A. few examples will render this doctrine intelli gible to our readers ; and first in the case of sounds. With respect to musical sounds, the most extensively pleasing of this class, Mr Alison is of opinion, that there are two species of pleasure of which they are productive.. 1. That mechanical pleasure, which, by the constitution of our nature, accompanies the perception of a regular succession of related sounds. 2. That pleasure which such compositions of sound may produce, either by the expression of some pathetic or interesting affection ; or by being the sign of some pleasing or valuable quality, either in the composition or the performance. That musi cal sounds are calculated to please in consequence of the original constitution of. our nature, is plainly evinced by this, that their proportions and relations to one another admit of being accurately ascertained, and even mathematically demonstrated. A melodious tone is naturally pleasing in itself, and a regular suc cession of such tones, in a certain proportion to each other, both in respect of their duration and of their musical pitch, is naturally pleasing to all classes of mankind. In so far, therefore, music is beautiful in itself ; but even in the case of music, no small share of our gratification is to be ascribed to its expression, or to the feelings witich are associated with the par ticular composition. To the time of music, as quick or slow, we associate the ideas of cheerfulness or me lancholy; and to any succession of notes intended to be imitative of certain sounds in -nature, we associate the expression connected with those sounds. All music which is passionate, or indicative of any emo tion, can be so only in consequence of the effect of association ; and vocal music, which is avowedly the Most powerful in its effects, brings to its assistance all the charms and pathos of poetry. Were the ef fects of music purely mechanical, and .unaided by oc casional association, a piece of music ought to pro duce precisely the same effect upon all descriptions of people, and • upon all occasions, which is confessedly contrary to .experience.
But again, in the scenes of nature, •here.are many sounds which are productive of the ,emotion :arising from beauty, in consequence alone 'of the pleasing as sociations with which they are .connected ; such as the sound ,of the waterfall, the murmuring of the ri vulet, the whispering of the wind, the sheepfold bell, the toll of the curfew, &c. And that these sounds are beautiful only in consequence of the emotions which are associated with them, may be inferred from the insignificancy of the sounds themselves ; from their being perfectly indifferent to the vulgar, who have no such associations ; and even to ourselves, un less when they suit the general characterof the scene, or 'the particular train of mind in which we may hap pen to be. The same remarks are applicable to the notes of animals, commonly allowed to be beautiful ; although, in the case of singing birds, allowancemust be made for the musical melody which nature has bestowed upon that class of her creatures. The bleating of the lamb, the lowing of the cow, the .call of the .goat, the hum of the beetle, or the-twitter of the swallow, will all occasionally be listened -to with delight, but surely pot in cousequence of.any inherent beauty which they possess. " A peasant would laugh," says Mr Alison, " if he were asked, if the call of a goat, or the bleating of a sheep, or the low ing of a cow, were beautiful ; yet in certain situations, all of these are undoubtedly so. A child shows no
symptom of admiration at those sounds which are most affecting in natural scenery to other people. Every one will recollect, in. hat total indifference.his early years were passed, to that multitude ofbcanti ful sounds which occur in the country ; and I believe, if we attend to it sufficiently, it will he found, that the period when we became sensible to their beauty, was, when We first began to feel them as expressive, either from our own observation of nature, or from the perusal of books of poetry. In the same manner, they who.travel into very.distant countries, are at first insen sible to the beauty which the hatived of these COuntrres ascribe to the notes of the Animals belonging to them, obviously from their not having yet acquired the as sociations which' are the foundation of their beauty. The notes which are sacred from any kind of super, stition, arc beautiful only to those who are under the dominion of that superstition.' A foreigner does not distinguish any beauty in the note of a stork. To the Hollander, however, to Mom that bird is the object of a very popular and very pleasing superstition, this note is singularly beautiful." Essay ii. cb. ii. Sect 1. p.1.
Colour has always been admitted as a copious; source of beauty, and no doubt part of its effect is to be ascribed to the mechanical gonstitattiop of the hn mMi body, in .consequence of which, certain colours naturally excite a pleasing sensation, while others are disagreeable, and even painful. Thus green, blue, and the middle tints of the rainbow, are refreshing and agreeable to the sight ; and on that account are al ways esteemed beautiful. But by far greatest effect of colour, considered as an object of beauty, is &hewn by Mr Alison -to arise from the imagery with which his associated in our minds.; and the pleasing and affecting qualities of which it is expressive. The associations with which colours are .conneetcd, are reduced by this .author under the three following heads : 1. Such AS .arise from the nature of the ob jects thus permanently coloured. :,?dly, Such as arise from some:analogy between /certain colours, and cer tain dispositions. of mind ; and, 5dly, Such as arise from aceidental connections, whether national or par tic a lAr.
• The following are examples of the first kind of association : White, as it is the .colour of day, is ex pressive to us of the cheerfulness or gaiety which the return of day; brings. Black, as the colour of darkness, is expressive -of gloom and melancholy: The .colour of t i he heavens, in serene 'weather, is blue : blue, therefore, is expressive to us of some what of the same pleasing and temperate character. Green is the colour of the earth, in spring : it is consequently expressive to us .of some of those de lightful images which we associate with that season. The colours of vegetables and minerals acquire, in the same manner, a kind of character from the.character of the :species which they distinguish. The expres sion of those colours, which arethe signs of parti cular passions in the human countenance, and which, from this connection, derive their effect, .every one is acquainted with.