156 A NATURAL HISTORY 



Spirits of a Man are put into a Commotion ; by v/hich Agitation, 

 the Nerves being vellicated, the Spirits vehemently ftirred, and 

 Mufcles moved, the Dancing, or fomething like it, muft of ne» 

 ceffity enfue, by which the Cure is performed : For, by vehe- 

 ment Motion the Blood is heated, the Pores are opened, and the 

 Poifon rar'ified ; which can't be done by common Sudorificks, 

 becaufe the Medicines can't reach, or at leaft can't fiir thofe little 

 Particles where the Poifon lies, as Motion by Dancing does. 



I Shall add here fome RefleSiions on the Fewer of Mufick, 

 and give Injiances of it in the human Mind, i?i animal, and i?iafii- 

 mate Bodies. 



MU S IC K aippears to be one of the moft antient of Arts, and 

 of all other, vocal Mufick mufi: have been the firft kind, and bor- 

 rowed from the various natural Strains of Birds * ; as ftringed In- 

 ftruments were from Winds whiftling in hollow Reeds, and pul- 

 fatile Inftruments (as Drums and Cymbals) from the hollow Noife 

 of concave Bodies. This is the Conjedlure. 



. M u s I c K has ever been in the higheft Efteem in all Ages, and 

 among all People. Nor could Authors exprefs their Opinions of 

 it ftrongly enough, but by inculcating, that it was in Heaven, 

 and was one of the principal Entertainments of the Blelled. 



The Effefts afcribed to Mufick by the Antients, almoft a- 

 mount to Miracles ; by means thereof Difeafes are faid to have, 

 been cured, Unchaftity correfted, Seditions quelled, Paffions raif- 

 ed and calmed, and even Madnefs occafioned. 



Musi CK has been ufed as a Sermon of Morality . . . .Athe- 

 7i^us tells us, that the Lives and Adlions of illuftrious Men were. 

 Written in Verfe, and publickly fung by a Chorus, to the Sound 

 of Inflruments, which was found to be the moft effecilual means 

 to imprefs Morality, and a right Senfe of Duty on the human 

 Mind -f-. 



Thus the Pythagoreans made ufe of Mufiek to cultivate the 

 Mind, and fettle in it a paflionate Love of Virtue. Pythagoras 

 inftituted a moft profitable Corredion of Manners by Mufickj 

 which, he fays, conduces very much to Health ; and he made ufe 

 of it, not only againft. Difeafes of the Mind, but thofe of the 



Body, 

 * At liquidas avium voces imirarier ore, 

 Ante fuit mulco qiiam carmina cantu 

 Concelebrare homines poilent aureiique juvare. Ijuretitif. 



f CLimbers's Ciclo^adia, vol, ii. 



