March 1, 1867.] HAPDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



4» 



THE RHYTHM OF FLAMES. 



A light in sound, a sound-like power in light, 

 Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere. 



Coieridoe. 



N days of old 

 what a beauti- 

 ful fable would 

 have been added 

 by the poets to 

 the mythology 

 of Paganism in 

 describing the 

 elder and more gentle of the 

 offspring of Fire and Vapour, 

 had they but dreamed of the 

 strong attractive powers of 

 music over flame. In our 

 matter-of-fact days no rival to 

 Orpheus and Eurydice will 

 spring into being, and yet 

 the myths would be so far 

 kindred as proving — 



That things inanimate have moved, 

 And, as with living souls, have been 



inforni'd 

 By numbers and persuasive sound. 



In a recent lecture, delivered by Professor Tyn- 

 dall at the Royal Institution, on " the rhythm of 

 flames," or, as the more familiar title expresses it, 

 on "sounding and sensible flames," a flame of mar- 

 vellous sensibility was exhibited, some twenty 

 inches long, which fell down to eight upon the 

 slightest tap on an anvil, placed at a considerable 

 distance, and which responded to every tinkle of a 

 bunch of keys, or a few pence shaken together in 

 the hands. The slightest vibration of sound affected 

 the flame, which gave recognition sensibly when the 

 lecturer walked across the floor, and was set in 

 violent commotion by the creak of his boots, the 

 rustle of a silk dress, or even the crumpling of a 

 bit of paper. Iu that true London "Cave of Mys- 

 tery," the laboratories beneath the lecture-room, 

 this flame, said the Professor, " is called the ' Vowel 

 Elame,' because the different vowel sounds affect 



No. 27. 



it differently." Thus, to begin at the wrong end of 

 the "gamut," at TJ, pronounced, more Germanorum, 

 with open mouth from the throat, and not affectedly 

 like yew, its gentle nature feels no response ; so it 

 passes it by, as a vulgar sound, without recognition. 

 At the flame quivers, and if you give I the Con- 

 tinental sound of our e, it is strongly affected. A, 

 as we pronounce it, is again a dead letter, but let it 

 sound full, like Ah /, and it oscillates violently and 

 convulsively. Then in combined sounds it has its 

 favourites. At the words "boot," "bout," and 

 " beat," uttered in succession, it passes the first by 

 without notice, at the second it gives a start, but at 

 the third, as if conscious of the threatened indignity, 

 it is fairly thrown into violent commotion. 



The Professor's heart is evidently bound up in 

 his favourite. How would it respond to Long- 

 fellow's definition of love — should he utter it ? — 



Love is the root of creation : God's essence. Worlds 



without number 

 Lie on His bosom like children : He made them for His 



purpose only — 

 Only to love and to be loved again. He breathed forth 



His Spirit 

 Into the slumbering dust, and upright standing it laid its 

 Hand on its heart, and felt it was warm with a flame out 



of Heaven. 

 Quench, O quench not this flame ! It is the breath of your 



being ! 



Eor be it known the flame follows the recitation of 

 verse as keenly as a critic, oscillating at intervals 

 more or less violently, according as it picks out 

 sounds to which it can respond. With true feminine 

 instincts it is startled by the plashing of a drop of 

 rain, and sibilation, or even the sound of a sibilant, 

 in however distant part of the lecture-room, throws 

 it immediately into violent convulsions. 



It is always difficult fairly to adjust to each 

 pioneer in opening up new sources of scientific 

 investigation his share of the merit and of the 

 gratitude due to him. Trivial discoveries at first, 



