7905:]° 
ScGtires has accordingly, been long im. 
preffed upon my imagination in all the re- 
quifite form of detached communication ; 
and had the mind been a ftereotype, that 
could ftamp whole pages at a thought, 
long before this, you’ would have beea 
troubled with my theory on that myfteri- 
ous fubfect. 
When my arrangements called me to 
this place (where I purpofed to remain 
fomewhat longer than I had done in feve- 
ral preceding neighbourhoods) I confident+ 
ly promifed myfelf fo much leifure as 
would enable me to trace my thoughts in 
the ordinary way, and forward them to 
you by the poft: but, though my ftay has 
been more than twice as long as was ori 
even number of complete cadences, commen- 
furable with, or divifible by two or by three.” 
(He admits, however, (p. 23.) that, at leaft 
with refpe&,to the rhythmus of {peech, ** per- 
haps, the number five, as being compofed of 
the prime numbers two and three fhould be 
alfo excepted ;”—and Mr. Sheild, I- under- 
ftand, -has pra€tically demonftrated the fame 
exception even with refpeé to the mufic of 
fong. But thefe exceptions interfere not with 
fo much of the propofition as falls under our 
confideration. All is referable to the primary 
cadences of common and triple time.) To the 
axiom. thus advanced, Mr. Steele has added 
the following note.—*‘* It were to be wifhed 
that fomething more than affertion, with an 
appeal to nature, and a conjeéture could be 
offered as an illuftration of this myerious 
Yaw. But may not fpace of time be analagous 
to {pace in geometry ? which can only be 
equally and uniformly-divided by quadrilateral 
©r triangular polygons, their multuples, or 
fubduples ; that is by {quares[_], parallelograms 
KM, triangles A, or hexagons > 5 for with 
a feries of pentagons or heptagons, or any 
ether polygons than thofe firft mention- 
ed, no fpace can be uniformly covered, with- 
out leaving void interftices of heterogeneous 
forms; whereas any quadrilateral or triangular 
{pace can be completely covered with homoge- 
nous quadrilateral or triangular figures ; that 
this conjecture is ingenious, muft be admitted; 
but that it is completely fatisfa€tory, I think, 
the moft devoted mathematician will not ven- 
ture to affirm. 
metrical proportions, but to phyfiological ace 
tion we muft look for the folution of the dif- 
ficulty. The necefiary a€tions of the primary. 
organ of vocal impulfe, once comprehended, 
-—the law of univerfal fympathy between the 
executive and the perceptive organs, exhibit. 
ed in all the phenomena of vital a€tions and 
Vital perception, once confidered,—-and the 
neceflary reference of all imitative art, (how- 
ever modified and improved) to the primary 
principles of original nature once admitted=. 
hae my ftery may be eafily explained, 
ott 
: Letter from Mr. Thelwall 
The fa& is that not to geo. 
349 
ginally intended, my expectation of lei- 
zure has been molt flatteringly difappoint- 
ed: for what with my public Lectures and 
my-attention to the private infruétion of 
feveral groups of interefting pupils, from 
the claffical feminary of the Rev. P. Inch 
bald*, the college of Dr. Williams+, and 
fome of the moft refpeétable families in 
the neighbourhood, every hour, for a 
confiderable fpace of time, from eight in 
the morning till ten at night, has had its 
imperious deftination ; and even the ef- 
fential operation of printing an ample out. 
line of my Leétures has been, of neceffity 
‘ fufpended ; becaufe time could not be 
found for the correction of the proofs. 
The eligible conneétions to which thefe 
engagements have introduced me—the tef- 
timonials in behalf of the importance and 
application of my fcience, with which I 
have been honoured by the principal ma- 
giftrates, clergy, and men of the moft ac. 
knowledged learning, talents and refpeCta- 
bility, and by the parents and connections 
of thofe young perfons, of both fexes; 
who have been benefitted by my tuition ; 
and, above all, the eclat of a public exhi- 
bition of highly refpe€table pupils in the 
‘Town-hall, whofe acutenefs and diligence 
in the comprehenfion and application of 
my principles produced the beft demon- 
{trations of the efficacy of my fyfem, had 
once determined me ona different mode of 
announcing my fubje&t; and my refolus 
tion was partly taken for an’ immediate 
expedition to London. More deliberate 
reflection has, however, convinced m:— 
that the feafon is too far advanced 5—-that 
my arrangements are not fufiiciently made; 
—and, above all, that the nature of my 
undertaking is not yet fufficiently under= 
ftood in the metropolis to fecure that un- 
empaffioned and unprejudiced attention 
which its importance to my family, and, 
ONT CA ALT OTL CCC I aro 
* Rev. P. Inchbald ; a learned and inge= 
nious clergyman of the church of England ; 
who to the preferments. and honours of his 
profeffion has preferred the laborious and ufe~ 
ful employment of educating a fele& number 5 
of young gentlemen; and who is fg happy as 
to behold, among his pupils, talents and pera 
feverance that give high hope and promife to 
therifing generation. 1 fhould be infenfible if 
I did not feel, and ungrateful if [I did nor 
acknowledge, a glow of honeft pride at the 
highly flattering teftimony in behalf of my 
Leétures, which appears this day in the Don- 
cafter Gazette, with the open fanétion of a 
name, which I venture to prognofticate will 
be long to learning dear, 
. f Diffenting College, at Rotherham. ~ . 
I flatter 
~— 
