82 On RYTHMICAL MEASURES. 



intended to pleafe, and of which the agreeable effect depends, 

 in any degree, upon rythm ; and, laftly, to apply the princi- 

 ples which may be delivered, to illuftrate fome particulars in 

 the ftructure of verfes. 



In entering upon the firft of thefe, it will be proper to reca- 

 pitulate fhortly the account which I formerly gave of what may 

 be called our rythmical powers. 



From our conftitution, or from our habits, we have the 

 power of marking and perceiving equal intervals of time, when 

 thofe intervals do not exceed a certain magnitude. When we 

 fix our attention upon one of thofe intervals, and confider it as 

 an unit of time, we can fuppofe it to be divided into a certain 

 number of equal parts, and by motion we actually can make 

 fuch a divifion. The number of parts into which we can thus 

 divide a given interval, mufl neceflarily depend upon the powers 

 which we have of performing quick motions. It is, however, 

 regulated alfo by the preference which the mind naturally gives 

 to the fimpler numbers. We divide with greateft eafe by two 

 and its powers. We can alfo, with fufficient eafe, divide by 

 three, nine, and the fmaller compounds of two and three. To 

 make an equable divifion into five is difficult, into {e\en is per- 

 haps impracticable, and into any of the higher primes is cer- 

 tainly fo. Again, when we hear a number of equal intervals 

 of time diflinclly marked by fucceffive founds, we are always 

 difpofed to count them off by equal numbers, thus forming 

 them into fets or parcels. In doing this, as in making divifions, 

 we always prefer the fimpleft numbers. When, therefore, 

 there is nothing in the nature of the founds to determine our 

 choice, we ufually count off the intervals by pairs, by fours 

 or by eights. We can alfo, with fufficient eafe, count them off 

 by threes and by fixes. As the firft found of each parcel is 

 marked by a particular effort of the mind, and confidered by 

 it as reprefenting the whole parcel, it is conceived to be more 

 forcible than the other founds of that parcel, which, being lefs 



attended 



