Rhythm

Ruytumus, © Puduoe, ing music, the variety in the movement, as to the quickne or slowne , and length and shorts. ne , of the notes. ite Or the rhythmus may be defined, more generally, the proportion which the parts of a motion bear to each other. Aristides, among the ancient musicians, applies the word rhythmus three ways; viz. a to immoveable bodies, when their parts are rightly proportioned to each other, as a, well-made statue, . or to things that move regularly, as in handsome walking, in dancing, in the dumb shews of the pantomimes, . or, thirdly, to the motion of sound, or the voice; in which, the rhythmus consists of long and short syllables, or notes, joined together in succe ion in some kind of order, so that their cadence on the ear may be agreeable, This, in oratory, constitutes what we calla numerous style; and when the tones of the voice are well chosen, a harmonious style. In effect, rhythmus, in the general, is perceived either by the eye or ear, and may be either with or without metre: but the strict, musical rhythm is only perceived by the ear, and cannot exist without it. The first either exists without sound, as in dancing; or with. sounds: it may be either without any difference of acute and grave, as in a drum, or with a variety of these, as in a song. The rhythmus of the ancients, Mr. Malcolm observes, was very different from that of the moderns. The former was only that of the long and short syllables of the words and verses; it depended altogether on the poetry, and had no other forms or varieties than what the metrical art afforded. The changes therein are none but those made from one kind of metre to another, as from iambic to choraic, . In the modern music, the constitution of the rythmus differs from that of the verse, so far, that in setting music to words, the thing chiefly regarded is to accommodate the long and short notes to the syllables in such manner, as that the words be well separated, and the accented syllable of each word so conspicuous, that what is sung may be distinctly understood. Vo ius, in his book De Poematum Cantu & Viribus Rhythmi, extols the ancient rhythmus. Though he owns it was confined to the metrical feet; yet so well did they cultivate their language, especially in what relates to the rhythmus, that the whole effect of the music was ascribed to it, as appears by that saying of theirs, ro may maou provetno o pub proc. See, on this subject, Burney’s General History of Music, vol. i. sect. 6. See also Calcott’s Musical Grammar, Part iv. RyaytHM, RxaytTuMus, in the ancient poetry, denotes the measure of the feet, or the number and combination of long and short syl- Jables called also metre and quantity. Vo ius attributes the whole force of the ancient music to their happy rythmus: but this is somewhat inconceivable. Mr. Malcolm rather takes it, that the words and sense of what was sung had the chief effect; and that hence it was that in all ancient music the greatest care was taken that not a syllable of the words should be lost, lest the music should be spoiled. Pancirollus seems of this opinion: and the reason he gives why the modern music is le perfect than the ancient is, that we usually hear sounds without words, 245