MUSIC. 265 



called the labyrinth of the ear. This last hollow, excavated 

 as it were in the solid bone, consists of a middle portion of 

 irregular figure, and of different channels, which proceed 

 from it in various directions, and, finally, return, with one 

 exception to the same chamber. All these passages are 

 lined by a membrane, on which the sentient extremity of 

 the auditory nerve is expanded in different shapes ; from 

 these it is collected into one trunk and goes on to join a 

 particular part of the brain, and thus completes the com- 

 munication between the external agent and the sensorial 

 organ. 



Questions. — 1. What is the organ of hearing in its simplest 

 form ? 2. What apparatus is connected with this in man ? 3. De- 

 scribe the tube and cavity beyond it. 4. What opening deserves par- 

 ticular attention ? 5. What is the use of it ? 6. What extends across 

 the cavity ? 7. Of what does the labyrinth consist ? 8. On what ig 

 the auditory nerve expanded ? and what does it join when collected 

 into one trunk .'' 



LESSON 121. 



Music. 



Music is the art of combining tunable sounds in a man- 

 ner agreeable to the ear. It is an expression of feeling, 

 which, almost like verbal discourse, may be said to be a lan- 

 guage, since it is the utterance of thought and emotion from 

 heart to heart. But music has a voice, as independent of 

 the mere arbitrary forms of speech, as the tears of gratitude, 

 or the smiles of love, that may indeed, give eloquence to 

 words, but require no tcords to render them eloquent. 

 Though, when very strictly considered, even the pure and 

 almost spiritual delight of music, may perhaps be counted 

 only a pleasure of sense, yet it approaches, by so many 

 striking analogies, to the nature of our intellectual enjoy- 

 ments, that it may almost be said to belong to that class. In 

 its relation to the general pleasures of common minds, it is 

 not to be considered as a mere pastime or relaxation ; it as- 

 sumes a far higher character, and it may be said, at least, to 

 be the infellectual luxury of those, who are incapable of any 

 other luxury that deserves so honourable a name. And it is 

 well, that there should be some such intermediate pleasure 

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