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And if it be

wind-pipe, but with different openings of the mouth, form a regular feries of founds, descending from high to low, in the following order, i, e, a*, o, u. Each of these founds is agreeable to the ear. inquired which of them is the most agreeable, it is perhaps the fafeft fide to hold, that there is no univerfal preference of any one before the rest. Probably thofe vowels which are fartheft removed from the extremes, will generally be the most relished. This is all I have to remark upon the first article. For confonants being letters which of themselves have no found, have no other power but to form articulate founds in conjunction with vowels; and every such articulate found being a fyllable, confonants come naturally under the second article. To which therefore we proceed.

All confonants are pronounced with a lefs cavity than any of the vowels; and confequently they contribute to form a found ftill more sharp than the fharpest vowel pronounced fingle. Hence it follows, that

Here the German a is understood.

every

every articulate found into which a confonant enters, muft neceffarily be double, though pronounced with one expiration of air, or with one breath as commonly expressed. The reason is, that though two sounds readily unite; yet where they differ in tone, both of them must be heard if neither of them be fuppreffed. For the fame reason, every syllable must be composed of as many founds as there are letters, fuppofing every letter to be distinctly pronounced.

We next inquire, how far articulate founds into which confonants enter, are agreeable to the ear. With respect to this point, there is a noted observation, that all founds of difficult pronunciation are to the ear harsh in proportion. Few tongues are fo polished as entirely to have rejected founds that are pronounced with difficulty; and fuch founds must in fome measure be disagreeable. But with respect to agreeable founds, it appears, that a double found is always more agreeable than a single found. Every one who has an ear must be fenfible, that the diphthongs oi or ai are more agreeable than any of these vowels pronounced fingly.

And

And the fame holds where a confonant enters into the double found. The fyllable le has a more agreeable found than the vowel e or than any vowel. And in fupport of experience, a fatisfactory argument may be drawn from the wisdom of Providence. Speech is bestowed upon man, to qualify him for fociety. The provifion he hath of articulate founds, is proportioned to the use he hath for them. But if founds that are agreeable fingly were not alfo agreeable in conjunction, the neceffity of a painful felection would render language intricate and difficult to be attained in any perfection. And this felection, at the fame time, would tend to abridge the number of useful sounds, fo as perhaps not to leave fufficient for anfwering the different ends of language.

In this view, the harmony of pronunciation differs widely from that of mufic properly fo called. In the latter are discovered many founds fingly agreeable, that in cọn→ junction are extremely difagreeable; none but what are called concordant founds having a good effect in conjunction. In the former, all founds fingly agreeable are in conHh junction

VOL. II.

junction concordant; and ought to be, in order to fulfil the purposes of language.

Having difcuffed fyllables, we proceed to words; which make a third article. Mo nofyllables belong to the former head. Polyfyllables open a different scene. In a curfory view, one will readily imagine, that the effect a word hath upon the ear, muft depend entirely upon the agreeableness or difagreeableness of its component fyllables. In part it doth; but not entirely; for we must also take under confideration the effect that a number of fyllables compofing a word have in fucceffion. In the first place, fyllables in immediate fucceffion, pronounced, each of them, with the fame or nearly the fame aperture of the mouth, produce a weak and imperfect found; witness the French words détété (detested), dit-il (says he), patetique (pathetic). On the other hand, a fyllable of the greatest aperture fucceeding one of the fmalleft, or the oppofite, makes a fucceffion, which, because of its remarkable difagreeablenefs, is distinguished by a proper name, viz. hiatus. The most agreeable fucceffion, is, where the

cavity is increased and diminished alternately by moderate intervals. Secondly, words confifting wholly of fyllables pronounced flow or of fyllables pronounced quick, commonly called long and short fyllables, have little melody in them. Witness the words petitioner, fruiterer, dizziness. On the other hand, the intermixture of long and fhort fyllables is remarkably agreeable; for example, degree, repent, wonderful, altitude, rapidity, independent, independent, impetuofity. cause will be explained afterward, in treating of verfification.

The

Distinguishable from the beauties above mentioned, there is a beauty of fome words which arises from their fignification. When the emotion raised by the length or shortness, the roughness or smoothnefs, of the found, resembles in any degree what is raised by the sense, we feel a very remarkable pleafure. But this fubject belongs to the third fection.

The foregoing observations afford a standard to every nation, for estimating, pretty accurately, the comparative merit of the words that enter into their own language. Hh 2 And

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