musicians have been employed, it is difficult to say, with such an alteration, whether the event has given greater mortification to the performers, or joy to the hearers. It also prevents the congregation, and still more the officers of the church, from the fear of being disappointed in persons to conduct the choral service; for if the organist be in his place, there will generally be found so many voices to join, as to cause that part of Divine worship to pass on without any unpleasant discrepancy. Besides, other advantages attend the organ. By its supplying the place of several instruments, it reduces the business-like attention, which is sometimes paid in excess, in adjusting and tuning the instruments over, and therebyespecially when thoughtlessly and paradingly done -distracting the attention of the congregation, and marring the spirit of devotion. This is of some consideration, in regard to those persons who look upon the whole tribe of instruments as there on sufferance, and who construe every little irregularity on their part as the signal for war.

The organ seems not so well adapted for small buildings as for large ones. For in some places, by its producing too much sound, it has the effect rather of burdening than of assisting the efforts of vocal melody. It seeks for an ample range of dominion, where its majestic voice can swell out its commanding influence to the most distant ear, and lead forth the aspirations of thousands.

CHAPTER III.

MELODY AND HARMONY.

Definitions of harmony and melody-the harmony of sounds must have been perceived from the earliest period, conjectured from many considerations—systemized by Franco-the difficulties of bringing it to perfection noticed-Franklin, Lord Kaimes, Professor Robinson, &c., opinions on harmony—difficulty of harmonizing some airs-Rolfe's hypothesis quoted-harmony adapted to the varieties of the human voice-Watson, Addison, and Dryden, opinions quoted—the management of the several parts of a tune-some of our sweetest pleasures of music occasioned by harmony.

MELODY and harmony are words so agreeable in sound, and call up such delightful associations of sentiment and feeling, that, angry disputation on their respective merits, seems an unhallowed intrusion into their own mellifluent province. From the testimony of their own native voices, they themselves agree in the chords of unity. And the spirit of this unity breathes in all the descriptions of the musician, poet, orator, and painter; they are interchangeably and promiscuously used, and pressed into varied service, to any thing that is expressive of sweet and pure emotions. Nevertheless these two words have a distinct, though a friendly meaning, and characterize certain classifications of

musical sound, to which, and other matters pertaining to their nature and use, we shall call the attention of the reader in the spirit of our theme.

In the popular use of these terms, melody, means one single strain of successive musical tones; such as a tune having but one part, without any accompaniment, either vocal or instrumental. Harmony is the co-existence, or combination of two or more of such strains. Hence we say a tune has two, three, or four parts, and accompaniments, which may be either vocal or instrumental. Hence also an air is said to be harmonized when other parts are added to it.

Now the date when these classifications were first adopted, and the merit of their use, are subjects on which opinion is divided. It is asserted by the advocates of melody, that harmony is of late invention; and therefore unknown to the ancients, by whose music such amazing effects are said to have been produced. It will be readily granted that melody preceded harmony, as in every successive musical creation it must ever precede it, as the eldest child of a family, or, as in the progressive series of numbers, one must have existence before two or three. But to say that harmony in its simplest forms, and rudest conceptions, was unknown to the ancients, cannot but excite the surprise of all persons who have paid any attention to the theory of music, and the estimation in which it has been held by all ages and nations.

That faculty of the mind by which we appreciate harmony, cannot be considered either of temporary or local existence; or naturalized by the force of habit or education. It is the native offspring of the soul, and inseparable from (partaking it is true less or more, of) the elements of poetry, though nourished it must be admitted, and brought to different degrees of perfection, by the aids of science and practice.

If this view be correct, can we imagine that this faculty would have lain dormant in the bosoms of hundreds of millions of persons, during the vast sweep of the first four or five thousand years of the world? It is true the improvements in science, in the multiplication of musical instruments, and the extension, and the precision on which the theory of music is graduated, has offered greater encouragement and facilities for its development than could have been presented in former ages. Still, as we are assured they had instruments, and voice, and ear; and were in other respects essentially constituted like the moderns, we cannot but think, they must at one time or another, either intentionally or by accident, have simultaneously struck on chords, which would have excited a desire to repeat those harmonious sounds; and being so repeated, would naturally tend to their perfection and perpetuation.

This might have been the case, particularly when musicians were practising together, either

in sober or fanciful mood; when curiosity would be upon the alert to make some fresh discovery; or, such object might have been effected by the inflexions and divergings of voices when singing together.

Since harmony has been systematically pursued, opinion has varied as to the degree of perfection possessed by certain chords. But the concord of the octave has never been disputed; and as it was no doubt the practice then, as now, for persons not nicely tuned to music, but yet anxious to take a part in the exercise, to drag on in an octave below the air; it could not but lead to observation, reproof, and variety, in the combination of sounds amongst those who, though at times few might be the number, were concerned in the improvement of their favourite theme.

In pursuing this result, the expense, time, and learning were not required, as in making discoveries in many other branches of science; the means were ever at hand for making experiments.

Our wonder is the more excited on this point, when we turn our attention to David, and his musical coadjutors,-choirs which poured their music from hundreds of voices, and thousands of instruments; who would be stimulated by so skillful and generous a patron, and aroused among themselves by honourable competion, to make every possible variation in tone, modulation, and cadence; with all degrees, in the volume of sound, from the