A fine taste is neither wholly the gift of nature, nor wholly the effect of art. It derives its origin from certain powers natural to the mind; but these powers cannot attain their full perfection, unless they be assisted by proper culture. Taste consists chiefly in the improvement of those principles which are commonly called the powers of imagination, and are considered by modern philosophers as internal or reflex senses supplying us with finer and more delicate perceptions, than any which can be properly referred to our external organs. These are reducible to the following principles; the senses of novelty, of sublimity, of beauty, of imitation, of harmony, of ridicule, and of virtue.
Alexander Gerard, An Essay on Taste. An interesting question is whether this list of 'senses' of taste is exhaustive. The basic terminology is from Francis Hutcheson; the use of the word 'sense' is closely related to our use of the same term in the phrase 'sense of humor'.
