$6 On the Musical M o d e -s 



ferent denfi ty and elafticity ; tc account, as well as he can, for the affec- 

 tions, which mufick produces ; and, generally, to investigate the caufes of 

 the many wonderful appearances, which it exhibits ■: but the artijl, with* 

 .out iConfidering, and even without -knowing, any of the fublime theorems 

 in the philofophy of found, may attain his end- by a happy felection of 

 melodies and accents adapted to paffionate verfe, and of times conformable to 

 regular metre j and, above all, by modulation , or the choice and variation of 

 thofe modes, as they are called, of which, as they are contrived and arrang- 

 ed by the Hindus^ it is my deiign, and fhall be my endeavour, to give you 

 a general notion with all the perfpicuity, that the fubj eel: will admit. 



Although we muH affign the firft rank, tranfeendemly and beyond all 

 comparifoh, to that powerful mufick, which may be denominated the After 

 of poetry and eloquence, yet the lower art of pleafing the fenfe by a fuccef- 

 fion of agreeable founds, not only has merit and even .charms, but may, I 

 perfuade myfelf, be applied on a variety of occafions to falutary purpofes: 

 whether, indeed, the fenfation of hearing be caufed, as many fufpect, by 

 the vibrations of an elaftick ether flowing over the auditory nerves and 

 propelled along their folid capillaments, or whether the fibres of our nerves, 

 which feem indefinitely divifible, have, like the firings of a lute, peculiar 

 vibrations proportioned to their length and degree of tenfion, we have not 

 fufficient evidence to decide ; but we are very fure, that the whole nervous 

 fyftem is afFe&ed in a Angular manner by combinations of found, and that 

 melody alone will often relieve the mind, when it is oppreffed by intenfe 

 application to bufinefs or ftudy. The old mufician, who rather figuratively, 

 we may fuppofe, than with philofophical ferioufnefs, declared the foul it/elf 

 to be nothing but harmony , provoked the fprightly remark of Cicero, that 

 be drew his philofophy from the art, which he profejjed j but if, without depart* 



