3l8 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Artifls, who, I am well aware, will find it much 

 more difficult to execute, than it is eafy for me to 

 criticize. God forbid that any thing I have faid 

 fhould give a moment's pain to men whofe works 

 have fo frequently given mc exquifite pleafure. It 

 was fimply my wifli, to caution the ingenious 

 againfl the academic manner which fetters them, 

 and to {limulate them to tread in the fteps of Na- 

 ture, and to purfue that track as far as genius can 

 carr}' them. 



This would be the place to fpeak of Mufic, for 

 founds are movements merely : but perfons of 

 much greater ability than I dare pretend to, have 

 treated this noble Art with confummate fkill. If 

 any foreign teftimony could farther confirm me in 

 the certainty of the principles which I have hitherto 

 laid down, it is that of Muficians of the higheft 

 reputation, who have reftrided harmonic expref- 

 fion to three founds. I might, as they have done, 

 reduce to three terms the elementary generations 

 of colours, of forms, and of motions ; but if I am 

 not miftaken, they themfelves have omitted, in 

 their fundamental bafis, the generative principle, 

 which is found properly fo called, and the nega- 

 tive term, which is (ilence; efpecially as this laft 

 produces eiTefts fo powerful in the movements of 

 Mufic. 



Thefe 



