Elements of the philosophy of the human mind. By Dugald Stewart. Rev. and abridged, with critical and explanatory notes, for the use of colleges and schools. By Francis Bowen ...

TiEE INFLUENCE OF CASUAL ASSOCIATIONS. 231
Two kinds of taste disting7uished. — From what has been
said, it is obvious, that the circumstances which please in the
objects of taste, are of two kinds: first, those which are fitted
to please by nature, or by associations which all mankind are
led to form by their common condition; and, secondly, those
which please in consequence of associations arising from local
and accidental circumstances. Hence, there are two kinds of
taste; the one enabling us to judge of those beauties which
have a foundation in the human constitution; the other, of such
objects as derive their principal recommendation from the
influence of fashion.
These two kinds of taste are not always united in the same
person; indeed, I am inclined to think, that they are united but
rarely. The perfection of the one depends much upon the
degree in which we are able to free the mind from the influence
of casual associations; that of the other, on the contrary, depends on a facility of association, which enables us to fall in, at
once, with all the turns of the Sfashion, and, as Shakspeare expresses it, " to catch the tune of the times."
The i;nflutence of association on language.- I shall endeavor
to illustrate some of the foregoing remarks, by applying them
to the subject of language, which affords numberless instances
to exemplify the influence which the association of ideas has on
our judgments in matters of taste.
In the same manner in which an article of dress acquired an
appearance of elegance or of vulgarity from the persons by
whom it is habitually worn; so a particular mode of pronunciation acquires an air of fashion or of rusticity, from the persons
by whom it is habitually employed. The Scotch accent is
surely in itself as good as the English, and with a few exceptions, is as agreeable to the ear; and yet how offensive does it
appear, even to us, who have been accustomed to hear it from
our infancy, when compared with that which is used by our
southern neighbors!- No reason can be given for this, but that
the capital of Scotland is now become a provincial town, and
London is the seat of our court.
The distinction which is to be found in the languages of all