languages, making fo great a variety in the pronunciation of words, it is impoffible to fuppofe that the antient grammarians would not have taken notice of it.

I will Tay no more here upon the articulation of the Greek language, but will refer the reader, who may defire to know more of this fubject, to a differtation which I have written upon the found of the Greek language, and annexed to the Second Volume of this Work; where he will obferve how the Greeks have contrived to sweeten and vary the found of their language, by adding, taking away, changing, or transposing of letters.

CHAP. V.

Of the mufic of the Greek language.-It confifts, like other mufic, of melody and rhythm. It has melody in fucceffion, and may be confidered as having mufic in parts. Of the difference betwixt the melody of mufic and that of Speech.-Of the rhythm of the Greek language, and the beauty it must have given to their pronunciations-The music of language known even among fome barbarous nations.-The northern nations of Europe probably got their language from nations who spoke a mufical language; but not having a genius for music, they loft that part of the language.—The Greeks a most mufical nation-got the elements of mufic from Egypt, but improved it very much. -Of the music of the Indians of North America-how they came to have music in their language accounted for.-Conclu

I

fion of what is faid upon the found of the Greek language.-Neceffity of analyfing it, as has been done, in order to form a right judgment of it.

come now to speak of the mufic of the

Greek language, for hitherto I have only confidered its articulate founds. This mufic, like every other mufic, is a compofition of melody and rhythm.

Melody confifts of acute and grave founds, either in fucceffion, or joined together. The melody of the Greek language is the melody of fucceffion; for, when the acute accent is put upon any fyllable of a word, and the reft are founded grave, then is there that melody. But, befides this, the acute and grave are often both put upon the fame fyllable, which is what is called the circumflex accent. Then the melody of the Greek language may be confidered of the other kind, that is, a combination of the acute and grave joined together, which makes what is commonly called harmony, or mufic in parts. For, tho' both founds are not heard precisely in the

fame time, as is the cafe of mufic in parts, properly fo called, the acute and grave, being both on the fame fyllable, are so closely connected, that they may be confidered as one found; and they certainly have the effect of swelling and raising the found, which is one of the chief effects of harmony.

Rhythm is fo neceffary to mufic, that there can be no good mufic without it, nor, indeed, any thing deferving the name of mufic. The rhythm of antient music was divided into feet, as well as the rhythm of their verfe; and I am perfuaded it was chiefly by rhythm that their mufic performed the wonderful things afcribed to it. This is likewife a part of the mufic of the Greek language; and it is produced by what we call the quantity of the fyllables, that is, their length compared with one another, the long being to the fhort in the ratio of two to one. Thefe, mixed together in the language, muft have made a moft pleasant variety to the learned ears of the Greeks. And, though our ears be not formed to that

kind of rhythm, yet it must be allowed to be very natural; for the vocal founds in every language, whether by themfelves or joined with confonants, may be made fome long and fome fhort, which is much better than if they were all founded of the fame length, as is the cafe in most modern languages, and particularly in the French*.

There are fome, I know, who think this notion of mine, of the mufic of the Greek language, is a mere fancy. But, is it poffible that there can be a mixture of grave and acute founds, diftinguished by certain intervals, without a mufic of fome kind or another? That the founds of the Greek language were fo diftinguished, we are af fured by Dionyfius the Halicarnaffian †, But the mufic of it was different from the common mufic in more than one respect. In the first place, it did not rife fo high, not

* See upon this fubject of Quantity, Vol. ii. Book 2. Chap. 5. and 6.

+ See a translation of the paffage, Vol. ii. of this work, p. 284.