^ On Earl Stanhope* s two Systems vf 



. Since it appears, (vol. xxviii. p. 304,) that Mr. JVilliam 

 Hawkes asserts the bupcriority of his System (vol. xxvi. 

 p. 171,) over that of Earl Stanhope, as being '« the best 

 principle for tempering our present scale*' with 12 notes in 

 an octave, I have devoted a column of my present Table to 

 his System, and whereby a comparison of the ?ame may 

 be made, with either of Earl Stanhope's Systems ; and 

 where the differences in schismas and minutes, between any 

 of the respective notes in eacli, may be obtained by a very 

 easy subtraction. 



From such a comparison it will appear, that Earl Stanhope's 

 notes some of them differ materially from Mr. Hawkes's 

 corresponding ones, and that both of them differ much, 

 comparatively, from the Equal Temperament, a mode of 

 tuning, which Earl Stanhope says, (vol. xxv. p, 291^) was 

 approved by one half of the most eminent musicians in En- 

 gland, whom his Lordship particularly consulted on the 

 subject : although Mr. H. -and his Lordship so cordially 

 agree, (vol. xxviii. p. 305,) and (vol. xxv. p. 305,) in con- 

 demning ll^e same. 



In my last, I omitted to njention, respecting the Isotonic 

 system in col-umn 4, (vol. xxix. p. 347,) that if each note 

 ,therein, all of vyhich contain fractional parts of the very 

 small interval m, be increased to the next 7vhole number, 

 as 48TVto49liij 4(3^ to 47 m, ccc, these trifling altera- 

 tions will reduce it to my Equal Temperament, mentioned 

 vol. xxviii. p. 65, and the same Ccin then be practically 

 tuned, by the help of perfect conchords only ! ,We may 

 therefore now hope, that " iLqual. Temperament," which 

 so many have commended, and others condemned, pro- 

 bably without having ever heard any music performed in it, 

 will be brought to the test of experience, and practice suf- 

 ficiently extensive, to get over the, prejudice which will na- 

 turally arise, on the hearing of any new system whatever. 



Many, I know, have imagined, that the system which 

 was aimed at by the professional Tuners before Earl Stan- 

 hope wrote, was an Equal Temperament, to be effected by 

 the judgment of the ear, and Mr. Hawkes thinks that their 

 practical results agree very nearly with his system : both of 

 these opinions I have much reason to doubt, and cannot 



refrain 



