2 
HARPSICHORD. 189 
main perfeétly at eafe in its birth, although not pinched or 
reftrained in any part; a, figure 10, reprefents the tongue 
in front, and 8, the mortife, of which the flanting fhape 
cannot be feen in this view; but will be better underftood 
by obferving the pofition of the quill in figure 11, where 
ais a profile of the fame tongue, 4, c, the quill lying in 
the mortife, and d, the pin over which the top of the quill 
paffes. 
I have need to apologize to the fociety for dire&ting fo 
much of their attention, to an object which may appear to 
fome to be of little importance. To the mufical tribe, 
however, this improvement will prefent itfelf in a differ- 
ent light. Many perfons who play very well on the 
harpfichord, are not able to keep the inftrument in order: 
And to fend for a perfon to repair the quills and tune the 
inftrument as often as it fhall be neceflary, is not only 
troublefome and expenfive, but fuch affiftance is not al- 
ways to be had, efpecially in the country. And for thefe 
reafons many a geod harpfichord or fpinnet lies negle@t- 
ed and the fcholar loofes the opportunity of practice. To 
fuch perfons a method of quilling that fhall feldom want 
repair is a difideratum of no fmall importance. And this, 
I flacter myfelf I have accomplifhed. 
The difficulty of guz/ling being thus removed, I confi- 
dered in what manner tung might be made eafy to the 
practitioner in mufic. Harpfichords are tuned by means of 
fifths and thirds; but fuch is the mufical divifion of the 
monochord as to make it neceflary, that none of thefe fifths 
or thirds fhould be perfect; an allowance muft be made; 
and to do this with judgment, fo that the chords may be 
good and the inftrument be in tune, requires much atten- 
tioh and practice. Of the numbers that play, there will 
not be found one in an hundred that can tune a harpfi- 
chord. To render this tafk eafy, I have procured teweelve 
tuning forks, for the twelve femitones of the oftave; thefe 
I had perfectly tuned; and as they will not be fenfibly af- 
Bb fected 
