1809.] 
ist. Sublime, as the noise of torrents, 
the hollow rushing of stormy winds, the 
rolling of thunder, the roar of wild 
beasts, &c. . 
2nd. Pathetic, as the whine of young 
animals, the notes of the nightingale, the 
distant sound of bells, &c. 
Sd, Harsh and discordant, as the gra- 
ting of wheels, the notes of the pea- 
cock and guinea fowl, the sharpening 
of instruments, braying of an ass, &c. 
&c. 
4th. Pretty and melodious, asthe notes 
of singing-birds, the soft tones produced 
by the wind through an aperture, &c. 
But let me not dismiss the subject of 
natural sounds, without adverting to the 
great variety soremarkable in the human 
voice under the many circumstances of 
anger reproof, tenderness, exhortation, 
&c. Nay, we find that in some persons, 
and in seme countries (as for instance in 
Wales, Languedoc, &c.). the common 
course of conversation runs in a kind of 
continued melody, more or less pleasing, 
according to the affectation predominant 
in the.mind of the speaker. Nor does 
it seem improbable that the same effect 
‘would be observable in ali human beings, 
but for the restraint of habit and_ re- 
Huned intercourse. At the birth of mu- 
sic, this may have been universal. Un- 
civilized nations are. still notorious for 
it; in their expression, though there is 
said to be little of what is pleasing, yet 
there isa perpetual change of tone, 
new high and accented, at other times 
low and plaintive; loud and accelerated 
when, they are angry, yet seldom dis- 
tinguished by a slow and dignified into- 
nation under any impression. There is 
‘suflicient in all this to prove, that nature 
-has connected peculiar conformations of 
sound with certain habits of mind; and 
~that these, whether simple or compound, 
-can be readily reterred by all reasonaole 
creatures to the feelings in which they 
originated. i 
Having thus briefly dispatched the 
subject of what may be called primitive 
-sounds, let us observe how they may 
have contributed to the’ formation of 
music, and musical genius. When the 
effects of particular sounds were ascer- 
tained; and the means of producing arti- 
ficial imitations of them had been inven- 
ted, the only difiiculty to the first per- 
formers must have been the collecting a 
sutiicient number of musical expressions | 
ofthe same character, and of increasing 
their effect by a proper contrast. The 
Mere appeal to his own bosum, would 
On Musical Genius and Composition. | 
255 
have been a sufticient test cf the fitness, 
or impropriety of the tones employed. 
By this they would know what succession 
vf sounds would best rouse or appease, 
appal or imspirit, enliven or soothe. 
Por the affectionsare moved not so much 
by introducing learned analogies or dis- 
cordances, as by perspicuous, and natu 
ral combination. Inthe infancy of mu- 
sic, therefore, when it is probable the 
height of the art amounted only to the 
euiployment of unisons, and when the 
practice of it was extremely rare, its 
cflects on the hearers must have been 
very extensive. Of its influence, indeed, 
on those who had never before experi= 
enced it, we can at this day have no ade- 
quate idea. Their souls, if [ may so ex- 
press myself, must have been wholly at 
the disposal of the performer. Tis pow- 
€rs must have appeared miraculous, and 
sent by heaven tor the purposes to which 
he chose toapply them, In this view of 
the subject we may read with patience, 
the strange stories of antiquity, of As- 
clepiades, Empedocles, &c, or the feats of 
Linus, Orpheus, Timotheus, and Am- 
phion. Nor shall we be surprised at the 
address of Pindar to his Lyre. 
T aixpearay Kepavvoy TGEvyveis 
Agvde up0c. 
And again, 
Knrade 
Aauadvay Téryes cpevag. - 
Musical Genius then, in the early stages 
of the art, was the power of selecting, 
and a facility in arranging, the several 
sounds of nature, for the purpose of ex- 
citing in the hearer correspondent sen- 
timents or affections, whether immedi- 
ately, or by association. And to this, 
if Lam not mistaken, must we look, even 
at the present day, for all that is truly 
desirable in music. Asa prvof of the 
assertion, we always find men of real 
science delighted and still dwelling with 
pleasure on simple melodies, and those 
old national airs which were dictated by 
a taste, as yet not depraved by luxury, 
nor pampered with false embellishments. 
They breathe indeed a spirit of genuine 
simplicity and fecling. ‘Their excellence 
is likewise proved by the universality of 
their effects. Noman whose organs are 
perfect, can hear with indifference the 
tunes of many old Scotch ballads. Or, to 
be particular, who will ever listen to the 
old air of Gilderoy, or to the sad Welch 
air, which records their defeat in Rhudde. 
lan Marsh, without a degree of melan- 
choly? It is of no avail to urge, that it 
Owes its cflects to a minor niwdulation; 
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