" JVIiellicr Music is necessary lo the Orator, &c." 455 



public will see, from the examination of these instruments, how 

 much thev have been imposed upon by sjnuious imituions, sold 

 at the most exorbitant prices, and made by individualj entirely 

 ignorant, not only of the principles and construction of the in- 

 strument, but of the method of using it. 



LXXX. On ike Question " Whether Music is necessary to the 

 Orator, — to w/iat Extent, avd how most readily attainable!'" 

 By Hexry Ui'iiSGTON, £5^^. 



[Continued from p. 327-] 

 ^ Bliiu's Hil!, Cork, June 10, 181S. 



SiK, — i HE paper which I now send you for insertion, has for 

 its object the continuation of my letter of 12th April, which ap- 

 peared in your Magazine for .May. 



The investigation of the ordinary language of the London 

 gentleman habituated from infancy to the higher circles, was the 

 only topic of that letter ; and extended no further than the re- 

 futation of an ill-founded, though in some degree prevalent 

 theory which originated, at least in these countries, with the 

 author of an eccentric prosody called Ralionalis, " that speech 

 was neces-arilv carried on by no other medium than that of 

 slides." It remains therefore tiiat I pursue my inquiry with re- 

 gard to the musical character of our language, as delivered by 

 that portion of the politer circles acknowledged as our standard. 



To avoid circuitous expression, I shall in future designate that 

 gentleman who has consented to become the subject of my ex- 

 periments, bv the appellation of The Speaker; while to that 

 friendly assistant whose discriminating ear has been already re- 

 ported, I shall assign the appellation of AssoctATE. This being 

 mentioned, I follow up my analysis. 



Examination of The Speaker continued. 



OF INTERVALS*. 



Ohservation 3. Although the easy and even conmianding 



* The reader will probably imagine that the mensuration of spcaUinij 

 intervals must need the assistance of an instrument. The contrary is tlie 

 truth : the musician whose ear is naturally good, and accustomed to this 

 novel exercise, will find no difficulty in catching and retaininpj for a few 

 moment.? (as persons unskilled in n\usic will catch a song) any half a dozen 

 or more consecutive sounds to which his attention has been exclusively di- 

 rected. Tirosc sounds are afterwards analysed and noted accordingly; the 

 signs + or — , and in some cases an additional memorandum being an- 

 nexed when the ordinary line:s are insufficient for the notation of the mi- 

 nuter intervals. What further remains ? This process being frequently re- 

 jjcated, the relative proportions within each individual essay are set down 

 in order, and the freiiuency of ociurrenre is ascertained at leisure. 



F f 4 compiss 



/ 



