On RYTHMICAL MEASURES. 8~ 



Having eftablifhed this ftructure as the flandard of regular 

 and perfect rythm, I proceed to mark the gradual deviations 

 from it that appear in thofe productions of human genius 

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

 depends in any degree upon rythm. The artifls who have 

 been employed in fuch productions, feem to have had two ob- 

 jects chiefly in view in occafionally departing from this regular 

 ftructure, namely, to introduce variety into their works, and 

 to render them more expreffive of certain feelings and emotions 

 of the mind. I can only at this time confider the firft of 

 thefe. 



In all thofe works which are addrefTed to the fancy, that 

 which is mod fimple and mod eafily conceived, is always that 

 which firft of all engages the attention and communicates plea- 

 fure. While our powers of perception are yet in their infancy, 

 it is impoffible that we can go along with what is various and 

 complicated. Nothing but what is diflinctly felt can commu- 

 nicate real pleafure. We may perhaps not always be able to 

 analyze our feeling, and may therefore fay that we are pleafed 

 we know not why. When it is analyzed, however, it will be 

 generally found to have been a diftinct feeling, or in other 

 words, the objects which excited it will be found to have been 

 commenfurate to our powers of perception. As we feem to de- 

 rive our firft ideas of fmall equal intervals of time, from the 

 uniform motion of our own limbs, or of thofe of other animals 

 in walking, we probably from the fame fource acquire the ha- 

 bit of counting off fuch intervals by pairs. When, from any 

 circumftance, the firft of each alternate pair is made particu- 

 larly to attract the attention, we are then difpofed to join two 

 pairs together, to form parcels of four, or to confider each four 

 as fomething feparate and diftinct from what went before and: 

 what is to come after. We may, in the fame manner, be led 

 to join two or four of thefe parcels together, in order to obtain 

 what we may account a whole. Gradually we are enabled to 



conceive 



