fore is the more excellent, the nearer it

approaches to nature.

Pfalmody, were it performed well by the whole congregation, either in harmony, unifons, or octaves, with a mixture of the forte and piano alternately, would have an amazing effect; and give us fome faint idea of that, which must arise from the numerous inftruments and voices in Solomon's Temple, while, as it is faid, 2 Chron. v. 13. They were as one, to make one found be heard in praising and thanking

the Lord."

I remember to be once ftruck with a fmall degree of this effect from all the children of Chrift's Hofpital, finging together equally loud and equally foft by turns, in unifon.

Of all the graces the leaft tedious is the appogiatura," which, as Tofi obferves, hath the privilege of being heard often without tiring," both in playing and finging; yet even this will tire, if employed, as it is by fome, continually, almost upon every note its frequency pleafeth most in folemn, pathetic airs, and the church recitative,

F4

citative, very different from that of the stage.

I beg leave just to mention two inftances instead of many, one recitative in an anthem of Purcell, the verfe " Nevertheless, though I am fometime afraid-Be merciful"--and the other of a fong in Comus, "How gentle was my Damon's air”

"The church recitative," fays Tofi, does not admit thofe wanton graces of a lighter style, but requires fome mea di voce, many appogiaturas, and a noble majesty throughout."

We may now define recitative to be an expreffive and elegant manner of speaking; which if the compofer would fet, and the finger execute with fente and gracefulness, let them ask themselves how an orator would pronounce the words, preserving the grammatical conftruction, touching lightly, without any appogiatura, short fyllables and unemphatic words, and giving a due, but not fierce, energy to the emphatic.

Obferve, no appogiatura nor grace ought to be made at the beginning, for two rea

fons;

fons; first, because there is no preceding note from whence to prepare, and fecondly, because every exordium fhould be plain, fimple and short but by the beginning must not be understood merely the first note of a movement, but of every passage or fentence.

Again, no appogiatura, unless the quick and close, should be taken, and that but feldom, with or near a glide, being fimilar graces, and one fufficient at a time, nor must a shake be joined with a glide, or appogiatura, being oppofite to them, and fpoiling the effect of both; an appogiatura may prepare a fhake, flur, or turn, but not either an appogiatura.

The modesty and foftnefs of the glide, drag, leifure appogiatura, flow turn, and protracted flur, fuit beft with pathetic notes; the close appogiatura, quick flur, turn and shake set off the gay, and enliven the folemn.

Let the student ever remember to deliver the full, fwelling tones forte di petto, but to execute all the graces fmoothly and lightly rather piano di tefta, Hence who

' ever hath this art to any degree, is faid to have a good throat and fine volubility; but he who is void of it, to have no throat, and consequently is no finger, however he may value himself for his knowledge of notes and harmony.

The manner of waving or vibrating on a fingle tone with the voice, especially on a femibreve, minim and a final note, fimilar to that on a violin, or ftring on the harpfichord, hath often a good effect; but great care must be taken to do it difcreetly and without trembling.

These hints, for as fuch only are offered the preceding obfervations and rules, may be of use to carry the ftudent, inftrumental as well as vocal, to fome degree of excellence; at which however he must not stop, being apprifed, that mediocrity in a finger, poet and painter, means ignorance, but proceed towards perfection by a diligent attention to nature, his own particular genius, and the performances of the most celebrated fingers and players; who execute these graces in fuch manner, and touch the heart with others fo delicately,

as

as the finest pen is incapable of describing to the understanding.

After all let the learner remember, that he is only to imitate with improvements, not fervilely to copy, if he would be ambitious to stand diftinguished by a character of his own; in particular let him avoid fet paffages and studied cadences, which if long, come impertinently even from a fine performer, but infufferably from an indifferent finger and wretched imi

tator.

What are called cadences betray in general fuch a want of invention, and abfurdity of application, that they make a hearer of tafte fick before they are half finished.

The student to make every grace his own, as well as to acquire an easy delivery of the voice, and freedom of throat, will do well to practise any full notes, with a mixture of divifions, paffages and graces, without book, giving loofe to his imagination and fancy, just as those do, who fing from ear and nature, oftentimes more fenfibly