260 



REMARKS UPON TASTE. 



nices; and the harmonious blending of light 

 and shade among the foliage and other orna- 

 ments of the capital. Delicate taste is aflfected 

 in this way, merely from the impressions 

 made upon its organisation by the forms pre- 

 sented to it, without reference to the historical 

 associations, either general or individual, which 

 are, or may be, connected with a Grecian por- 

 tico ; but, when these are taken into con- 

 sideration, there are a thousand ideas that 

 will arise in the mind of the spectator of deli- 

 cate taste, that would not occur either to the 

 general observer, or to the observer possessing 

 a taste in architecture merely just and correct. 

 The intensity of taste, like the intensity of 

 passion of any kind, depends also on the or- 

 ganisation of the individual. Passions and 

 affections, every one knows, may be strong, 

 without being delicate ; and their strength 

 will be found to depend chiefly on the strength 

 of the organisation, or, in some cases, perhaps, 

 upon the excitability of the nervous system. 

 At all events, no one will deny that neither 

 delicacy nor intensity of feeling can be com- 

 municated by instruction ; though these feel- 

 ings, like all others, may be so far taught as 

 to be stimulated by those by whom they are 

 unfelt. Intensity of feeling, in the common 

 matters of life, is indicated by the party being 

 so enraptured with some one single quality in 

 an object, as to overlook all the others ; or 

 with the general impression, so as to overlook 

 the beauties or foults of the details. In ar- 

 chitecture, intensity of taste is evinced by the 

 rapturous admiration of a building, for the 

 display of some particular quality which cha- 

 racterises it ; say, for example, its grandeur : 

 and this rapture is, perhaps, carried to such 

 an extent, as to prevent the party from seeing 

 faults that would be obvious to a taste which 

 did not possess intensity, or which, to inten- 

 sity, added a certain degree of delicacy and 

 correctness. Intensity of feeling with respect 

 to any art, when the party possessing it is 



willing to submit to intellectual cultivation, 

 may generally be considered as the prototype 

 of excellence ; but, on the other hand, when 

 this intensity of feeling is so great as to over- 

 power the judgment, and when the will of the 

 party is too weak to submit to that degree of 

 intellectual cultivation which would bring it 

 under due control, it becomes a positive de- 

 fect in taste. 



A refilled taste is one which is naturally 

 either delicate or intense ; and which has 

 been purified and corrected by the exercise 

 of reason and reflection. There can hardly 

 be such a thing as a naturally refined taste ; 

 because the very idea of refinement implies 

 the exercise of cultivation ; or, in other words, 

 the power of controlling and adjusting feel- 

 ings and sentiments, by a consideration of all 

 the various circumstances to which they are 

 related. In general, it may be stated that no 

 first feeling is to be depended upon, until it 

 has been tested by an appeal to the reasoning 

 faculties. First tastes, first passions, and first 

 feelings of every kind, whether they are deli- 

 cate or intense, are always more or less in- 

 discriminate. A young enthusiastic architect 

 is in raptures with whatever comes before 

 him. He gives way to the excitement of his 

 feelings, because these are keenly alive to 

 impressions ; while his reasoning powers are, 

 in a great measure, dormant, from his being 

 deficient in knowledge of those principles of 

 architecture by which alone the reason, as it 

 relates to that art, can be exercised. There 

 is always, however, hope for enthusiasm ; as 

 it is seldom found unconnected with considera- 

 ble powers of mind. Wherever we find a 

 delicate taste, therefore, or even an intense 

 one, however crude it may be at first, if the 

 party be endowed with common sense, and 

 willing to improve, it may be rendered a re- 

 fined one. 



A perfect taste, it thus appears, includes, 

 a just taste, which is one founded on reason ; 



