Numerous instances can be given of the power of association, not only in heightening the actual charms of objects, but in spreading a sort of delegated lustre around those, that were entirely uninteresting before. Why does yon decaying house appear beautiful to me, which is indifferent to another? Why are the desolate fields around it clothed with delight, while others see in them nothing, that is pleasant? It is, because that house formerly detained me, as one of its inmates, at its fireside, and those fields were the scenes of many youthful sports. When I now behold them, after so long a time, the joyous emotions, which the remembrance of my early days call up within me, are, by the power association, thrown around the objects, which are the cause of the remembrances. §. 42. Further illustrations of associated feelings. He, who travels through a well-cultivated country town, cannot but be pleased with the various objects, which he beholds; the neat and comfortable dwellings; the meadows, that are peopled with flocks, and with herds of cattle; the fields of grain, intermingled with reaches of thick and dark forest. The whole scene is a beautiful one; the emotion we suppose to be partly original; a person, on being restored to sight by couching for the cataract,and having had no opportunity to form associations with it,would witness it, for the first time, with delight. But a considerable part of the pleasure is owing to the associated feelings, which arise, on beholding such a scene; these dwellings are the abode of man; these fields are the place of his labors, and amply reward him for his toil; here are contentment, the interchange of heartfelt joys, and "ancient truth." Those, who have travelled over places, that have been signalized by memorable events, will not be likely to suspect us of attributiug too great a share of our emotions to association. It is true, that in a country so new as America, we are unable to point so frequently, as an European might do, to places, that have witnessed achievments and sufferings of such a character, as to become sacred in a nation's memory. But there are some such consecrated spots. With whatever emotion, or want of emotion, the traveller may pass by other places of our wild and stormy coast, he would do violence to the finest impulses of the heart, if he did not stop at the Rock of Plymouth, the landing place of the Pilgrim Fathers. Not because there is any thing in the scenery either of the 1 ocean or the land, which presents claims upon him more imperative, or so much so, as that of some other places. But there is a moral power, the spirit of great achievements, hovering around the spot, (explainable on the principles of association and on them alone,) which spreads itself over the hard features of the soil, and illuminates the bleakness of the sky, and harmonizes what would be otherwise rugged and forbidding into a scene of touching loveliness and beauty. The powerful feeling, which exists on visiting such a spot, whether we call it an emotion of beauty, or sublimity, or give it a name, expressive of some intermediate grade, is essentially the same with that, which is caused in the bosom of the traveller, when he looks for the first time upon the hills of the city of Rome. There are other cities of greater extent, and washed by nobler rivers, than the one, which is before him; but upon no others has he ever gazed with such intensity of feeling. He beholds what was once the mistress of the world; he looks upon the ancient dwelling place of Brutus, of Cicero, and of the Cæsars, The imagination is at once peopled with whatever was noble in the character and remarkable in the achievements of that extraordinary nation; and there is a strength, a fullness of emotion, which would never have been experienced without the accession of those great and exciting remembrances. It is in connection with the principles of this chapter, and in allusion to places of historical renown, that Rogers, in his Pleasures of Memory, has said with equal philosophical truth and poetical skill; "And hence the charms historic scenes impart ; "Aerial forms, in Tempe's classic vale, "Glance through the gloom, and whisper in the gale; "In wild Vaucluse with love and Laura dwell, "And watch and weep in Eloisa's cell. §. 43. Instances of national associations. The influence of association in rousing up, and in giving strength to particular classes of emotions, may be strikingly seen in some national instances.- -Every country has its favorite tunes. These excite a much stronger feeling in the native inhabitants, than in strangers. The effect on the Swiss soldiers of the Ranz des Vaches, their national air, whenever they happened to hear it in foreign lands, has often been mentioned. So great was this effect, that it was found necessary in France, to forbid its being played in the Swiss corps in the employment of the French government. The powerful effect of this song cannot be supposed to be owing to any peculiar merits in the composition; but to the pleasing recollections, which it ever vividly brings up in the minds of the Swiss, of mountain life, of freedom, and of domestic pleasures. The English have a popular tune, called Belleisle March. Its popularity is said to have been owing to the circumstance, that it was played when the English army marched into Belleisle, and to its consequent association with remembrances of war and of conquest. And it will be found true of all national airs, that they have a charm for the natives of the country, in consequence of the recollections connected with them, which they do not possess for the inhabitants of other countries. We have abundant illustrations of the same fact in respect to colors. The purple color has acquired an expression or character of dignity, in consequence of having been the common color of the dress of kings; among the Chinese, however, yellow is the most dignified color, and evidently for no other reason, than because yellow is that, which is allotted to the royal family. In many countries, black is expressive of gravity, and is used particularly in seasons of distress and mourning; and white is a cheerful color. But among the Chinese white is gloomy, because it is the dress of mourners ; and in Spain and among the Venetians black has a cheerful expression, in consequence of being worn by the great. Many other illustrations to the same purpose might be brought forward. The effect of association is not unfrequently such as to suppress entirely and throw out the original character of an object, and substitute a new one in its stead. Who has not felt, both in man and woman, that a single crime, that even one unhappy deed of meanness or dishonor is capable of throwing a darkness and distortion over the charms of the most perfect form? The glory seems to have departed and no effort of reasoning or of imagination can fully restore it. §. 44. The sources of associated beauty coincident with those of human happiness. It would be a pleasing task to point out more particularly some of the sources of associated beauty, if it were consistent with the plan, which we propose to follow. But it has been our object throughout, to give the sketch or outline of a system, rather than indulge in minuteness of specification. And as to the subject which we now allude to, it could hardly be expected that we should attempt to examine it extensively, much less exhaust it, when we consider, that the sources of associated beauty are as wide and as numerous as the sources of man's happiness. The fountains of human pleasure, connected with the senses, the intellect, the morals, and the social and religious relations, are exceedingly multiplied. And whenever the happiness we experience, from whatever source it may proceed, is brought into intimacy with a beautiful object, we generally find, that the beauty of the object is heightened by that circumstance. In other cases, the association is so strong, that a beauty is shed upon objects, which are confessedly destitute of it in themselves. We might, therefore, dismiss this topic with the simple remark, that the sources of associated beauty are necessarily as wide as the unexplored domain of human joy. There are, however, a few of its elements, which seem to be worthy of a separate and specific notice. §. 45. Of fitness considered as an element of associated beauty. In conformity with what has just been said, we proceed to remark, that the degree of the emotion of beauty will be likely to vary in accordance with the suggestions of congruity or fitness, which attend the beautiful object, considered in its relations with other objects. In regard to the origin of the idea of congruity or fitness, it is proper to remark, that the state of the mind thus denominated, which is intellectual rather than sensitive, naturally and necessarily arises on the contemplation of those objects, where such fitness actually exists. It arises, therefore, in the first place, on the contemplation of natural objects. As creation comes from the hand of a God of order and not of confusion, every thing has its appropriate character, its appropriate place and time. And as the human mind is obviously,in its very structure, adapted to this state of things, suggestions of congruity or fitness, when the works of nature constitute the object in view, are constantly arising. They arise also in connection with the works of human skill. It is in these works particularly, that we find the application of the remark, that the degree of beauty will vary in accordance with the suggestions of congruity, which attend the object, considered in relation to other objects. Whatever may be the beauty of an object, in itself considered, if we distinctly perceive in it an incongruity with other objects, such as result, for instance, from an entire discordance of time and place, the displeasure or disgust, which we feel in view of such want of fitness, is so great as to diminish, and perhaps to annul entirely the emotions of pleasure, which would otherwise exist. It is in accordance with these views, that Hogarth has been led to remark, that twisted columns, which naturally convey an idea of weakness, always displease, when they are employed to support any thing which is bulky, or has a heavy appearance. "The bulks and proportions of objects, (he immediately adds,) are governed by fitness and propriety. It is this that has established the size and proportion of chairs, tables, and all sorts of utensils and furni It is this that has fixed the dimensions of pillars, arches, &c. for the support of great weight, and so regulated all the orders in architecture, as well as the sizes of windows and doors, &c. Thus, though a building were ever so large, the steps of the stairs, the seats in the windows must be continued of their usual heights, or they would lose their beauty with their fitness and in ship-building the dimensions of every part are confined and regulated by fitness for sailing. When a vessel sails well, the sailors always call her a beauty; the two ideas have such a connection!" |