REPETITION SECT. XXII. 2. r. 



agreeable to our ears ; and therefore this pleafurable fenfation 

 muft be owing to the repetition of the divifions of the founds at 

 certain intervals of time, or mufical bars. Whether thgfe times 

 or bars are dittinguifhed by a paufe,or by an emphafis, or accent, 

 certain it is, thafrthis diftinftion is perpetually repeated ; other- 

 wife the ear could not determine inftantly, whether the fuccef- 

 fions of found were in common or in triple timev In common 

 time there is a diviu'on between every two crotchets, or other 

 notes of equivalent time , though the bar in written mufic is put 

 after every fourth crotchet, or notes equivalent in time ; in triple 

 time the divifion or bar is after every three crotchets or notes 

 equivalent ; fo that in common time the repetition recurs more 

 frequently than in triple time. The grave or heroic verfes of 

 the Greek and Latin poets are written in common time ; the 

 French heroic verfes, and Mr Anftie's humorous verfes in his 

 Baih Guide, are written in the fame time as the Greek and Lat- 

 in verfes, but are one bar (horter. The Englilh grave or heroic 

 verfes are meafured by triple time, as Mr. Pope's tranflation of 

 Homer, 



But befides thefe little circles of mufical time, there are the 

 greater returning periods, and the dill more diftant chorufTes, 

 which, like the rhymes at the ends of verfes, owe their beauty 

 to repetition ; that is, to the facility and diftincftnefs with which 

 we perceive founds, which we expet to perceive, or have 

 perceived before , or, in the language of this wt>rk, to the great- 

 er eafe and energy with which our organ is excited by the com- 

 bined feniorial powers of aflbciation and irritation, than by the 

 latter fingly. 



A certain uniformity or repetition of parts enters the very com- 

 pofition of harmony. Thus two oftaves neareft to each other 

 in the fcale commence their vibrations together after every fec- 

 ond vibration of the higher tone. And uhere the firil, third, 

 and fifth compofe a chord the vibrations concur or coincide fre- 

 quently, though lefs fo than in the two odaves. It is probable 

 that thefe chords bear ibrne analogy to a mixture of three alter- 

 nate colours in the fun's fpedtrurn feparated by a prifm. 



The pleafure we receive from a melodious fucceiTien of notes 

 referable to the gamut is derived from another fource, viz to the 

 pandiculation or counteraction of antagonift fibres See Botan- 

 ic Garden, P. 2. Interlude 3. If to thefe be added our early af~ 

 ibciations of agreeable ideas with certain proportions of found, 

 I fuppofe, from thefe three fources fpring all the delight of mu- 

 fic, fo celebrated by ancient authors, and fo enthufiaftically cul- 

 tivated at prefent. See Set. XVI. No. 10. on Inftinch 



This kind of pleafure anfing from repetition, that is, from the 



facility 



