her Beholders would adore her; if Iras would talk, her Hearers would admire her; but Calia's Tongue runs inceffantly, while Iras gives her felf filent Airs and foft Languors; fo that 'tis difficult to perfuade ones felf that Calia has Beauty and Iras Wit: Each neglects her own Excellence, and is ambitious of the other's Character; Iras would be thought to have as much Beauty as Calia, and Calia as much Wit as Iras, THE great Misfortune of this Affectation is, that Men not only lofe a good Quality, but alfo contract a bad one: They not only are unfit for what they were defigned, but they affign themselves to what they are not fit for; and inftead of making a very good Figure one Way, make a very ridiculous one another. If Semanthe would have been fatisfied with her natural Complexion, fhe might still have been celebrated by the Name of the Olive Beauty; but Semant he has taken up an Affectation to White and Red, and is now diftinguished by the Chara&ter of the Lady that paints fo well. In a word, could the World be reformed to the Obedience of that famed Dictate, Follow Nature, which the Oracle of Delphos pronounced to Cicero when he confulted what Courfe of Studies he should purfue, we fhould fee almost every Man as eminent in his proper Sphere as Tully was in his, and fhould in a very short time find Impertinence and Affectation banished from among the Women, and Coxcombs and falfe Characters from among the Men. For my Part, I could never confider this prepofterous Repugnancy to Nature any otherwife, than not only as the greatest Folly, but alfo one of the most heinous Crimes, fince it is a direct Oppofition to the Difpofition of Providence, and (as Tully expreffes it) like the Sin of the Giants, an actual Rebellion against Heaven.. Saturday, @ No 405. Saturday, June 14. Οἱ ἢ πανημέριοι μολπῇ θεὸν ἱλάσκοντο, I Am very forry to find, by the Opera Bills for this Day, that we are likely to lofe the greateft Performer in Dramatick Musick that is now living, or that perhaps ever appeared upon a Stage. I need not acquaint my Reader, that I am fpeaking of Signior Nicolini. The Town is highly obliged to that Excellent Artift, for having fhewn us the Italian Musick in its Perfection, as well as for that generous Approbation he lately gave to an Opera of our own Country, in which the Compofer endeavoured to do Juftice to the Beauty of the Words, by following that Noble Example, which has been fet him by the greatest Foreign Mafters in that Art. I could heartily wish there was the fame Application and Endeavours to cultivate and improve our ChurchMufick, as have been lately beftowed on that of the Stage. Our Compofers have one very great Incitement to it: They are fure to meet with Excellent Words, and, at the fame time, a wonderful Variety of them. There is no Paffion that is not finely expreffed in thofe parts of the infpired Writings, which are proper for Divine Songs and Anthems. THERE is a certain Coldnefs and Indifference in the Phrases of our European Languages, when they are compared with the Oriental Forms of Speech; and it happens very luckily, that the Hebrew Idioms run into the English Tongue with a particular Grace and Beauty. Our Language has received innumerable Elegancies and Improvements, from that Infufion of Hebraifms, which are derived to it out of the Poetical Paffages in Holy Writ. They give a Force and Energy to our Expreffions, warm and animate our Language, and convey our Thoughts in more more ardent and intense Phrases, than any that are to be met with in our own Tongue. There is fomething fo pathetick in this kind of Diction, that it often fets the Mind in a Flame, and makes our Hearts burn within us. How cold and dead does a Prayer appear, that is compofed in the most Elegant and Polite Forms of Speech, which are natural to our Tongue, when it is not heightned by that Solemnity of Phrafe, which may be drawn from the Sacred Writings. It has been faid by fome of the Ancients, that if the Gods were to talk with Men, they would certainly fpeak in Plato's Style; but I think we may fay, with Juftice, that when Mortals converfe with their Creator, they cannot do it in fo proper a Style as in that of the Holy Scriptures. If any one would judge of the Beauties of Poetry that are to be met with in the Divine Writings, and examine how kindly the Hebrew Manners of Speech mix and incorporate with the English Language; after having perufed the Book of Pfalms, let him read a literal Tranf lation of Horace or Pindar. He will find in, these two last such an Absurdity and Confufion of Style, with fuch a Comparative Poverty of Imagination, as will make him very fenfible of what I have been here advancing.' SINCE we have therefore fuch a Treafury of Words, fo beautiful in themselves, and fo proper for the Airs of Mufick, I cannot but wonder that Perfons of Diftin&tion fhould give fo little Attention and Encouragement to that kind of Musick, which would have its Foundation in Reason, and which would improve our Virtue in pro portion as it raised our Delight. The Paffions that are excited by ordinary Compofitions generally flow from fuch filly and abfurd Occafions, that a Man is afhamed to reflect upon them seriously; but the Fear, the Love, the Sorrow, the Indignation that are awakened in the Mind by Hymns and Anthems, make the Heart better, and proceed from fuch Caufes as are altogether reafonable and praife-worthy. Pleafure and Duty go hand in hand, and the greater our Satisfaction is, the greater is our Religion. MUSICK among those who were ftyled the chofen People was a Religious Art. The Songs of Sion, which we have reason to believe were in high repute among the the Courts of the Eaftern Monarchs, were nothing else but Pfalms and Pieces of Poetry that adored or celebrated the Supreme Being. The greateft Conqueror in this Holy Nation, after the manner of the old Grecian Lyricks, did not only compofe the Words of his Divine Odes, but generally fet them to Mufick himself: After which, his Works, tho' they were confecrated to the Tabernacle, became the National Entertainment, as well as the Devotion of his People. THE firft Original of the Drama was a Religious Worship confifting only of a Chorus, which was nothing elfe but an Hymn to a Deity. As Luxury and Voluptuoufnefs prevailed over Innocence and Religion, this form of Worlhip degenerated into Tragedies; in which however the Chorus fo far remembered its firft Office, as to brand every thing that was vicious, and recommend every thing that was laudable, to intercede with Heaven for the Innocent, and to implore its Vengeance on the Criminal. HOMER and Hefiod intimate to us how this Art fhould be applied, when they reprefent the Mufes as furrounding Jupiter, and warbling their Hymns about his Throne. I might shew from innumerable Paffages in Ancient Writers, not only that Vocal and Inftrumental Mufick were made use of in their Religious Worship, but that their moft favourite Diverfions were filled with Songs and Hymns to their refpective Deities. Had we frequent Entertainments of this Nature among us, they would not a little purifie and exalt our Paffions, give our Thoughts a proper Turn, and cherish thofe Divine Impulfes in the Soul, which every one feels that has not ftifled them by fenfual and immoderate Pleasures. MUSICK, when thus applied, raises noble Hints in the Mind of the Hearer, and fills it with great Conceptions. Itftrengthens Devotion, and advances Praise into Rapture. It lengthens out every Act of Worship, and produces more lafting and permanent Impreffions in the Mind, than those which accompany any tranfient Form of Words that are uttered in the ordinary Method of Religious Worship. Monday, No 406. Monday, June 16. Hac ftudia Adolefcentiam alunt, Senectutem oblectant, fecundas res ornant, adverfis folatium & perfugium prabet delectant domi, non impediunt foris; Pernoctant nobifcum, peregrinantur, rufticantur. Tull. HE following Letters bear a pleafing Image of the TJoys and Satisfactions of private Life. The first is from a Gentleman to a Friend, for whom he has a very great Refpect, and to whom he communicates the Satisfaction he takes in Retirement; the other is a Letter to me, occafioned by an Ode written by my Lapland Lover; this Correfpondent is fo kind as to trantlate another of Scheffer's Songs in a very agreeable Manner. I publish them together, that the Young and Old may find fomething in the fame Paper which may be fuitable to their refpective Tafte in Solitude; for I know no Fault in the Defcription of ardent Defires, provided they are honourable. Dear Sir, You OU have obliged me with a very kind Letter; by which I find you fhift the Scene of your Life from the Town to the Country, and enjoy that mixt ⚫ State which wife Men both delight in, and are qualified ⚫ for. Methinks most of the Philofophers and Moralists have run too much into Extreams, in praifing entirely either Solitude or publick Life; in the former Men ge nerally grow ufelefs by too much Reft, and in the latter are deftroyed by too much Precipitation: As Waters lying ftill, putrifie and are good for nothing; and running violently on, do but the more Mischief in their Paffage to others, and are fwallowed up and loft the fooner themselves. Thofe who, like you, can make themselves ufeful to all States, fhould be like gentle Streams, that not only glide through lonely Wales and • Forests |