the pertness of the Sparrow, the cheerfulness of the Lark, the softness of the Bullfinch, the plaintiveness of the Nightingale, the melancholy of the Owl, are expressions in general use, and the Associations we thus connect with them, very obviously deter mine the character or expression of their Notes. By the artificial education above mentioned, all these Associations would be destroyed; and, as far as I am able to judge, all, or at least a great part of the Beauty we feel from their songs.. It is in the same manner that we are generally unhappy, instead of being delighted with the song of a bird in the cage. It is somewhat like the smile of Grief, which is much more dreadful than tears, or like the playfulness of an infant amid scenes of Sorrow. difficult therefore to say, whether in this cruel practice there is a greater want of Taste or of Humanity; and there could be in fact no excuse for it, if there were not a kind of tenderness excited towards them, from the

It is

reflection that they are altogether dependent upon our benevolence, and a very natural gratitude awakened, by the exertions they make for our pleasure,

I forbear to produce any farther illustrations on this subject. From those that have been produced, it seems to me that we have sufficient ground for concluding, that, of those Sounds which have been considered, the Sounds that occur in the scenes of Nature, and the Sounds produced by animals, the Sublimity or Beauty arises from the qualities of which they are considered as the Signs or Expressions, and not from any original fitness in the Sounds themselves to produce such Emotions.

I have only further to add, that, upon the principle of the absolute and independent Sublimity or Beauty of Sounds, it is very difficult to account for the different Sounds which have been mentioned as productive of these Emotions. There is certainly no resemblance as sounds, between the noise

of Thunder and the hissing of a Serpent,between the growling of a Tyger and the explosion of Gunpowder,-between the scream of an Eagle, and the shouting of a multitude; yet all of these are Sublime. In the same manner, there is as little resemblance between the tinkling of the Sheepfold bell, and the murmuring of the Breeze, -between the hum of the Beetle, and the song of the Lark,-between the twitter of the Swallow, and the sound of the Curfew; yet all of these are beautiful. Upon the

principle which I endeavour to illustrate, they are all perfectly accountable.

PART III.

Of the Tones of the Human Voice. THERE is a similar Sublimity or Beauty felt in particular Notes or Tones of the human Voice.

That such Sounds are associated in our

Imaginations, with the qualities of mind of which they are in general expressive, and that they naturally produce in us the conception of these qualities, is a fact so obvious, that there is no man who must not have observed it. There are some Philosophers who consider these as the natural signs of Passion or Affection, and who believe that it is not from Experience, but by means of an original Faculty, that we interpret them : and this opinion is supported by great authorities. Whether this is so, or not, in the present inquiry, is of no very great importance; since, although it should be denied that we understand such signs instinctively, it cannot be denied, that very early in infancy this Association is formed, and that our opinions and conduct are regulated by it.

That the Beauty or Sublimity of such Tones arises from the nature of the qualities they express, and not from the nature of the Sounds themselves, may per

haps appear from the following observa

tions.

1. Such sounds are beautiful or sublime, only as they express Passions or Affections which excite our sympathy. There are a great variety of tones in the human voice, yet all these tones are not beautiful... If we inquire what are the particular Tones which are so, it will universally be found, that they are such as are expressive of pleasing or interesting affections. The tones peculiar to Anger, Peevishness, Malice, Envy, Misanthropy, Deceit, &c. are neither agreeable nor beautiful. The tone of Good Nature, though very agreeable, is not beautiful but at particular seasons, because the quality itself is in general rather the source of complacence than pleasure; we regret the want of it, but we do not much enjoy its presence. -On the contrary, the tones peculiar to Hope, Joy, Humility, Gentleness, Modesty, Melancholy, &c. though all extremely different, are all beautiful; because the qualities