Being once in a Room where there was a Bass-Viol, and striking one of the Strings, a loose Quarry of Glass in the Window, jarr’d every time that String was struck, which it wou’d not do upon striking any of the other discordant Strings. The Reason may be, viz. That the times of the Vibration of the loose Quarry, were equal or near Concordance to those of the String. A Gentleman of my Acquaintance, when he sounded a particular Tone on the Bass-Viol, very plainly heard the Noise of the Glass of the Clock in his Chamber, which Glass never moved, upon his sounding any other Tone.... It is a general Remark, that an Unison-String will receive the Motion, and so tremble, when another Unison is made to sound; and yet all other Strings of the same Instrument, that are not Unisons, shall remain silent and unmoved.
Musick does not only exert its Force on the Passions and Affections, and musical Instruments, but on the Parts of the human Body also. Witness the Gascoigne-Knight, (mention’d by Mr. Boyle) who could not contain his Water, at the playing of a Bag-pipe: The Woman, mention’d by the same Author, who would burst out in Tears, at the hearing of a certain Tune, with which other People were but little affected: And in this County, near Rochdale, there is a certain Man, who can’t forbear dancing, if in a House, or Market, upon hearing a certain Tune sung.
Wonder not at the strange Effects of musical Sounds, when other Sounds strangely affect the Mind. How are the Passions excited by the Sound of a Drum and the Discharge of Canons.... Not only human Minds and Bodies are affected by the Impression of Sounds, but even Things without Life.
KIRCHER tells us of a large Stone that would tremble at the Sound of one particular Organ-Pipe. Mersenne also tells us, of a particular part of a Pavement that would shake and tremble, as if the Earth would open, when the Organs play’d. Mr. Boyle adds, that Seats will tremble at the Sound of Organs, that he has felt his Hat do so under his Hand, at certain Notes, both of Organs and Discourse; and that he was well inform’d, every well-built Vault, would answer some determinate Note.
We may observe the like mechanic Perception in several empty Drinking-Glasses, of fine white Metal. Thus if we cause the Strings of a musical Instrument to be stretched to a certain Tone or Note, it would make one of the Glasses ring, and not the other; nor would the Sound of the same String, tuned to another, sensibly affect the same Glass. Morhoff mentions one Petter, a Dutchman, who could break Rummer-Glasses with the Tone of his Voice. The same, I think, is said of Purcel.
When two Viols are tuned in Unison, one of them being touch’d, the other will answer, tho’ at some distance. This is a noble Proof of an harmonious Creation: This Unison looks like a more pure sort of sympathising that is found in all the Creatures, when those of the same Species flock together.
Here give me leave to observe, that all Nature is as it were a System of divine Musick, and delightful Harmony; or, in the sacred Language, a Poem which is a Work of Skill, curious and polite, lofty and sublime; in which Numbers and Measures are exactly observed. Under this Idea of a Poem the old and new Creation are represented.
THE invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, τοις ποιημασι[[332]], Poems that are made. The Creation is, as it were, a Poem in the Sublime: Every Species of created Beings is a Stanza, and every individual Creature, a Verse in it, as a certain learned Divine expresses it. Creation here is not stiled εργον, which is a Work of manual Labor, but ποιημα[[333]], a Work of Skill; not so much the Operation of the Hand, as of the Head and Heart: No Creature so small and mean, but glitters with a Beam of divine Skill.
[332]. τοις ποιημασι. Rom. i. 20.
[333]. Αυτου γαρ εσμεν ποιημαι. Eph. ii. 10.