KIIYTHMIC MOTION UNDUE EXCITEMENT. 223 



ly, slurred intervals are expressive of gentler and less active 

 feelings ; and arc so because they imply the smaller muscu 

 lar vivacity due to a lower mental energy. The difference 

 of effect resulting from difference of time in music, is also 

 attributable to the same law. Already it has been pointed 

 out that the more frequent changes of pitch which ordina 

 rily result from passion, are imitated and developed in song j 

 and here we have to add, that the various rates of such 

 changes, appropriate to the different styles of music, are 

 further traits having the same derivation. The slowest 

 movements, largo and adagio, are used where such depress 

 ing emotions as grief, or such unexciting emotions as rev 

 erence, are to be portrayed ; while the more rapid move 

 ments, andante, allegro, presto, represent successively in 

 creasing degrees of mental vivacity ; and do this because 

 they imply that muscular activity which flows from this 

 mental vivacity. Even the rhythm, which forms a remain 

 ing distinction between song and speech, may not improb 

 ably have a kindred cause. &quot;Why the actions excited by 

 strong feeling should tend to become rhythmical, is not 

 very obvious ; but that they do so there are divers eviden 

 ces. There is the swaying of the body to and fro under 

 pain or grief, of the leg under impatience or agitation. 

 Dancing, too, is a rhythmical action natural to elevated emo 

 tion. That under excitement speech acquires a certain 

 rhythm, we may occasionally perceive in the highest efforts 

 of an orator. In poetry, which is a form of speech used 

 for the better expression of emotional ideas, wo have this 

 rhythmical tendency developed. And when we bear in 

 mind that dancing, poetry, and music are connate are ori 

 ginally constituent parts of the same thing, it becomes 

 clear that the measured movement common to them all im 

 plies a rhythmical action of the whole system, the vocal ap 

 paratus included ; and that so the rhythm of music is a more 

 subtle and complex result of this relation between mental 

 and muscular excitement. 



