SOaph BBE F 
LII. On the Question “ Whether Music is necessary to the 
Orator,--to what Extent,and how most readily attainable?” 
By Henry Upineron, Esq. 
To My. Tilloch. 
Blair’s Hill, Cork, Sept. 25, 1817. 
Sir, — Hawise been lately requested by a particular friend, 
to direct my attention towards the investigation of a certain sub- 
ject which he considered both interesting and instructive, | com- 
plied with his wishes; and having proceeded a certain length, 
I now transmit you a copy, intending at a future period to com- 
plete the inquiry. 
The purport of this investigation was—‘‘ Whether music is 
necessary to the orator—-to what extent, and how most readily 
attainable ?” 
As there appeared to me, at my first setting out, some proba- 
ble connexion between the intervals of speech, and the ancient 
division ef the musical scale, I was determined, if possible, to 
analyse the tetrachord. Hence arose not only the question of 
minute division, but of concords, even to the perfection or im- 
perfection of our present harmonical basis :—and with this part 
of the subject I thought it more desirable to begin. 
Lxperimeni 1. 1 prepared a common deal sounding-board 
about four feet in length, with an ordinary bridge, and sufficient 
steel wires for the subdivision of one single fourth into quarter 
tones, CF being the extremes. 
Result. After getting the best-ear’d musicians around me, to 
tune, retune, alter, realter, by ear as well as by all the ancient data 
1 could trace,—the only effect produced, in ¢heir estimation, 
whenever a quarter tone was struck, was that which would ne- 
cessarily be produced by an instrument out of tune. 
What can we infer from hence? That modern ears are no 
more prepared for the reception of the real diesis or quarter 
tone, than the ears of our earliest ancestors would have been for 
that of our present semi-tonical division. Here a very important 
question presents itself: How happens it, that at this very day 
(if we may believe Dr, Burney) the Arabian scale is more mi- 
nutely divided than ours; their octave containing twenty-four 
quarter tones, for all of which there are particular denomina- 
tions? Must it not have arisen from excessive cultivation, the 
ear having been previously satiated with the semi-tone? Dr. B. 
is right perhaps in asserting that such division is incompatible 
with modern harmony. But what of this? Does it prove the 
superiority of modern European ears, or the superiority of our 
Vol, 50, No,235. Nov. 1817. X system? 
