9© On RYTHMICAL MEASURES. 



the limits above affigned. The modern muficians frequently 

 compofe pieces of confiderable length, and confifling of a num- 

 ber of bars too great for the mind to keep an exadl regifter or 

 account of them. This enables them to take a wider range of 

 melody and modulation, than they could do if their pieces were 

 confined within the limits of fhort regular air, and to prolong 

 and diverfify the pleafure of the hearer. If in fuch extended 

 pieces, however, the bars uniformly alTemble into equal groups 

 or combinations, and if the whole piece, and each larger divi- 

 fion of it, contain an even number of fuch coitibinations, the 

 hearer has ftill the imprelTion of a juflly proportioned whole ; 

 and even within this limitation a very copious variety may' be 

 obtained. Men, however, could not always bear this confine- 

 ment. In proportion as rythmical meafures become more an 

 objefl of attention, and are more frequently presented to the 

 ear, the neceffity of variety becomes the greater. The moll 

 agreeable meafures, when too often repeated, become difguft- 

 ing. We are often pleafed with a bold deviation from what is 

 fl:ri(flly regular. The very furprife which it caufes is agreeable. 

 It feems to have been in part from this principle, that the com- 

 pofers of mufic have occafionally departed from the regular 

 ftruiflure of rythm. 



The leafl ofFenfive deviation, which can be made from that 

 ftruclure, is the departing at times from the uniform equality of 

 the llrains or larger combinations. It is eflential to the minuet 

 that the bars conftantly proceed by pairs. In the regular mi- 

 nuet, there is always a more diftin^t cadence at the end of every 

 fecond pair. By this means, the hearer is led to join two pairs 

 together, or to make combinations of four bars. This arrange- 

 ment is neceifary to render the rythm of the mufic ftricflly con- 

 formable to the movement of the dance, which it is intended to 

 regulate. The whole piece commonly contains four of thofe 

 larger combinations, two of which go to the firft part or com- 

 plete ftrain, and two to the fecond. In order, however, to give 



more 



