156 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Spirits of a Man are put into a Commotion ; by which Agitation,. 

 the Nerves being vellicated, the Spirits vehemently ilirred, and 

 Mufcles moved, the Dancing, or fomething like it, muft of ne- 

 ceffity enfue, by which the Cure is performed : For, by vehe- 

 ment Motion the Blood is heated, the Pores are opened, and the 

 Poifon rarified 5 which can't be done by common Sudorificks, 

 becaufe the Medicines can't reach, or at leaft can't ftir thofe little 

 Particles where the Poifon lies, as Motion by Dancing does. 



I Shall add here fome RejieBiom on the Power of Muficky 

 and give Injiances of it in the human Mind, in animal, and inani- 

 mate Bodies, 



MUSICK appears to be one of the moft antient of Arts, and 

 of all other, vocal Mufick muft have been the firft kind, and bor- 

 rowed from the various natural Strains of Birds * 5 as ftringed In- 

 flruments were from Winds whiftling in hollow Reeds, and pul- 

 fatile Inftruments (as Drums and Cymbals) from the hollow Noife 

 of concave Bodies. This is the Conjecture. 



M u s I c K has ever been in the higheft Efteem in all Ages, and 

 among all People. Nor could Authors exprefs their Opinions of 

 it ftrongly enough, but by inculcating, that it was in Heaven, 

 and was one of the principal Entertainments of the Blefled. 



The Effeds afcribed to Mufick by the Antients, almoft a- 

 mount to Miracles J by means thereof Difeafes are faid to have 

 been cured, Unchaftity corrected. Seditions quelled, PafTions raif- 

 ed and calmed, and even Madnefs occafioned. 



M u s I c K has been ufed as a Sermon of Morality .... Athe- 

 ncsus tells us, that the Lives and A(flions of illuftrious Men were 

 written in Verfe, and publickly fung by a Chorus, to the Sound 

 of Inftruments, which was found to be the moft efFed:ual Means 

 to imprefs Morality, and a right Senfe of Duty on the human 

 Mind-}-. 



Thus the Pythagoreans made ufe of Mufick to cultivate the 

 Mind, and fettle in it a paflionate Love of Virtue. Pythagoras 

 inftituted a moft profitable Correcftion of Manners by Mufick, 

 which, he fays, conduces very much to Health j and he made uie 

 of it, not only againft Difeafes of the Mind, but thofe of the 



Bodyo. 



* At liquid;\s avium voces imitarier ore, 

 Ante luit multo quam carmina cantu 



Concelcbrare homines ponen: auicifque juvare. Lucretius, 

 \, Chambers's Cyclo^tsdia^ vol, ii. 



B 



