38 HISTORY OF 



the whole frame, and sometimes disturbs the sense 

 ever after. The mind must have time to prepare 

 for the expected shock, and to give its organs the 

 proper tension for its arrival. 



" Musical sounds, however, seem of a different 

 kind. Those are generally most pleasing, which 

 are most unexpected. It is not from bracing up 

 the nerves, but from the grateful succession of 

 the sounds, that these become so charming. 

 There are few, how indifferent soever, but have 

 at times felt their pleasing impression ; and, per- 

 haps, even those who have stood out against the 

 powerful persuasion of sounds, only wanted the 

 proper tune, or the proper instrument, to allure 

 them. 



" The ancients give us a thousand strange 

 instances of the effects of music upon men and 

 animals. The story of Arion's harp, that gather- 

 ed the dolphins to the ship's side, is well known ; 

 and, what is remarkable, Schotteus assures us,* 

 that he saw a similar instance of fishes being al- 

 lured by music. They tell us of diseases that 

 have been cured, unchastity corrected, seditions 

 quelled, passions removed, and sometimes excited 

 even to madness. Dr Wallis has endeavoured to 

 account for these surprising effects, by ascribing 

 them to the novelty of the art. For my own 

 part, I can scarcely hesitate to impute them to 

 the exaggeration of the writers. They are as 

 hyperbolical in the effects of their oratory ; and 

 yet we well know there is nothing in the orations 



* Quod oculis meis spcctavi. Schotti Magic, universalis, pars ii. 1.1. p. 26. 



