But in the charm and mental movement produced by Music, Mathematic
has certainly not the slightest share. It is only the indispensable
condition (_conditio sine qua non_) of that proportion of the
impressions in their combination and in their alternation by which
it becomes possible to gather them together and prevent them from
destroying one another, and to harmonise them so as to produce a
continual movement and animation of the mind, by means of affections
consonant therewith, and thus a delightful personal enjoyment.
If, on the other hand, we estimate the worth of the Beautiful Arts
by the culture they supply to the mind, and take as a standard
the expansion of the faculties which must concur in the Judgement
for cognition, Music will have the lowest place among them (as
it has perhaps the highest among those arts which are valued for
their pleasantness), because it merely plays with sensations. The
formative arts are far before it in this point of view; for in putting
the Imagination in a free play, which is also accordant with the
Understanding, they at the same time carry on a serious business.
This they do by producing a product that serves for concepts as a
permanent self-commendatory vehicle for promoting their union with
sensibility and thus, as it were, the urbanity of the higher cognitive
powers. These two species of art take quite different courses; the
first proceeds from sensations to indeterminate Ideas, the second
from determinate Ideas to sensations. The latter produce _permanent_,
the former only _transitory_ impressions. The Imagination can recall
the one and entertain itself pleasantly therewith; but the other
either vanish entirely, or if they are recalled involuntarily by the
Imagination they are rather wearisome than pleasant.[93] Besides,
there attaches to Music a certain want of urbanity from the fact
that, chiefly from the character of its instruments, it extends its
influence further than is desired (in the neighbourhood), and so as it
were obtrudes itself, and does violence to the freedom of others who
are not of the musical company. The Arts which appeal to the eyes do
not do this; for we need only turn our eyes away, if we wish to avoid
being impressed. The case of music is almost like that of the delight
derived from a smell that diffuses itself widely. The man who pulls his
perfumed handkerchief out of his pocket attracts the attention of all
round him, even against their will, and he forces them, if they are to
breathe at all, to enjoy the scent; hence this habit has gone out of
fashion.[94]
Among the formative arts I would give the palm to painting; partly
because as the art of delineation it lies at the root of all the other
formative arts, and partly because it can penetrate much further
into the region of Ideas, and can extend the field of intuition in
conformity with them further than the others can.
§ 54. _Remark_