II. enlightened. He begins to perceive not only LECT. the character of the whole, but the beauties and defects of each part; and is able to describe the peculiar qualities which he praises or blames. The mift is diffipated which feemed. formerly to hang over the object; and he can at length pronounce firmly, and without hefitation, concerning it. Thus in Tafte, confidered as mere fenfibility, exercise opens a great fource of improvement. BUT although Tafte be ultimately founded on fenfibility, it must not be confidered as inftinctive fenfibility alone. Reason and good fense, as I before hinted, have fo extenfive an influence on all the operations and decifions of Tafte, that a thorough good Taste may well be confidered as a power compounded of natural fenfibility to beauty, and of improved understanding. In order to be fatisfied of this, let us obferve, that the greater part of the productions of genius are no other than imitations of nature; reprefentations of the characters, actions, or manners of men. The pleasure we receive from fuch imitations or representations is founded on mere Taste : but to judge whether they be properly executed, belongs to the understanding, which compares the copy with the original. IN reading, for inftance, fuch a poem as the the LECT. the plan or story being well conducted, and II. all the parts joined together with probability and due connexion; from the characters being taken from nature, the fentiments being fuited to the characters, and the ftyle to the fentiments. The pleasure which arifes from a poem fo conducted, is felt or enjoyed by Taste as an internal fenfe; but the difcovery of this conduct in the poem is owing to reason; and the more that reafon enables us to discover fuch propriety in the conduct, the greater will be our pleasure. We are pleased, through our natural fenfe of beauty. Reason fhews us why, and upon what grounds, we are pleased. Wherever in works of Tafte, any resemblance to nature is aimed at; wherever there is any reference of parts to a whole, or of means tó an end, as there is indeed in almost every writing and difcourfe, there the understanding must always have a great part to act. HERE then is a wide field for reafon's exerting its powers in relation to the objects of Tafte, particularly with refpect to compofition, and works of genius; and hence arifes a fecond and a very confiderable fource of the improvement of Tafte, from the application. of reafon and good fenfe to fuch productions of genius. Spurious beauties, fuch as unnatural characters, forced fentiments, affected ftyle, may please for a little; but they please II. please only because their oppofition to nature LECT. and to good fenfe has not been examined, or attended to. Once fhew how nature might have been more juftly imitated or reprefented; how the writer might have managed his fubject to greater advantage; the illufion will prefently be diffipated, and these falfe beauties will please no more. FROM these two fources then, firft, the frequent exercise of Tafte, and next the application of good fenfe and reafon to the objects of Taste, Taste as a power of the mind receives its improvement. In its perfect state, it is undoubtedly the refult both of nature and of art. It fuppofes our natural fenfe of beauty to be refined by frequent attention to the most beautiful objects, and at the fame time to be guided and improved by the light of the understanding. I MUST be allowed to add, that as a found head, fo likewise a good heart, is a very material requifite to juft Tafte. The moral beauties are not only in themselves fuperior to all others, but they exert an influence, either more near or more remote, on a great variety of other objects of Tafte. Wherever the affections, characters, or actions of men are concerned (and thefe certainly afford the noblest fubjects to genius), there can be neither any just II. ECT. juft or affecting defcription of them, nor any thorough feeling of the beauty of that defcription, without our poffeffing the virtuous affections. He whofe heart is indelicate or hard, he who has no admiration of what is truly noble or praiseworthy, nor the proper fympathetic fense of what is foft and tender, must have a very imperfect relish of the highest beauties of eloquence and poetry. THE characters of Tafte when brought to its most improved state are all reducible to two, Delicacy and Correctness. DELICACY Of Tafte refpects principally the perfection of that natural fenfibility on which Tafte is founded. It implies thofe finer organs or powers which enable us to difcover beauties that lie hid from a vulgar eye. One may have strong fenfibility, and yet be deficient in delicate Tafte. He may be deeply impreffed by fuch beauties as he perceives; but he perceives only what is in fome degree coarse, what is bold and palpable; while chafter and fimpler ornaments escape his notice. In this ftate Tafte generally exifts among rude and unrefined nations. But a perfon of delicate Tafte both feels ftrongly, and feels accurately. He fees diftinctions and differences where others fee none; the most latent beauty does not escape him, and he II. he is fenfible of the fimalleft blemish. Deli- LECT. cacy of Tafte is judged of by the fame marks that we ufe in judging of the delicacy of an external fenfe. As the goodness of the palate is not tried by ftrong flavours, but by a mixture of ingredients, where, notwithstanding the confufion we remain fenfible of each; in like manner delicacy of internal Tafte appears, by a quick and lively fenfibility to its finest, moft compounded, or moft latent objects. CORRECTNESS of Tafte refpects chiefly the improvement which that faculty receives. through its connexion with the understanding. A man of correct Tafte is one who is never imposed on by counterfeit beauties; who carries always in his mind that ftandard of good fense which he employs in judging of every thing. He estimates with propriety the comparative merit of the feveral beauties which he meets with in any work of genius; refers them to their proper claffes; affigns the principles, as far as they can be traced, whence their power of pleasing flows; and is pleafed himfelf precifely in that degree in which he ought, and no more. Ir is true that these two qualities of Tafte, Delicacy and Correctness, mutually imply each other. No Tafte can be exquifitely delicate without being correct; nor can be thoroughly correct |