it cannot howby ignorance and envy. ever conclude without obferving, that even upon the fuppofition that thefe accufations

and reproaches were juft, yet they lofe their influence, and become unfeemly, when they are not

them and

philofophers themfelves. To belongs to determine the fphere, the boundaries of the philofophical

made by

alone

to fix as

it

it

belongs only to thofe

fpirit

;

wit,

to plead againft the abufe

made

of

it.

But

it

have

may be

unluckily happens, in op-

pofition to this rule, that thofe leaft

who

that

who

have the

acquaintance with philofophy are

its

moft

violent detracters; juft as poetry is decried by fuch as have no talent for that noble art; the

profound

Mr.

250

D'ALEMBERT'S

profound fciences, by fuch as are ignorant of their firft principles; and the age we live in,

by thofe writers, moft adapted

are the

whofe productions to expofe

it

to

con-

tempt.

AN

AN

ESSAY ON

TASTE. Confidered with refpeft to the productions both of NATURE and ART.

A FRAGMENT

found imperfedt among the papers of the late Prefident

De

MONTESQUIEU.

[

253

1

ADVERTISEMENT. H E Prefident De MONTESQUIEU, though one of the great eft 'writers of this, or any other age, was not without certain defetfs. T^he affectation

cbfcure,

and a

of depth rendered him fometimes paffion

and

for novelty of thought, led him frequently

analytical refinement If the following aftray.

fragment abounds

with fine thoughts upon the fourres of our intellectual pleafures, it

muft,

at the

fame

time,

be acknowledged, that it's ingenious author has advanced therein fome proportions that are abothers that are perhaps trivial, folutely falfe,

fever al that are fomewhat cbfcure, and a few which the tranjlator confejjes he does not under-

jland at all. Thefe la ft are given in the original French ; and thus the fuperjicial thinker,

who may fatter himfelfthat

he under/lands them, will not be deprived of the pleafure of an imagi^ nary difcovery, nor the profound enquirer, who

may under/land them in effecJ, lofe any thing that came jrom the fen of the great MONTESQUIEU,

A N

M

MONTESQJJIEU'S

Mr. DC

THESE

different pleafures

mind

of the

constitute the

proper objects of tafte t thofe which we term beautiful, good,

objects

agreeable, ful,

natural,

elegant,

majeftick,

give the

delicate,

noble,

as alfo the

name of Je

tender,

grand,

grace-

and which we

fublime,

qualities to

m

When, ftai quol. the pleafure we enjoy in the contemplation of any object is accompanied for inftance,

with a notion of

it's

object good; but

we

call that

object

appears

utility to us,

when

an

merely agreeable, without being advantageous, we then term it beautiful. \ i

THE

ancients do not feem

to have fully diftinction ; important apprehended they confidered as things of a pofitive nature thofe this

qualities,

merely of the

or

rather perceptions, which are the nature and operations Hence, thofe dialogues fo ce-

relative to foul.

lebrated

by the

ancients,

in

which Plato

gives

us an ample account of the reafonings of his great matter, are, in our times, unfufceptible of a rational defence,

becaufe they are

founded upon the principles of a lofophy.

falfe phiAll the reafonings they contain

concerning

ESSAY ON TASTE.

259

beauty, perfection, goodnefs, hardnefs, foftnefs, &c. are folly,

concerning

wifdom, intirely

inconclu five (-f ), as they fuppofe thefe

what they

various perceptions to be

and

real

THE nefs,

are not,

politive qualities.

therefore, of beauty, goodwithin us, and, of confequence,

fources,

&c.

when we

lie

enquire into their caufes, we do no inveftigate the fprings of our men-

more than tal

pleafures.

LET on der

it

mind upinward frame, confiactions, and it's paffions, and

us then turn the eye of the

itfelf,

in

examine it's

contemplate true nature pleafure

it

is

from

it's

it's pleafures in which it's beft difcovered. It derives

in

poetry,

mufick,

architecture,

This obfervation

painting,

dancing, in

fculpture, a word,

intirely erroneous

for granting ; &c. to be merely perceptions of the mind, and nothing really exifting without us ; yet if thefe perceptions be invariably excited by certain objects and not by (f)

is

podnefs, beauty, bard, foft,

others, if they arife uniformly

when thefe

objects are prefenteJ,

they form, of confequence, fixed and permanent relations, which render all the reafonings founded on them as conclufive, as if thefe perceptions were the inherent qualities of external The tranflator thought this error of too much conobjects.

fequence to pafs

it

over in filence.

S 2

from

Mr. De

260

MONTESQUIEU'S

from the

various productions of nature Let us, therefore, inquire into

art.

and the

reafons that render thefe objects pleafing, as alfo into the manner of their operation, and

the times and circumftances in which they produce their agreeable effects, and thus give

an account of our various contribute

will

to

the

feelings.

formation of

This tajle*

nothing more than the faculty of difcovering with quicknefs and delicacy the

which

is

degree of pleafure, which

from each

object that

we

fhould receive

comes within the fphere

of our perceptions.

Concerning the pleafures of the mind.

THE mind, befides thofe pleafures which it

by the organs of fenfe, enjoys which are peculiar to it's fpiritual na-

receives

others

and are abfolutely independent on exSuch are the pleafures that ternal fenfation.

ture,

arife

from

own

exiftence,

from the

from the grandeur and

curiofity,

ideas

of

it's

perfections, faculty of taking a general and com-

prehenfive view of things, of contemplating a great variety of objects, and of comparing,

combining

and feparating

it's

own

ideas.

Thefe

ESSAY ON TASTE. Thefe

pleafures,

which

261

are attached

to the

nature of every intelligent being, depend not upon the external fenfes, but refide in the ve-

and it is needlefs to ry eilence of the foul ; foul enjoys them, in whether the inquire confequence of it's union with the body, or not 5 all that is neceflary for us to know is, that it enjoys them always, and that they are

We

the true and proper objects of tafte. (hall not, therefore, take any notice here of

the diftinction that

may be made between

the pleafures that the foul derives from own eflence, and thofe that refult from

it's it's

union with the body, but (hall comprehend both thefe kinds of enjoyment under the com-

mon name of natural pleafures. Thefe pleafures we muft, however, diftinguim from others that have certain connexions with them,

and

which we may

call

In the fame manner, and

we

reafons,

which

diftinguim

acquired pleafures. for the fame

alfo

between the tajh

and that which

is

natural,

is

of great ufe

is

ac-

quired.

Ir

kind to

which

know

tajle is

in refearches of this

the fource of thofe pleafures of the rule or meafure: Since the

S 3

knowledge

Mr. De

262

MONTESQUIEU'S

knowledge of our pleafures, whether natural or acquired, will contribute much towards the rectifying the two kinds of

talie that cor-

We cannot

refpond to them. ciate our pleafures, nor

truely apprer indeed enjoy them if we do not carefully

with a proper relifh, examine the nature of thofe their firft fprings in the

pleafures,

human

and

conftitution.

IF our fouls had not been united to material

fubftances, they

would

flill

have been

capable of knowledge, but it is probable they would have loved whatever they knew; whereas, in the prefent conftitution of things, we fcarcely love any thing but that of which

we

are ignorant.

THE

conftitution of our nature

trary thing conftituted

that cafe,

is

an arbi-

we might have been otherwife than we are at prefent 5 and, in

j

our perceptions and feelings would

have been quite different from what they now are. An external organ of fenfation or lefs would have given rife to a fpeof poetry and eloquence totally different

more cies

from

that

which

takes place at prefent

j

even another contexture of the organs

nay,

we

poflefs

ESSAYONTASTE. would have changed

poflefs

26$

vaftly the nature

of poetry ; for inftance, Had the conftitution of our mental and bodily powers rendered

our attention and application of mind more vigorous and conftant than what they are at would have preprefent, this circumflance vented the exiftence of thofe rules, which are defigned to adapt the difpoiition of a fubjecl:

meafure of attention of which

to that

we

are capable : Had we been naturally endowed with a more perfect degree of fagacity and penetration,

the

upon

all

the rules which are founded

degree

we now

which

pofTefs,

irmft have been entirely different : In a word, all the laws that derive their exiftence and au-

from a certain conftitution of our nawould have been totally different, upon

thority ture,

the fuppofition of

it's

being otherwife

conftj,-

tuted.

IF the fenfe of fight had been more feeble confufed than it actually is, it would

,and

have been neceflary the plans

of the

to

have introduced into

arctyitecT:

fewer ornaments,

and more uniformity ; but the contrary rule muft have taken place had our fight been

more

diftinct,

and comprehenfive.

piercing,

S 4

Had

MON T E SQJU

EU'

2$4-

Mr. De

Had

our fenfe of hearing been conftituted like

I

S

other animals, the moft of our inftruments would have required a conftruction and modulation. quite different It is true the relations of things to each other

thofe of

many

mufical

would have

ftill

continued the fame,

let

the

conftruction of our organs have been ever fo but their redifferent from what it now is -,

lation to us being totally changed, they would not have produced in us the effects they now

produce.

And

as the perfection

of the

arts

confifts in their prefenting to us their refpecin fuch a manner as will render tive

objects

them

as agreeable and {biking as is poffible ; fo a different conftitution of our nature from

the prefent, would, change in the prefent to the change would occafion in the

neceffarily, ftate

which

of the

that

new

require a

arts

adapted

conftitution

in the means of enjoyment, manner of being agreeably affected.

WE

are, at firft fight, prone enough to imagine that a knowledge of the various ifources of our pleafures is fufficient in order to the attainment of what is called tajle^ and that the man who has ftudied the dictates of

jphilofophy

upon

this

fubject

is

a

man

of-tqfte.

SSAYONTASTE. and all

this

265

may judge with confidence concerning But the productions of nature and art. is

a

miftake

:

for the

natural

tafle

does

not confift in a theoretick knowledge, but in the quick and exquifite application of rules

which, in fpeculation, may be really unknown It is not, for fb the mind. example, ncccffary to know that the pleafure we receive a certain object which we call beautiful is the effect of furprize j it is enough that

from

the object produces it's effect, and ibrprifes neither more nor lefs than is expedient for that

purpofe.

ALL,

therefore, that can be faid

can lay down

upon the

the precepts that we for forming our tafle, can only

fubject before us, and

regard directly that

all

tafle that is

to be acqui-

red, though they have a diftant and indirect relation to the natural one. This indirect reis manifeft ; for the acquired tajle afchanges, augments and diminishes the -natural one, juft as the former is affected,

lation fects,

changed,

augmented and diminished by the

latter,

THE

66

M O N T E S QJU

Mr. De

THE

moft general

given of

tajle^

1

E

S

(J

definition that can

be

confidered antecedently to

it's

good and bad, is, that it is fomeattaches us to certain objects which thing by the power of an internal fenfe, or feeling. This account, however, does not fuppofe that divifion into

it

may

not be applied to intellectual things,

the knowledge of which is fo delightful to the mind, that it has been looked upon by fome philofophers as the only fource of true ty.

and

felici-

The it's

foul acquires knowledge by it's ideas inward fenfes or feelings ( J) j and it's

pleafures fpring

from the fame fources

:

for

though the later be generally confidered as the inlets of pleafure, and we fuppofe a total difference between ideas and feelings, yet it is certain that the fou\ feels whatever it perceives,

and there are no objects fo abftrufely intellecwhich it does not either perceive in re-

tual

(:) There is a good deal of difficulty in tranflating the French word fentiment by any other term than that of feeling^ The Evglift} word Jentlment in the fingular number may be

ufed methinks to render the French term, and I have ventured to apply a,

it

feveral times in this fenfe, leaving out the particle

which attaches

in the plural s

by

to

it

another meaning in our language. Bjt fcarcely make the fame ufe of it,

number we can

feat intents,

we commonly

underfland our thoughts and.

opinions.

4

ality

ESSAY ON TASTE.

267

and which, of confequence, ality or in fancy, it does not feel. excellence in geConcerning intelleElual

neral.

WIT(*)>

confidered in a general fenfe, the various kinds of intel-

all

comprehends lectual endowments, fuch fenfe,

as

genius,

good

penetration, an accurate difcernment,

peculiar talents, tajle.

J'HE pajfage ragraph

is

that immediately follows this paextremely obfcure ; as the 'fran-

Jlator under/lands it t the obfervations it contains are far from being juft j but that no injury may be done to the author by a

faulty tranjlation, the pajjage 0s it /lands in the original.

is

here given

" L'EspRiT confide a

*'

avoir les organes bien conftitues relativement aux chofes ou

(*)

We take

the

word Wit here

in

the extenfive fenfe

it

bears in the old Englijh authors, and in it's original fignification, which comprehends all the powers and faculties of the

mind. Otherwise it is impoffible to exprefs in one word what the Author under ftands by the term Efprit, in this paflage. il

68 Jrui maluit.

HE

gives us an idea of the

nian war,

He

when he

whole Macedo-

fays : introijje viftoriafuit.

exhibits to us a ftriking and fublime

view of the whole

when he

life

and exploits of

Scipio,

fpeaks thus concerning his youth

;

bic erit Scipio, qui in exit turn Africa? crefcit.

HE reftlefs

paints, in the fpirit

moft

lively colours,

of Hannibal, the

ftate

the

of the nations

272 tions,

Mr. De

MO N T E SQjUI EU'S

and the whole grandeur of the Rom&rt when he fays qui projugus ex Afri:

people,

ca, boftem populo

Romano

from is

qucerebat.

which

the pleafures,

Concerning

IT

toto orbe

arifi

order.

not fufficient to exhibit to the

mind

a multiplicity of objects ; it is farther requifite that they be exhibited with order and ar-

rangement, for then it retains what it has feen, and alfo forms to itfelf fome notion of

what

is

to follow.

One

of the higheft men-

which we

receive from a pleafures confcioufnefs of the extent of our views, and tal

is

that

the depth of our penetration; but in a production void of order this pleafure is impeded ; the mind, defirous to fupply from its own ideas this

want of

regularity,

is

perplexed in

the vain attempt j it's plan mingles itfelf with that which the author of the work had formed, and this produces a new confufion. It re* tains nothing, forefees nothing ; it is dejected by the confufion that reigns in it's ideas, and

by the comfortlefs void

that fucceeds the

abun-

dance and variety of it's vain recources. It's faunfuctigue is without it's effect, and efforts are

1

cefsful,

ESSAY ON TASTE.

273

Hence

the judicious artift always introduces a certain order, even amidft confufion,

ccfsful.

is not the main object, the to be Hence the exprefled. principal thing throws his into figures painter groups j and when he draws a battle, reprefents, as it were,

where confufion

in the front of his piece, the principal objects

which the eye is to diftinguifh, and cafts at a diftance, by the magick of perfpective, the groups where confufion and diforder reign.

Concerning the pleafure that arifes from variety. 1

F

order be thus necefTary in is

no

productions, variety the mind falls into a

'variety

lefs

all forts

fo

;

lifelefs

of

without inactivity

and languor ; for fimilar objects appear to as if they were wholly the fame; fo that

it

if

a part of a piece of painting was difclofed to

our view, which carried a ftriking refemblance of another part of the fame piece that we had already feen, this fecond part would be really a new object without appearing fuch, and

would be contemplated without the

T

leaft fen-

fation

MONTESQJJIEU'S

274

Mr. De

lation

of pleafure.

The

beauties

we

difcern

in the productions of art, as well as in the works of nature, confuting entirely in the it is neceffary fo to pleafure they adminifter, beauties as to render them the thefe modify

means of is

diverfifying our pleafures as far as

poflible.

We

muft employ our induftry

in offering to the eye

of the

mind

objects

which

it

has not as yet feen, and in exciting

within

it

feelings different

it

may

THUS facts

from thofe which

have already experienced.

and

Hiftory pleafes by the variety of relations

mance by the

which

it

contains;

variety of prodigies

and Dramatic Poetry by the

it

Ro-

invents

;

variety of paffions

which it excites. Thus alfo they who are well verfed in the art of education endeavour to introduce as

much

diverfity as

they can

amidft that tedious uniformity which is infefrom a long courfe of inftruction. parable

UNIFORMITY

carried

on

to

a

certain

length renders every thing infupportable. The fame arrangement of periods continued for a

long time fatigues in a piece of eloquence. and cadences become ex-

The fame numbers

tremely

E

S S

A Y ON T A

S

T

E.

275

poem. If the accounts given of the famous Vifta or alley that extends from Mofcow to Peterjburg be true, the traveller, pent up between thefe two feemingly endlefs rows of trees, muft feel the mod difagreeable laffitude and fatiety in the

tremely tedious in a long

continuance of fuch a dull uniformity. Nay, even profpedts which have the charm of variety,

out

ceafe to pleafe, if they be repeated withalteration, and are for a long time

much

mind. prefent to the

Thus

the traveller,

who

has been long wandering through the Alps^ will defcend fatiated with the moft extenfive views,

the

moft romantick and delightful

landfcapes.

THE human mind

loves variety ^

and the

we

have already obferved, that it is, for contemplation and framed is naturally If then the love of variety is knowledge.

reafon

as

fubordinate and adapted to the attainment of

knowledge,

it

is

requifite, that variety,

ther in the productions of nature or

fuch as will

facilitate

knowledge

;

whe-

art,

be

or, in other

words, an object muft be fufficiently fimple to be perceived with eafe, and fufficiently di'verjt/lfd

to be contemplated with pleafure.

T

2

THERE

Mr. De

276

THERE

M O N T E S QJJ

are certain objects,

I

E

U

'

S

which have the

appearance of variety, without the reality; and others, that feem to be uniform, but are, in effect,

extremely

THE

diverfified.

Gothic architecture appears extremely

rich in point of variety, but it's ornaments fatigue the eye by their confufion and minute-

Hence we cannot eafily diftinguifh one from the other, nor fix our attention upon any one object, on account of the multitude that rufh at once upon the fight ; and thus it hapnefs.

pens that

this

kind of architecture difpleafes

in the very circumflances that to render it agreeable.

A Gothic ftructure

is

were defigned

to the eye

what a

rid-

to the underftanding ; in the contemplation of it's various parts and ornaments the

dle

is

mind

perceives the fame perplexity and confufion in it's ideas, that arife from reading an

obfcure poem.

THE

Grecian architecture, on the contrary, appears uniform 5 but as the nature, and the number alfo of it's divifions are precifely

fuch

ESSAY ON TASTE.

277 fuch as occupy the mind without fatiguing it, it has consequently that degree of variety, that

pleating and delightful.

is

GREATNESS

of any producfame quality in Gigantic bodies muft have bulky large trees muft have large branin the whole

tion requires of neceflity the

the parts.

members ches,

;

Such

&c.

THE

is

the nature of things.

Grecian architecture, whofe divisions feems formed

are few, but grand and noble, after the

model of the great and the fublime. perceives a certain majefty which

The mind reigns

through

THUS

all it's

productions.

the painter diflributes the figures,

compofe his work, into various and in this he follows nature and

that are to

groups truth,

;

for a

crowd

is

almoft always divided

In the fame maninto feparate companies. ner in every complex piece of painting we fee

the lights and {hades diftributed into large which ftrike the eye at a diftance, be-

mafles,

fore the

whole compofition

is

diflinctly

per-

ceivcd.

T

3

Concerning

278

M O N T E S QJJ

Mr. De

I

EU

Concerning the pleafure that arifes

'

S

from

fymmetry.

W E have

already obferved that variety

to the

human mind

is

and we muft

; pleafing farther remark, that a certain degree of

fym-

metry produces alfo an agreeable effect, and contributes to the beauty of the greateft part

of thofe complex productions, which

hold with admiration

we

be-

How

and

delight. reconcile this feeming contradiction It will vanifh if we attend to the following fhall

we

!

obfervations.

ONE

of the principal caufes of the pleafure,

which the mind

receives in the contemplation of the various objeds that are prefented to it, is the facility with which it perceives them.

Hence fymmetry

is

rendered agreeable, as

fimilar arrangements relieve the

it's

aid the

mind, comprehenfion, and enable it, upon a view of the one half of an object, to form immediately an idea of the whole. quicknefs of

UPON

it's

this obfervation is

lowing general

rule,

4

founded the

fol-

That where fymmetry

is

thus

ESSAY ON TA thus ufeful to the

STE.

mind, by aiding

279 it's

com-

it's operations and prehenfion, and facilitating and it muft always there it's is, perceptions,

but where

be agreeable

;

this effect,

becomes

it

flat

it

does not produce

and

infipid, becaufe,

without any good purpofe, it deprives an obto which nature has given ject of that variety In thofe objects which are fuperior charms. fucceflively, variety is requilite, becaufe they are diftindtly perceived without the On the contrary, where a leaft difficulty.

viewed

multitude of objects are prefented to us in one point of view, and rufh in at once upon the eye, there fymmetry is necefTary to aid us in forming quickly an idea of the whole. Thus fymmetry is obferved in the front of a building, in a parterre, in a temple ; and there it pleafes extremely for the reafon now men-

tioned,

it's

mind to take whole object without

aiding the

diately the

in

imme-

pain, per-

plexity, or confufion.

THE

object

which the mind views not

it were, by one effort, muft be fimfle and one ; all it's parts muft unite in forming one defign, and muft relate to one end. This is another confideration,

fucceflively,

but, as

T

4

that

Mr. De

2 8o

MONTESQUIEU'S

that renders fymmetry

pleafing,

what we

as

it

alone

a whole, or properly the effect of a variety of parts that center in conftitutes

call

one general defign.

THERE pleads

is

yet another confideration that fymmetry > and that is the

in favour of

mind, of feeing every In thing fmifhed and brought to perfection. all complex objects there muft be a fort of defire, fo natural to the

counterbalance, or equilibrium between the various parts that terminate in one whole-, and

an

edifice only

wing

with one wing, or with one would be as un-

fhorter than the other,

finimed and imperfect a production as a body with only one arm, or with two of unequal length.

Concerning contrajls. ism* >*.

F

the

mind

takes pleafure in fymmetry y it This agreeably affected by contrafts. a and few requires explication, examples will I

is alfo

ferve for that purpofe.

IF painters and fculptors, in obedience to directions of nature, are careful to obferve

tjie

a certain

ESSAYONTASTE.

281

a certain fymmetry in their compofitions j the fame nature requires that the attitudes which

they reprefent fhould contraft each other; and thus exhibit an agreeable variety, a pleating One oppotition to the eye of the fpeclator. foot placed precifely in the fame pofition with the other, or any two of the correfponding parts of the body placed exactly in the fame direction, difgutt a judicious obferver, becaufe this fludied

fymmetry produces a perpetual

we

and

famenefs of attitude, fuch as infipid obferve in the Gothic figures, which all re-

femble each other in this

refpecl:.

Betides,

contrary to our natural frame and conftitution ; nature has

this uniformity

of attitude

is

not defigned that we fhould imitate in our geftures the ftupid uniformity that is obfervable in the Indian Pagods : no ; (he has given us the power of felf- motion and confequently the liberty of modifying our air and

our poflure as we pleafe. And if iliffnefs and be unfupportable in the human form, can they be pleafing in the productions

affectation

of art

?

THE

attitudes

therefore,

fuch figures as are reprefented

particularly in

of

fculpture,

mufl

Mr. De

282

M O NT E S QJJIE U

mufl be contrafted

in order to give

'

S

them an

What renagreeable air of variety and eafe, ders this more efpecially neceffary in fculpture is, that of all the arts it is naturally the moft cold and lifelefs, and can only affedt and enflame by the force of it's contrafts and the boldnefs of

BUT

it's

poftures. .

according to an obfervation already made, the variety which the Gothic architects were ftudious to introduce into as,

their ftrudures gave them an infipid air of uniformity ; fo has it happened that the va-

which other artifts propofed efFecluaby the means of contrafts, has degene-

riety,

ting rated alfo into a vicious

fymmetry.

THIS is not only obfervable in certain productions of fculptors and painters, but alfo in the ftyle of certain authors, who, by a contraft between perpetual antithefes form the beginning and the end of each phrafe.

Of this we

find feveral examples in St. Augufand others, who wrote during the low tin, of the Latin language j and alfo in periods

the writings of feveral moderns, particularly thofe of Sf. Evremont. The fame cadence

or

ESSAY ON TASTE.

2 83

or jingle repeated in every phrafe is extremeand faftidious. Contrafts thus ly difagreeable

uniform j and multiplied become intolerably thofe oppofitions, that were defigned to pro-

duce

mind

by perpetual repemofl tedious fymmetry. The

variety, degenerate,

into the

tition,

finds fo little variety in this fort of

com-

heard but one half of pofition, that having it will a always anticipate the other. phrafe,

There

is,

indeed, a certain oppofition in the

words of each phrafe ; but this oppofition is always the fame j and the flowing of each period, though harmonious, is yet mod fatiguing on account of the conftant return of the fame kind of contrafts.

SEVERAL painters have fallen into this vicious cuftom of multiplying contrafts beyond meafure in all their competitions, fo that the view of one

fingle figure will enable the acute

obferver to guefs at the difpofition of all thofe that are contiguous to it. This perpetual fludy of diverfity produces uniformity, as has been obferved above. Befides, this pafiion for

multiplying

nature,

which

no example in on the contrary,

contrafls has

operates,

with a feeming diforder, void of

all

affectation,

284

Mr. De

tion,

and, fo far from giving to

MONTESQJJIEU'S all

bodies a

determinate and uniform motion, gives to a

number no motion

great

of nature

at all.

The hand

her multifarious profome bodies me holds in repofe,

diverfifies truly

ductions ;

while fhe imprefles upon others an of tendencies variety *

infinite

and movements. .

IF the merely intellectual faculties of our nature determine us to take pleafure in variety, our feeling powers are not lefs agreeably

The mind

cannot long bear the fame pleafures, the objects, fame fituations, if I may ufe that term, beaffected

by

it.

the fame

caufe

it is

infupportable. fenfations

it's

which they are of the mind, and activity

united to a body to

The and

feelings

courfe of the animal

fpirits

depend upon the that circulate

in

the nerves j there are, of confequence, two circumftances that fufpend their vigour, viz. the laffitude of the nerves, and the difllpation of the animal fpirits, or their entire ceffation.

THUS

every thing fatigues us after a cer-

time

j this, at leaft, is undoubtedly true with refpect to thofe pleafures that are extremely intenfe j we quit them always with

tain

the

ESSAY ON TASTE.

285

which we embrafibres which were their inflmced them ; the of ments have need repofe ; we muft therethe fame fatisfaftion with

fore

employ others

that are in a condition to

ferve us, and thus diftribute equally to the various parts of our frame the functions they are

perform in rendering us active and

to

happy.

THE

foul finds it's vigour exhaufted by and intenfe feeling. But to be deflong any titute of fentiment or feeling, is to fall into a void

which

finks

We

ter part.

and overwhelms our bet-

remedy

this diforder,

or ra-

ther prevent this difagreeable alternative by di verifying the modifications and pleafures of the mind, and then it feels without wearinefs.

Concerning the fleafure effeEi

THE

which

is

the

of furprife.

fame

difpofition that renders variety the to mind, is alfo the occafion of agreeable thofe pleafures which it receives from furprife.

This

feeling of furprife pleafes both

nature of

it's

from the

object, and the quicknefs and

rapidity

Mr. De

286

rapidity

M ON TE SQJJ EU

with which

I

it

acts

'

S

upon the mind,

which

perceives either an object it did not exor an object prefented in a different pect, manner from that which it imagined before-

hand. I

SURPRISE

excited by fuch objects as are either marvellous, new, or unexpected ; and is

in thofe cafes where

we

are ftruck with the

marvellous, the principal feeling is accompanied with an acceffory fenfation which arifes

from

this,

that the

object

template as marvellous

is

which we con-

alfo

new and unex-

peded.

HENCE games of hazard

attract the

whole

attention of the mind, and affect in a lively and agreeable manner by prefenting to it a

continual train of unexpected events ; and alfo arifes the pleafure we take in thofe

hence

in which we are aflbciated with partners, for they are alfo a combination of unforefeen events produced by the joint influ-

games

ence of dexterity and hazard.

WE

may

farther reduce to the

ciple the chief pleafure

we

receive

fame prinfrom dramatick

ESSAY ON TASTE.

287

nutick competitions, in which we find an events developed by deimportant feries of grees,

the

mod

ftriking occurrences fludiouf-

very moment of their the arrival, all powers of invention employed to create new objects of furprife, and in

until the ly concealed

which we

are fometimes affected with a particular kind of furprife upon feeing things fall out, juft as

we might

have conjectured be-

fore hand.

WE obferve,

that the productions

finally,

of wit and learning are read with eagernefs only becaufe they procure us the lively pleafure of novelty and furprife; and thus fupply the defeft of converfation

cites

which

almoft

is,

and feldom exthe agreeable feeling now under confi-

always, uniform and

infipid,

deration.

SURPRISE may be excited ject

itfelf that is

by the manner

prefented

in

either to

by the ob-

our view, or

which we perceive it, and which we confider

the circumftances under it 5

for an object

may

ception, greater or it

may

lefs

appear different

appear, in

than

it

is

from what

our perin reality it

;

actually

is

it

-,

MONTESQJJIEU'S

Mr. DC

288

and even

we may

is,

which

Thus

in thofe cafes

fee

where we

fee

it

as

under circumftances,

it

excite an accefibry feeling offurprife. view of any work the mind may

in the

be flruck with the circumftantial or acceffory idea of the difficulty of it's production, of the perfon that contrived and finimed it, of the time or manner

which

in

was executed,

it

or of any other circumftances that mately connected with it.

SUETONIUS

are inti-

the crimes of

recites

Nero with a certain coolnefs and tranquillity which aftonifh, and which almoft perfuade the reader that the enormities he defcribes excited but faintly, if at all, his indignation and horror. But the hiftorian flops fhort,

changes his

" "