4.  At the same time that our young performer continues to play with great exactness this accustomed tune, she can bend her mind, and that intensely, on some other object, according with the fourth article of the preceding proportions.

The manuscript copy of this work was lent to many of my friends at different times for the purpose of gaining their opinions and criticisms on many parts of it, and I found the following anecdote written with a pencil opposite to this page, but am not certain by whom.  “I remember seeing the pretty young actress, who succeeded Mrs. Arne in the performance of the celebrated Padlock, rehearse the musical parts at her harpsichord under the eye of her master with great taste and accuracy; though I observed her countenance full of emotion, which I could not account for; at last she suddenly burst into tears; for she had all this time been eyeing a beloved canary bird, suffering great agonies, which at that instant fell dead from its perch.”

5.  At the same time many other catenated circles of action are going on in the person of our fair musician, as well as the motions of her fingers, such as the vital motions, respiration, the movements of her eyes and eyelids, and of the intricate muscles of vocality, according with the fifth preceding article.

6.  If by any strong impression on the mind of our fair musician she should be interrupted for a very inconsiderable time, she can still continue her performance, according to the sixth article.

7.  If however this interruption be greater, though the chain of actions be not dissevered, it proceeds confusedly, and our young performer continues indeed to play, but in a hurry without accuracy and elegance, till she begins the tune again, according to the seventh of the preceding articles.

8.  But if this interruption be still greater, the circle of actions becomes entirely dissevered, and she finds herself immediately under the necessity to begin over again to recover the lost catenation, according to the eighth preceding article.

9.  Or in trying to recover it she will sing some dissonant notes, or strike some improper keys, according to the ninth preceding article.

10.  A very remarkable thing attends this breach of catenation, if the performer has forgotten some word of her song, the more energy of mind she uses about it, the more distant is she from regaining it; and artfully employs her mind in part on some other object, or endeavours to dull its perceptions, continuing to repeat, as it were inconsciously, the former part of the song, that she remembers, in hopes to regain the lost connexion.

For if the activity of the mind itself be more energetic, or takes its attention more, than the connecting word, which is wanted; it will not perceive the slighter link of this lost word; as who listens to a feeble sound, must be very silent and motionless; so that in this case the very vigour of the mind itself seems to prevent it from regaining the lost catenation, as well as the too great exertion in endeavouring to regain it, according to the tenth preceding article.