Bacon, Francis - Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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6632Natural Hiſtory; the changes of Motions; as when Galliard time, and Meaſure time, are in
the Medly of one Dance.

It hath been anciently held, and obſerved, That the Senſe of Hearing, and
11114. the Kindes of Muſick, have moſt operation upon Manners; as to incourage
Men, and make them warlike; to make them ſoft and effeminate; to make
them grave; to make them light; to make them gentle and inclined to
pity, & c. The cauſe is, for that the Senſe of Hearing ſtriketh the Spirits
more immediately, than the other Senjes, and more incorporeally than
the Smelling: For the Sight, Taſte, and Feeling, have their Organs, not of ſo
preſent and immediate acceſs to the Spirits, as the Hearing hath. And
as for the Smelling (which indeed worketh alſo immediately upon the Spi-
rits, and is forcible while the object remaineth) it is with a communica-
tion of the Breath or Vapor of the object oderate: But Harmony entring
eaſily, and mingling not at all, and coming with a manifeſt motion; doth
by cuſtom of often affecting the Spirits, and putting them into one kinde
of poſture, alter not a little the nature of the Spirits, even when the ob-
ject is removed. And therefore we ſee, that Tunes and Airs, even in their
own nature, have in themſelves ſome affinity with the Affections: As
there be Merry Tunes, Doleful Tunes, Solemn Tunes; Tunesinclining
Mens mindes to Pity, Warlike Tunes, & c. So as it is no marvel, if they
alter the Spirits, conſidering that Tunes have a prediſpoſition to the Moti-
on of the Spirits in themſelves. But yet it hath been noted, that though
this variety of Tunes, doth diſpoſe the Spirits to variety of Paſſions, con-
form unto them; yetgenerally, Muſick feedeth that diſpoſition of the Spi-
rits which it findeth. We ſee alſo, that ſeveral Airs and Tunes, do pleaſe
ſeveral Nations, and Perſons according to the ſympathy they have with their
Spirits.

PErſpective hath been with ſome diligence inquired; and ſo hath the Na-
22Experiments
in Conſort,
touching
Sounds; and
firſt touching
the Nullity,
and Entity of
Sounds. ture of Sounds, in ſome ſort, as far as concerneth Muſick, but the Na-
ture of Sounds in general, hath been ſuperficially obſerved. It is one of
the ſubtilleſt pieces of Nature. And beſides, I practiſe, as I do adviſe:
Which is after long inquiry of things, immerſe in matter, to enterpoſe ſome
ſubject which is immateriate or leſs materiate; ſuch as this of Sounds: To
33115. the end, that the intellect may be rectified, and become not partial.

It is firſt to be conſidered, what great motions there are in Nature
which paſs withoutſound or noiſe. The Heavens turn about in a moſt rapide
motion, without noiſe to us perceived, though in ſome dreams they have
been ſaid to make an excellent Muſick. So the motions of the Comets, and
Fiery Meteors as Stella Cadens, & c.) yield no noiſe. And if it be thought, that
it is the greatneſs of diſtance from us, whereby the ſound cannot, be heard;
we ſee that Lightnings and Coruſcations, which are near at hand, yield no
ſound neither; and yet in all theſe, there is a percuſſion and diviſsion of the
Air. The Winds in the Upper Region (which move the Clouds above
(which we call the Rack) and are not perceived below paſs without noiſe.
The lower Winds in a Plain, except they be ſtrong, make no noiſe; but a-
mongſt Trees, the noiſe of ſuch Winds will be perceived. And the Winds
(generally) when they make a noiſe, do ever make it unequally, riſing and fall-
ing, and ſometimes (when they are vehement) trembling at the height of
their blaſt. Rain or Hail falling, though vehemently, yieldeth no noiſe, in
7070[Handwritten note 70] paſsing through the Air, till it fall upon the Ground, Water, Houſes, or the
like. Water in a River (though a ſwift ſtream, is not heard in the

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