A FIRM EAR. 83 



M Some have been beaten till they know 

 What wood the cudgel's of, by the blow ; 

 Or kick'd until they can tell whether 

 A shoe be Spanish or neat leather." 



There are many proofs of a very close resemblance 

 between hearing and instantaneous touching. A 

 sound which grates on the ear produces a tremulous 

 motion in the whole body, and the instances of 

 " setting the teeth on edge," that is, irritating the 

 sensitive substance which lines their sockets, by 

 whetting scythes and sharpening saws, or crushing 

 cinders under the foot, are quite familiar. Hogarth, 

 whose philosophy was as true to nature as his paint- 

 ing, never was more happy than in the discord of 

 " villanous noises," by which the " Enraged Musi- 

 cian" is tortured to his very finger-ends, and would 

 have appeared so down to the toes, too, if it had 

 suited the painter to bring them into view. 



This coincidence of sound and touch is worth 

 knowing and attending to ; not only that we may 

 observe nature readily and pleasantly, but that we 

 may, in some instances, do it safely. If a timid 

 man stands high upon an insecure footing, the kindly 

 admonition to " hold on," if given too hastily or too 

 loudly, is the most likely means of tumbling him down ; 

 and on that principle, they who have not familiarized 

 themselves to sudden sounds, so as to distinguish the 

 impression on the ear from an impression on any 

 other part of the body, cannot go safely to those 

 places where nature is seen to the best advantage. 

 He who starts at the crash of a falling stone cannot 

 stand safely on cliffs ; and he who shudders when a 

 sea breaks "over the bows, dare not rock on a mast- 

 head in a gale ; and yet he who has so schooled his 

 senses as to be able to keep them ready, and his 

 mind calm, in those situations, sees views and en- 

 joys pleasure of which the careless and the timid 

 can have no conception. Collins knew that well, 

 and expressed it beautifully : 



