ich flows from this
mental vivacity. Even the _rhythm_, which forms a remaining distinction
between song and speech, may not improbably have a kindred cause. Why
the actions excited by strong feeling should tend to become rhythmical
is not very obvious; but that they do so there are divers evidences.
There is the swaying of the body to and fro under pain or grief, of the
leg under impatience or agitation. Dancing, too, is a rhythmical action
natural to elevated emotion. That under excitement speech acquires a
certain rhythm, we may occasionally perceive in the highest efforts of
an orator. In poetry, which is a form of speech used for the better
expression of emotional ideas, we have this rhythmical tendency
developed. And when we bear in mind that dancing, poetry, and music are
connate--are originally constituent parts of the same thing, it becomes
clear that the measured movement common to them all implies a rhythmical
action of the whole system, the vocal apparatus included; and that so
the rhythm of music is a more subtle and complex result of this relation
between mental and muscular excitement.

But it is time to end this analysis, which possibly we have already
carried too far. It is not to be supposed that the more special
peculiarities of musical expression are to be definitely explained.
Though probably they may all in some way conform to the principle that
has been worked out, it is obviously impracticable to trace that
principle in its more ramified applications. Nor is it needful to our
argument that it should be so traced. The foregoing facts sufficiently
prove that what we regard as the distinctive traits of song, are simply
the traits of emotional speech intensified and systematised. In respect
of its general characteristics, we think it has been made clear that
vocal music, and by consequence all music, is an idealisation of the
natural language of passion.

* * * * *

As far as it goes, the scanty evidence furnished by history confirms
this conclusion. Note first the fact (not properly an historical one,
but fitly grouped with such) that the dance-chants of savage tribes are
very monotonous; and in virtue of their monotony are much more nearly
allied to ordinary speech than are the songs of civilised races. Joining
with this the fact that there are still extant among boatmen and others
in the East, ancient chants of a like monotonous character, we may infer
that vocal