SKCT. XVI. ic. OF INSTINCT. 185 



become agreeable. Father Lafitau, in his account of 

 the Iroquois, fays " the mufic and dance of thofe 

 Americans, have fomething in them extremely bar- 

 barous, which at firft difgufts. We grow reconciled 

 to them by degrees, and in the end partake of them 

 with pleafure, the favages themfelves are fond of 

 them to diftra&ion," (IV:ceurs des Savages, Tom. ii.) 



There are indeed a few founds, that we very ge- 

 nerally afibciate with agreeable ideas, as the whitt- 

 ling of birds, or purring of animals, that are de- 

 lighted ; and fome others, that we as generally affo- 

 ciate with difagreeable ideas, as the cries of animals 

 in pain, the hifs of forne of them in anger, and the 

 midnight howl of beads of prey. Yet we receive no 

 terrible or fublime ideas from the lowing of a cow, 

 or the braying of an afs. Which evinces, that thefe 

 emotions are owing to previous aflbciations. So if 

 the rumbling of a carriage in the llreet be for a mo- 

 ment miftaken for thunder, we receive a fublime fen- 

 fation, which ceafes as foon as foon as we know it is 

 the noife of a coach and fix. 



There are other difagreeable founds, that are faid 

 to fet the teeth on edge ; which, as they have always 

 been thought a neceflary effect of certain difcor- 

 dant notes, become a proper fubjecl: of our inquiry. 

 Every one in his childhood has repeatedly bit a part 

 of the glafs or earthen veflel, in which his food has 

 been given him, and has thence had a very difagree- 

 able fenfatiori in the teeth, which fenfation was de- 

 figned by nature to prevent us from exerting them 

 on objects harder than themfelves. The jarring 

 found produced between the cup and the teeth is al- 

 ways attendant on this difagreeable fenfation : and 

 ever after when fuch a found is accidentally produ- 

 ced by the conflicl of two hard bodies, we feel by 

 aflociation of ideas the concomitant dif.igueable fen- 

 fation in our teeth. 



Others 



