founded upon a more stable foundation than is derived from chronicles and charters. All testimony whatever, with regard to any great event, must be authenticated, either by oral or written evidence. The former of these is liable, however, to many exceptions; such as the perversion or misconception of the idiomatic phrases of vernacular language, and the ever-varying form of local manners: but, when aided and assisted by written testimony, the proof becomes at once incontrovertible; and these ancient monuments, when so authenticated, are often preferable to the partial testimony of the best historians.

Many events have contributed to deprive us of a great part of these literary monuments of antiquity. The destruction of the Phoenician temples, and of the Egyptian repositories, by their overwhelming conquerors, centuries prior to the Christian era, threw a degree of darkness over the then learned world, which was not easily dispelled. The Alexandrine library was destroyed, first, by the troops of Cæsar, and afterwards by the fanatic followers of Mahomet; that invaluable deposit, which the wisest and the best of ancient times had been amassing for ages*. Innumerable are the monuments that have perish ed by the hand of barbaric ignorance. The Pythagorean libaries in Italy, the Grecian libraries at Constantinople, which were destroyed along with the Western empire, formed a chasm in the literary history of mankind, which ages were insufficient to fill up. Thus, within the space of little more than one hundred years, every vestige of human learning was destroyed, and the grossest darkness enveloped the nations of Europe for upwards of three centuries. During these deplorable periods, every species of an archy and confusion prevailed. Refigion, mingled with politics, formed

Drake's Literary Hours.

a crude and undigested mass, which tended greatly, to obliterate these ancient monuments, and diplomatic records.

What tended greatly to quench the last glimmerings of philosophy and science in this country, was the extreme scarcity of books. Most of the libraries, as we have seen, had been consumed during the incursions of the furious Picts and Saxons; so that the search for, and purchase of, a single volume, was attended with a most enormous expence. King Alfred, in A. D. 699, gave to Benedict Biscop, founder of the monastery of Weremouth, in Northumberland, an estate of as much land as eight ploughs could labour in one year, for a single volume on cosmography. In France, Louis XI. was obliged to deposit a considerable quantity of plate, and to get one of his nobility to join with him in a bond, under a high penalty, to restore it, before he could procure the loan of a single volume, which may now be purchased for a few shillingst. The Arabians, whose barbarous enthu siásm led to the destruction of the Oriental libraries in the seventh century, were the first people to emerge from that awful gloom of ignorance, error, and superstition, which, for ages, had shed its "disastrous twilight" on the moral and intellectual world. Smit with a love of learning, they assiduously studied the arts and sciences of Greece, and infused into their own language the noblest monuments of that great and mighty people. During the splendid reigns of the caliphs of Bagdad, men of letters and science were fostered and cherished, and works composed in their own tongue. From this source, learning, like a mighty river, was impelled westward, and watered, with its bounties, the arid wilds of Christian Europe. The study

Sax. Chron. Sim. Dunelm, 1151. + Drake's Essays.

ding flower, or of Patience leaning upon a monument, are inimitably fine, and calculated to rouse the latent sparks of genius into a flame. The imagination receives additional lustre from a contemplation of these imperishable monuments; and acquires conceptions of beauty, harmony, and grace, hitherto unknown. After such comparisons, the student is enabled to feel the full force of a poetical description, and to see the divine positions and attitudes of classical embellishment with an intellectual eye, purged, like Diomedes, from the film too gross to discern the fine texture of celestial forms. The person who has never been accustomed to study these mighty monuments of ancient greatness, seldom feels his mind expand at these beautiful and affecting descriptions which turn immediately upon the grandeur or immensity of these important subjects. The Laocoon at Rome was never studied without an internal reference to the original in Virgil; and even in the flourishing periods of Grecce the astonished spectator turned from the statue of Phidias to the awful majesty of the Jupiter of Homer +.

(To be continued.)

Edinburgh Institution for the Encouragement of Sacred Music.

(Continued from page 14.)

IMMEDIATELY after the public meeting in December, it was resolved to proceed without delay to the teaching of the singers. With this view, an advertisement was published in the Newspapers, and by handbills liberally distributed throughout the closes, with which our city abounds, as well as in its more pub

Iliad, v. 127. Par. Lost, XI. 412. +Addison's Discourses on Ancient and Modern Learning.

An unex

lic avenues, offering instruction, free of expence, to all who were disposed to come forward. pected scene took place in consequence. On the night appointed for receiving singers, the rooms in James's Court, which formed the place of meeting, were beset by a throng of candidates so great that it was with difficulty they were accommodated within;and the work of recording their names and addresses was found more than sufficient for the first evening. A similar pressure continued for several following nights, till intimation was made by the Directors, that no additional applications could be received. In this manner the names of 780 applicants were in a short time taken down.

Among these, it was, of course, necessary to make a selection; and in doing this, Mr Mather, with the Directors who attended him, displayed a most laudable patience; giving every individual a fair trial on his capacity for musical accomplishment, and condemning none to disappointment who did not, during their exhibition, forfeit all title to the distinction of an

ear.

In this way the numbers in the end permitted to attend suffered a considerable reduction: but there still remained a very extensive band. At present, it consists of the following singers:

The Directors intend to institute enquiry as to these persons, by means of the ministers of their various parishes, with the view of securing a certain respectability of character in them, as well as musical capacity. But, with regard to the enquiry thus proposed, it is justice to the scholars to say, that, from what has been observed, there is every reason to be

lieve the result of it will be creditable to them; their appearance and whole manner affording a very favourable specimen of the youth of this city.

In conducting the instruction of so numerous a body, the Society have experienced much benefit from a simple invention, for which they were indebted to a hint given by a gentleman who had seen it practised in Germany: It is that of using a large board, painted black, and bearing the staves, on which the master writes his lesson in chalk, and which, being suspended before the school, becomes useful to any number, however large; while, by the use of a sponge, it gives room for an endless variety of examples. A machine of this kind has long been used by teachers of mathematics; but its application to music is new in this country, and we strongly recommend it in all similar undertakings.

The plan of teaching adopted by Mr Mather is very excellent. It commences with the most elementary parts of the art, and exhausts all those particulars which are essential to enable a person afterwards to sing at sight; explaining the character and value of the notes the qualities of the different cliffs-time-the nature of rests; and, in the practice of solfaggio, requiring a familiarity with all the different intervals above and below the key-note.

In these details, the singers, under the tuition of this very able master of the art, have already acquired a proficiency which is flattering to him, and highly satisfactory to the Directors. They have now commenced the singing of a certain number of psalmtunes, selected as most appropriate for practice; and they will, ere long, be in a situation to enter upon the study of the chorusses of Handel, and other music of a more difficult cast.

In the expectation of their farther advancement, the Directors have now February 1816.

resolved, that there shall be six great performances of sacred music during the year; and, from the arrangements which are made, they have reason to count upon the support of a powerful instrumental band on these occasions. What the number of the band, vocal and instrumental, thus brought together, may be, the Directors, of course, cannot specify with accuracy; but they are moderate in their estimate, when they compute it as likely to exceed 200.

A body so powerful cannot fail to produce a magnificent effect; and the public will no doubt be generally attracted by their performances. The music, also, which they are to execute, will be of the very finest order. It is never to be forgotten, that the great object of this institution is to improve the psalmody of the churches; and the practice of church-music will always, therefore, be its leading business. But, in improving the music of the churches, the Directors are aware that nothing can be done effectually towards this end, unless a taste for sacred music in general be excited among the great bodyof the community; and, to produce this spirit, they know, that something must be offered at their concerts more attractive than the mere exhibition of psalm-singing. In this way, the finest chorusses of Handel, Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart (stripped, no doubt, of all objectionable matter which may occur in the words) will be brought forward on these occasions, and will speedily become familiar to the public. A fine and very elevated entertainment will thus be provided, which will be attractive as a pleasure, while it is to become a benefit to the country. A taste and spirit of improvement will thus necessarily become more generat throughout all classes, and there will be reason to hope, from the dispositions so excited, that a portion of its influence may soon be displayed in the public services of the church.

We

We know the opinions entertained by many of our finest musicians on the subject of any church-music in which the great body of the people are allowed to take a part:-we know the sarcasms in which these ingenious persons have occasionally indulged, when alluding to the undisciplined performance of a great congregation uniting, with all the powers of their voice, in giving utterance to a simple psalm tune; and we are aware of their views with regard to the great object of this Society, in inducing all classes who attend church to join boldly and well in the music. But we have not the least hesitation in expressing our opinion, that their objections arise only from a morbid sensibility in music, alive to fine execution and ingenious harmony, but dead to all that is elevating in the associations from which the great charm of all music proceeds. We therefore express, warmly and cordially, our wishes for the success of the Institution, in its endeavours to lead all persons, without exception, to take a part in the music of the churches.

In expressing these opinions, we know the high authority to which they are opposed. We know, and regret, that such passages as those which we are immediately to quote, can be found in the works of a Burney: but when we witness the levity by which they are characterized, we feel disposed to disregard even his authority; flattering ourselves, that nothing but a bias fundamentally wrong could lead his gentle mind to a course of expression so opposite to its usual strain.

Dr Burney, after admitting that "lovers of mere harmony might re"ceive great pleasure from metrical "psalmody in parts, devoid as it is "of musical measure and syllabic quantity, if it were well perform"ed," adds, that this "so seldom "happens, that the greatest blessing "to lovers of music in a parish church

* Vol. II. p. 60,

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"is to have an organ in it sufficiently powerful to render the voices of the "clerk, and of those who join in his outcry, wholly inaudible. Indeed "all reverence for the psalms seems "to be lost, by the wretched manner "in which they are usually sung; for "instead of promoting piety and edi"fication, they only excite contempt "and ridicule in the principal part of "the congregation, who disdain to

join, tho' they are obliged to hear, "this indecorous jargon:" where upon the learned Doctor gives a hint in favour of the total suppression of this branch of worship.

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Why," in another passage*, the same author asks, "is the whole congregation to sing, any more than "preach or read prayers? Every mem"ber of a conventicle, however it may "abound with cordwainers and tai"lors, would not pretend to make a "shoe or a suit of clothes; and yet in our churches all are to sing !" &c.

66

A similar train of thinking, but carried much farther, is observable in another able work on a subject of the same kind, lately published in this place †, where the author, deviating from the customary 'seriousness of his style, chuses thus to record his opinions of the music of the churches. After a eulogium on the use of choirs and organs in churches, because he supposes them to have the effect of preventing the great body of the people from joining in the psalmody, Mr Graham expresses a doubt whether congregations render their thanksgiving more ac.

ceptable by adding to the chaos of "untunable and discordant sounds, "which constitute the vocal music in "most of our churches." And he is pleased to add, how "infinitely sn"perior in grandeur and solemnity of "effect," a performance by a skilful band is to "the confused uproar of a "mul

Vol. II. p. 64.

+ Account of the first Edinburgh Musica Festival. By G. F. Graham, Esq.