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12 James Dick fon, bookfeller,

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Wheat,
Bear,
Oats,
Pease,
N. B. Some old blackt wheat fold for 101.
and beft feed-wheat 16 s.

95. 3 d. 8s.

Edinburgh, 08. 19. Oat-meal, 9 d. Bear

13 Gilbert Meafon, merchant, Old Dean of meal, s d. 2 f. Peafe-meal, 5 d.

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27 William Davidfon, junior, furrier,

28 Francis Brodie, wright,

29 William Govan, junior, glafier,

30 Gregor Drummond, flefher,

31 John Craig, weaver,

32 Robert Phin, wauker,

Extraordinary Council-Deacons

33 John Auchterlonie, bonnetmaker, James Dickfon, Admiral of Leith Donald Smith, Baron-Bailie of Canongate and Calton

William Galloway, Baron-Bailie of Portf burgh

William Creech, Captain of Orange Colours Brackley Kennett, Efq: Lord Mayor of London, and Thomas Wright and Evan Pugh, Efqs, Sheriffs of London and Middlefex.

On the 13th of September the degree of Doctor in Medicine was conferred on the following gentlemen by the univerfity of Edinburgh [344]. The titles of their thefes are annexed to their names refpectively. From Barbadoes:

Robert Lovell, De hepate.

20 &

20

30

30 & 40 40 & 50 &

60 &

3 Bowelhive

2 Chilbed

2 Chincough

3 Confumption

50

2 Fever

60

4 Flux

703 Measles

70 & 80 4 Small pox

80 &

190 & 100

2 Teething

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3 per cent. Conf 61 5 8ths a 3 4ths.
India bonds, 22 5. a 25 5. pr.
Navy and Vict. Bills, 11 1 4th a 3 8th p
Long Annuities, 18 1 8th.
Annuities 1778, 11 15 16ths.
Lottery Tickets 131, 15 s. 6d.
The reft shut.

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SCOTS MAGAZINE.

OCTOBER,

1779.

CONTENT S.

difcourfe on NATIONAL MUSIC 513. GALLOWAY on the American war 521. TREAT BRITAIN's Answer to the FRENCH Manifefto $29.

ARLIAMENT. Motion by Gen. Howe for an inquiry into his conduct 540. Speeches by his Excellency, Lords Howe and North ib. Mr Burke, Gov. Johnstone, Mr Fox 341.

The Attorney-General, Mr Donning 542. Sir W. Meredith, and Mr Burke 543.

LISH PARLIAMENT. The Lord Lieutenant's fpeech 543. Debate in the House of Commons on the addrefs: Speeches by Sir R. Deane, Mr Hutchinfon, Mr Grattan 544. Sir H. Cavendish 545. Mr Ogle, Mr Flood, Mr Recorder, Sir E. Newen-ham $46. the Attorney-General, Mr Forbes 547. the Provoft, Prime Serjeant, Mr Flood, &c, 548. A free trade demanded 545, 48. Addresses 548, 49. The addrefs demanding a free trade, prefented with uncommon folemnity 550. The voluntiercompanies thanked by the Lords ib.

AMERICA. Adm. Arbuthnot's arrival, and
Gen. Vaughan's departure 551. Hoftilities
against Spain ib. Particulars of the action
at Stone ferry 552. Georgia harassed ib.
St
On the treatment of prifoners 553.
Vincent's capitulation, and oath 554. Ac-
counts of the taking of Grenada, and of
the fea-fight 555-559. Proclamations if-
fued in Grenada 559. The Supply store-
ship burnt 560.

A method of making POTATO-BREAD 519.
The condition on which PATENTS are grant-
ed, explained by Lord Mansfield $40.
ANECDOTES. Perfidy in love revenged

520.

Louis XIV. ib. E. Orford's heron's ring 528. A traitor rewarded and characterifed ib. The tower of Repentance $50. POETRY. Who's afraid 561. On good humour, by Lord Lyttelton ib. A woman to you, a fong ib. On Capt. Farmer's death ib. The young eagle 562. On the death of Dr Armstrong ib. Pauper and Dives ib.

HISTORICAL AFFAIRS 563. & feqq.

A Difcourfe on NATIONAL MUSIC. Delivered in a fociety for the promoting of Philosophy and the Belles Lettres. By THOMAS BLACKLOCK, D. D.

B

Efore the earliest records of human nature affumed their date, even before the legendary age which preceded the period of iftory, we learn, from traditionary acounts, that Mufic foothed the cares, heightened the joys, and humanized the pirits of a barbarous world. The fables of Orpheus and Amphion are too well known to be repeated in this place, tho' nothing can with greater energy difcover the universal and fenfible effects of this enchanting art. The accounts of its origin tranfmitted to us are far from beVOL. XLI.

ing worthy of attention. The only anecdote of this kind on which we can depend is too general to enlighten our refearch. Jubal is faid by Mofes to be the father of those who handle the harp and organ: but this is all we know either of the artificer or his inftruments. And, unimportant as this hint may seem to be, it is ftill lefs understood than we may at first imagine: for if accounts from the earlieft antiquity deserve our confidence, no inftruments appear among them analogous to the harp and organ as in present use.

Father Kirtcher, with indefatigable induftry, collected and methodized all the accounts he could find of Jewish inftruments, and Jewish mufic: but fhould quifition, we follow him through his laborious dif 3 T

quifition, the difcovery would by no means recompenfe the trouble. Nor could we derive more important inftruction from the primary ftate of the Grecian lyre, as originally invented by Hermes; who, finding the fhell of a tortoife on the fhore, and obferving that by any percuffion it gave an agreeable found, ftrung it with the dried tendons of the fame or of fome other animal, and produced the firft rudiments of melody. From this rude and primeval exhibition of musical founds, it is impoffible to trace the progrefs of the art, either in the ftructure of inftruments, or the extent of the fcale, till it became the admiration of Greece and Rome, when culture and refinement had attained their higheft perfection. For the accounts delivered to us both of the manner in which the fy ftem of mufic was improved, and of the artifts by whom thefe improvements were difcovered and propagated, are fo various, and even fo contradictory, that we muft for ever defpair of finding the truth.

It has been faid by authors of no fmall eredit, that Mufic owed its birth to Egypt, where fome perfon of uncommon genius, attentive to the whiftling of the winds through the reeds and other vegetable tubes that grew upon the banks of the Nile, endeavoured by art to imitate the fortuitous melodies or harmonies of nature. But the chief argument by which this hypothefis has been fupported is etymological, and therefore uncertain. Yet from the sculptures which have efcaped the rage of all deftroying time, it appears, that Mufic and Mufical Inftruments were early known and cultivated in Egypt. But in thefe engravings, tho' the forms of inftruments are plainly delineated, they give us no light either as to the nature and extent of their fcales, or the date of their conftruction.

In Greece, the mechanism of inftruments, and the practice of mufic, were certainly far advanced before the art was fcientifically ftudied, or its modulations expreffed in characters. These charac. ters were likewife varied at different times; and from the fluctuating nature of languages, the expreflions in which their theories have been delivered, are now become fo ambiguous, or even fo unintelligible, that unless it were in our power to compare their theory with their practice, it would be impoffible to form any definite ideas of either. But of their

practical music scarcely a fingle fragment remains: nor can it be proved, that what has been tranfmitted to us under that denomination is genuine.

3

Little of National Mufic can be collect. ed from facts. We have feen fome airs which are said to be admired among the Tartars, and others among the Heurons. But thefe are fo little agreeable either to our ideas of melody or harmony, that it would be lofing time to attempt any ac count of them. The best of them bat faintly refembles fome of those chants which are modulated by our boys and girls when at play. It is, however, extremely probable, that Mufic owes its o rigin to no nation in particular, but is coeval with human nature, or at lea with its capacity of exerting and forming its vocal organs; for it appears as natu ral to man as to birds, to effufe the fece fr ings of the foul in melody, when stimu lated by any keen impulfe, or agitated by any powerful paffion. There are in articulate founds uttered without prea meditation, and intuitively understood not only by man, but even perhaps by all animals poffeffed of vocal power Thefe uopremeditated and fignificant ea ertions of nature, faithful to every inerti pulfe of pleasure or of pain, commun cate the feelings of the object which fuf fers or enjoys, in a manner so powerful that all arbitrary fymbols, however iati mately affociated, or artfully contrivdes v are feeble and unmeaning when compat's red with these natural and univerfal ex-preffions.

It is indeed pretended, that there differences in thefe emiffions of fignifi cant found, according to the diversity conftitutions which prevail in various tions. These conftitutions are faid be formed, or at leaft to be varied, by the mechanical influence of different fas and climates upon the inhabitants. In fome the fluids are thin, pure, and ip rituous; hence their motions are bra and rapid in others, they are heavy, thick, and vifcid; hence they are more tardy and cumbrous in their circulationi The tone and texture of the nerves like wife are alledged to vary in countries d ferently affected by heat and cold. And from thefe accidental varieties fome bave endeavoured to account for the diverties of accent with which different ma tions fpeak their vernacular tongues. Thofe whofe fluids are grofs, and nerves obtufe, are said to be dull and phlegma

c; thofe, on the contrary, whofe fluids rarefied, and whose nerves are irriable, feem to poffefs a higher degree of enfibility and vivacity and from thefe afes attempts have been made to deJace the characteristics which diftinguifh ne national mufic from another. But here is reafon to believe, that fuch deJuctions can neither be accurate nor cerin. In explaining diversities of tempeature from differences of foil or climate, ach exceptions may be found as are fufcient to fubvert the boldeft and moft antible hypothefis; fo that we may thout hesitation affert, that national aracter is more faithfully and certainly dicated by its mufic, than by its clilate or fituation. But though it were offible to inveftigate the differences of ational mufic in mechanical caufes, yet am far from thinking the materials hierto collected, fufficient either to enghten fuch a fcrutiny, or to afcertain id authenticate its refults. Hence all at I can fay on National Mufic at preat will amount to little more than con&ture.

There are divers nations in Europe ho seem to have no indigenous mufic tall, and others whofe native mufic ap cars only to be characterized by levity r infipidity. Of the first kind is the rench, and of the laft the Dutch Muc, till these nations were honoured with ompofers who had formed their tafte upn models more fublime and affecting. or can much more be said of English fufic, from the expulfion of the ancient ritons to their mountains, till letters nd civilization were reftored and culti. ated among them. Religion had then efumed her ancient auxiliary, her faourite bandmaid. She travelled north ward, though with painful and gradual eps, and brought in her amiable retiue, a mufic more genuine, expreffive, nd impaffioned. What the people had ot powers to compofe, they had fenfiility to relifh; and as duty concurred th pleafure to impel their progress, it came rapid and universal.

Though the task may neither be agree ole to the writer nor the auditory, to ter deeply and minutely into the they of Mufic, yet we find it impoffible to cat of National Mufic without fome obIvations which are more technical than ould otherwife be wifhed. But before e enter upon this particular difquifition, may not be improper to add, that M.

Rouffeau, the greateft and profoundeft theorift of his age, has enriched his Mufical Dictionary with feveral fpecimens of National Mufic, fome of which are pretended to be from ancient Greece, oothers from China, from Switzerland, from Italy, from France, &c. Concern ing fome of thefe we fhall afterwards have an opportunity to make a few obfervations, when we deliver our conjectures with respect to National Music, and examine how far they are fupported by fuch facts as lie within the compafs of our observation.

Mufic may be divided into melody and harmony. Melody is a fucceflion of founds which delights the ear, or rather that internal fenfe to which the corporeal organ is no more than a mere avenue. Harmony is the pleafure arifing from founds that are fimultaneous and coalefcent. Concerning the laft of these divifions little can here be said with propriety, fince it does not appear to have had any influence in Mufic, till intercourfe was eftablished, and difcoveries communicated from realm to realm. Long and warmly has it been difputed, whether the ancients knew any thing of harmony or not. From their art of tuning inftruments, and from thofe glimpfes of their theory which have been able with difficulty to pervade the thick and permanent gloom of Gothic and barbarous ages, we are certain, that they were acquainted with the nature of chords. Nor is it credible, during a long and frequent practice of tuning particular inftruments, or of adjufling one to another, they fhould not have perceived, that fome fucceflions of chords were more agreeable than others. But as the genius of their mufic feems to have been imitative, and intended for the vehicle of poetry, it is not probable that their experiments and obfervations in harmony were far advanced. Nor is it certain, though its full powers had been developed, that they would have paid it any high degree of attention, or that they would have been extremely pleafed with it. Harmony was therefore a discovery referved for modern genius. But what degree of wisdom and tafte we have fhewn in facrificing melody at the altar of this multifarious idol, let fuperior judges determine. We return, therefore, to this unhappy victim, whofe exiftence and authority if we cannot rescue, let us at leaft deplore her fall. 3 Ta

The

The firft efforts of Mufic were proba bly vocal; and as the habitations of men were rare, and their intercourfe more difficult and unfrequent, individuals might poffibly amufe themfelves with the various modulations of their own voices. Among these tranfitions of found, those which were moft agreeable to the ear would be beft remembered. But as, in the firft efforts to modulation, the organs muft have been lefs agile and flexible, than they might afterwards be rendered by repeated exertion, of confequence their paffage from one given tone to another must have been flower, and the intervals or gradations employed in conducting them from one found to another lefs accurate, and more difficult to be afcertained, till practice, and the fidelity of their internal fenfe, rendered their tranfitions quicker, and their intervals more juft. In every feries, however, the mind demands paufes or refts; otherwife it is loft and confounded in the multiplicity and extent of its object. Hence it muft appear, that the distances between thefe periods of repofe thould be convenient, and fufficiently marked. Now it is plain, that any uniform motion in the diatonic fcale, whether progreffive or retrograde, whether upward or downward, through whatever intervals it is purfued, though it may not be difpleafing, is yet far from affording all the pleasure which the foul demands from melody. To enhance this delight, therefore, it was not only neceffary to diverfify found by acuteness and gravity, but alfo by length and fhortnefs; yet in fuch a manner, that in both cafes a fixed proportion might be observed; or, in other words, that the acute fhould ftand in fuch a relation to the grave as might pleafe the ear, and the long to the thort in the fame manner. Hence the ideas of tune and rhythmus. To analyfe thefe Jaws into their original elements, though perhaps not foreign to the fubject, would lead us into difquifitions incompatible wih the limits of the prefent difcourfe. It is enough to fay, that melody may move upwards or downwards, by femitones, by feconds, by thirds, by fourths, by fifths, by fixths, by octaves, and by ail the intervals that can be called concinnous; fevenths, ninths, and their replicates, being in general lefs agreeable; and the internal intervals of the fcale being more the work of art than of nature, Thefe intervals are called internal, be

cause they are comprehended within the smallest diatonic distances. Such are the femitone minor, the lemma, the comma, &c. Of these the most confiderable diftances are called chromatic, the minuter divifions enharmonic.

As acuteness and gravity have been mentioned, it may not be amifs to give fome idea of what we mean by theie words. Every fonorous body, in proportion to its fize and texture, produ ces a determinate number of vibrations in a given time. In proportion as thele En vibrations are increafed in the fame interval of duration, the found becomes more and more acute; when the found therefore is deep, the vibrations are flow and these by a natural tendency are faiders to fuperinduce gravity of mind. In pro portion as the vibrations are accelerated, a the founds are sharpened, and the mind is excited to higher degrees of chearfulnefs. These in fome degree are the refults of fimple found. But when founds are confidered as immediately fucceeding one to another, or even as fimultaneous and coalefcent, thofe intervals or chords which are termed major, are found to infpire a ferious turn of thought, and those which are denominated minor animate us with greater vivacity. It has been found by univerfal experience, that the melody of nature is diatonic; or, in other words, that the elementary inter-. vals of which it is conftituted, are, firk, the tone greater, whofe ratio is as s to 9; fecondly, the tone minor, whofe ratio is as 9 to 10; thirdly, the femitone major, whofe ratio is as 15 to 16. The femitone minor, with all its fubordinate intervals, are chromatic or enharmonic. This fcale is named diatonic, because each particular gradation is called a tour, and because the natural process, whether rising or defcending, is from note to note. Thus far, therefore, concerning the elements of natural melody confidered as grave or acute; we proceed to the next eftimate of founds, which confifts in their length or shortness.

The longeft duration of any continued found in prefent practice, except when protracted by a point or dote, is called a femibreve, and continues whilst a pendulum vibrating feconds, beats four times; the next is equivalent to two beats of the fame pendulum; the next in order, to one, &c. It has been formerly faid, that no uniform procefs in the diatonic fcale could afford the mind all the plea

fare

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