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Pa ate ‘wat
i.
258 :
CYC Zvuty © Vier,
VOL. L.
As music is universal in all ages and among all nations, from
the most savage to the most civilized, it would be absurd to at-
tribute its invention to any one person; that * first it was rude,
artless, unscientific, cannot be doubted, and its improvements
been slow and progressive. Without then indulging
in idle and fanciful speculations as to whatsome cail the origin
of music, we shail not attempt to trace it farther back than the
history of Egypt, where. Plato and Diodorus Siculus state its
study was confined fo the priests, who only used it on religious
and solemn occasior c, like sculpture, was circumscrib-
ed by law, and forbidden to be employed on trivial ocensions.
Although the tact of music and musitel mstruments being
known to the Egyptians ata very early id is. indixputabe
‘yet it is much to be regretted, that there are eno records by whic!
we can jiige of its comparative excellenc
The earliest Egyptian musical jnstrement of which we have
any record, is that on the Bugle rotta at Rome, one of the obe-
lisks brought from Egypt, and said to have been erected by
* Sesostris, at Heleopolis, cya four hundred years before the
siege of Tro ‘oy. New, historians and ‘chronologists fix the
latter event at 1184 years before the birth of Christ, this would
ian rourie s an antiqnity of npwards ot three thou-
sand four hundred year:
This curious relic of antiquity, which is a musical instrument
of two strings, with a neck, resemb!és much the calascione still
used in the kingdom of Naples, and proves that the Egyptians,
ata very early period of their history, had advanced ta a consi
derable: degree of excellence in the cultivation of the arts; in-
deed, there is ample evidence. that at a time when the world was
involved in savage ignorance, the Egyptians were possessed of
musical instruments capable of much variety of expression.
Nothing is mote -beautiful-than to conceive the energetic
powers of the lawman mind in the carly ges of the world, ex-
ploring the then undiscovered capabi of nature, aud di-
Fected to the exhaustless store by the finger of God in the form
ofaccident—thouzh where chance is the parent of discovery, it
nly men of genius who turn it to advantage—such was
eriagists, the Hermes or Mercury of the Egyptians, who,
jot the inventor of music, as he is geverally called, m:
tnany strikiag i improvements in it, and fist gave the world ‘the
The aceount in which he was led to invent this i fustrae
no means improbable. “ The
‘Apollororus us, who relat the, anecdote, ‘ afier
su ‘eypt, when it return
give to Egypt
within its natural bounds, left on
dead animals of various kinds, wand amongst the rest a tortoise,
the flesh of which, long dried and wasted hy the sun, nothing
remained within the shell bu ut
being contracted by th eat be
_ eury, walking along ee Nites happened to strike his
foot a-
gainst the shell, and was so pleased w ith the sound produced,
that the idea of a lyre started into his imagination, He con-
structed the in: ent in the form of a tortoise, and strung it
with the ‘lied s sinews of dead animals.”
Itis, however. more than probable that the monailoa or sin-
gle Gute, ealled by the Egyptinus photing, was known before
the lyre; it appears at first en nothing more than a
bull's horn. Egypt, however, ma advances in the use-
ful and elegant arts, while all the vest ofthe world was shroud.
ed in savage iguorance,. Asa proof of this, we have only to
name the drawing of the harp found ina sepalehre at Thebes,
solution of questions wrhieh are usually treated in the higher
branches of mathem: a
who imagine that the t pnowledge of geometry is only necessary
Yor the construction of machinery: .
150 arts and trades would derive great advantage from the ar-
tizans being instructed in that science.
took a glance at the relative state ot industry in France and
commerce and manufactares, compared with the *‘ prodigiow
augmentation in the commerce of England id
vonces_—butt England has made an infinitely more rapid pro-
gress than wi
added, that it was only in the mechanical arts that England ex-
celled.
> shore great number of
He combated the opinion of those
He stated that upwards of
M. Dupin afterwards
England, and he was forced to acknowledge the great inferio-
of France, and cited as a proof the diminution of French
8
he)
le al
Itis nor
e have gone back; on the contrary, we hav:
2
we have done; the effect of which is as if England
had remained stationary, and we had gone backward.” . He
For example, chemistry in France is far from being
behind that of any other nation, The reason, according toM.
Dupin, is, that the Berthollet’s and Fourcroy’s were able,
from their social position, to persuade the government to found
establishments for facilitating its progress. , It will be the same
the mechanical arts, if analagous establishments are en-
couraged, ~ Already the schools formed in different towns of
best and the lectures given in them, give the brightest
z
°M. Moreau de Jonnes reada nate on the affcial i inquiries, prov-
ing the contagion of the yellow fever and the plague.
The author commenced by remarking, that this gnestion,
considered as a new one, has alr eady been resolved sev:
times in the affirmative, after a most patient examination of all
he facts.
France, deprived for a quarter of a century of commerce,
had no occasion to take any precantions ; but, during the short
peace of 1302, the danger was renewed. and proof afforded
that the yeHow fever was contagions, _ being brought to Mar-
seiles by the American vessel Colum T ernment of
that period consulted the faculty of ‘Montpellier, which unani-
mo isly decided that the fever was contagions. M. Chaptal,
they Minister of the Tnterior, prescribed the measures neces-
sary for preserving France. from this dreadful calamity which
then ravaged Spain. The war broke out, and our relations with
of contagion until
In 1816, the danger ‘being again n felt, go-
vernment demanded the opinion of the faculty of Paris, which
de unanimonsly that the yellow fever was contagiow:
lacing that “the yellow wo ferer is contagious and susceptible of a
being imported by marilime and other communications, and is
equally transmisstite by men aud merchandize.” This decision
was attacked by a few who argued from false data: for instance,
while it was affirmed before the Academy of Sciences, that the
yellow fever had shown itself spontaneously on board the ship
Fabricius, at sea, I held in my hands an official investigation,
made at request, which proved, incontestibly,. that during
the whole voyage there were no symptoms of the yellow fever
on boa:
The aw uthor, i in explaining the dissensions that have taken
place on the subject of contagion, observes that every truth has
heen more or less obstinately controverted: and it is no more
“a.
?
jague at Marseilles, that the plague was contagi-
which is supposed to be that orthe father ef Sesostris, who
ed near four thousand years ago, Of this harp, Mr rice well
observes that “it overturns al the accounts of the earliest state
and instruments in Egypt, and is altogether in
its fen ™m, Ornaments, and compass, an incontestitile prool, strong-
er than a thousand Greek quotations, that geometry, drawing,
saechanies and music were at the greatest perfection when th
arp was made; and thatawhat we thin!
yeution of arts, was only the beginning of the eva of their res-
toratiun.”
‘The Sacred Writings ae afford ample evidence of the anti-
quity of music, of Genesis. we find when Laban
veproves his son-inlaw Jacob for his precipitate flight, he dis-
finery alludes to music and innsieal i instrament: heretore,”
ays he, “didst thow Hee aw cretly, and steal away ‘ein
ine ; and didst not tell me that I night have sent thee away with
mirth and songs, with tabret, ani with har
© The son of Sivach, in giving ilirectiong to the master of a ban-
qnet as to his behaviour, desires him amongst other things, to
and '0 tus headds, ‘a concert of mu-
sic in a banguct of wine, is as signet of carbuncle set in gold
asa signet ofemerald setin a work of gold, su is the melody of
fausic with pieasant wine.” In speaking ii in the praise of Josias,
remembrance of Jusias is like the composit
the perfume, that is made by the art of the apothecar
sweet as houey i in all mouths; and as music ina banquet of wine.
Here we havea pleasing recollection, illustrated by a co! comp
th the gratification of three of the senses. .on an
occasion a little ditterent, makes use of the last compacison, but
iv an inverted order, when he says, “* the music of Caryl is like
fhe meme nory of jeys that are past, pleasing and mourn) tothe
‘The Hebrew instruments of music were principally ‘those of
Percussion ; so that on that account, as well as the bai
the language, the music unst have been coarse and noisy.
great numver of performers too, whom it was the custom of the
Tiebre ews to collect together, could, with such language and such
instruments, produce nothing but clamour and goo. Accu
ding to Josephus, there were two hundved thou: nd mitsiciaus
at the dedication of the Temple of Solomon.
(To be continued.)
_e
The
Witerary Corresponsence.
LETTERS FROM PARIS.
Paris. Aveust 22, 1825.
Sitting of a Feench Institute, August 16.—The Bishop’ of
Hermopolis (the
th h raycinous) addliessed to the academy
i. el ld te ie pehe of si selle, who wished ¢ ow
+ Mhat would be he advantage: dvantages that might re-
eterred to th
same question for the cathertral of
The Marquis De
Mecanique Celese
M. Du
ouen
exentin ne
Rice, observed, that for consetting his .w
‘ork, it
shry to be acqinginted with additimecc, was onl
although it cont:
che
© committee occupied in the
a Place Presented the 5th ‘volume of his
his Course of Geometry and Mecha-
y neces-
me thing happened at Moscow, where the non-con
tagionists “advised the inhabitants to throw their naversaries
(who insisted on contagion) into the Moscawa . When the
plague broke out at Messiaa, the fatal ignorance of the faculty
was such, that out of thirty-four doctars who were consulted
on the subject, only one acknowledged the plagne to he c
gious, though forty- three thonsand persons died of it in nthe
0
Happil ly the controversy which took place in France. in ‘1317,
had a different result at that period. M. Taine, the Minister,
instituted a Jury,” composed of disinterested pers
fexsions, who had been eye-wi ‘they stated. as
well in “america, as in Egypt, Syria, and A: inor: their
decision was unanimous, that both’ the ‘yellow fever and plague
Fhe comtnittee of the Co!
d composed of persons, who
tiniqne and the coasts of Guadaloupe, unanimously declared
the yellow tever contagious, both from persons a) ings.
In 1820, a projec law was submitted to the Chanters re.
Jative to quarantine Iw which passed the 3d of March, 1822.
It is sin) r, added M. De Jonnes, that this law should be un-
known to those who bring pestiferous things into the country to
wear: he added that several essays of the kind
ready made, but no one was conclusive sive that of Dr. Valli,
this calamity, so that at tength fancying it was not conta;
fella
sions and the Ottoman empire.-
* The French perpetually use the
commission, forgetting the ety! ‘nlowy entirely. Tea
’
Bible Socictcs,”
ee Continued from our last.
Mr. Enitor, * .
Mts
the facts which have been produces,
quences of the adoption of the Protestant Rule of Faith; and,
pects, it contains nothin;
reliance on the result of their own inquiries. ‘To this reply, ii
|} may he rejoine: observing—| that it contains a bare
rant such inferences as Catholic writers have drawn from them,
Secondly. ‘th:
monstrated from the following chain of
Christian must -admit, that the
reasoning :—Ever:
kind; and whi
covered. To maint
pro-
had been al-
who, taking proper Precautions, lived ten years in the midst of
ious,
he neglected the proper precautions, braved the disorder, and
tim
M. Mores “De Tonnes proposes, ina future memoir, to prove
that the same results have been obtained in the English posses-
i.
ord Jury, to reprevent committee or
may be replied, in answer to the remarks in our last. that
are not necessary conse-
that whatever may be the character of that Rule in other res-
yy in its nature calculated to render
those who employ it unreasonably confident of the correctness
of their own opinions, or to lead them to place too implicit a
. by irst,
denial of the correctness of conclusions, which are supported
by facts, without au attempt to prove that those conclusions are
ilagical “and unfounded, or that the facts alluded to do not wars
at those corctusions are well founded, can he .
Scriptures ‘contain travhs i i
which it is the peculiar province of revelation to instruct man:
supposition would infer, that reason is possessed ofa strength
and sagacity, of which it is destitute, as every one who adinits
the necessity ‘of revelation, must acknowledge.
quiry, i sheeld appear that human reason of itself is incompe-
tent t e@ office of rightly explaining | the Scvintutes, as it
would have been to the discovery of the truths of revelatint;
and, if the truths of this latter proposition appears from facts
‘h cannot be controverted, and frou, a fair reduction of the
principle which maintains the competence
the office of judge of the right meani
practice, it must undeniably follow, that the principle now op-
posed is eal calculated to encourage pride, with the denial
of the one by which it has been illustrated, and with which the
argument was commenced, because both the Genial of the one
and the mai nce of the other, would assign to re: a
task, to which | unequal, and maintain its adeqmy” to the
right performance, of such an office. Now, eal hes
been already made to facts to prove the gencral inabil it " vof rea.
son to explain the true sense of the Scriptures, at the
many errors which exist in the religious world have arisen, not
from the abuse of reason, but as a natural consequence of as-
signing to it the office of judging of, and of deciding upon, the
true meaning of the inspired volnme, Until, therefore, the cors
rectness of the argument, respecting the incompetency of r rea-,
son, &e., which has been founded upon the almost innumerable
divisions, contradictions, and dissensions existing in ne Pro-
testant world, can be disproved, and the inferences which are
still further drawn to the disadvantage of the leading prince
and doctrine of the Reformation, with regard to its moral ten-
dency, remain unanswered; because the inability of reason to
the discharge of an office, which it is incapable of performing,
should certainly become an occasion of humility, whereas
maintenance of its capacity for the performance of such an of
fice; would be to flatter pride, and excite presumption. For
contradictory Propositions involve contradictory conclusions,
an mM opposite causes, opposite effects must necessarily
follow. |
however, the subject, to which our attention has
been Grecia is dismissed, it may not be improper to make a
few inquiries relative to the consequences that have been bi-
therto fttendant o n the labours and exertions of Bible Societies.
1. it, then, in the first place, have been their general ef-
fects, with regard to the progress and the reception er religow
Jn answer to this question, it may be observed, t
veral years have elapsed since the formation of those tocieties,
and the correctness of the following assertion cannot be denied,
that the divisions and dissensions among Protestants will be
eventually terminated; or that the. many’ contradictions and
consequent errors to be found among'them, will be diminished.
As many different sects still exist, as little. inclined as ever to
yield the peculiarities of their’ several creeds, and by so doing,
remove the causes of disagreement and disunion. “All the dif-
ferences referred to, regard the truths of revelation, and conse-
the honour of God, and the salvation of souls; and
traced, but to the principle which has formed the subject of the
greater part of the remarks contained in the preceding commu-
ions on the subject of Bible Societies?
testant Rule of Faith has been adopted, in explaining the con-
tents of that sacred book, must not the‘same evils, reasoning
from what is past, he augmented by its distribution on a more
extensive scale, among those who still persist in an adherence
to such a rule, and who. deny that any other rule has been given
to mankind for the discovery of truth, and the consequent de-
tection éf error? Notwithstanding the vauinting calculations
of the friends, patrons, and supporters o ieties, there
still exists in places which have iormed the Je princi jpn theatres of
their labours, and where the Bible i is most read by those whe
explain it upon Protestant pr s, the greatest ignorance 0!
religious truth, . 1s proof required ofthe truth ofte assertion!
Itis at hand. We will select some.of the pr al cities in our
own country, in which, if | mistake not, the Bil tle hhas b een most
extensively Aistribured for example, New-York, Philadelphit.
Baltimore, and Bost Do not as many sects, each of ‘ which
ranks as many adherents as ever, still continne to exist in each
of | those cities? Are not as many contradictory doctrines still
tained among the inhabitants of those places
72
wish to adopt ; but the truth of one or
the other of Those concise cannot be controverted, | And i!
from our own country, we turn our attention to England, Ire-
land, Scotland, ise. we shall find that among the Protestant in-
habitants of those countries which have formed the scene of the
labours of Foreign Bible Societies, the same evils are to be
found, whose existence every friend to truth, whatever his reli-
gious creed may be, must lament; that the number of those
evils is not likely to be lessened ; that union among our Prote: ists
at brethren, while they adhere toa principle wth forms the
roo! of all their differences and divisions, is impossible.
F rom facts like the foregoing, the conclusion " sanavoidable
tribution of the wor ie
of truth, on correct principles, the dhoaicion of error, ands .
consequent triumph of truth, and the removal of some of thos’
obstacles which present toa ion in faith among Christians. _
2. Asecond inquiry is, whether the morals of those commi
nities, in which Bible Societies have been the a
thejr distribuiiun of the Scriptures. have
apparent advantage from their exertions? That
been the case in England, has, we know, been ‘temonetra
a divine of the established church in that country, 4
Hook, who, by a reference to the number of convicti
executions for capital offences that had taken place sine’ wna
establishment of Bible Societies, proved, that since the omatly
tion of these Sucieties, the number of yearly crimes had greats
in
augmented.” sotty,
+ And il w furn our attention to our own cou! es
which our F Protestant friends have vied with their brethren the
evinced in
the Atlantic, in the # eal and activity they have he
Soe ete any well informed person pretend that,
same cause ri)
degre existing among us, been diminished ea
the teat a Sisteen or twenty years? “And a great number st
aties wel
it is believed, has not elapsed since those societies daily he
tablished among us. Do we not, on the contrary,
ed those truths, without the aid of revelation, would certai
wed the
iv
have «tendeney to encourage the pride of reason, because the
* End of Controversy.