On RYr HMICAL MEASURES. 85 



fure ; the whole fucceffion mufl be made up of parcels of fome 

 determined number of i^nits, and muft be fo contrived as that 

 the hearer may be inftantly led to adopt that number, and re- 

 tain it to the end of the fucceffion. This may be effedled by 

 various means. If, for inftance, we wifh that the hearer 

 fhould count off the equal times by parcels of four, we may 

 firft exprefs four diftinfl and undivided units, and afterwards 

 other four in fome way combined or divided *. By this 

 means, the hearer will naturally be led, after having reckoned 

 four units, to flop and begin a new parcel. He will be ftill 

 more confirmed in this arrangement, if we make our third par- 

 cel fimilar to the firft, and our fourth Cmilar to the fecond f . 

 We may obtain the fame end, by expreffing three diftindl un- 

 divided units, and refting during the time of the fourth, and 

 ftill more certainly by doing the fame thing over again. In 

 like manner parcels of other numbers may be fuggefted. Va- 

 rious other contrivances for indicating the meafure, will readily 

 occur to every one who attends to the works of muficians. The 

 return of fimilar founds, and of fimilar combinations and di- 

 vifions, after any ntimber of units has been exprefled, naturally 

 fixes th« attention of the hearer to that number, and determines 

 him to, adopt it, for counting off fucceeding parcels ; and if 

 care be taken not to confound him, by bringing in fuch returns 

 at different parts of the parcel, by continuing founds from the 

 end of one parcel to the beginning of the next, or by making 

 minute and perplexed divifions, he will hold by that number to 

 the end of the piece. 



We naturally wifh, when hearing a fucceffion of meafured 

 founds, not only to form them into parcels, but alfo to join 

 two, three or four of thofe paixels together, thus forming 



larger 



* Firft movement of the fixth per[odical overture, publifhed by R. Bkshnerv 

 \ Symphony to the iirft recitative in Handel's Messiah. 



