82 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 143. 



then was the great mode unperfect, and the small mode 

 and time perfect. But if the first figure were a figure 

 of two, thus C 23, then were both modes unperfect, and 

 time perfect. But if it were thus, C 22, then were all 

 unperfect. But, if in al the songe there were no Large, 

 then did they set downe the sigoes of such notes as 

 were in the song ; so that if the circle or semicircle were 

 set before one onelie cifer, as O 2, then did it signifie 

 the lesse mode : and by that reason, that circle now last 

 set downe, with the binarie cifer following it, signified 

 the lesse mode perfect, and time unperfect. If thus, 

 C S, then was the lesse mode unperfect and time per- 

 fect. If thus, C 2, then was both the lesse mood and 

 time unperfect, and so of others. But since the prola- 

 Hon was invented, they have set a pointe in the circle or 

 halfe circle, to show the more prolation, which notwith- 

 standing altereth nothing in the mode nor time." 



Our modern binary and ternary times were 

 formerly reversed. The ancients called the binary- 

 measure imperfect, and the ternary perfect time. 

 For this reason they expressed the latter by a 

 circle, as the most perfect of all figures. Binary, 

 as we have seen, was expressed by a demi or im- 

 pei-fect circle, which is our sign for common time. 

 The reason why the ternary or triple time was 

 called perfect may perhaps be traced back to very 

 ancient opinions among the Pythagoreans, who held 

 the number three to be perfect, while they con- 

 sidered the number two to be connected with the 

 evil principle, and as the indication of mischief and 

 confusion : hence the second month of the year 

 dedicated to Pluto by the Romans. 



The signs thus invented for musical purposes, 

 were afterwards applied to a different use. In all 

 the old dance-books (vide Playford's English 

 Dancing Muster, 1651, &c.), men and women are 

 distinguished by the circle, with the central point, 

 and the demi or half circle. This use of the early 

 musical character was evidently founded upon the 

 ideas of perfection and imperfection above alluded 

 to ; the circle, which is a perfect figure, denoting 

 the man, and the semicircle, which is imperfect, 

 the woman. 



Your correspondent's suggestion as to the origin 

 of the crossed C is entirely wrong, as I shall now 

 proceed to show. The " vertical line impaling the 

 two lozenges, with a third lozenge between them, but 

 on one side," which is found in old (not the oldest) 

 churcli music, relates to the pitch, and has nothing 

 whatever to do with the time. It is the old F clef, 

 — a compound character, formed of three notes, 

 one placed on the line, and two others in the ad- 

 joining spaces. The vertical line may be added or 

 not. The C clef was distinguished from the F by 

 having only the two notes in the spaces. These 

 clefs are common to the Gregorian music. A full 

 account of them may be found in Gafurius, Practica 

 Musica, lib. i. cap. iii. fol. 4. b, edit. 1496. The 

 G clef, a compound character of the letters G and 

 S, for the syllable aSwZ, was invented byLampadius 

 about the year 1530. 



Allow me to add, in conclusion, that Alsted and 

 Solomon de Cans are no autliorities in musical 

 matters. If your correspondent wishes to know 

 more about our early musical symbols, I beg to 

 refer him to Thomas Ravenscroft's Briefe Dis- 

 course of the true but neglected use of chnractring 

 the Degrees by their Perfection, Imperfection, and 

 Diminution in Measurable Musicke, 4to. Printed 

 by E. Allde, 1614. Edwakd F. Rimbault^ 



THE TWO PASSAGES IN " KING LEAR." 



(Vol. vi., pp. 6. 42.) 



In the passage from Act II. Sc. 1., Mb. Singer 

 would change and found into unfound ; but he 

 makes no remark upon the object of the word 

 dispatch. Mr. Collier, on the other hand, would 

 retain and found, but he understands the object of 

 " dispatch" to be Edgar, who is to be first caught 

 and then dispatched ! 



In such a dilemma, it is surely excusable, in this 

 case at least, to be a " rigid stickler for the inte- ' 

 grity of the old copies." I, and doubtless nine- 

 tenths of the readers of Shakspeare, understand 

 the passage in this way : 



" Let him fly far ; 



Not in this land shall he remain uncaught ; 

 And found, ! Dispatch — The noble Duke," &c. 



Here there is an expressive pause after founds 

 as though the punishment consequent upon Edgar's 

 capture were too terrible and indeterminate for 

 immediate utterance. Dispatch is addressed to 

 Edmond, and simply means, " Get on with yoiir 

 story," which in fact he does at the conclusion of 

 Gloster's speech. 



As to the second proposed correction (first line 

 in Act IV.), I protest against it also. It would be 

 injurious to the true sense, which requires the 

 opposition of known (or open) contempt, to con- 

 tempt concealed by flattery. 



Sir Joshua Reynolds has so well ex])lained this 

 passage that to say anything more would be to 

 repeat him. A. E. B. 



Leeds. 



AMBER WITCH. 



(Vol. v., pp. 510. 569.) 



Your inquirer on this subject will find his 

 doubts resolved by referring to a review of the 

 books in question in vol. Ixxiv. of the Quarterly ; 

 where (p. 223.) it is stated, that in consequence of 

 a controversy respecting its authenticity, which 

 had arisen in the German newspapers, the editor. 

 Dr. Meinhold, published in the Allgemeine Zeitung 

 a letter claiming the authorship; and it appears 

 that his design in practising this deception was to 

 mystify the " school of Strauss and Co.," in which 

 he seems amply to have succeeded. E. H. Y. 



