1.5. 1

LETTER XLV. 1

at Toom

To the Rev. Father FABIO MARET TH

at Rome.

12.3

Dear Sir,

I'

F I am not mistaken, I have somewhere read, that it was once a matter of debate amongst the Athenians, whether they fhould permit ano ther ftring to be added to the lyre, whofe power was already known to be fo extensive and pres valent, over the minds of men. 7.

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A SUBJECT of this kind would at prefent be looked upon, by the fenate of this kingdom, from whence I write, as a most frivolous enquiry, and not worthy the attention of men of understanding.

JA

Է

YET to me it seems neceffary, in all kinds of government, that every thing which can prevail upon the paffions, the fource of action in moft men, fhould be strictly scrutinized before it be permitted; and the" it be granted, that

mufic

mufic may have power to charm favages from their fiercenefs, may it not have alfo the ef fect of foothing civilized nations from man hood, and thus introduce as great an inconveniency as advantage?

IT is true, there are martial as well as tender powers in mufic, and the fame ftrings which foothe the lovers pain, may animate the foldier's glory; befides this, there is yet another ill con fequence which attends this art, which is, that the frequency of being present at entertainments of mufic, may destroy the power of both, and thus the utility which fhould be derived from harmony, be loft in the frequent repetition of it; or even in fome minds, whofe compofition is more harmonious than others, it may draw attention from things of greater moment, and drown the esteem of useful fcience in a flood of feducing pleasure.

1

FOR fome one or other of thefe reafons,, I fuppofe, his holiness, has forbidden all wind mufic affifting at high mafs, the organ excepted he has found, I prefume, that the voluntaries of

P

of the flutes and hautboys had claimed greater attention and deference from the audience, than the elevation of the hoft, and high mafs: the effential duty of a catholic was poftponed to the pleasure and powers of mufic, which ought to be its diverfion; in truth that the zeal for hearing the inftruments of these mafters, had diffipated that for prayer and proftration before the

deity..

THIS, tho an Englishman who gave me the account feem'd to think extremely ridiculous, I cannot avoid approving, as whatever feduces men from their religious duty, is an object of a fovereign's care. When the concerto was finish'd, it seems, the greatest number of the audience left their devotion and the church, without attend ing the most effential part of their duty.

J.

i

An indulgence of this kind converts a temple dedicated to heaven, into a theatre, and changes religion to amufement, till the mind becomes pleased with nothing but the mufic, and the duty of offering up our prayers to heaven is evaporated in the joy of hearing an inchanting VOL. II. M piece

piece of harmony breathed from the lips of a skilful musician: this is preferring decoration to ufe.

SOMETHING like this has been the confequence of preaching twice every Sunday in the churches of England; the audience are become critics in fermons, and nine in ten frequent churches for no other reason, than that of deciding whether the preacher be a good orator or not, it is no longer duty but diversion; prayer is contemned and neglected, and the oration the only thing worth their attention, without which the churches are empty.

AT the reformation, when the peoples minds were to be converted from popery to protestantism, it was thought requifite that fermons fhould be deliver'd twice a day, to change the fentiments of those who were bred catholics; and perhaps at that time fuch ha rangues from the pulpit were abfolutely neceffary to gain on the hearers, and bring them over to that change of worship.

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£

BUT

7

BUT it happen'd in that respect as it has fince, at the révolution; the very things which were then useful, have been fince render'd detrimental by their continuation, and the proceeding in the fame way produced a continual scene of changing, till the effects of these caufes want as much to be oppofed, both in the church and state, as thofe of popery and arbitrary power did at the time of the reformation and revolution.

PREACHING against the catholic religion, has at last preached all religion out of the kingdom; and acting on prefbyterian and Whig principles, all government.

THE first has created a contempt for doing the duty of a chriftian, in making fermons the chief object of the peoples attention in religious acts; and the latter a flight for the idea of kings, in making the minifter the ruling power, in contradiction to the fovereign's rights, and peoples liberties.

THIS nation feems at prefent in that dead calm, which is obferved to precede a storm; M 2

and