1000000031

T A S

888 )

T A S

Janer

m.y

be brought,

habit, to relinl what ., lirel

cxcited lo:uhing

~nd

difgul1; yet

does

DQl

feem to have

beeo the inte.ntion of nature, that the generality of man–

~ind

nlOuld .cquire .by cullom and ex pericoce thoCe

fenr:Hionl and perception9 which are nece{f;uy tO their

preravation.

is Otherwife with [he

;n/(lIe{Ju,d tafle:

·its formation requires time, infiruétion, aoel experience.

young man llninllrl1éted in [he art! of mu(¡ck

anu

painting.

1« his na,ural Ccnfibility be eTCr Co quick and livrly, \Vi II

DOt

immcdi:\ttly dillin:!uifh . in a gr.tnJ

caneen

of mufick,

,he varivul parts whofe connetbon 3nd rebuion confluute

the efrt:nc;e and

charm

of the com;'lofitlon;

nor

will he

per–

ceive in a piétllre

[he gradatian,

light

anJ

Ih Jde. that

h a.rmo",. of calours. that

corre~lDer.5

of :efign. which charac·

terih'

6niíhed piece; but in prot:ers of tIme, aod alfn

dt'gr.!cs,

he lCJ.rns botb'to

hear and to (ce in a more' perf.·ét

nnnncr.

Th~

fame uniof1:rué'ted perfon

\ViII

tin.1

v:lriery

of emotioos "rif:: in his mind the fidt tirn! he is prcrent at

the reprefenttltion of a fine trngedy : but he

will

'ncit hcr

rcrcei"e the

dc~;erity

of the aUlhor in main t<lining the

uni~

tíes; nor that exquífite art by which the drama ís ro

¡na '

naged, th:H

perron enters upon [he (cene nor quits it

;'vit"!lut an evidcnt

r~afon ;

nor yet th:u rtill more nice and

difficult art or malc.ing tbe various Cubordinate iDlerdh

[er~

min~te

and centre in one, which abforbs

[h~m

all .

only by ,he Corce of

h.bi,

and rendlion.

ti",

he wilJ diC·

tinguifh ,hefe Cevenl ohjeas of

taJle,

and feel delightful

fen Ca,ions from circumfl,nce, of which fornlcrly he

h.ld

linio

iJea .

Elezu.t and abte artins may communicate rhei r feelings

and

th~ir

di(cernment to others, aod thus excite

tajle

'el

n,;uion. which, withCUH them, had never known Íts

re~

'/i",d

pkafures.

By frequentl

con,empla,ing ,he works of

grrat aDa eminent maner! in the various arts, the powers

(lf

"ature ariCe into talle;

and we

imbibe. as ir

were,

the

fpirit o( lh!:fe

illu{lrious

men,

(o as

to come at length to

Jook al a gaHer.y of paintings with ,he eyes of a L e

BriJo,

a Pouffin, or a L e Sueur;

Day,

we even read works of Jearn·

iog and p-cnius with a portion ofthat [pirit that appear.s

their

c9mpofi' ion.

If,

the

6rCl

periods of

,he cul'ure

the

ans and

rcjen~

cel,

it has fometimes happened,

th:H a

wnole n,Hion have

beco

unanimo'Js in lhe praife

authors (\111 of

defetls, and

whom

fucceeding ages

llave

heheld with indlfFerence, ..

nd even

with

contempt;

t~e '

reafon ¡s. lhat (hefe authors

h...d

natural

beauties w:lich were perct:ived

all, while thu

jufl

diC·

cernment that was necefrary to ddlinguilh tneir numerous

defe€h. and

which

¡s le(s

fhe

gire

of nature, than the

re~

fah

of time, habít,

anel

refletl:ion,

·was

as yet <lcquired by

none. Thus L ucilillS, wha had beeo in the hiJ!heU repu·

tation among the Rom<lns, fook inro ohlivion when Horace

arofe ; and Regnier was univerfall y admired

tite French,

until BoiJt:au appeared; and if there

are

feveral ancient

;IU .

thors, who

haTe

mai,¡uined thel r credic, nClwithllanding .

the abCurdities lhilt are to be (ound io evcry pJge of

chtir

wrilin~9,

it muft ue

lhe

authors

(.Ir

rhoCe natio:ls, amang:

wholn no judicious aod corretl: writer hAS app:.ned

opeo

tbeir eyes,

ilkc

Horace among the RomallS, and Boile:Hl

a–

mong the: Frenr:h.

Tt is a Ct)nlmlln fdyin;!. that there is

dirrn tint:

:ó')l1t

t~nes!

and ir by lhe

lafh

here be undcrllood lhe paldle.

wl1iC'h

Jo~di

... certtlin alim,.nts ano

rr·I,f('jr"s

others:. the nI'lX1'U

l' j:.aCl; bccaufc it ís

ne.:dl~fs

tO d.f¡ utc about what CJOllot

be corrctl::d, or to attempt reforming the connitutl'ln and

me-;htlOifm of org;ws merr:ly cOl'poreaL

13111

lhe maxim is

falfe aod panicious, wh,en applied la

Ih.u

ilJlelll'fluallajle

which

h:19

for in o'Jjeé'ts rhe ans and {cic:nces. As (hefe

objeth h,\'fe real charms. fo tltere is io rulity a goou taHe

which perceives them. and a barl

on~

which percelves thcm

tlot ; and

lhr.re

are cenain medlOds by whlch we may

o(~

ten correél: thoCe mental de(d ls wh tch produ ::-e "

depr~vr

ItJjl~.

BUI

it muCt be graoted, at

tlli~

fil me time, tbl t,tht:''!

are certajo phl:gmatick (pirits, which nothíng cA n enfiJ:T1!;

and alfo cenaín diUoqen ¡nteUcéts, which il is imponible t'l

reéhfy: with Cuch thcrefore,.

is io yain to cJifpute about

tartes, bec,Hl(C: they bave none at

1111.

lo many things taO:e feems to

o( ao arbitrary nature,

and

without

any

fixeci or unirorm direélion, f",ch as in che choice

of drc(, and equlpagc, and in e,:ery thing thar cloe! not come

within the c.rde of [he fincr arts. In this low Cphere

fhould be difli nguil1ied by Ih, name or

.fa",)';

ror i, is

.fan.

CJ.

rather

tha~

Illjh,

that prodw,ces fuch an endlefs varicty

of new and contraditlory modes .

The taCle

ndtioil

may

degenerdte and become extreme·

depraved

and it alOloft ahvays happens, thit.{

·the

period

perfeélion is tbe (orerunner of

ilS

decl:ne,

Ani(lt,

through the apprehenfion of bei ng reguded aJ mere imita..

torso Hrike out

¡:l10' DCW

ar.d unCO,llinon p.alos, and turo

afrde frorA the beautiful (1mrlicity of nature, which their

predeedTors invanably kept io view. In thefe efforrs there

cerrain degree of merit, which arifcs from indultry and

emularion, and ca ns a veil over Ihe def:éts whico accampa·

ny their produtlions . The public, fond of

no.el<

y, appl,"ds

their ¡nvention; but this applaufe is

fOOD

(ucceeded

(a ..

tiety and difgu(t, A oew fl!r of anifls c.tart up. i·n.vent

Deo"

me.hods to pleilre

capriciolJs u ne, and de

pan

Clill

(urthcr

from nalure than thore

who

6rll ventured (rom its paths

in·

'o ,he wilds of (ancy. Thus ,he ..fle of a people d' gene·

ral,es ioto the groffef1: corruption. Overwhelmed wilh new

inventions. which fucceed tlnd efface each other with

incre~

dible rapidity, they fcarcely know whoe

they

íl.re,

aod cafl

back their eager and anxious deGru towards the period

when

Iru~ lafl~

re;gned under

the

empire of natllre.

But

they implore in ret\lro in veio; that happy period caonot

be reca ll ed ; it depofits, ' ho wever, in ¡he cuítody of

~ert:'ln

choice (pirits, the rublime plea!uresof

Inl( I::fle.

which ,he

cherHh ;md enjoy in {heir I¡tde circle, remo:e (rom tbe pro ·

f..

ne eye of the depraved and c¡pril"ious multitude.

There are. van countries. where

lafle

has nor yet been

able

penetrílte,

Such are thofe uncultivated

waltts

where civil fociety híl.s never been broughl

any

degre~

perfeélion, \lihere there is little ínter.; lurfe bl!lween

th~

fexes. and where

reprerentatic..ns of I:vlng crcatures

painting and fculpture are [everely proh:hited by lhe IdWS of

religioo. Norhlng renders

the

mind fo n;urow. and fo

lit.

tle,

we ma y u(e

th.lt

expreffioo, :as th: w,¡nt of focia l

in.–

ttrcou rf..:; this confines

i ..

s fftculties, bJunlS loe edgc

gt:.

nius, dclmps cvc:ry

~oble

paffion, and It'ilvcs in a llate of

laogour and iDaéti"ity every princi?l..: that coul.:l. cor,trilHlI e

to lhe formltion of

tnu lafie.

Bdijes. where reveraJ

(,f

the 6ner arls are wa!"ting. toe

rrfi m,uH

n:octCi.trily l<lngu

ami

de(ay. fioee lbey are

jnf<:?oIra~l y

cllnnt. lcd

tO~tlncr.

and nHllu3J1y.

(upPOrt

C'ach otl)er, T lps: i$

on~

re.Lm

\!"!ly

the A{jiltics h:¡\'t! ncver excelled

any of the arfS; and

hcn~c

0.11(0 ir is rhat

Iru,' lafie

hilS

bl.':c:1

cO,?(UH:d

Cfrtai n

ctlul1trics in Europe.

T .

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