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· Magazine of Magazines.

Compiled from

ORIGINAL PIECES,

WITH

EXTRACTS from the moft celebrated Books,

AND

PERIODICAL COMPOSITIONS,

Published in EUROPE, for the YEAR MDCCLVI.
The Whole forming

A compleat Literary and Hiftorical

ACCOUNT of that Period.

VOL. XII.

LIMERICK:

Printed by and for ANDREW WELSH, MDCC LVI.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

166175

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

1900.

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An Efay on the Origin, Nature, and Intention of MUSIC.

S

XX

Mufic has Charms to footh a favage Breaft,
To foften Rocks, and bend a knotted Oak:
I've read, that Things inanimate have mov'd,
And, as with living Souls, have been infpir'd
By melting Numbers and perfuafive Sound.

COME authors pretend that the birds taught men to fing, in suggesting, by their various notes and warbling, how capable the different modulations and tones of the voice are of pleafing the ear; but man had a more excellent inafter, to whom alone he ought to direct his gratitude.

The invention of mufic, and of the inftruments, in which a principal part of it confifts, is a prefent from God, as well as the invention of the other arts. It adds to the fimple gift VOL. XII.

CONGREVE.

of fpeech, which of itself is so highly valuable, fomething more lively, more animated, and more proper to give utterance to the fentiments of the foul. When it is penetrated and fired with fome object that strongly poffeffes it, the ufual language does not fuffice for its transports. fprings forth in a manner out of itfelf, it abandons itself to the emotions by which it is agitated, it invigorates and redoubles the tone of the voice, and repeats its words at different paufes; and, not contented with all these efforts, it calls in in

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