25§ ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IT. 



forming the manners of the youth. Now, as it was an art pradtil- 

 ed in Egypt, I fay it was invented there, as well as the other arts I 

 have mentioned. For Herodotus tells us, that they borrowed no- 

 thing from other countries ; and, indeed, there was no other coun- 

 try in thofe antient times, from which they could have got any art 

 fuch as that of mufic ; which was an art of very antient pradtice in 

 Egypt. And the invention of it goes back to their Dsemon Kings : 

 For Plato tells us, that they had fongs of Ifis, which were 10,000 

 vears old ; and of this fo antient mufic no alteration, he tells us, 

 was permitted. It is evident, therefore, that as early as the dayb of 

 Ifis, mufic in Egvpt mull have been reduced to an art ; and not 

 pradifed, as we know it is in barbarous countries, without any art 

 at all ; for otherwife, I think, it could not have been preferved with 

 fo much accuracy. And, I think, it is highly probable, that they 

 had a notation of mufic as well as we have ; without which it could 

 not well have been preferved fo religioufly (as we muft fuppofe it 

 was) in the memories and voices of men for fuch a prodigious num- 

 ber of years. 



That men have naturally a perception of the difference of acute 

 and grave in founds, and that they can make that diftinclion by 

 their own voices, is a faclt which cannot be difputed. But I do not 

 for that fay, that men naturally ling, that is to fay, compofe acute 

 and grave founds together, fo as to make what we call a tune; but 

 this, I fay, they learnt by imitation of birds, (man being, as Arif- 

 totle has told us, the moft imitative of all animals, and particularly 

 by the voice). And this was confirmed to me by the Wild Girl I 

 faw in France, who told me that the people in her country learnt 

 to fing in that way. But the practice in every art precedes the 

 art : And therefore I am perfuaded, that men fung a great while, 

 in the way I have mentioned, before they had any art of mufic. 



Before 



