IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE. 235 



tliat, confined almost exclusively as they have hitherto 

 been to their national airs, which have a marked farnily 

 likeness, and therefore accustomed to but a limited range 

 of musical expression, the Scotch are unusually monotonous 

 in the intervals and modulations of their speech ? And 

 again, do we not find among different classes of the same 

 nation, differences that have like implications ? The gen 

 tleman and the clown stand in very decided contrast with 

 respect to variety of intonation. Listen to the conversa 

 tion of a servant-girl, and then to that of a refined, accom 

 plished lady, and the more delicate and complex changes 

 of voice used by the latter will be conspicuous. Now, 

 without going so far as to say that out of all the differences 

 of culture to which the upper and lower classes are sub 

 jected, difference of musical culture is that to which alone 

 this difference of speech is ascribable ; yet we may fairly 

 say that there seems a much more obvious connexion of 

 cause and effect between these than between any others. 

 Thus, while the inductive evidence to which we can appeal 

 is but scanty and vague, yet what there is favours our posi 

 tion. 



Probably most will think that the function here assigned 

 to music is one of very little moment. But further reflec 

 tion may lead them to a contrary conviction. In its bear 

 ings upon human happiness, we believe that this emotional 

 language which musical culture developes and refines, is 

 only second in importance to the language of the intellect ; 

 perhaps not even second to it. For these modifications 

 of voice produced by feelings, are the means of exciting 

 like feelings in others. Joined with gestures and exprcs- 

 eions of face, they give life to the otherwise dead words in 

 which the intellect utters its ideas ; and so enable the 

 hearer not only to understand the state of mind they ac 

 company, but to partake of that state. In short, they arc 



