and howprecifely juft ! In fact, I have often
wondered at the prefervation of character,
in my fleeping reveries, with regard to
fentiment, voice, gefture, drefs, and many
other habitudes of the perfons introduced
to our imagination in dreams, which Ihaye
perfectly recollected immediately upon
. waking,
t 259 i
waking, or fometimes long afterward, and
I can truly fay, that the confiitency of
manners and behaviour, &c. of thefe ideal
perfons has been far beyond my befl abilities
to imitate at any time, with my utmofl
ftretch of thought ; and to attribute fuch
effects to accidental variations of the pulfe,
or to any other mechanic caufes, feems
to me not lefs abfurd, than to fuppofe a
number of unconnected words jumbled
together in a box could of themfelves
produce a regular comedy \ and moreover,
that this is done as often as thefe connect-
ed regular fcenes occur to us, when we ar«
in other refpects as infenfible as what we
ileep upon, requires the credulity of an
atheift to believe.
I am, &c.
S2 LETTER
[ 26o 3
LETTER XXX.
My Dear C.
f~T\ HERE is fomething fo aftonifhing
rjh in the phenomena of dreams, and
at the fame time fo amufing, that I mail
continue the fubjeft, and take the liberty
of being as unconnected as I pleafe,
though I would by no means recommend
it to you to imitate my example j if you
chance to nod however, you have an apo-
logy at hand.
Shakefpeare, above all men, feems to
have been moil intimately acquainted
with the workings of Nature; Clarence's
dream in Richard the Third, which he re-
lates to Brackenbury the night before his
murder, cannot be read without fhudder-
[ 26l ]
ing ; and the horrors of jyiacbeth and his
lady, both fleeping and waking, after the
murder of Duncan and Banquo, ftrike the
imagination more forcibly than any thing
the antients have left us upon the fub-
What we call the affociatiori of ideas,'
may poffibly depend upon a repetition of
fimilar impreffed motions upon the nerves,
and it may be the capacity of their being
thus affected, which gives to immaterial
fpirits that great power they have over
us -, a power by which we are told they
can influence our minds in vifions, or
taking advantage of an indifpoiition of
our organs of perception, even whilfl we
are awake, are capable of disturbing the
imagination, and of difquieting us even
to madnefs. This feems evidently to have
been the condition of fome amongft, the"
daemoniacs in the gofpel, notwithftanding
what the learned Mede hath urged againft
S 3 the
[ 262 ]
■the opinion, and particularly the cafe of
Saul in the iixteenth chapter of the firft
book of Samuel, who appears from the
text to have been troubled with an evil
fpirit as a punifhment from God, and that
the melody of the harp by reftoring a
proper tone to his nerves, or affecting the
arterial pulfations fo as to give an eafy
circulation to the vital fluids, relieved
him in the paroxyfms of his diforder, and
delivered him from the effects of daemo-
niacal frenzy : indeed by what other means
than an influence upon the bodily organs,
if instrumental melody alone is here in-
tended, (which, perhaps, was not the
cafe) can mufic be fuppofed to have had
any power in the reftraint of fuch an
agent ; but the relation of Saul's manner
of recovery feemS to point out the nature
of the diforder with which he was afflict-
ed, and fubjected to be thus difturbed,
perhaps, by fupernatural horrors, befides.
the
[ 26 3 ]
the breaking loofe of all his fuilen, eri^
vious, and malignant paffions : for we are
toldj it came to pafs when the evil fpirit
by God's permiffion was upon him, that
David took a harp and played with his
hand, and Saul's breath [rua'h] returned
and he was well, and the evil fpirit de-
parted from him. An incapacity of
breathing freely, is one of the fymptoms
of almoit. every fpecies of fits* and no
words could more naturally defcribe a
perfon's coming out of one, than thefe,
which tell us that his breath returned,
and he was well ; that is, he was reftored
firft to the ufe of his fenfes, and next to
that of his reafon, upon which the evil
fpirit departed from him. Should it be
objected, that this is an arbitrary method
of interpretation, which gives two diffe-
rent fenfes of the word rua'h in the fame
verfe, perhaps it may be fufficient to fay,
that rua'h* when applied to man, means
S 4 in
[ 264 j
in general, the breath of his noftrils, as
it ufually muft be taken in a metaphorical
fenfe when joined with the epithet evil,
and this whether in the fame fentence or
not. But fuppoiing it to mean, in the
above paffage, that Saul's fpirit or life
returned to him, it ftill implies that there
Was a temporary fufpenlion of his mental
powers, or a deliquium, which is com-
monly brought on either in epileptic, or
hyflerlcal diforders by a fufrocation, and
is fucceeded upon recovery by a violent
heaving and panting for breath.
This very natural interpretation of the
word rua'h, is, in ibme meaflire, confirm-
ed by the circumftance of Saul's afking,
who David was, after the flaughter of the
Philiftines, [for he certainly, could not
want any information concerning David's
family, to which fome critics have con-
fined the queftion] this enquiry I fay evi-
dently mows, that if the king was not
entirely
t 265 1
entirely fenfelefs during the paroxifms of
his diflemper, whatever it was, yet he
did not recoiled: his attendants at fuch
feafons : and this failure of his memory
alone is at leaft a prefumptive evidence of
a bodily diflemper, which prepared his
mind for the judicial influences of an evil
ipirit upon it, now the Spirit of God had
forfaken him, and that this diflemper (the
cure of which is attributed to the power
of mufic) was probably epileptic.
I am,
Dear Charles, your's, &c.
P. S. There is Mill a difficulty remain-
ing, which hangs heavy upon this inter-
pretation, namely, that if David was made
Saul's Armour-bearer before this period,
it feems ft range, that Abner, who com-
manded
I 266 J
iilanded the army, mould have been fo ixii*
acquainted with him as not to have been
able to give the king any account of the
tripling, as Saul called him when he was
going againir the champion of the Philif-
tines : in anfwer to which I have to ob-
ferve, that it may be doubted whether the
words Nefa Cfoe/im, which are tranflated
Armour-bearer in the preceding chapter*
ought not to have been differently ren-
dered : Chelim fignifies utenfils or veJJ'els
of any kind, and in many paffages of the
facred writings mufical i?ijlruments> as well
as armour, fo that as it appears tojne, David
was hitherto difKnguifhed with the title
of the king's chief mufician, his Harp-
bearer, or Conductor of the mufical in-
itruments only; an office, of which Abner
might have no very high opinion : and
as Saul's forgetfulnefs would probably be
catching, whatever was the caufe of it*
Abner might not be difpofed to remember
an
[ 26 7 ]
an obfcure youth in the character of a
minftrel, and a perfon too who had no
place in the affections of his matter : add
to this, that the general circumftances of
the hiftory feem rather to require this
tranflation - 3 David's mufical talents, from
the choice made of him on account of
Saul's diftemper, were acknowledged to
be extraordinary, and his prowefs which
might have recommended him to the office
of Armour-bearer, was, probably, in ge-
neral unknown at this time, as it had been
hitherto confined to the wildernefs,
BETTER
I 268 3
Letter xxxr.
To the Rev. C, S.
Dear SIR,
"T T| 7 HAT Mr. H. obferved upon poetry
* * and poets the day you left us, did
not efcape me; and though I made no
anfwer to it at the inftant, I fhall hazard
a few obfervations now I have thought a
little upon the fubjecl. In my opinion, we
are too much difpofed to take our ideas-
of poetry from the critics by profeffion,
rather than from the obfervation of what
pafles in our minds, in which there is a
standard we may refer to, the Principle,
I mean, from whence the rules of criti--
cifm are fuppofed to have been drawn.
Art
[ 269 1
Art never arrives at its fummit of ex*
cellence but by degrees, and, in general,
rifes very flowly - f whereas in many cafes,
Nature ftarts into perfection at once. The
inexperience of early ages prompting men
to admiration and aftonifhment, every
thing muft have appeared extraordinary
to them, and being exaggerated at the
fame time through the miftinefs of doubts
and apprehenfions, Fear, beyond the other
paffions prone to gratify ilfelf, (though
every pamon leans to its peculiar weaknefs
of indulgence) thus naturally became a
fource of the fublimeft imagery. Correct
and beautiful poems, therefore, are the
product of a polite age, and of a refined
ftate of manners ; whereas ftrength and
grandeur have their origin in rude unpo-
lifhed times, and at the dawn of civiliza-
tion. The earliefl poetry muft of confe-
quence be the moft ftriking, written when
the paffions and affections operated in their
utmoft
[ 270 ]
utmoft force without referve, and images
multiplied by the paucity of words gave
a beauty and ftrength to language, and
adapted it to fentiment by what muft al-
ways be fuperior to all artificial rules,
(which are liable to be mifapplied,) the
inftantaneous dictates of men's genuine
natural feelings j for however we may
admire the metaphors Or the fimilies, &c.
in fuch original poetical compofitions, as
being agreeable to the eftablifhed rules of
criticifm, they are but accidental natural
beauties which laid a foundation for thofe
rules, inftead of being deduced from them;
as in a grand and elegant ftru&ure, the
columns, the architrave, or the dome,
though its chief ornaments, have their
original in necejjity and ufefulnefs.
When arts and languages improved,
thofe periods, which were obferved to
produce the moil agreeable effects, became
ftandards of a fixed ry thrnus -, and a repe-
tition
[ 271 j
jtition of them was called verfe, from their
returning meafures ; for which, if I had
an inclination to appear very learned, I
could overpower you with quotations from
Dionyfius, Quintilian, and Ariftotle's po-
etics, &c. but with leave of thefe great
writers be it fpoken, however exquifitely
the ear may be delighted with an agree-
able rythmus or meafure continually re-
turning in ajhort poem only, it muft be
difgufted with harmony itfelf, by too fre*-
quent a repetition of the fame cadence;
nor is this the only fault of an invariably
returning meafure ; as of the hexameter
for inftance in the learned languages, or
of the heroic in our own. One and the
fame fpecies of verfe cannot be adapted
with propriety, to every fubject, and to
every paflion indifferently, nor even to
exprefs the feveral modifications of the
fame paflion or affection with precifion ;
fo that a repetition of the fame meafure in
perpetual
{ 272 ]
perpetual fucceffion, [which we are apt
to confound with poetry] without any-
other change, than what arifes from va~
rying the different paufes, or the metrical
emphafis and accent, befides blunting the
organs of hearing by the fatigue which
fuch a uniformity of motion and impulfe
of neceffity impreffes upon them, muft
frequently produce a difcordance between
the fentiment and the rythmus, not pofli-
ble to be avoided in a long performance,
how exquifite foever the verification
(which is a different thing from the
poetry) may be; but if this could cer-
tainly be prevented, and it were as certain
that the intereft we had in the fubjedt it^
felf, would hinder any violent difguft from
taking place ; yet to go on chanting the
fame meafures from morn to noon, and
from noon to night, is not confiftent with
men's natural difpoiitions, with that love
of variety which is implanted in us$ and it
is
[ 273 I
is evident in this cafe, as upon enquiry it
will be found in every other, that Art,
beyond a certain boundary and limit, falls
fliort of Nature's genuine excellence, that
her moil ftriking limple beauties may be
overloaded with ornaments, and the ele-
gance of her fteps, and her dignity of
movement, be rendered difgufting by an
affectation of a being always graceful.
In order to preferve the fame fixed
returning meafure, or verfe properly fa
called, words of a determined quantity
refpe&ing their fyllables, are to be hunt-
ed up j and it often happens, that thofe
words which would raoft naturally ex-
prefs the fentiment, have too many or too
few for the Metre, fome words, therefore,
muft be left out, or others put in ; fome
muft be taken from their natural fitua-
tion, and others intruded into their place,
which may have very little meaning, if
any, annexed to them ; whilft thofe are
Vol. L T ta
[ 274 J
to be entirely rejected, upon which the
force of the effect, in a great degree, or,
perhaps principally, depends ; in (hort,
the expreteuxis, in general,, rendered fo
unnaturaS|kj|}er by crouding the thoughts
into fewer words than are necelTary, or
by loading a fentiment with fo many,
that fome of them are merely expletives ;
or by tranfpofing the order of them after
fuch a manner as to render it obfcure,
[for which the gradus-men, and rhyme-
jinglers have a general apology,] that
what we commonly called verfe, is fo far
removed from every thing natural, as
not unfrequently to fatigue the ear in-
Head of giving it delight, whilft- at the
fame time it tends to darken and obfcure
the fentiments defigned to be conveyed by
it, and the poetic meafures and language
in. every country are always more diffi-
cult to be underftood than profe, even by
the natives of it. A diilinction is to be
made
i *7$ ]
made here between the truly beautiful
figurative expreffions and movements of
Nature, as they flow from the ; affection
and the heart, (the chief, though not the
only circumftance from which their beauty
is derived,) and thofe chains of poetic me-
tre, which are a reflraint upon the inven-
tion, as well as language, and refemble
only a kind of dancing in gyves. The
meafures of Pindar's odes which remain
to us, have never been determined with
certainty ; and I am inclined to think he
perpetually varied them in his dithyram-
bics precifely conformable to the fenti-
ment to be conveyed, which was certainly
a more difficult tafk than writing in any
one uniform returning meafure v/hatever,
as well as more expreffrvely elegant. This
feems to be the proper explanation of Ho-
race's expreflion, numerifq; fertur Lege-
folutis -j nor have I the lead doubt in my
own mind that it was the fource of thofe
high encomiums which this poet receiv-
T 2 ed
[ 276 ]
cd from his contemporaries, and the an*
tients in general, particularly from the
great Roman Lyrift, whofe judgement is
of more weight with me than that of all
the reft; he was moft undoubtedly a
competent judge without prejudices in
Pindar's favour; and his own odes, in point
of merit, are certainly next to thofe of this
firft and moft fublime of lyric poets, as he
is generally called. In my humble opinion
they are by far fuperior to thofe which
remain of Pindar's, for his dithyrambics
are entirely loft, which are fuppofed, and
moft probably with juftice, to have been
the fublimeft of his works.
I am,
Dear SIR,
Your affectionate friend,
G. D,
LETTER
[ V7 3
LETTER XXXII.
Dear Charles,
T SUSPECT my letter upon quantity
•*• not to be fo accurately written as it
might have been ; though I am clear it
does not contain any thing, but what, if
taken in its proper fenfe, is perfectly con-
fident with the eftablifhed principles of
Greek and Roman profody. There is a
quotation from Dionyfius of Halicar-
naffus, towards the conclufion of it, upon
which I wifh I had enlarged, to obviate
miftakes ; it is brought in oppofition to an
opinion commonly entertained, that the
Greek muficians always made a point of
adopting their notes to the quantity of the
fyllables to which they were fet. This
T 3 might
t 278 ]
might, indeed, fometimes be the cafe; but
it was not ufually done, as I prefumed it
to have been : upon turning tOrDionyfius
and reconfidering the whole paiTage, of
which I quoted only a fmall part, it fet
me right in this error, which I had en-
tertained iiiicommon with perfons of in-
finitely better judgment, and fifty times
more learning than I ever pretended to.
The modulation of our voice in elocu-
tion and in fong differ widely with refpect
to the manner of effecting. iheir^purpofes
upon the hearer; a rife and fall in it, in
each refpeclive fcale of notes, as." mention-
ed in my xivth Letter, is neceilary both
in common fpeech, and fmging ; but an
in ten lion or elevation of tons may often
do that in one cafe, which is brought .
about by a remiffion or lowering of it in
the other; and I do not know that any
principle has been fettled for the con-
ducing of modulation in either; we jeel
*. every
[ 279 1
every tranfgreffion of this principle not-
withflanding, without knowing what it
is; even the vulgar, as Dionyfius fays, who
conftitute a considerable portion, of every
audience, are feniible of the violation of
true harmony and rythmus, for which
men have unvoerfally a natural tafle, as
connected with the airecliions, which
mows itfelf in the difapprobation of what
is wrong, if it does not always point out
what is right $ apd I am fully perfuaded
that an audience of Englifh clowns would
generally find fault in the right place,
though they might be over bountiful in
their applaufes, to which fimple igno-
rance and admiration are liable in all
countries. Ariftides Quintilian hath
mown what diftinction fubfifls between
notes in common fpeech, in the recitation
of poetic numbers, and in the melody of
fong, but hath not proceeded to the lay-
ing down a principle for their applica-
tion.
T 4 In
[ 28o 3
In the paffage cited by Dionyfius from
a tragedy of Euripides, he doth not blame
the mufician for violating accents, in his
application of mufical notes, (which hath
been imagined by fome very learned men)
but he gives it as an inftance only of the
difference between the notes of Jong and the
notes of language m. our ordinary converfa-
tion, which are determined by the accen-
tual marks ; and he mews likewife that the
notes of fong as applicable to poetic mea-
fures might differ in refpedt of their time$
from what is ufually denominated quantity.
So that it appears clear to me beyond a
doubt, the antient Greek mulicians took
the fame liberty as the moderns, to compofe
their mufic with a very flight regard to
the metrical length or accentual height
of the fyllables. In truth, according to
this author, they made no fcruple of vio-
lating accent and quantity either in fong
or recitative, as they thought proper, not
capricioufly
[ a8i ]
capricioufly and wantonly indeed, but
whenever they felt it would be moft pro-
per to give expreffion to the fentiment ;
and, in fact, how could a mufician, who
is worthy of the name, do ctherwife ? I
heartily wifh our friend Mr. S. would
confider the principle of melody with re-
fpect to Sentiment* as he has already done
with refpect to Harmony, and oblige the
world with his thoughts on each branch
of the fubject. I am perfuaded, that if
any perfon could eftablifh the matter
clearly he could ; and I do not know that
it has ever yet been attempted. But to
return to Dionyfius. The example he
has taken to mow the difference between
accentual notes in ordinary utterance, and
thofe of fong, is from a fcene in Oreftes,
where Electra requefts the Chorus to re-
tire in filence foftly from the couch, (upon
which he is introduced as flumbering,)
left they mould awaken him again to his
difcraction.
[ 232 ]
diffraction. In my edition, which is not
the beft, Eleclra's words are given to the
Chorus, the reafon of which I fuppofe to
have been, becaufe the fame requeft had
been made juft before in a fpeech given
to Electraj if therefore what is quoted
by Dionyfius be not Eledlra's fpeech, it
muft be a repetition of her requeft by the
leader of the band, for the addrefs is evi-
dently directed to the chorus, whofe habit
is pointed out by the distinction of their
white flippers, if my memory does not
deceive me.
HA '.-'ZTya,, Ziyot, Xiuxov tfoto'g up(3vXiqg-
T&sTtb, pv} JcJv7rsiTe t
AlTO 7Tpo[ja,T BXeKT , CC7T07fpO^Ji XOlTOtq.
Dionyfius tells us, that every fyllable
of the three firfi words of this pafTage was
fung at the fame pitch of voice, \
laft remark may be true, I do not pretend
to be capable of judging, but if well
founded, it gives a eonfiderable weight
to his opinion. One thing always ftruck-
me, long before I read this author, name-
ly, a difcordance between the progrefs of
the Arts, the highly polifhed language
of the Iliad and OdyrTey, and the coarfe-
nefs of manners in thefe poems.* This
was an evidence which I could not doubt,
that Homer [whofe name in Celtic fig-
nifies the minftrel or the man of verfe]
probably received eonfiderable amftance
at leaft, from fome heroic fongs of his
predeceflbrs in poetry * who had flourifhed
perhaps many centuries before him ; and
that he blended the ftate of the Arts as
they were advanced in his own time, with
the facts as they had recorded them, which
he took for the fubject of his own un->
equalled poems. He introduces Achilles
repeating thefe fongs to his Lyre, when
the
[ 2?9 3
the ambaffadors from Agamemnon came
to his tent, and the moil learned critic *
of the age hath obferved, that whenever
Homer invocates the Mufes, he mould
only be confidered as appealing to the
fongs of thefe more antient bards, to
authenticate the facfts he was about to
deliver.
I do not recollect that ever they have
been confidered in this light; but I mud
own, the following lines of Horace ap-
pear to me as alluding to thefe very poems,
and lamenting the lofs of them,
Vixere fortes ante Agamemnona
Multi, fed omnes illachrymabiles
. Urgentur, ignotiq; -longa
No&e, carent quia vate facro.
Hor. Carm. l.iy. Ode uc.
for carent in the prefent tenfe does not
jiecerTarily imply that their deeds were
always unfung, but only that the poems
* The author of the Divine Legation of Mofes.
Vol, I, U celc
[ 290 ]
celebrating their exploits were not re-
maining in the Auguftan age.
There is a flrange tradition, that the
Iliad was not intended by its author for a
whole or compleat poem ; an abmrdity
not worthy of an anfwer ; but the origin
of it may be accounted for, in the opinion
of Homer's having availed himfelf of ti^efe
heroic fongs of his predeceflbrs, which
were probably feparate pieces, preferved
only by memory.
Since the perufal of this book I have
reflected with more attention upon the
fubject than I ufed to do, and am fully
perfuaded that epic poetry mud have had
an earlier original than the Iliad and
OdyfTey, for I can never bring myfelf to
believe that poems fo artificial in their
ftrudture, and at the fame time fo perfect
as never to have been equalled by any
other in any age of the world fince,
could poflibly be the firfi effays of their
kind* The Hetrufcans were a ilourifhing
people
[ 291 J
people long before the fuppofed age of
the building of Rome, and that Arts were
advanced to a high degree of perfection
amongft them, we have fome authentic
memorials ; but we have ftrong preemp-
tions of the Celtic Druidical Bards being
Hill more antient. There is reafon to
believe that the Celts were a diftinguifhed
people, as early as the patriarchal times,
when civilization and the arts were flou-
rishing in ./Egypt ; and that there were
poets by profeffion amongft them, is a fa£fc
in which all hiftorians are agreed, fo that
many centuries may be allowed for the
progremon of epic poetry, from the sera
of this people to that of the immortal
blind bard who did not live till after the
death of Solomon. Helene, the daugh-
ter of Mufaeus, is faid to have written a
poem upon the Trojan war ; and Syagrus,
mentioned by iElian as the next poet after
Orpheus and Mufasus, exercifed his mufe
upon the fame fubjed:, though their works
U 2 are
[ 292 ]
are not come down to us, and poffibly
Homer's may be improvements upon
thefe. That the religion of the Celts
(which is a prefumption of their very
high antiquity,) was received from the
Ifraelites before the doctrine of the Re-
demption of mankind by the facrifice of
a Mediator was corrupted amongfl the
Gentiles, is clear, in my opinion, from
fome of their religious ceremonies ; the
principal of which confifted in a vene-
ration paid to the mhTeltoe of the oak,
which, as it is commonly understood, has
the appearance of a moft ridiculous and
unaccountable fuperflition ; whereas upon
the fuppofition of their having been in-
fer ucled in the patriarchal doctrine of the
Mefliah, revealed in a particular manner
to Abraham, from whofe immediate de-
fendants it is molt likely they received
it, every thing is clear, and agreeable to
antient ufage. There are feveral paflages
in the fcriptures which intimate the oak to
have
[ 293 3
have had fome typical relation to Divine
worfhip ; it was planted in the profeuchas
not only of the later Jews, but before the
days of Jofhua the fon of Nun, and its
name in the radical letters of the Hebrew
fignifies the Deity himfelf. The reve-
rence therefore of the Druidical priefls for
the plant fpringing from the oak, which
they cut off with great folemnity, and
offered upon their altars, might be owing
to its being confidered as a natural em-
blem of that facred Branchy as the Mefllah
in after ages was ftyled by the prophets,
who was to take upon him a different
nature than that from which he proceed-
ed, and to become an expiatory facrince
for the fins of the world. And the
medicinal virtues afcribed to this plant,
(which it is fuppofed even to this day to
be poffeffed of) in the cure of epileptic
diforders imputed to the influence of ma-
lignant daemons, were probably derived
from the fame fource, a tradition of the
U 3 facred
[ 294 1
facred Branch * being fent for a healing
of the nations, and to counteract the power
of evil fpirits.
I fufpect you will think that I have
been more than ordinarily dull in the
detail of this conjecture, and that what I
have advanced upon the authority of a
namelefs writer concerning the Iliad and
the OdylTey, is extremely whimfical, if
not altogether abfurd. I mail not un-
dertake to defend his opinions -, they may
afford you ten minutes amufement, and
fome little, as you fee, may be faid fop
them.
I am, &c.
* Ifai. iv. a. In that day fliall the Branch of the Lord be
beautiful.
Zech. iii. 8. Behold I will bring forth my fervant the
Branch.
Zech, xi. ja. Behold the man whofe name is the Branch*
LETTER
[ 295 3
LETTER XXXIV.
My Dear C.
J PROMISED that I would take an
•*• opportunity of enquiring fully into
the principles of the Grecian mufic, as
they have been delivered to us by their
own harmonic writers; but I cannot think
of fitting down to fo difficult a tailc with-
out the affiftance of Mr. S. who is at pre-
fent engaged. You will therefore excufe
me if I only juft touch upon the fubjecl:
now, in order to explain a paffage in St.
Paul's firft Epiflle to the Corinthians,
which I apprehend is not generally un-
derstood ; I am fure it was not conftrued
properly when we went over it. You
know that the difference of acutenefs and
U 4 gravity
[ 296 ]
gravity, between any two notes in mufie,
is called an interval, and that in modern
mu{ic, the notes immediately fucceedihg
each other in the common or Guidonian
fcale, are at no greater distance or interval
than that of a tone, which is ufually di-
vided into ten parts called commas -, nor
at a fmaller than that of a hemitone, con-
fiding of five commas, [though both the
tone and hemitone, if I rightly recollect,
are demonftrated to be alternately a greater
and a lefs, from fome very minute diffe-
rences between them.] Thus from the
note C to that of D is the interval of a
tone ; from D to E is another tone; from
E to F is a liemitone - y from F to G is a
tone ; from G to A is a tone ; frpm A to
B is a tone, and from B to C the eighth
note, which clofes in the feptem difcri-
mina vocum of the poet, is again at a
fecond hemitonic interval ; fo that thp
octave may be faid to confift of two tetra-
chords,
[ 297 I
chords, each of which includes the in*
terval of one natural hemitone. It was
a fafhion with the Greeks, to begin the
tetrachord with an hemitonic interval, as
E F G A for inflance, and whatever was
the pitch of E, the fecond note, F, was
tuned at the diflance of a hemitone from
it, and the intervals between BCDE
were fimilar to thofe between E F G A.
When the firings of the lyre were thus
tuned, the mufic was faid to be in the
diatonic genus. In a fecond fpecies of
mufic, which they chofe to denominate
chromatic, not only the fecond firing of
each tetrachord was tuned at the interval
of a hemitone from the firfl, but the third
was likewife tuned at a hemitonic interval
from the fecond, and to make up the
proper number of hemitones in a tetra-
chord, [namely five] the fourth firing
was tuned at an interval of three hemi-
tones from the third. As art and ab-
furdity
[ 298 ]
furdity prevailed, they eftablifhed, and
pretended to be delighted with a third
divilion of a tetrachord : the fecond and
third firings of the lyre, were now tuned
at the interval only of a diefis, or a quar-
ter tone, and the fourth at the interval
of a ditone from the third, that is, of
four hemitones, in order to compleat the
proper interval of a fourth, which con-
lifts, as hath been obferved, of five.
Unnatural as thefe latter divifions par-
ticularly were, the Greeks are faid to have
valued themfelves much upon the inven^
tion, and from ufe and habit to have ac-
quired a tafte for this prepofterous melody,
which could be agreeable to no ears but
their own ; for no other perfon could feel
or underftand it. It is upon this account
the Apoftle fays, lire avKog, tire xftc&px
bocv oiocgoXvjv rotg (pQoyyoig ut\ ou, irug yvoQrf
tr&rou ro a.vX\i^voy v\ to xiQupiiopsvov : where
&ocgo\vi precifely anfwers to the hxgypu,
or
[ 299 3
or interval of the Greek mulical writerSj
and the whole paffage correfponds with
what is meant by Bacchius, who after
determining a tone in the fyflem of mu-
fical notes to equal the difference or in-
terval between a fourth and a fifth, adds,
l \ \ J / TV/ f "
rara yocp pr] WKOLpxpvToq UGVVCCTOV £irj Tl TUV
tut a, Mztrncvjv $et%ai. That dia.goXi]v Toig
(pQoyyou; means well known intervals, or
the eftablifhed diiferences of acutenefs and
gravity in a fcale of notes, which were
fenfibly felt, (without which one man's
mufic could have no effect upon another
man's affections) and not a difference
merely in thehaftening or the drawling out
of a mufical compofition, is evident from
confidering the folly which St. Paul here
intended to reprove; now this was not
the pouring out a hafly torrent of con-
fufed words, like fome of our modern
enthufiafls, with a chorus of fighs and
groans for the burthen. But the making
ufe
[ 3 00 1
ufe of a language with which the hearers
were unacquainted, and which muft have
been either an abufe of real infpiration,
or the pretence to it only out of vanity ; in
fhort, it was the preaching in an unknown
language, which whatever doctrines it
contained, could be intelligible only to
the fpeaker himfelf. Were I to come to
you, faith the Apoftle, and deliver my
inflructions in morality and religion ever
fo elegantly in a variety of tongues to
which you are ftranger.s, what would it
profit you ? Take the cafe of inftrumental
mufic, in the fcience of which you Gre-
cians particularly boaft yourfelves, and
fuppofe a mufician modulating upon the
lyre or the flute in a new genus of har-
monic, whofe intervals areabfolutely un-
known to you, what pleafure or advan-
tage could you receive from an attention
to his melody ? Whatever merit it might
have with thofe to whom its intervals
were
L 3 OT 1
were familiar, it mufl certainly be a dis-
agreeable and unintelligible jargon of wild
founds to you who are ignorant of them.
Whether the Apoftle underftood the
abfurdity of the Graecian refinements in
mulic or not, his applying to their fup-
pofed tajle in it mows his judgment and
addrefs ; and in this light the allufion is
juft, which upon the ufual fuppofition
of its relating only to the hurrying over
a piece of mufic in the performance, is
exceedingly defective, and involves an
abfurdity in the illuflration, becaufe how-
ever properly or improperly executed, no
mufical compofition can be performed in
any manner, nor exifl: indeed without
having an eftablifhed diflinction of in-
tervals which is meant by hug-oXyv roTg
qtBoyyotg • to fuppofe it poffible, is to ima-
gine that mufic can exifl without mufical
notes.
How
[ 3° 2 ]
How the Greeks could fall into the ab~
furdity of regulating their melody wholly
upon mathematical principles, and of
giving up entirely the natural judgement
of their ears, which was the cafe with the
Pythagorean mufical feci:, is wonderful,
though I am not furprized after they had
fo done, at an endeavour to fupport the
credit of their undemanding, by a pretence
of extraordinary powers, particularly in
this laft genus of melody, which they
named the Enharmonic, and concerning
which the graveft. authors of antiquity
' have related wonders : wonders that have
gained credit in oppofition to common
fenfe, and which I could as foon believe
if they were attributed to the mufic of the
fpheres. It affords us an example, my
dear C. that with the generality of the
world, as hath been obferved of the Si-
bylline verfes by fomebody, the moft ri-
diculous opinions want only a little tem-
porary
t 3°3 ]
porary fupport from a few leading men
to their eftablifhment, for when once
they are become antient, all farther proofs
are deemed unneceffary, and even to doubt
about them is thought an unpardonable
infolence,
Si dubites cunfti clament periiffe pudorem.
I am,
My dear Charles, your's, &c.
P. S. There were fome few of the an-
tients themfelves who acknowledged the
difficulty of reconciling the ear to the
unnatural melody of the enharmonic ge-
nus. Ariftoxenus, who was at the head
of a mufical fed: in oppofition to the Py-
thagorean, has the following expreffion,
fpeaking of enharmonic, rpirov $e xxt
UVUTCCTOV
[ 304 ]
O&VUTCCTOV TO £VC£p[A,OVlOV t T£\£VTOtl(0
it
[ 3*9 1
it is true, in their utmoft perfection in the
fame perfon, but when they do, it muft
be owing to accidental circumftances, if
fuch a one does not govern the opinions
of the World.
Real Genius, as including 'Judgment
and Tajie, muft be delighted with Beauty
and Truth, and confequently muft be a
friend to Virtue, which is the acting fuit-
ably to both thefe relations; but if this
is the cafe it will be objected, that men
of Genius would always be the moil re-
gular and exemplary furely in their be-
haviour, and never deviate from the paths
of moral Virtue and Religion ; whereas
we often find thofe who feem to be pof-
fefled of it, the moft irregular in their
conduct, virtuous and vicious by turns,
as different circumftances occur: The
truth is, a perfeSi Genius is never to be
found -, and in thofe who poifefs many of
the peculiar marks of Genius, that active
principle
[ 3 26 i
principle of mind which is the mofr. dif*
tinguifhing characterifric of it, occafions
a rapidity of thought and action, which
frequently hurries them into the exceffes
even of vice itfelf, though defigned by
Providence to be the guardians of truth,
and illuftrious examples of a virtuous
conduct ; but it ought to be obferved,
that in giving way to vice of any kind,
the man of Genius always acts againft
his ftrongefi conviElion, and feels a feve-
rity of anguifh whenever he reflects upon
his mifcongluct -, whereas Wit alone,
though it fometimes takes the lead, is
indifferent- 'to Virtue or to Vice, and de-
lighting in what may be called mere ima-
ginary picturefque confequences, inclines
by its natural bias towards falfhood, hath
a tendency to miflead the mind of its
owner, and to corrupt the underftanding
by a habit of difcovering and dwelling
upon fuch partial or fantaflical agree-
ments,
[ 3 21 J
merits, as are inconfiftent with a fearch
after truth, and frequently from habit
even with the difcernment of it. Wit,
therefore, is not without a confiderable
mixture of folly* and however oppofite
to each other Wit and Folly may ap-
pear* they run together, and unite as
intimately as lead and quickfilver.
Humour confifts in an apparent abfur-
dity of fpeech or action, in deducing falfe
confequences from real Principles, or true
confequences from falfe ones (knowing
them refpeclively to be fuch) with all
the formality of right reafoning, and
propriety of behaviour. I fay it confifls
in an apparent abfurdity of fpeech or ac-
tion ; for if the incongruity is unknown
to the perfon who makes ufe of it, we
do not reckon him a man of Humour,
but of quite another clafs ; and if it
paries undifcovered by others, it ceafes to
be humour to them likewife. Humour
Vot. I. Y is
£ 322 ]
is generally reckoned the loweft fpecies
of Wit ; for as Wit forms new and beau-
tiful pictures, fo Humour forms new and
ridiculous ones - t but though both wit and
humour be indifferent to truth, Humour
is, in this refpect, fuperior to Wit, that
the Poffeffor's own understanding is not
fo liable to be impofed on by it, at leaft
not immediately. We may from, hence
difcern the error of our making ridicule
the tefl of truth, iince abfurdity of one
kind or another is the fource of it j and
however Ridicule may be deemed a tefl
of elegance, the truth of a relation is de-
termined otherwife than by the contem-
plation of improprieties.
With regard to the reality of know-
ledge all men are equal * -> the difference
between
* It might have been obferved here, that the prejudices
in favour of mathematical proofs, are not fo juftly founded
as we might expefr from the encomiums bellowed upon it;
indeed fume people argue as if there was no other certainty
whatever!
[ 3^3 3
between the wifeft of men and of others
refpeding only the extent of it, and that
is much more limited than our vanity
difpofes us to believe j indeed the only
knowledge we are capable of, which de-
ferves the name of wifdom (upon the
fuppofed pojfejjion of which men are apt
to pride them/elves) and which is always
ftiled Wifdom in the facred fcriptures, is
the knowledge of our duty, ariflng from
our knowledge of the relation in which
we ftand to God, and our fellow-crea-
tures ; that is, the knowledge of morality
and religion, which influences our con-
dud: ; the principles of this Science are
clear, and offer themfelves readily to the
mind ; whereas the principles of every
whatever 3 the fteps, it mult be owned, by which we ad-
vance, are more eafily diftinguifhed in mathematical en-
quiries which refpeet only lines and numbers, but in all
advances towards truth, by reafoning we muft neceffarily
proceed from one ftep of intuitive knowledge to another of
the fame kind.
Y 2 other
[ 3 2 4 J.
other kind of Knowledge, which hath
not an immediate relation to this, are
more fubordinate in their nature, mufl
be fought out with diligence and labour,
and our utmoft endeavours will not carry
us far, before we find the bar put to all
farther enquiries.
The foregoing obfervations may lead
us to feveral matters of importance.
There is a feverity in Truth which ne-
ver fails to extend its influence over the
whole mind of the perfon who gives up
his attention to it -, and hence we may ob-
ferve the man of mere judgment to be
always porTefTed of a rigidneis and feve-
rity, which, for want of confldering its
caufe, we are apt, at firft light, to mif-
take for an Original ill-nature and mo-
rofenefs of temper. In the man of Tafte,
this feverity is qualified by that difcern-
ment of elegance, which infpires a na-
tural kind of politenefs accompanying
his
t 3 2 5. ]
his judgment, and which is the founda-
tion at the fame time of that placid calm
difpofition, which the men, pofTeiTed of
this happy faculty, are blefTed with : But
the man of Genius has every advantage
that the human mind is capable of ; he
not only difcerns truth and elegance of
relation in fubjects which are offered to
him, but fees, at one view, an almolt in-
finite number of confequences flowing
from a Principle, together with their re-
lative degrees of beauty compared to-
gether; and this flaming, as it were, of
confequences upon the mind in their full
fplendor, and, with the fwiftnefs of light-
ning, hurries him out of himfelf, and oc-
cafions a rapidity, which is apt to extend
itfelf to every thought and action of a
true genius. Wit, as being the product of
defettive genius, including defective judg-
ment, mud beget a temper of mind Jimi-
lar to that which characterizes the man
X 3 of
[ 326 ]
of real genius $ and as this latter has al-
ways a rapidity about him, attended with,
a becoming confidence, fo the former,
likewife, will be lively, agreeable, and
unreferved.
The man of wit is not fo rapid as the
man of genius, becaufe he difcovers but
few confequences at once, neither is he fo
phlegmatic as the man of folid judgment,
becaufe he feldom troubles himfelf to ex*
amine the truth of any relation what*
foever.
As the natural powers of men's minds
may contribute to form their difpofitions
and tempers, fo their difpofitions and
tempers are, in general, very evidently
chara&eriftic of the faculties of their
minds, and furnifh us with farther hints
which may be of ufe in common life.
Is it necefTary for me to perfuade, or to
confute ? My firft endeavour mould be, to
find out what is the peculiar difpofition,
and
[ 3 2 7 ]
and what are the powers of mind, of "the
perfon with whom I am concerned, and
being able to read the latter in his tem-
per, I mint urge my topics, and conduct
my arguments accordingly. In vain
would any one attempt to prevail upon a
man of wit by demonstrative arguments,
fuch a one would fooh be tired with that,
of which his mind is incapable of dis-
cerning the force.
What has been faid may be applied to
education. It is no difficult matter, by an
attention to the actions and behaviour of
children, to difcover their natural turn and
abilities; and from the hints here given,
we may be enabled to ftrengthen their
powers, or to correct the exceifes which
arife from too ample an indulgence of
their original bent, which muft of ne-
ceflity contract the mind, as the method
here pointed out is proper to open it.
Suppofe, for inftance, we obferve in a
X 4 child
[ 3*8 ]
child an original turn to rigid Judgment,
it would be in vain to think that the
powers of invention can naturally fiourifh
in fo cold a foil j but, neverthelefs, this
mind may be improved, by pointing out
the elegance of relations at the fame time
with the truth of them; and by this
means, although Tafte is not a native of
the fpot, it may be planted in it by art,
and cultivated to a high degree of excel-
lence. But if, on the other hand, there
appears a lively invention, which princi-
pally characterizes genius, and of courfe
I fhould expect to find Judgment and
Tafte in fome degree ; yet, as the mind
delights in action, there is great danger of
this invention running wild, to the neg-
lect of Judgment and Tafte -, and, there-
fore, in this cafe, great care ought to be
be taken to inculcate an attention to them,
without hurting the Invention, or hin-
dering its energy : and it is undoubtedly
often
[ 3*9 J
often owing to a neglect of this kind, in
the ufual method of education, that this
rapidity of mind in men of Genius hur-
ries them into vice, in oppofition to the
intention of Providence.
It only remains, to fhow by what me-
thod we may proceed to find out the rea-
lity of 'a Principle, and by what means we
may prevent our miftaking an imaginary
for a real one ; the teft of confequence is
eftablimed from the 'Truth of its relation
to a Principle, it remains to find out a cri-
terion of Principle, and to do this, we mud,
as in the difcovery of all knowledge, pro-
ceed to a proof by the method of analyfis.
There is frequently fuch a relation dif-
cernable between feveral confequences,
as plainly indicates them to belong to one
and the fame Principle ; the point is to
difcover what that Principle is -, now it
may fo happen, that when one of thefe
confequences is referred for for exami-
nation
[ 33° 3
nation to a Principle, there may, at fidl
fight, be fuch an appearance of true rela-
tion between them, that it mall, upon a
curfory view, pafs for a juft confequence
from it, but if, upon referring another of
thefe connected confequences to the fame
principle, we mould find the relation be-
tween this fecond apparent ctmfequence
and the Principle to be falfe, we may con-
clude, from the certain known relation
between the two, which was obferved at
firft, and which may be called their in-
dicative relation, that the principle upon
which we imagined thefe confequences
to depend, is not their real principle, and
we muft, therefore, look out for fbme
other : it is thus we are furnifhed with a
method of putting a Principle, as it were,
to the ten: ; for if it will not hold good
in refpect to all thofe confequences which
have a true indicative relation to each
other, it is, undoubtedly, not their real
principle. when
I 331 ]
When we are engaged in the difcovery
of Truth, we frequently make ufe of this
indicative relation, in order to prove that
the analylis is juft, even without obferv-
ing that we do fo.
This may, at firil fight, perhaps, ap-
pear to be the fynthetic method of inves-
tigation, becaufe there is a principle given,
but it is to be obferved, that feveral con-
fequences are here applied to a feeming
Principle only, to try whether it is a
Principle or not, which can be found out
only by analyfing thefe confequences, and
tracing them up to their original : Let us
try to illuftrate this method of proce-
dure :
In digging amongft the ruins of Her-
culaneum, the workmen difcover two
arms of parian marble, at no great dif-
tance from each other, which evidently
belong to que fame ftatue, each of them
having the remains of fome mufical in-
ftrumcnt
[ 33 2 3
firument joined with it, the fragments
of which inftrument fit each other ex-
actly, and are a true indicative relation
between the two arms ; upon applying
one of thefe arms to an antique trunk,
thrown out near the fame place, it is
found to adapt itfelf to it with fo much
eafe, that we are prejudiced in the opi-
nion of its being the body of the very
ftatue from whence both the arms were
broken off, but, upon application of the
other arm, it appears clearly to be a mif-
take, the direction of this arm being in-
confiftent with the attitude of the trunk,
as it muft join the body before it ought
to do it, or reach up beyond its proper
infertion.
The fame indicative relation [the ap-
plication of which is here intended to be
illuftrated] will be of great ufe like wife
in the fynthetic method; for when we
are defcending from a known principle to
confequence.
[ 333 ]
confequence, we may, fometimes, be de-
ceived by a fpecious appearance of fome
proportion, or effect, and miftake it for
a real confequence of this principle, but
upon obferving, afterwards, that this con-
fequence hath a certain indicative relation
to fome other confequence, whofe Prin-
ciple we know to be different, the mif-
take appears plain -, and thus, as in ana-
lyfis, the indicative relation is a teft of
Principle ; fo, in the fynthetic method or
the true order of teaching, it becomes a
proof of the jufl relation of Confequence.
C. D. C. S,
1764.
LETTER
I 334 1
LETTER XXXVK
Dear Charles,
T HAVE mentioned it as a linking ab-
'•* furdity of our concerts, that they are
not formed into a Whole - y and that fuch
compositions are frequently forced into
union in them, as have not only no na-
tural connection, but are inconfiftent and
■ at variance with each other -, and I can-
not but think, that there are juft objec-
tions likewife to a Concert which conlifls
of Inflrumental Mufic only ; for although
its feveral Parts mould be felected from
the works of a real Genius, (which may
not perpetually be the cafe, as fuch are
not extremely numerous, whatever mu-
fical concordance they may poffefs, and
however
[ 335 3
however they may pleafe the ear) they
have much lefs power over the affections
and the heart to retrain and regulate
the Paffions, than we might otherwife
obtain, which, doubtlefs, ought to be
propofed, as the great and ultimate end
and aim of our rnufical entertainments,
as well as of every other public exhi-
bition.
Inflrumental Mufic, it is true, may
alone have confiderable influence upon
Adepts in the Science of it, or upon the
practical mufician, who confiders it as
exemplifying the rules of his art - 3 but it
hath been a frequent fubject of amufe-
ment with me, to obferve, how drowfy
and inattentive the generality of an au-
dience at a concert iit, where an affecta-
tion of rnufical feelings does not bring
their mufcles into action, till they are
awakened by a vocal performance, which,
however trifling the fubject, or however
mean
[ 336 ]
mean the verfification, gives expreffion to
their features, and indeed how' can they
be other than unmoved, whilft that,
which was defigned by Nature as an Ac-
companiment only, is made Principal in
the Execution ; and the Voice (which
confidered limply as a Mufical Inftrument,
and independent of the fenfe conveyed by
words, is the fweeteft to the human ear *.)
can
* That the Notes of the Human Voice, fo far as they can
reach, arc the moft agreeable of all mufical founds, will be
abundantly evident to any perfons who (hall try the experi-
ment or* Sol-fa-ing fome of Corelli's compositions, defigned
for inlt' uments only, which, as they were the firft attempts
amongft the Moderns, to give fentiment to mere founds, fo
they will be founds perhaps, the moftperfeft in their kind :
and whereas in the compofitions of moft other Mufkians,
the Melody cither gives place to the Harmony, or, when ex»
predion is the chief aim, the Harmony falls fliort of the Me-
lody ; Corelli's Genius is equal to them both, and capable of
conducing f hem together, fo as almoft equally to aflill in the
completion of his Defign. It is the fame in his Fugues, the
feveral parts of which are fo contrived, as to give ftrength,
firmneffj
I 337 3
can but rarely be admitted to bear even
an inconfiderable under-part in the En-
tertainment. A Mufician, of the laft age,
has obferved, that inftrumental Mufic,
when it is not the accompaniment of
Song, hath a near affinity with what are
called nonfenfe Verfes in Poetry— all me-
tre, and no meaning. A mulical Black-
fmith, it is true, or a child of five or fix
firmnefs, and expre/Tion to each other, and at the fame time
be capable of ftanding by themfelves. It is to be lamented,
that his incomparable examples gave occafion to the fepa-
rating melody and Harmony from Song, which, before his
time, were, generally, if not always, united ; fince I can-
not but look upon this divorce of what Nature has joined
together, as one principal caufe of the corruption of our
Mufic. Notwithftanding all the boafted powers of their
melody (for their Harmony was very inconfiderable) I ap-
prehend the Greeks to have had no merely inftrumentai
concerts even in their mufical Theatres, though they en-
deavoured to prepare the minds of an Audience for the
impreffions of fome dramatic Scene, by the ^ToqocuXiov 3
or Overture,
Vol. I. Z years
[ 338 J
years old, fhall, fometimes, roufe a whole
audience into attention and aftonifhment,
with their melody and harmony alone,
and make the great wigs lean together
over the Harpfichord, in all the formality
of critical admiration : the compositions
of fuch felf- taught perfons are,- undoubt-
edly, to be conlidered as curiofities ; but
it hath been faid, with the flrieteft truth
I believe, either by Dr. Brown, or by
Tartini, that, till the Poet, the Philo-
fopher, and the Mufician, are united in
the fame perfon, we mufl not expect to
feel the full powers of Mufic ; and fuch
characters, I ween, are not likely to be
brought together from the cradle, or the
anvil, notwithstanding what hath been
faid of Pythagoras's mufical hammers.
I inclofe two attempts towards an Ora-
torio for a Family-concert, of different
characters, and wifh, that our ingenious
friend Mr. S. would compofe a fuitable
melody
£ 339 1
melody and harmony for one, or both of
them, when he is at leifure from more
important ftudies ; his extraordinary mu-
fical genius would give diflinction to
them, imperfect as they are, and might,
poflibly, fet the fafhion of uniting found
and fenfe again together (inftead of thofe
little- crafoes of mere mufical notes, as
they are fometimes not improperly called)
that would go on to the production of
more exact and finifhed performances than
thefe inartificial fketches, which might
contribute not only to delight the ear,
but, at the fame time, to infpire the fen-
timents of Religion and Virtue; and, cer-
tainly, there are no fubjects, or language,
fo fweetly adapted for mufical cadence,
either in the grand or the pathetic ftyle,
as may be found in the holy Scriptures .
I am, &c.
&A-
BALAAM:
A N
ATTEMPT TOWARDS
A N
ORATORIO,
FOR
A PRIVATE CONCERT.
1769,
T O
MARGARET
LADY BEAUMONT,
O F
D U N M O W,
IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX,
THIS ATTEMPT
IS WITH THE UTMOST GRATITUDE
INSCRIBED,
BY HER LADYSHIP'S
MOST OBLIGED,
AND MOST OBEDIENT
HUMBLE SERVANT,
Onehoufe, TH £ COMPILER.
Nov. 6, 1786.
PERSONS.
BalaK, King of Moab.
Balaam, a Prophet of God, from Aram in Melbpotamia,
but fwerving from his Duty through Ambition.
Prophetic Chorus of Men and Women, Attendants upon
Balaam.
SUBJECT.
L THAT the Completion of God' 's temporal and fpiritual Pre-
mifes to Abraham, refpeEling the Grandeur and the Multitude of
his Poflerity, anjl the Redemption of Mankind by the Meffiah, in
-•whom all the Nations of the Earth were to be blejfed, however
counter a&ed andoppofed, could not be hindered by the Cruelty and
Malice of wicked Men, or hy the Power of evil Spirits,
[ 345 3
BALAAM, &c.
ACT THE FIRST.
OVERTURE.
BALAAM.
Recitative*
R
I S E up Balak, and hear—
hearken unto me Thou Son of Zipp5r.
Recitative accompanied.
God is not a Man that he mould lie,
nor a. fan of man, that he mould repent.
—Hath He faid, and lhall he not do it?
—Hath He fpoken, and mail he not fulfil hit word ?
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC CHORUS OF MIIT.
Recitative accompanied.
There is no Enchantment againft Jacob,
neither any Divination againft Ifrael.
—Seek
[ 346 ]
•——Seek no rtfore for lying- Vanities;
but fei thy Face toward the Wildernefs,
and behold ihe People encamping by their Tribes.
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC FEMAIE BAND.
Recitativti
Rapt in the Vifions of God,
He is fallen into a Trance^
but having his Eyes open.
—Attend to the Prophetic Strain—
BALAAM.
Songi
How goodly are thy Tents, O Jacob I
and thy Tabernacles, O Ifrael !
From the Tops of Peor I behold them,
Extended as the Streams along the. Vallies.
As Gardens by the Side of Jordan.
-—Bleffed is he that blefieth Thee,
and curfed is he that curfeth Thee.
EALAK.
Recitative,
I callod Thee to curfe mine Enemies,
and Thou haft bleffed them altogether,
Balaam.
[ 347 J
BALAAM.
Recitative accompanied*
i
How (hall I curfe whom God hath not cuded ?
I have received Commandment from the Lord to hkfs-,
and he hath blcffed— —
B A L A K.
Recitative.
Neither cnrfe them at a! ! , nor blefs them at all——.
For why ihould'ft thou be kept from Honour.
BALAAM.
Recitative.
Let me die the Death of the righteous,
and let my lajf End be like his*— —
Recitative accompanied.
I fhall fee him, but not now;
I /hall behold him, but not nigh j
A Star mail arift out of J?ccb,
And a Sceptre ftial! fpring out of Ifrael,
to finite the Corners of Moab.
He mail lift u; himfelf as a Lion,
and dii£ik the Blooti of ihe. flain,
Leader
I 343 ]
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC CHORUS OF MEN.
i'owg,
The People fhail dwell alone,
and not be reckoned among the Nations.
—God brought them forth out of Egypt.
—The Shout of a King is among them.
Full Chorus.
Jehovah fhall reign fcr ever and ever.
END OF THE FIRST ACT.
ACT THE SECOND.
BALAAM.
Recitative.
THE Lord made a Covenant with Abraham, faying,
unto thy Seed have I given this Land, from the River
of ./Egypt to the River Euphrates j but unto the Son he
faith, I will give Thee the Gentiles for thine Heritage, and
the utmoft Paris of the Earth for thy Poffeffion. Tty Throne,
O God, is for ever and ever !
Leader
E 349 ]
LEADER OP THE PROPHETIC FEMALE BAND.
Recitative accompanied.
O that Thou wouldeft bow the Heavnes, and come down
to proclaim Liberty to the Captives,
to bind up the broken in heart,
and to comfort them that mourn.
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitative accompanied.
Faint not, neither be difmayed ;
Let thy Song be with the Voice of Triumph :
Mercy and Truth have met together,
and Righteoufnefs hath looked down from Heaven—
The Saviour, the Redeemer, (hall come uato his People.
He (hall deal hit Bread to the hungry,
He fhall cover the naked with a Garment,
and their Miferies mail be remembered no mare.
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC FEMALE BAND.
Song.
Sing, O barren, thou that didft not bear,
break forth into hnging, and cry aloud,
the Redeemer the holy one of Ifrael,
is the God of the whole Earth..
FULL
[ 35° ]
FULL PROPHETIC CHORUS.
Song.
Thine, O Lord, is the Greatnefs and the Power, and the
Glory,
for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine j
and thy Dominion endureth throughout all ages.
Amen and Amen.
END OF THE SECOND ACT*
ACT THE THIRD.
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC CHORUS OF MEN,
Recitative.
GOD mail give the Viftory unto Ifrael,
his King (hall be higher than Agag :
he mail give his Children, an everlafting Kingdom
through his Son, whom he hath exalted
to have Dominion over all Things,
and to ranfom from the Power of the Grave.
[ 35i ]
HEADER OF THE PROPHETIC CHORUS OF MEN,
AND
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC BAND OF
WOMEfc.
Song Duet.
i
He that hath the Son hath Life.
He that hath not the Son hath not Life.
BALAAM.
'Recitative accompanied.
Behold '. the Tabernacle of God is with Men,
He (hall dwell with them,
and they mail be his People :
He fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes,
and there fhall be no more Death,
neither Sorrow nor Pain.
LEADER OF THE PROPHETIC CHORUS,
Song.
I am the Refurreclion and the Life, faith the Lord.
He that believeth in me fhall not die for ever*
FULL
[ 35 2 3
FULL CHORUS.
Song.
Allelujah!— Salvation, and Glory, and Honour, and Power*
unto the Lord our God I
Amen— Al leluj ah I— Amen .
RUTH;
R U T H i
A N
ATTEMPT TOWARDS
A N
O R A T O R I O.
FOR
A PRIVATE CONCERT,
1769.
Aa
t 6
MISS EMILY SMEAR,
O F
FROSTENDEN,
IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK;
R U T H :
An attempt towards
AN ORATORIO,
FOR A FAMILY CONCERT,
IS INSCRIBED, BY THE COMFILER,
AS A TOKEN OF HIS MOST FRIENDLY RESPECT
FOR THE DAUGHTER OF HIS FRIEND*
Onehoufe,
Jan. i, 1787.-
A a i
PERSONS.
Naomi, Wife of Elimelech.
Ruth and Orpah, Wives of Mahlon and Chilion.
Boaz, a chief Perfon in Beth-lehem Judah.
Company of Bethlehemites.
Companions of the Bridegroom.
Companions of the Bride.
Chorus of Men.' — Chorus of Women.
i
. » ■ . 1 . ii »n»waEBgHraWfflin iii«» » — ■ "
SUBJECT.
ELIMELECH, from Want of Confidence in the Promifes of
God, leaves Beth-lehem in Judah, during a famine, tofojoum
ivith Idolaters in the Country oj Moab ; and takes his Wife Naomi,
and his Sons, Mahlon and Chilion, ivith him ; he d'uth in Sib-
mah, atidhis Sons' alfo, after having married two oftheDaugbters
of the Land, in Exprefs Violation of the *Law of God, upon "which
Naomi returns into her own Country, accompanied ivith Ruth,
the Wife of Mahlon, who renounces the Idolatry of the Moabites,
for the Worjhip of the God of Ifrael — They arrive at Beth-lehem,
in the Seafon of Barley Harvejl, ivbere Naomi had a Kinfman
oj the Family of her Hufband, a Man of great Power and Wealth,
nvhofe Name was Boaz, who marries "Ruth, and redeems the
Ejlaie of Elimelech, agreeable to the Law, in the xxvtb Chapter
of the Book of Deuteronomy.
* Jofhua xxiii. 12. and Deut. xxv. 3.
E 357 j
RUTH, &c,
ACT THE FIRST.
OVERTURE.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitativt.
THERE was a Famine in the Land of Judah.
The Labour of the Olive hath failed,
and the Fields yield no Meat.
Elimelech is gone forth from Beth-lehem
and his Wife and his two Sons with him,
but that which he greatly feared is fallen upon him ;
he fainteth in the fruitful Plains of Moab,
he dieth in a Land of Strangers.
LEADER OF THE FEMALE BAND.
\ Song.
I will weep for thee, Naomi,
Thou waft beautiful as Tirzah,
but Clouds and Storms have overihadowed thee.
A a 3 Thou
[ 35? ]
Thou Vine upon the fruitful Hill,
thy Prop is overthrown, thou art fallen.
I will weep for the Mother with the Children.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitative.
Mahlcn and Chilion became lovely in the Eyes of the
Daughters of Moab, and they took them Wives of the Wo-
men of the Land : the Name of the one was Orpah, and the
Name of the other Ruth.
/
LEADER OF THE FEMALE BAND.
Song.
Short are the Tranfports of unhallowed Nuptials !
Walk 'Thou in thine Integrity with God j
and he will comfort thee in all thy Troubles ;
in Famine he will redeem thee from Death,
and thy Sun (hall go down in Brightnefs.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitative accompanied ivitb Jloiv andfolemn Melody.
Lamentation in the Streets of Sibmah—
. Mahlon and Chilion died alfo 5
— both of them died —
The Woman is left of her two Sons and of her Kufband.
My
[ 359 1
NAOMI.
Song:
My heart fainteth within me—
Women of Midian, look down and fee j
Can there be Sorrow like mine ?
I am bereaved of my Children,
and my Comforter is gone down to the Grave.
My Soul is weary of my Life.
LEADER OF THE FEMALE BAND.
Recitative accompanied.
We mourn thy Lot. Sweet Lily of the Vale !
more fragrant than the Rofe of Sharon !
thy Bloffoms are untimely withered,
and thy Leaves are fcattered with the Tempeft j
they ruftle by the Ledges of the Rocks,
they float upon the Stream of Jazer.
FULL CHORUS,
Song.
O place thy Confidence in God,
his Mercy is over all his works,
and his Mercy endureth for ever.
END OF THE FIRST ACT,
A a 4 ACT
[ 3 6o]
ACT THE SECOND,
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitative;
THEN arofe Naomi to return unto the Land of Judah,
for me had heard, how that the Lord had gjven Bread
unto his People : and her Daughters-in-law went on the
Way with her ; and fhefaid unto her Daughters-in-law, Go,
each return unto thy Mother's Houfe.
ORPAH AND RUTH.
Song. Duet.
Surely we will return with thee unto thy People.
NAOMI.
Recitative accompanied.
Why mould you follow Wretchednefs, my Daughters,
my Sons are perifhed in their Strength —
Can I yet be the Mother of more ?
»-pThe Lord deal' kindly with you,
• M
[ 361 ]
a* you have dealt with the dead—
—and with me.
ORPAH, RUTH, AND NAOMI.
Song. 'Trio.
Farewell a thoufand times !
A thoufand times farewell ! — Farewell !
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitative.
Again they lifted up their Voice, and wept aloud,
and Orpah killed her Mother-in-law,
but Ruth ftill clave unto her Bofom.
NAOMI.
Recitative accompanied.
Return, thou widow'd Excellence, unto thy People;
go' back unto thy Sifter ; and the Lord give you reftj
each in the Houfe of her Hufband.
Ruth.
[ 362 ]
RUTH.
Recitative accompanied.
* Beauty of lfrael !
moft lov'd ! molt honoured amongft Matrons i
Turn not thy Face away,
For why wilt thou break my heart ?
Song.
— Tntreat me not to leave thee,
Whither thou goeft will I go ;
Where thou die/} will I die;
and there will I be buried ■ ■
—Thy God do fo to me, and more alfo,
if aught but Death part thee and me,
FULL CHORUS.
Song.
Bleffed be thou amongft Women :
The Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee.
Go in Peace.
END OF THE SECOND ACT.
* Her Name Naomi, which fignifies agreeable, beautiful, or
plcafant, was, probably, added as a cognomen, expreffive of the
Gracefulnefs and Elegance of her Perfon and Manners.
ACT
[ 3^3 3
ACT THE THIRD,
COMPANY OF BETHLEHEMITES.
Recitative.
w
"HO is this that cometh weeping
through the Wildernefs of Moab ?
Can it be Naomi ?
How is her Countenance changed !
NAOMI.
Recitative accompanied.
Call me not Naomi : call me Marah *,
for the Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me.
LEADER OF THE FEMALE BAND.
Recitative, .
She went out full, and the Lord hath brought her home
again empty : Why call ye her Naomi, feeing the Almighty
hath affliaed her ?
* Marah fignifies Bitternefs.
PULL
[ 364 ]
FULL CHORUS.
Song.
The Lord knoweth them that be bis ;
Heavlnefs may endure for a Night*
but Joy cometh in the Morning.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEN.
Recitative.
And Ruth, the Moabitefs, faid unto her Mother-in-law,
Let me now go into the Field, and glean Ears of Corn after
thy Kinfman, in whofe Sight I (hall find Grace : and as
Boaz came from Beth-lehem to his Reapers, the Moabiti/h
Damfel met him.
RUTH.
"Recitative accompanied with/oft and plaintive Melody,
Let me glean after the Reapers in thy Field,
and my Soul (hall blefs thee.
BOAZ.
Sweet is thy Voice, my Daughter,
and thy Countenance is comely.
Abide thee faft by my Maidens,
mark
[ 365 ]
mark well what Fields they reap—
and do thou follow them.
Recitative accompanied.
Thy Looks areas the Eye-lids of the Morning,
bright-mining after Rain* —
—Glean Thou in no other Fields.
RUTH.
Recitative accompanied.
How have I found Grace in thy Sight,
feeing I am a ftranger, and am not like
unto one of thy Handmaidens ?
"Recitative.
All that thou haft done unto thy Mother-in-law, fince the
Death of thy Hufband, hath been fhowed to me j and all
the * City of my People doth know, that thou art a virtuous
Woman : thou haft left thy'Father and thy Mother, and the
Land of thy Nativity, for a People whom thou knoweft not
heretofore:
* The Word here tranflated City, means properly the Gate,
the Forum, or Seat of Judgment, which, as the chief Place of
Concourfe, is fometimes put for the Body of the Citizen*.
XEADER
[ 366 ]
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEfcf»
Song.
O truft Thou in the Strength of Ifrael .
FULL CHORUS.
Song.
Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his Way,
and he fhall promote thee :
He will give thee thy full Reward.
END OF THE THIRD ACT.
ACT THE FOURTH,
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEtf.
Recitative accompanied from * Let her glean' &c. to 'and
the Soul of Boaz' Sec.
ND Boaz commanded his young Men-
Let her glean among the Sheaves,
Let fall alfo fome Handfuils on Purpofe,
that me may glean them ;
Forbear
[ 3 6 7 3
Forbear to reproach her.
And the Soul of Boaz clave unto the Damfel,
that (he became his Wife.
SEMICHORUS COMPANIONS OF THE BRIDE-
GROOM.
Song.
Thy Wife be as the fruitful Vine
upon the Walls of thy Houfe !
Thy Children like to Olive-branches
round about thy Table !
Do thou worthily in Ephrata !
Be thou famous in Beth-lehem 1
SEMICHORUS COMPANIONS OF THE BRIDE,
A gracious Woman mall inherit Honour j
her Price is far above Rubies.
Many Daughters have done virtuoufly,
but Thou excelleft them all.
RUTH.
It is God who maketh poor and maketh rich #
He bringeth low, and lifteth up.
O my Soul, forget not all his Benefits !
Leader
[ 368 J
LEADER OF THE CHORUS OF MEtfi
I
Great are the Troubles of the righteous,
but the Lord delivereth them out of all.
BlefTed be the Lord for ever more.
Amen and Amen.
LETTER
[ 3 6 9 1
LETTER XXXVII.
'773'
Dear Charles,
T is remarkable, that the firft Civili-
zers of barbarous Nations, are repre-
fented as having excelled, not only in per-
fonal bravery, but in mufic and poetry 5
by the joint powers of which, they are faid
to have vanquifhed monfters, built cities,
impofed laws, and reclaimed men from
the horrors and beaftlinefs of a favage life ;
nor was it peculiar to Orpheus to have
fubdued the rugged manners of his Thra-
cians, by the powers of melody and fong :
It is a general character of the firft foun-
ders of ftates, that they were Poets and
Vol. I. B b Muficians,
[ 37° 1
Muficians, as well as Heroes ; and I may
add too, that they are reprefented as hav-
ing given force to their precepts, by the
efficacy of nieafured motions, as well as
melody and fong. That is by the united
energy of Mufic, Poetry, and Dancing.
Mufic and Poetry were not feparated in
the ideas of the Antients ; a circumflance,
that will account to you for the extraor-
dinary effects attributed to antient Mufic,
which, in my opinion, could not poffibly
have been produced by the Harmony of
inflrumental founds alone, 'ai Mxa-ai, faith
Plato, TravlcLiroitrtv 'fjfAug fjosufyouvTO ei vopi-
■lotuv olvtuv spyov 'bTvch Kidapo&v koli uvXag,
&,\\cl fivi to •E-aifievEiV tx ffiy, xott irxpqyophv
Ttt 7T0&V] TCOV XpCOfASVtoV TOSg fJLi\tO~l %0U GtppCO-
vioLig : and in his 2d book of a Republic,
which explains this Parlage, he exprefHy
fays, that Poetry was comprehended in his
notion of Mufic ; but Plutarch not only
eonfidered Mufic as imperfect without
fong,
I 37 l 3
long, but in the 8th book of his Sympo-
fiacs, explains the Fable of Marfyas in
this light, reprefenting his puniihment as
juft 9 for prefuming to oppofe the fimple
melody of his pipe, to the joint expref-
fion of the Voice and Lyre. We are
told by Homer, in the 3d book of the
Odyney, that when Agamemnon went
to the liege of Troy, he left his Queen
Clytemneftra, under the care of a Bard,
who was the Guardian of her Honour,
and that her Virtue could not be cor-
rupted, till iEgifthus had procured his
banifhment to a defert Ifland,
Where He, the fweeteft of the facred Train,
Sung dying to the Rocks, but iung in vain.
To return to the founders of States :
The Joy upon killing fome wild Beaft, or
favage Tyrant, a more cruel Enemy of the
human fpecies, would naturally break out
into fongs of Triumph by the victor, ac-
B b 2 companied
[ 37 2 1
companied with meafured movements
(which may be confidered as the rudi- ,
ments of dancing) in which the reft of
the diftrict would join ; thefe expreffions
of exultation, muft naturally raife the
Hero's influence with his Tribe -, upon all
fimiiar occafions, it would, as naturally,
give an extraordinary weight to his opi-
nion or advice; and, in the end, would
eftablhh him in a kind of regal Authority ;
his Drefs, his Weapons, his manner of
defending himfelf, or of attacking an
Enemy, as defcribed in thefe rude fongs
of Victory, would become the general
ufage, and, in time, characteristic of the
Tribe or Nation ; the Songs theirfelves
delivered down by oral tradition amfted
by fome rude fymbolic characters, would
be regarded with the utmoft reverence,
and upon the introduction of Letters
amongft them, in all probability, would
be the firft things committed to writing,
and
[ 373 ]
and become the ground-work of their
national Hiftory, and legal institutions.
Thus the excellence of the Parthians in
the ufe of the Bow, and of the Majorcans
in that of the Sling, might be owing to
their imitation of fome Chiefs, whofe re-
fpective examples (as defcribed in thefe
poetical narratives, which were originally
accompanied with mufic and dancing)
influenced them in the practice of thefe
weapons, till it became the general man-
ner of bringing up their Children, and a
difgrace not to excel in the ufe of them.
In like manner before the invention of
Guns, the fafhionable amufement of all
ranks of people, in England, was mooting
with the long Bow -, and to be a good Ar-
cher, was as. neceffary an accomplishment
as to have been a good Dancer, or a good
Lutenift in the Days of Charles II. We
had gained feveral considerable victories
by a fuperior {kill in the ufe of the Bow,
B b 3 particularly
[ 374 ]
particularly by the manner of laying or
throwing our bodies forward into it, in-
flead of drawing it by the ftrength of arm
only, as defcribed by Bifhop Latimer, in
his Sixth Sermon before King Edward
the Vlth, and the neglect of planting a
Yew-tree in every church-yard, to fur-
nifh us with Bow-ftaves (from whence,
probably, it obtained the epithet of
mournful ) was fmeable by common
Law *. We may trace back this expert-
nefs in Archery beyond our neighbours,
in the remains of fome heroic fongs,
compofed by Britifh Bards, and many of
our lefs antient Ballads were, doubtlefs,
taken from the more inaccurate compe-
titions of the Bards of our Feudal Chiefs,
. and Legiflators, animating their Country-
men to Acts of Prowefs, by extolling the
Courage of fome Warrior, and by de-
fcribing his expertnefs in the ufe of our
* See Cowel's Interpreter.
national
[ 375 3
national weapons : thefe influenced our
Manners, and the Mariners of every Na-
tion are the Foundation of its Laws :
What has been faid, feems ftrongly to fa-
vour the apparent paradox, that poetical
compositions had, in all Countries, pre-
cedence in point of time, to thofe in
Profe, though it does not prove it. But
not to mention the Arentos of the In-
dians, the only Hiftories of the Danes, be-
fore Saxo and Snorro, were the fongs of
their antient Bards. All the Gothic Ex-
peditions were preferved only in that
Species of Poetry, called Runes j and we
know little of the Welch, Scotch, and
Irif/j, in very early times, but what is
thought to have been collected from fimi-
lar materials.
I am, &c.
Bb4 LETTER
[ 376 ]
LETTER XXXVIII.
TO THE
REV. DR. GORDON,
PRECENTOR and ARCHDEACON of LINCOLN.
Henfted, Nov. 1775.
Dear SIR,
fT"^HE following plain and almoft lite-
*■ ral tranilation of the triumphal Song
of Mofes and the Children of Ifrael, upon
the deftru&ion of the Hoft of Pharaoh,
in the Red Sea, is fubmitted to your Judg-
ment ; it was written four years ago, but
thrown by, upon perufing what pleafed
me much better— a Tranilation, or rather
Imitation of it, in the Dactylic Alcaic
Metre, publifhed by Dr. Burton, in the
year
[ 377 1
year 1736, with many other ingenious ex-
ercifes, of a fimilar kind, which do ho-
nour to the Students of CCC in Oxford
at that Period, and to the learned Editor,
who had been Director of their Studies -,
but however claffically elegant it is, I
have fince thought, that it falls fhort of
its fimple grandeur in the original He-
brew, unfettered by any returning mea-
•fure. The prophetic confidence exprerTed
in it, that God would drive out the ufurp-
ing Nations from the Land promifed to
their Fathers, and plant them in, gives
it a connection with the Oratorio of Ba-
laam, which I read to you laft year -, and,
I truft, you will not difapprove my diflri-
buting this facred Hymn into Parts,
though unauthorifed by any Commen-
tator, as the occafion upon which it was
compofed, with the manner of expreflion,
feem to evince the propriety of ranking it
in the clafs of thofe Carmina amcebaea,
which
r 378 ]
which fo frequently occur in the Book
of Pfalms, and other poetical Parts of the
facred Scriptures.
The Ifraelites arrived at the Heroopo-
litan fork of the Red Sea, upon the eve-
ning of the fifth day after their departure
from the extenfive Plains on the Eaft of
Kairo (and not upon the third, according
to Jofcphus) as may reafonably be pre-
fumed, from the diflance, which is not
lefs than fifty Englifh miles to the Eaft-
ermoft opening of the Defile between the
Mountains, called the Mouth of Hiroth
[Pi-ebirotb~\ which extended almofi: to
the Gulph ; they pafied the Sea about
Midnight, and, harrafled as they were,
may be fuppofed to have encamped im-
mediately upon feme neighbouring emi-
nence, enlightened by the Pillar of the
cloud, which fhone at an amazing height,
and with a dazzling luftre, owing to the
blacknefs of the atmofphere behind it.
From
[ 379 ]
From hence, defcending in the morning,
they beheld the dead bodies of the ./Egyp-
tians thrown together with the uprooted
Weeds upon the Shore - 3 deeply affected
with their miraculous deliverance, and
contemplating the great work which Je-
hovah had wrought for them upon their
Enemies, they returned in aweful exul-
tation to the Hill.
The facred text does not inform us how
long the Ifraelites remained in their firfl
Encampment, after paffing through the
Sea, before they marched into the wilder-
nefs of Stir, along the coaft towards the
South. They had now no enemy to fear ;
fome time would be required to fpoil the
/Egyptians, and avail themfelves of their
Arms ; be this as it may, it is allowing
a fufficient interval for inftructing the
People in their parts of this Hymn of
Victory, if we fuppofe it to have been
dictated upon the evening of the fixth,
and
[380]
and fung, in a triumphal proceffion round
the Camp, upon the morning of the fe-
venth day after the PaiTover, which was
foon, by the exprefs command of God,
to fucceed in the place * of the Patri-
archal Sabbath ; to an obfervance of
which, all men, of whatever country,
were obliged, as Men : Upon the latter,
the Ifraelites were particularly enjoined,
to commemorate this miraculous deli-
verance from ./Egyptian bondage, as his
chofen People, together with the Birth of
Time, and the Creation of the World.
TheAdamical and Patriarchal Sabbath,
was the beginning of days to the whole
human race, and its obfervance, in fome
way or other, appears, from the teftimony
of Hiftorians, to have been univerfal \.
* Deut. v. 15.
■\ Sufficient Authorities for this, are referred to in
Hooker's Ecclef. Polity ; Purchafs's Pilgrimage j Dr. Ken-
nicot's Second Differt. 1747 ; and in many other Treatifes,
The
c m j
The day of the Ifraelitifh Sabbath was
peculiar, and belonged to no other people
under Heaven than the Sons of Jacob :
it was, of courfe, therefore, to ceafe with
the O Economy of that favoured Nation ;
no new and exprefs command feems to
have been required for men's returning
to the original appointment of a feventh
day of reft and Praife, and, accordingly,
we find none recorded in the New Tes-
tament, but the firfl day of the week
was hallowed as the Sabbath, by the
Apoftles, and their SuccerTors, without
any particular injunction, or any rea-
fons afligned for a change of it, from the
loft, which might have been expected,
upon the aftembling of the Apoftles at
Jerulalem, to confider what ordinances
were to be given to the Gentiles, had the
circumftances of the cafe not been too
clear to require any.
I have had an antiquary's pleafure, in
reflecting upon this triumphant Song, as
the
[ 3«* 3
the oldefl example of Poetry in the
World, unlefs we may confider the ad-
drefs of Lamech to his wives, or the
Prophecies of Noah, and fome other of
the dying Patriarchs, concerning the
Fate of their Pofterity, as metrical com-
pofitions.
Then fang Mofes, and the Sons of Ifrael,
this Song unto JEHOVAH:
MOSES.
I will fing unto JEHOVAH,
for he hath triumph'd, for he hath triumph'd.
The Horfe, with his Rider,
he hath overthrown in the Sea.
JEHOVAH is my Strength and my Glory,
He hath delivered me from Deft ruction.
He is my GOD §, and I will prepare him a Tabernacle*
The GOD § of my Father, and I will extol him t
§ Aleim.— I apprehend the Word ALEIM, in both thefe Places,
to imply, God's having entered into Covenant with Abraham,
Ifaac, and Jacob, from ALE an Oath. See Gen. xxvi. v. 3.
PEOPLE
[ 383 J
PEOPLE.
JEHOVAH, the Eternal* is our Prote&or and Defence,
He who liveth, whofe Name is JEHOVAH.
The Chariots of Pharaoh, and his Hoft,
he hath caft into the Ocean.
His chofen Captains are overwhelmed
in the Sea of Weeds.
They funk to the Bottom as a Stone.
The Deeps have covered them.
MOSES.
Thy right Hand, O JEHOVAH !
is glorious in the Might of thy Power.
With thy right Hand thou haft beaten down the Enemy.
Thou (halt purfue with Terrors,
and in the Greatnefs of thy Majefty,
(halt thou deftroy thine Adverfaries,
who exalt themfelves againft thee.
Thou halt fend out thy Wrath :
It mail burn them like Stubble—
By a Blaft of thy Difplealure
- were the Waters thrown together in a Heap.
The Waves flood upright as a Mound;
The Deeps were congealed
in the Heart of the Sea.
PEOPLE
[ 384 ]
PEOPLE.
I will purfue ; I will overtake, and lay hold upon the Spoil}
My Sword fhall be unfheathed to devour. 1
My Revenge fhall be fatiated.
My Arm fhall bring them back to Bondage.
It fhall drive the Slaves to their Tafk.
Hoiv impious the Enemy ! how impotent !
Thou didft blow with thy Breath,
The Ocean overwhelmed them.
They funk like Lead
in the contending Billows.
MOSES.
Who, amongft the Lords *,
can be compar'd with Thee, O Jehovah !
Who fo majeftic in San&ity.
How aweful in thy Praifes, working Wonders !
Thou ftretchedft out thy right Hand,
The -j- Earth fwal lowed up the Boafters in their Pride.
I
* Baalim.
+ It is the opinion of fome commentators, that the Divifion of
the Sea was occafioned by an Earthquake, and that, a part of the
.(Egyptian Hoft was fwallowed in a chafm, upon their landing
to begin the Carnage.
But
[ 385 ]
With Mercy (halt thou lead thy People,
whom thou haft redeemed from Death.
Thou malt condufl them by thy Power,
to the Habitation of thy Holinefs.
The Nations have heard a Rumour, they are afraid;
Sorrow fhall take hold on the Inhabitants of Palaeftine's
The Princes of Edom are confounded.
Trembling hath fiezed the mighty Men of Moab.
All the Inhabitants of Canaan melt for fear.
Dread and Horror mall fall upon them,
for the Might of thy Arm.
They fhall be dumb as a ftone :
Till thy People, O JEHOVAH, fhall pafs over.
Till thy People fhall pafs over, whom thou haft redeemed,;
Thou fhalt bring them in.
Thou fhalt plant them
upon the Mountain of thine Inheritance.
In the Place which thou haft made for thy Sabbath,
O JEHOVAH !
The Sancluary which thy Hands, O Lord *,
feave eftablifhed.
PEOPLE.
JEHOVAH fhall reign for ever and ever.
* Adonai.
Vol. I. G c tvt
[ 386 ]
For the Horfe went in. Pharaoh in his Cbariol,
with his Hori'emen, into the Sea :
And JEHOVAH caufed the Waters of the Sea
to return upon them.
But the Children of Ifrael walked upon dry Ground
in the Midft of the Ocean.
As they approached the Gate of their 'En-
campment, Miriam, the Prophetefs, the
Jlfter of Aaron, took a 'Timbrel in her hand,
and came out to meet them, and all the Wo-
inen followed her with timbrels and in
dances, to whom fhe adled as Chorage,
and fung the Prophetic parts of the fame
divine Hymn of Victory; which was
now, moft probably, performed within
the Camp, and,, we may prefume, the
whole Triumph clofed, after a folemn
paufe, with a full Chorus, in which all
the People joined their voices :
JEHOVAH SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.
LETTER
[ 3^7 3
Letter xxxix.
1773
Dear Charles,
TAKE up my pen, at prefent, rather
to get rid of fome ideas which are dif-
agreeable, and for the fake of varying
the train of them, than that I have any
thing particular upon which to write; you
will, therefore, endeavour to be fatisfied
with whatever accident may offer to you*
and not look for ftrict connection, in what
I mail make the fubjecl: of my letter.
My thoughts are called towards you, and
your brother, by a late misfortune which
has happened in a worthy family. I wifh
you could learn to fwim, and will get the
garden Pond in order againft you both
return, to accomplim it with as little
C c 2 danger
[ 3*8 1
danger as poffible, though I know you
had rather attempt it elfewhere : Sir G.
runs great hazards in driving through the
waves, when they fwell and daih with
violence againft the more, but I have
prevailed, to have a perfon attend on
thefe occafions, with a cord fattened to
his wrifr, that he may help him in get-
ting b^acl?: through the breakers, which
their reflux renders it very difficult to do,
when, the ftrength is much diminifhed ;
and he is difpofed to fwim off too far, till
he appears as a fpeck only upon the top of
a Wave, and to continue in the fea too long.
A love of difficulties, and even dangers
to a certain degree, feems to be rooted in
our nature, to prepare us, probably, for
furmounting fuch as in the ordinary
courfe of life are unavoidable ; we delight
in creating them, when they are not of-
fered to us, and there are few perfons but
have felt, at one time or another, a ftrong
inclination to attempt things which ap-
peared
[ 3«9 J
peared almofl impracticable, and to run
into danger, merely, as it mould feem,
for the retrofpective pleafure, or the ho-
nour of having efcaped through it.
A fimilar inclination operates with re-
fpect to Science ; it is aftonifhing how
fome people will labour to acquire a
knowledge of what, when it is obtained,
is of little or no vSe to them ; there mull,
therefore, be a fort of Fox-hunter's plea-
fure, in fuch cafes, annexed to the mere
purfuit of what is trifling in itfelf, confi-
dered as an end, belide what refults from
its attainment ; but fome latent good to
the public, unexpected by the honeil La-
bourer in Science, hath frequently been
the confequence, though not always the
reward, of his pains : The Science of co-
nic Sections for inftance, I believe, was
conducted by the inventor without any
particular view ; he took infinite trouble
for a very diftant generation indeed, for I
C c 3 do
[ 39° ]
do not recoiled, that it was applied to any
valuable purpofes in Science till the time of
Sir Ifaac Newton, In the attempt to gain a
knowledge of any thing, which is either
neceflary to our Being, or perfective of our
happinefs, how wifely it is ordered, that
we mould be animated by the difficulties
attending the purfuit — that we mould be
carried forward with an accelerated move-
ment, in proportion to the obftacles to be
removed ; and yet that an impoffibility
pf acquiring what we aim at, once known,
it mould immediately put an end to
our Defires, as well as our purjiiits, and
utterly extinguifh our moft paffionate
wilhes ; were it otherwife, we mould be
in the condition of the poor Tailor, who
died for love of Queen Elizabeth. I
might have found an inftance nearer home
than the bufinefs of conic Sections, you
will think, to illuftrate the fubjecl: of our
ftrenuous idleness. The ftudy of Mufic,
at
C 39i 1
at my time of life, can anfwer no practi-
cal purpofe to myfelf 5 yet I purfue it with
the utmoft pleafure, and, in truth, it
never tires me ; I wifh thefe remarks may
not tire you.
A late Letter to you, juft touched upon
the fubject of grascian Mufic, and I ob-
ferved, that in the diatonic fcale of eight
notes from the graver!: inclufive, there
are two of them denominated hemitones ;
the cafe is precifely the fame in modern
mufic i and whenever thefe hemitonic
intervals are in their natural fituation be-
tween the third and fourth, and the fe-
venth and eight notes from the graver!,
fuch an offiave of mufical founds, is laid
to be a fharp Key, which is peculiarly
adapted to exprefs, or to accompany
cheerfulnefs and gaiety. But it is to be
obferved, that Providence hath eftablifhed
two different fpecies of Melody, the one
cheerful and fprightly, and the other
C c 4 melancholy,
[ 392 ]
melancholy, but foothing, that we might
not want a fuitable entertainment in either
ftate of Mind : Cheerful Mufic to the
heavy-hearted under very deep Concern,
is an infult upon the wretched-^-a kind of
tacit rebuke for the weaknefs of a man's
fpirit. We feel fome relief even in an
indulgence of our forrows : the natural
train of our ideas is the moil agreeable to
us in all cafes ; and whatever direclly op-
pofes that fucceffion of our Thoughts,
fo as to aim at breaking their connection
entirely by attempting to raiie a direct
contrary Emotion, will not only, in ge-
neral, fail of attaining its end* but give
us great difguft. To oppofe a Pafhon
directly, only makes the tide of it rife the
higher, and rage with greater violence.
Thofe who are deeply diftrerTed then,
would have loft the immediate benefit
of this divine medicine of Affliction, if
gu£ gracious Creator had not framed a
peculiar
C 393 3
peculiar kind of it, which by I know not
what fympathetic movements it excites,
makes us hear away our Griefs, and gives
a frefh fpring to the powers both of body
and of mind ; and as a farther inflance
of tendernefs and compaffion to the wants
of his creatures, He hath given it more
alluring charms, and captivating fweet-
nefs, to engage our attention, in propor-
tion to the greater ufefulnefs and necerlity
of it for the folace of human Life.
I am, &c.
LETTER
[ 394 ]
letter xl.
Dear Charles,
fj-^HE foothing melody I have men-
•*; tioned, hath its hemitones placed
differently in the Oclave, which is called a
flat Key, from the order in which I faid
they were fituated in what is termed -a/harp
Key. The foothing melody of a flat Key
hath its hemitones between the fecond and
third notes of the Octave, and between the
feventh zndeighth, inafcending from grave
to acute : and in defcending through it,
from the acuteil note to the graveft, it has
the acuter hemitone of the two between
the fixth and fifth notes, and the graver
hemitone, as it was placed in its afcend-
ing fituation, between the third and fe-
cond. I have added their pofition in each
Key,
I 395 1
Key, afcenaing and defcending, begin~
ning at C, in a fort of fcale for more
clearnefs ;
SHARP C D E herait. FGAB hemit. C attending
KEY. 123 4. 5 6 7 8 &deicend.
In a FLAT KEY, the Order of HEMITONES are
a/tending C D hemit. E F G A B hemit; C
as 1 a H5 6 7 8
defcending C D hemit. EFG hemit. ABC
a$ ia 345 67S
Although I am of opinion that what
is called a flat Key doth not fo readily
admit of cheerful fprightly airs, I would
not be fuppofed to mean, that the fharp
Key is wholly inconjlftent with the footh-
ing ftyle of Mufic, but only, that a flat
Key is befl adapted to it, and more fuit-
able to the allaying of deep Grief, where
the Heart is ready to fink under the bur-
then of its forrows ; and in this cafe, if
Mufic can be of any immediate fervice,
it
[ 39« ]
it muft be of the latter kind, if I may
judge from my own feelings. The change
from a flat to a fharp Key, or from a fharp
to a flat Key, may give an agreeable va-
riety to a mufical compofition, without
entirely changing its character, and fuch
a mutation is often required to excite a
different tone of the fame Paffion or af-
fection; but to do this with propriety,
not only a thorough knowledge of the
power of Sounds, but an intimate ac-
quaintance with human Nature, is as ne-
ceffary in the Mufician, as in the Poet,
or the Orator -, for if a compofer, after
thus changing the Key, fhould go be-
yond a certain boundary, his mufic would
not only run into a variety of ftyle, but
tend to raife inconfiftent emotions, to de-
ftroy the unity of his Performance, and
diffract: the mind, inftead of giving it
delight : but fo long as he continues in
the fame Key, the Hemitones muft pre-
ferve
t 397 1
ierve their proper places in it, that is,
they muft continue at the fame relative
pitch whenever they are ufed.
It will readily, I make no doubt, occur
to you, as an objection to what I have
been faying, that if in every Octave there
are only two hemitones, which mould be
placed at fuch a diftance from each other
as to preferve their precife degree of Pitch ;
what is called the chromatic ftyle in mo-
dern Mufic, muft, therefore, be unna-
tural, in which feveral notes follow each
other immediately, which yet is allowed
by the beft judges to have, in fome cafes,
a peculiar Beauty and Elegance. In anfwer
to this fuppofed ftrong objection, you will
conlider, that the variety of muiical ex-
preflion requires we mould not be confined
to one lingle Key, and that whenever a
new Hemitone is introduced, the Key
is actually changed -, it follows, that if
two hemitones are played in immediate
fucceflion,
t 398 ]
fucceffioh, they are not members of the
fame Octave, from their juxta pofition,
but really belong to different Key-notes %
if we (harpen any note upon the Harp-
fi chord for inftance, by playing it half a
note higher, the note, thus altered, may
be confidered as a fharp feventh, but
every young performer knows, that a new
fharp feventh introduces a new Key Note,
and thus zfecond fucceeding half note is
to be confidered, as introducing a change
of the Octave, which may be either in a
flat or a marp Key, at pleafure, as often
as he thinks proper : our Chromatic ftyle,
therefore, as we improperly call it, con-
fining of a number of half notes in im-
mediate fucceffion, may be termed a
mufical Liberty, rather than a different
ipecies, or diffinct ftyle of Melody, as it
does not continue in any Key, but is per-
petually changing from one , to another ;
yet upon this Liberty the merit of fome
diftinguifhed
[ 399 ]
diftinguifhed compofltions may depend,
as it is pecculiarly adapted to exprefs
forrow or difdain, or to excite fuch pre-
paratory Emotions in the hearts of the
Audience. I have only to remark to you,
at prefent, that the power of a flat Key
feems to depend much more upon its de-
fending notes than upon its afcending ;
for every judicious Ear muft diftinguifh
them to be lefs agreeable in the afcending
feries, than the defcending, which con-
stitutes its true Character. The flat Key
is confidered, I believe, by mod; of the
great Muficians, as an artificial contri-
vance 3 beeaufe it certainly has not the
natural harmony of Jharp third, fifth,
and eighth, to fupport its claim to be a
natural Key, the flat third not being fo
diltingui (liable in the compofition of a
fingle note ; but fince a flat third, as
well as a flat feventh, may be heard upon
the iEolian Harp, the firings of which
are
[ 4°° ]
are tuned Unifons, I have no doubt fay*
felfy but that it hath a claim to a founda-
tion in natural harmony, iince it is clear,
from this very circumftance, that both a
flat third and a flat feventh are conftitu-
ent parts of every mufical note.
I am, &c.
LETTER
[ 4 01 J
letter xli.
Dear Charles,
A S you are not yet advanced far enough.
4" ** in Mathematical knowledge to un-
derftand Kircher's treatife upon Muficai
Vibrations, I fhall endeavour to give you
as plain an account of them as I can with-
out it, though not mathematically pre-
cife.
Notes in Mufic, like all other founds,
are the effect of a motion in the air, which
is caufed by a vibration of the parts of
fome elaftic body, as of metals, glafs,
wood, ftone, firings, or the glottis of
animals, &c. after what manner this is
done, or how the tremulous motion is
produced by different inftruments is not
Vol. I. D d neceffary
[ 4°2 ]
neceifary to be fettled ; all I fhall aim at,
is to fatisfy your curiofity, by compa-
ring the vibrations of firings of different
lengths, to found theeight natural notes
of the Diatonic Guidonian Scale, both in
a fharp and a flat Key : for all inflruments,
however various in their conftruction, as
well as the human voice, have a certain
analogy with them.
You are fufficlently acquainted with the
nature of Pendulums, to know that they
vibrate flower as their lengths are in-
creaied, and fafter the more they are
fhortened ; this is the common principle
known to every body, upon which we re-
gulate the motion of our clocks, &c. but in
what proportion they move fafler or flower
with different lengths, it is not neceffary
at prefent to enquire. The fame thing is
true, in general, of a mufical firing — the
longer it is, the flower are its vibrations,
and the graver its degree of Tune; and
the
[ 4°3 1
the morter k is, the quicker its vibrations
return, and the found becomes propor-
tionably more acute, as I endeavoured to
point out to you> previous to our conii-
dering the nature of the Greek accents j
I would not have you fuppofe I mean here
to infinuate, that the vibrations of Pen-
dulums, and thofe of mufical firings, are,
in every refpect, fimilar, and governed by
the fame laws ; all I intend, is to illiiftrate;
and a difference in the vibrations of Pen-
dulums; of different lengths, being fo
very distinguishable when they defcribc
confiderable fpaces, it renders them ex-
ceedingly proper for an explanation of the.
fubject : I go on then to obferve, that
there is this remarkable circumftance
likewife in the motion of Pendulums,
that if the Arcs; through which a Pen-
dulum vibrates, are extremely fmall, there
is nofenjible difference in the times of its
vibration, from the inftant it is firft put
D d 2 into
[ 4®4 1
into motion till it refts, though it is car-
ried farther upon the firft impulfe given
to it, than in the fucccflive vibratory re-
turns y now this is always the cafe of any
fingle- mufical firing, which has both its
ends generally fixed and may be confi-
dered as a kind of double Pendulum.-—
Its longer! vibrations, v/hen it is firft
itruck, are finifhed as foon as its fhortefl,
>vhen its motion is almofl at an end ; and
this is the reafon v/hy the fame firing in
vibration continues the fame note, from
the time of its firft impulfe, till the found
is heard no longer : upon the firft impulfe
it moves to the greateft diftance on either
fide of the place it occupied at reft, and,
confequently, goes through this fpace at
this inftant, with the greateft velocity,
upon which account, it ftrikes the ear, at
fuch time, with moft force, and its found
is loudeft*, as the fpace, through which it
vibrates, is continually decreafing, its ve-
locity
[ 4°5 3
locity decreafes in the fame direct propor-
tion, and the found gradually dies away:
yet ftill as the vibrations (though from
points lefs and lefs diitant) are performed
in the fame portions of time, there is no
difference of tune produced by a difference
of fpaces run through, for the fame note
is continued by the fame ftring, only lefs
and lefs loud, till it is perfectly at reft.
The Greek writers have applied the
word rovog fo very differently, as to have
occafioned much confufion, and I wifh,
in this refpect, we had not followed their
example : Tone mould never be ufed io
as to be confounded with tune ; the tune
of a note refpects its height in the fcale,
but the tone of a note mould be reftrained
to the harfhnefs or faftnefs, or londnefs,
&c. of it, without refpect to its place, as-
the tones of a flute differ from the tones
of a bafs viol, or hautboy ; and two vio-
lins may he perfectly in unifon, though
D d 3 the,
[ 4° 6 ]
the tones of the one may be very dhplea r
fing, whilft thofe of the other are the
fweeteft imaginable. Thofe tones are
leaft pleating to the ear, which are caufed
by the vibration of bodies, whofe parts
are fincft and moil elaftic, and which
give the fmartcft percuffion to the par-
ticles of air in contact with them, or to
thofe which approach neareft to contact $
for I am of opinion, that no two parts of
matter are abfolutely in contact with each
other ; the tone of an ivory flute for in-
ance, is by far lefs mellow, than that of
a flute made of wood ; and the tones of
fteel wires lefs fo, than thofe of brafs $
and a metal may be fo unelaftic, pro-
bably from its parts being too fine and
too cjofely united, fo as to give no found
at all that is mufically pleafing. Thus,
Gold, without a due mixture of copper
or other alloy, would be as dull to the
ear as Lead j and hence {he Alchymifts
[ 4 C 7 3
lay, it is neceflary to deftroy the tone of
any metal before it be capable of trans-
mutation into Sol.
In order to mow how the notes of the
natural or diatonic octave may be afcer-
tained with exactnefs, fuppofe a mufical
wire to be ftretched upon a board, over
two ledges fixed twenty inches afunder
(or at any other diftance from each other)
to perform its vibrations in a certain time,
which would produce a certain degree of
tune, it is clear, that if you were to ftrain
another wire, over the fame ledges, to the
fame degree of tenfion with the firfl, it
would perform its vibrations in the fame
time with the firft, and upon your flrik-
ing it with a quill, or your finger, would
give precifely the fame note; any two
mufical firings then which begin and end
their vibrations at the fame points of
time, are precifely in unifon j and on the
contrary, when two firings begin to vi-
P d 4 bratc
r 4°s ]
brate at the fame time, and finifh their ie<*
yeral vibrations at different times, fuch
firings mull: found different notes. Let
us now fuppofe the two firings I have
mentioned as if rained to the fame degree
of tenlion, to give each the note C.
Divide the fmall fpace between the two
ledges into nine equal parts, and flop one
of. thefe parts, or prevent its vibrating,
by thrufling a fharpifh wedge at the point
of diviiion between the board and the
firing, upon flriking the wire thus fhort-
ened, by a ninth part of its length, with
a quill, it would found D, and perform
nine vibrations, whilfl the open or un-
flopped firing performed eight.
If again you divided the whole firing
into five equal parts, and flopped one of
thefe five parts from vibrating, the re-
maining length of firing would found E,
that is, a greater third, arid vibrate five
times, whilfl the open firing vibrated
«f foui% Divide
[ 4°9 J
Divide the firing into four equal parts,
and flop one, the remainder will vibrate
four times, whilfl the open firing vibrates
thrice, and will found F, or a perfect
fourth.
Divide the firing into three equal parts,
and flop one, the remainder will vibrate
three times, whilfl the open firing is vi-
brating twice, and found G, that is, a
perfect fifth.
If the firing be divided into fiye equal
parts, and two of fuch parts be flopped, the
remainder will vibrate five times, whilfl
the open firing vibrates thrice, and found
A, or the greater fixth*
If the firing be. divided into fifteen
equal parts, and ftven of them flopped,
the remainder will vibrate fifteen times,
whilfl the open firing vibrates eight, and
found the greater fevetrtb, or B.
Laflly. Divide the firing in the mid-
tlle ? that is, into two equal parts, and
either
E 410 J
either of the parts will found an eighth
to the open firing, giving two vibrations,
whilfl the open firing vibrates once, and
thus complete the feven diatonic intervals
in a fharp Key, as they are fixed by the
conflitution of our Nature.
The mention of a greater third, a
greater fwth, and a greater feventh, in
the divifions of the firing for thofe notes,
implies a lejfer third, 2l leJJ'er fixth, and a
lejfer feventh, which belong to the footh^
ing melody I fpoke of, the lafl time I
wrote to you, which is ufually denomi-
nated a flat Key. Let us confkler then,
how the fame firing is to be divided to
found thefe notes : *
Divide the whole length of the firing
into fix equal parts, and flop one, the
remainder will give the lejjer, or the flat
third, and perform fix vibrations, whilfl
. the open firing is performing five.
If
I m 1
If we divide the whole firing into eight
equal parts, and flop three, the remaining
five parts of it give the fiat fixth, whicl>
will vibrate eight times, whilft the open
firing vibrates five times.
The leff'er Jeventh is found with fufrir
cient exactnefs, by dividing the whole
firing into nine equal parts, and flopping
four, and the length of thefe five parts
together, will vibrate nine times, whilfl
the whole or the open firing vibrates five,
fo that the vibrations of the open firing,
to the vibrations of thofe lengths which
give the leffer third, the le/fer fixth, and
the lejfer feventby are nearly
as 5 to 6 for the flat third s
as 5 to 8 for the flat fixth,
and as 5 to 9 for the flat f:venth ;
and univerfally the divifion of a ftring to
found any fuperior note, vibrates precifely
as many times, as the difference between
thofe parts and the parts flopped or hin-
[ 412 ]
dered from vibrating ; for inflance, to find
the length of the fecond fixing to found
D, the firing which founded C was to be
divided into nine equal parts, and only
one was to be flopped, a fecond, therefore,
vibrates nine times, whilfl the open firing
vibrates eight -, in other terms, make the
number, of parts into which the open
firing is to be divided, the denominator
of a fraction, and the number of parts
flopped, the numerator, the vibrations of
the divided firing will then be to the vi-
brations of the open firing, as the deno-
minator of the fraction is, to the difference
between the numerator and the denomi-
nator.
There is a peculiarity refpe<£ling rau-
fical firings in vibration, which is e^~
tremely curious, fuch firings, I mean, as
are perfectly formed with refpedl to a
lamenefs in the continuation of their
diameters, and a uniform goodnefs of the
metal
t 413 ]
metal they are made of: when they arc
defective in either of thefe refpects, they
are faid to be falfe, and muft always give
imperfect difagreeable founds : the pecu-
liarity I mean, is that a perfeB mufical
firing refolves itfelf into a certain num-
ber of parts, in the act of vibrating, the
points between which, are relatively at
reft, whilft the tone and tune of the
whole is produced; and the reafon why
an inequality of its diameter in a portion
of the ftring, or a badnefs of metal in
any part of a mulical wire caufes a defect
in the tone and tune of it, feems to be,
becaufe every mufical note being made up
of certain harmonious parts, a partial ine-
quality of the ftring, or defect in the metal
of the wire, muft occafion a partial difcord-
ance in the found proceeding from that
part, and difturb the vibration of thofe parts
which make up the Sound of the note ;
for a Note is not one fimple found,, but a
combination
i 4H ]
Combination of harmonious members; the*
moft diftinguiihed of which, are thofe of
third, fifth, and eighth, with a funda-
mental tone as the bafis. This automa-
tical refolution of a mufical firing into
fuch proportional parts, will, moil pro-
bably, be looked upon as a fuppofition
altogether imaginary; but the fact may^
in fome degree, be made evident to fight,
by ftriking a mufical wire of fix Or {tven
feet in length, properly flrained over
ledges, or what is called the trumpet
marine, will exhibit different apparent
openings between the feveral divifional
points, inflead of one uniform aperture
of the whole wire, like the Fibres of a
fingle Mufcle -, and thefe different divi-
fions (if the eye is not deceived) appear
to fhift their places from one part of the
wire to another* under one fingle im-
pulfe*
P S. You
C 415 3
P S . You will prefent the inclofed Let-
ter to Mrs. J. which contains a clear and
certain method of tuning theHarpfichord;
it is due to her by Promife, and, I truft,
will prevent many difappointments, to
which fhe is fometimes obliged to fub-
mit, for want of a Rule of this fort.
LETTER,
\
[ 4>6l
LETTER XLII,
Madam,
"^/OU now receive what I promifed
. when I lafl had the pleafure of
waiting upon you, — a certain and expe-
ditious method of tuning the Harpfi-
chord. You will pleafe to obferve then,
that in tuning this Inftrument, the chords
are to be harmonized by tuning fifths
from any one note, and that if thefe fifths
might be tuned perfect, nothing would
be more eafy; but this will not anfwerj
for when the fifths are tuned perfect, the
Inilrument as a Whole will be difcordant,
as you have often felt : in order, therefore,
to render the Harplichord agreeable, we
mull tune the fifths rather flat, and by
, pointing
[ 4*7 1
pointing out a certain method of Proof,
we may always determine whether they
are too flat or too fharp. Let C be the note
from which we begin, which may be de-
termined by a mufical fork, at concert
pitch ; from C, tune a fifth up to G ra-
ther flat - y from G tune down an eighth,
and from this lower G, tune upwards a
fifth to D rather flat ; from D, tune a fifth
upwards to A rather flat ; from A, tune
down an eighth > and from this lower A,
tune upwards a fifth to E rather flat;
ftrike this E together with C, which is the
ifi Proof, and if the Third be too fharp,
the Fifths have not been tuned flat enough,
and muft be flattened till this Third be-
come good. Having thus obtained E,
tune a fifth to B, and if B is a good
Third to G, which is your 2d Proof, then
this laft fifth is properly tuned, if not, it
muft be altered till this third become
Vol. I. E e goodj
[ 4 >8 ]
good; from this B, tune down an eighth,
and from the lower B, tune a fifth to F
fharp, which muft be a good third to D,
your %d Proof; from F (harp, tune a
fifth upwards to C fharp, which will be
a natural or fharp third to A, and is your
$th Proof-, from C fharp, tune down an
eighth, and from this lower C fharp, tune
a fifth to G fharp, which will be a third
to E, and is your $th Proof.
. Having thus tuned all the fharp Keys,
we mufl now tune an eighth from the
firft C upwards, and from thence, tune a
fifth down to F pretty clofe, till this F
makes a good third to A, and from this
F, likewife tune down a fifth to B flat,
which will be a third to D ; from B flat
likewife, tune down a fifth to E flat,
which will be a third to G.
It only remains now, to tune Octaves,
and the inftrument will be as completely
in
[ 4^9 3
in tune as the nature of it will admit, that
is upon which the fame fixing is made to
fland for the fharp of a note immediately
below, and the flat of the note immedi-
ately above it, and which I have heard
an excellent practical mufician fay, he
thought was more agreeable to the ear,
than if the inflrument were actually con-
ducted with a greater number of firings, fo
as to render it pornble to be tuned with the
moil piecife exactnefs. This is an affair
which I leave to be determined by better
judgesthan my felt. The experiment hath
been tried, and I can only fay, that Harp-
fichords flill retain their old conftruction
in refpecr. of flats and fharps, with the
ableft Mufician s, and thofe too who could
well afford any Expence, and would fpare
none, to render the Inflrument abfolutely
perfect. It feems odd to fay, that it is
more perfect upon account of this imper-
fection,
[ 420 ]
fection, but fuch was the expreffion of an
unmathematical Mufician, whofe abilities
as a Performer, and the judgment of
whofe ear, were never called in question,
I am, Madam, .&c.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
■■'
[ 421 3
OSTSCRIPT,
If the Reader fhould think proper to
correct, or at leaft to run his eye over the
miftakes which are hereafter taken notice
of, it may contribute to his perufal of the
Letters with more fatisfaclion : It would
be troubling him too much, to call for his
attention to the correcting of accentual
omiffions, which were neglected in print-
ing off the flrft meets of this volume, at a
time when the Author was lefs capable
of attending to them, from the conftant
torments he endured ; and to fay the truth,
they were not duly regarded in his origi-
nal papers. Since it hath pleafed the di-
vine Goodnefs to mitigate his pains, he
Jiath been more careful in this refpect
and
[ 422 ]
and hath endeavoured, by a revifal, to
render the whole work as worthy of the
Public, as his condition and abilities will
permit.
It muft be owned, that as he hath not
been fo careful with regard to accents as
was proper, fo he has been almoft as ap-
parently indifferent with refpect to the
pointing. Some hints of this fort are
doubtlefs neceffary for the moft judicious
readers, but it is his opinion, that if our
points were ten times multiplied, they
could not poffibly direcl a perfon to read
with fpirit, or with tolerable propriety;
they would perhaps avail lefs than old
Mace's orGeminiani's characters for play-
ing upon the lute or violin with Tafte.—
Elegance and force, in either cafe, mufl:
ftill depend upon the reader's or the mu-
sician's untaught feelings, arifing from
the delicacy of his ear, and the affections
of his heart.
What
[ 4^3 1
What errors are pointed out in the fol-
lowing Table, are chiefly thofe of the
prefs, or in the manner of his expreffion,
where the Writer thought it indetermi-
nate ; and indeed he ought to take fome
mare of the Printer's faults upon him-
felf, but trufts that he has left no mif-
takes uncorrected, which are of any
importance.
TABLE
TABLE OF ERRORS. VOL. I.
Page 15, line 17, add, • for no more are necefTary' ; p.. 27,
1. 19, 20, the words Terence and Horace to change places ;
p. 28, 1.3, r.'ftyle' ; p. 31, I.5, for fubftantive, r. fubjun&ive;
p. 31, 1. 15, for feveral, r. different; p. 49, 1. 7, for Gal. xi.
14, &c. r. Gal. ii. 14 ; p. 49, 1. 12, for Rev. xi. r. Rev. ii. ;
p. 55, 1. 21, for are, r. is ; p. 56, 1. 13, for that, r. a ; p. 62,
1. 16, r. ccvocxe r> ' Quintilian' ; p. 170, 1. 12, 13, r. « eadem, habet'j
p. 172, 1. 3, A Troche, dreams that ; p. 176, 1. 18, r. * our
giving' ; p. 180, I. 7, r. ' applied to ftyle' ; p. 201, 1. 8, r.
*Hypolydian, Hyperlydian, the-ffiojian, &c.'; p. 211, 1. 12,
r. ' mufic of a State' 5 p. 280, 1. 17, r. 'either to the me-
trical length, or to the accentual' ; p. 290, 1. 18, r. * that
works fo artificial in their ftrufture, &c.'j p. 890, 1. 22, fo
its, r. the; p. 307, 1. 18, r. 'no higher than a rule' ; p. 318
]. 19, for to, r. their; p. 337, 1. 2a, r. * fcenes' j p. 349,
1, 3, heavens; p. 385, 1. 17, knewedft.
•
This book must not
be taken from the
Library building.
£-o4
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n