II.

LECT. Tafte difcover themfelves very early in a thoufand instances; in their fondness for regular bodies, their admiration of pictures and statues, and imitations of all kinds; and their ftrong attachment to whatever is new or marvellous. The moft ignorant peasants are delighted with ballads and tales, and are ftruck with the beautiful appearances of nature in the earth and heavens. Even in the defarts of America, where human nature fhews itself in its most uncultivated ftate, the favages have their ornaments of drefs, their war and their death fongs, their harangues, and their orators. We must therefore conclude the principles of Tafte to be deeply founded in the human mind. It is no lefs effential to man to have fome difcernment of beauty, than it is to poffefs the attributes of reafon and of fpeech.

BUT

* On the subject of Tafle confidered as a power or faculty of the mind, much lefs is to be found among the ancient, than among the modern rhetorical and critical writers. The following remarkable paffage in Cicero ferves however to fhew, that his ideas on this subject agree perfectly with what has been faid above. He is speaking of the beauties of ftyle and numbers. "Illud autem ne

quis admiretur quonam modo hæc vulgus imperitorum "in audiendo, notet; cum in omni genere, tum in hoc "ipfo, magna quædam eft vis, incredibilifque naturæ. "Omnes enim tacito quodam fenfu, fine ulla arte aut ratione, quæ fint in artibus de rationibus recta et prava dijudicant: idque cum faciunt in picturis, et in fignis,

66

or et

II.

BUT although none be wholly devoid of this L ECT. faculty, yet the degrees in which it is poffeffed are widely different. In fome men only the feeble glimmerings of Tafte appear; the beauties which they relish are of the coarsest kind; and of these they have but a weak and confufed impreffion: while in others, Tafte rifes to an acute difcernment, and a lively enjoyment of the most refined beauties. In general, we may obferve, that in the powers and pleasures of Tafte, there is a more remarkable inequality among men, than is usually found, in point of common fenfe, reason, and judgment. The conftitution of our nature in this, as in all other refpects, discovers admirable wisdom. In the diftribution of those talents which are neceffary for man's well

.

et in aliis operibus, ad quorum intelligentiam a natura "minus habent inftrumenti, tum multo oftendunt magis "in verborum, numerorum, vocumque judicio; quod ea "funt in communibus infixa fenfibus; neque earum re

rum quenquam funditus natura voluit effe expertem." Cic. de Orat. lib. iii. cap. 50. Edit. Gruteri. Quinctilian feems to include Taste (for which, in the sense which we now give to that word, the antients appear to have had no distinct name) under what he calls judicium. "Locus "de judicio, meâ quidem opinione adeo partibus hujus "operis omnibus connectus a miftus eft, ut ne a fen"tentiis quidem aut verbis faltem fingulis poffit feparari, nec magis arte traditur quam guftus aut odor. "contraria vitemus et communia, ne quid in eloquendo

ἐσ

-Ut

corruptum obfcurumque fit, referatur oportet ad fenfus qui non docentur." Inftitut. lib. vi. cap. 3. Edit. Obrechti.

II.

LECT being, Nature hath made lefs diftinction among her children. But in the diftribution of thofe which belong only to the ornamental part of life, he hath beftowed her favours with more frugality. She hath both fown the feeds more fparingly; and rendered a higher culture requifite for bringing them to perfection.

THIS inequality of Tafte among men is owing, without doubt, in part, to the different frame of their natures; to nicer organs, and finer internal powers, with which some are endowed beyond others. But, if it be owing in part to nature, it is owing to education and culture ftill more. The illuftration of this leads to my next remark on this fubject, that Tafte is a moft improveable faculty, if there be any fuch in human nature; a remark which gives great encouragement to such a course of study as we are now propofing to pursue. Of the truth of this affertion we may easily be convinced, by only reflecting on that immenfel fuperiority which education and improvement give to civilized, above barbarous nations, in refinement of Tafte; and on the fuperiority which they give in the fame nation to those who have ftudied the liberal arts, above the rude and untaught vulgar. The difference is fo great, that there is perhaps no one particuIar in which these two claffes of men are so far

removed

II.

removed from each other, as in respect of the LECT. powers and the pleasures of Tafte: and affuredly for this difference no other general caufe can be affigned, but culture and education. I fhall now proceed to fhew what the means are, by which Taste becomes fo remarkably fufceptible of cultivation and progrefs.

REFLECT firft upon that great law of our nature, that exercife is the chief fource of improvement in all our faculties. This holds both in our bodily, and in our mental powers. It holds even in our external fenfes; although these be less the fubject of cultivation than

any
of our other faculties. We fee how acute
the fenfes become in perfons whofe trade or
bufinefs leads to nice exertions of them.
Touch, for instance, becomes infinitely more
exquifite in men whofe employment requires.
them to examine the polish of bodies, than it
is in others. They who deal in microscopical
obfervations, or are accustomed to engrave on
precious ftones, acquire furprising accuracy
of fight in difcerning the minuteft objects;
and practice in attending to different flavours
and taftes of liquors, wonderfully improves
the power of diftinguishing them, and of tra-
cing their compofition. Placing internal
Taste therefore on the footing of a simple sense,
it cannot be doubted that frequent exercife,

and

LECT. and curious attention to its proper objects, II. muft greatly heighten its power. Of this we

have one clear proof in that part of Taste, which is called an ear for mufic. Experience every day fhews, that nothing is more improveable. Only the fimpleft and plainest compofitions are relifhed at firft; use and practice extend our pleafure; teach us to relish finer melody, and by degrees enable us to enter into the intricate and compounded pleasures of harmony. So an eye for the beauties of paint ing is never all at once acquired. It is gradually formed by being converfant among pictures, and studying the works of the best masters.

PRECISELY in the fame manner, with respect to the beauty of compofition and difcourfe, attention to the most approved models, ftudy of the best authors, comparisons of lower and higher degrees of the fame beauties, operate towards the refinement of Tafte. When one is only beginning his acquaintance with works. of genius, the fentiment which attends them is obfcure and confused. He cannot point out the feveral excellencies or blemishes of a performance which he perufes; he is at a lofs on what to reft his judgment; all that can be expected is, that he fhould tell in general whether he be pleased or not. But allow him more experience in works of this kind, and his Tafte becomes by degrees more exact and enlightened.

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