called wornaubavouev&, proflambanomenos, or note fubjoined to the scale; for though this was conftantly the lowest sound in all the modes, it was not included in the tetrachords.

Dr. Burney afterwards fpecifies the different founds of the tetrachord acording to their feveral denominations. In developing this fubject, he produces a proof that the accents were known at the time of Alypius, and were then used chiefly for profedy, not mufic, for which they were only called in occafionally.

For a more particular account of the Greek scale, we refer our readers to the work, and fhall proceed with a recital of the other fubjects contained in the Differtation.

The second section treats of the three genera, diatonic, chromatic, and enharmonic, which comfift in the manner of arranging the stones, femitones, and quarter tones of which ancient melody was compofed. In the five fubfequent fections the author delineates with great precifion the modes, mutations, melopœia, rythm, and the practice of melopœia, with examples. The rhythmical enquiries feem in a particular manner happy, and to contain much claffical knowledg and fagacity.

In the feventh fection the author has given three fragments of ancient Greek music, explained in modern notes: the poems to which thefe melodies were fet, are of a kind which leaves little doubt of their high antiquity. Of the merit of these the doctor has enabled the unclaffical reader to form no inadequate judgment, by infufing into his English translation much of the original fpirit. As a fpecimen of our author's poetical abiilties we have felected the following:

HYMN to NEMESIS.
Avenging Nemefis, of rapid wing,
Goddess of eye fevere, thy praife we fing:
Againft thy influence, ruler of our lives,
Daughter of Juftice, man but vainly strives.
'Tis thine to check with adamantine rein
The pride of mortals, and their wishes vain;
Of infolence to blunt the lifted dart,

And drive black Envy from the canker'd heart.
Still at the pleasure of thy reftlefs wheel,
Whofe track the Fates from human eyes conceal,
Our fortune turns; and in 'life's toilsome race
'Tis thine, invifible, our steps to trace ;

To ftrew with flow'rs, or thorns, the doubtful maze,
And by thy rule to circumfcribe our days.

Infulting tyrants, at thy dire decree,

Bow the proud head, and bend the ftubbarn knee :
Inflexible to each unjust demand

Frowning thou hold'st thy scales with steady hand,

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Incor

Incorruptible judge, whom nought can move,
Nor less infallible than mighty Jove :
Great guardian! ever watchful, ever near,
O facred minifter of justice, hear!

Avenging Nemefis, of rapid wing,
Goddess of eye fevere, thy praise we fing.
And let Aftræa, thy companion, share
Our pious praises, and our fervent pray'r.
She mounts the fkies, or plunges into hell
With rapid flight, the deeds of man to tell;
Dread Juftice! whofe report has power t'affuage
The wrath of gods, and calm infernal rage.'

The eighth fection is employed on the queftion, Whether the ancients had counterpoint, or mufic in părts. This fubject has been fo warmly contefted by antiquaries, that Dr. Burney, after reciting the arguments in favour of each opinion, fums up the evidence in the following words:

Having given the opinions of the most refpectable writers on both fides of this long difputed queftion, it now remains to tell the reader ingenuoufly my own fentiments: and, to confefs the truth, I will venture to fay, that I do not believe the ancients ever did ufe fimultaneous harmony, that is, mufic in different parts for without thirds and fixths it must have been infipid; and with them, the combination of many founds and melodies moving by different intervals, and in different time, would have occafioned a confufion, which the respect that the Greeks had for their language and poetry, would not suffer them to tolerate,

It has been frequently urged, and with apparent reafon and probability, that ignorance and knowledge, tate and inelegance, could not be fo much united in the fame people, as that they fhould be poffeffed of every kind of refinement and perfection in poetry, fculpture, and architecture, and yet be delighted with a rude, coarfe and ordinary mufic. But ftop any one principle of improvement in an art, or fingle wheel in a watch, and it will check all the reft: tie up one leg of an animal, to whom nature has even given four, and it will impede his progreffive motion. The Turkish religion has not only ftopt the advancement of human reafon wherever it has been established, but totally fuppreffed all the acquirements of former ages. If, therefore, it was a law with the ancients to regulate their melody by the length and number of fyllables; and if every thing that was thought to injure poetry, by diftracting the attention from it, and rendering it difficult to be underflood, was avoided, the multiplicity of concords in fimple counterpoint, and the contrary motion of parts in founds of different lengths, in more florid compofitions, muft have been held in utter abhorrence,

But mufic has not always kept pace with other arts in those countries, where they have been most fuccefsfully cultivated. Painting, poetry, and fculpture, in Italy, during the fixteenth

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céntury, greatly furpaffed the mufic of that period; and in France, though the compofitions of Lulli, in Louis the fourteenth's time, were at least as much extolled by the natives, as those of the greatest musicians of ancient Greece, by fuch as ei-ther heard them, or heard of them; yet the French themfelves, now, are of the fame opinion as the inhabitants of other parts of Europe have long been, in thinking them not only greatly inferior to the best productions of the fame period in all the other arts, but wholly intolerable and deteftable.

I well know that many paffages in ancient authors are pointed out as favourable to the fide of mufic in parts'; but what can not be found there by thofe who are determined to fee whatever they feek? However, counterpoint feems as much a modern invention, as gunpowder, printing, the ufe of the compafs, or circulation of the blood; and if more proofs against its ever having existed are not given, it is not for want of them, but for fear of tiring the reader. One obfervation more, however, I muft add, as it feems conclufive, and has not, to my knowledge, been urged by any other writer.

It is generally allowed that the ecclefiaftical modes, and Canto Fermo of the Romish church, are remains of the ancient Greek mufic; and as these have ever been written in manuscript miffals, without parts, and been always chanted in unifons and octaves, it is a ftrong prefumptive proof, among others, against the ancients having had counterpoint, as this fpecies of melody is fo flow and fimple, as to be more capable of receiving, and, indeed, to ftand more in need of, the harmony of different parts, than any other.

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The chief ufe, therefore which the ancients made of concords in mufic, feems only to afcertain intervals and distances as in our first leffons of folmifation it has been cuftomary to spell intervals, as it were, by naming the intermediate founds; as do re mi, do mi; do re mi fa, do fa; do re mi fa fol, do fol, &c. Upon the whole, therefore, it feems demonftrable, that barmony, like ours, was never practifed by the ancients: however, I have endeavoured to fhew, that the ftripping their music of counterpoint does not take from it the power of pleafing, or of producing great effects; and, in modern times, if a Farinelli, a Gizziello, or a Cafarelli, had fung their airs wholly without accompaniment, they would, perhaps, have been liftened to but with ftill more pleasure. Indeed the clofes of great fingers, made wholly without accompaniment, are more attended to than all the contrivance of complicated parts, in the course of the airs which they terminate.

An elegant and graceful melody, exquifitely fung by a fine voice, is fure to engage attention, and to create delight without inftrumental affiftance; and in a folo, compofed and performed by a great mafter, the lefs the accompaniment is heard, the betHence it fhould feem as if the harmony of accumulated vocal parts, or the tumult of inftrumental, was no more than a

ter.

fuccedaneum to 2 mellifluous voice, or fingle inftrument of the first clafs, which is but feldom found. However, to diverfify and vary our mufical amufements, and to affift in dramatic painting, a full piece, and a well written chorus, have their peculiar merit, even among fongs and folos, however elegant the compofition, or perfect the performance.'

The ninth fection is allotted to the confideration of dramatic mufic: here the differtation ceafes to be technical; and the author has had the address not only to throw much light upon this obfcure fubject, but to render it both interefting and entertaining to fuch as are neither fcholars nor muficians. He produces the ftrongest evidence for proving that the ancient dramas were fung. In the conclufion of the preliminary discourse he collects and examines the most remarkable historical incidents of the effects attributed to the mufic of the ancients: confidering, firft, the effects of ancient mufic in foftening the manners, and promoting civilization; fecondly, its effects in exciting, or repreffing the paffions; and thirdly, its medicinal power in curing difeafes. Dr. Burney admits, that, confidering the fimplicity of the ancient mufic, and its intimate union with poetry, it might operate more powerfully in theatric, and other public exhibitions, than the artificial melody, and com. plicated harmony of modern times; though he is of opinion that the hyperbolical accounts of its fupernatural powers, related by ancient writers, are not only too improbable for belief, but too ridiculous to be treated feriously.

We cannot conclude without obferving, that the volume greatly exceeds in bulk the expectation which the subscribers had reason to entertain on that fubject; and that it is also enriched with three plates, which were not promised in the propofals: thefe are engraved by Bartolozzi, from defigns of Cipriani, and are most exquifitely beautiful. The other plates confifting of reprefentations of ancient inftruments, are extremely curious, on account of their felection and authenticity as well as execution.

[To be continued. ]

II. Obfervations on the Nature of Civil Liberty, the Principles of Government, and the Justice and Policy of the War with America. To which is added an Appendix, containing a State of the National Debt, &c. By Richard Price. 8vo. 25. Cadell. HIS pamphlet is divided into two parts; in the first of which we are presented with abstract observations relative to liberty; and in the fecond, with various confiderations on the war with America. The author diftinguishes liberty into

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four

four general kinds; namely, phyfical, moral, religious, and civil liberty; which he afferts can only be enjoyed where mankind are governed, in those several modes of action, entirely by the dictates of their own will. This doctrine, no doubt, appears very beautiful in theory, but we imagine Dr. Price will hardly be able to fhew that it ever was reduced to practice in any human fociety. 'There feems indeed to be an impoffibility of fuch an application, fo far as relates to civil liberty. For, to what purpose are laws enacted, if not to reftrain individuals from fuch an indulgence of their own will, as might prove deftructive to the peace or happiness of other members of the community? If we shall admit that the actions of men are uncontroulable by civil jurisdiction, there is at once an end of all political inftitutions.Dr. Price is aware of the conclufions which would refult from the principles he has established ; -and this doctrine therefore is qualified in the following obfervations.

From hence it is obvious that civil liberty, in its most perfect degree, can be enjoyed only in fmall ftates, where every member is capable of giving his fuffrage in perfon, and of being chofen into public offices When a ftate becomes fo numerous, or when the different parts of it are removed to such distances from one another, as to render this impracticable, a diminution of liberty neceffarily arises. There are, however, in thefe circumitances, methods by which fuch near approaches may be. made to perfect liberty as fhall anfwer all the purposes of government, and at the fame time fecure every right of human na ture.

Though all the members of a state should not be capable of giving their fuffrages on public measures, individually and perfonally, they may do this by the appointment of fubftitutes or reprefentatives. They may entrust the powers of legiflation, fubject to fuch reftrictions as they fhall think neceffary, with any number of delegates; and whatever can be done by fuch delegates, within the limits of their truft, may be confidered as done by the united voice and counsel of the community.'

The doctor has here interrupted the subject, by a digreffion into an ideal scheme of fuch a confederate government of the different nations of the world, as might exclude the defolations of war, and produce univerfal peace and order; but we fhall continue the quotation from where he returns to confider the government of a particular state.

• I have observed, that though, in a great ftate, all the individuals that compofe it cannot be admitted to an immediate participation in the powers of legiflation and government, yet they may participate in these powers by a delegation of them to a body of reprefentatives.In this cafe it is evident that the state,

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