On RTTHMICAL MEASURES. 65 



in all mufic. In fome pieces, the bars do not regularly com- 

 bine into phrafes, or, if they do, the phrafes do not always 

 contain the fame number of bars. The number of the bars, 

 too, is indeterminate, and fometimes very great. In fuch 

 pieces, then, the meafure muft in general be formed of fingle 

 bars or parcels ; and if the rythm is variegated by a confidera- 

 ble range of long and fhort notes, and if the accented notes do 

 not forcibly engage the attention, an unpractifed hearer will 

 fometimes hardly perceive the meafure at all. When this hap- 

 pens to be the cafe, it is impomble that he can receive any 

 great pleafure from that mufic. According to the language ufed 

 upon fuch occafions, he does not underftand it. Such difficult 

 and perplexed meafures, however, occur more rarely in the 

 later compofitions than in thofe of the laft century. 



In fuch meafures, beating of time is of great ufe both to 

 the performer and to the hearer. This feems to have been a 

 practice ever fince man had an idea of rythmical meafures. 

 We are naturally difpofed, upon hearing fuch meafures diftinct- 

 ly exprefled, to accompany them with correfponding motions 

 of the body ; and hence probably the origin of dancing, to 

 which exercife the term rythm has been frequently applied. 

 The beating of time is performed by putting down the hand 

 or foot, and giving a ftroke at the inflant in which the firft 

 note of every bar begins to be founded, and raifing them up 

 during the remaining time of the bar. This both directs the 

 performer to execute the piece in uniform time, and enables the 

 hearer readily to perceive the accented notes, and to afcertain 

 the meafure. The ancients, in the performance of their mu- 

 fic, and efpecially of their dramatical mufic, where the band 

 was numerous, beat time with great force and noife. This 

 was perhaps necefTary, as their meafures were frequently un- 

 equal, and irregular. The moderns, who generally conftruct 

 their mufic by equal and regular meafures, have laid afide that 

 practice in every cafe where it is not indifpenfable. We un- 



Vol. II. I doubtedly 



