15 



§ 2. 

 Of the pleasures and Pains conveyed by the sense of Hearing. 



32. THE objects of this sense are sounds, and these when 

 pure, properly combined, and varied, afford the highest plea- 

 sure we receive through any of the senses ; it probably at 

 first appeared seated in the internal organs of the ear, though 

 at present these organs are perceptibly atiected only by harsh, 

 over acute, hoarse, ill combined or confused sounds ; these 

 last constitute noise ; the agreeable seem transmuted into the 

 sentiments they inspire. 



33. Single sounds, when perfectly pure, such as those 

 elicited from glass cups, properly constructed and touched, 

 infuse pleasures that seem to us to participate of the celes- 

 tial ; so also do combined sounds perfectly concordant. 



34. The pleasure produced by pure single sounds, seems 

 to arise from the free, gentle, uninterrupted motion of the 

 internal auditory organs ; for when excessively loud, exces- 

 sively low, as in whispers ; or acute, as those of some birds ; 

 or grave and deep, as the bellowing of oxen, thunder, &c. 

 or stridulous, as that of oaten pipes and often of hautbois ; 

 or interjrupted, as that of a hoarse human voice ; or shrill, as 

 that of trumpets ; or confused and ihonotonous, as that of 



drums. 



