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monoehord, calls it a mighty simple instrument, as 

 having neither unison, accompaniment, variety, nor 

 complication of sounds. Seneca, in one of his letters, 

 says to his friend, " Don't you observe how many 

 different voices a band of music is composed of ? There 

 you have the base, the higher notes, and the interme- 

 diate, the soft accents of women, and the tones of 

 men, intermingled with the sound of flutes, which, how. 

 ever separately distinct, form altogether but one har- 

 mony of sound, in which each bears a share." Plato 

 sufficiently makes it appear, that he knew what har- 

 mony was, when he says, that music is a very proper 

 study for youth, and should employ three years of 

 their time ; but that it was improper to put them upon 

 playing alternately in concert, it oeing enough for 

 them, if they could accompany their voice with the 

 lyre. And he reason he gives for it is, that the ac. 

 companiment of various instruments, the base with 

 those of a higher key, and the variety, and even oppo. 

 sition of symphonies, where music is played in divi- 

 sions, can only embarr.ss the minds of youth. True 

 it is, the ancients d ; d not much practise compound 

 music ; but that proceeded only from their not iik : ;ig 

 it. For Aristotle, after asking ^v/iy one instrument 

 accompanied only by a single voice gave more vlellght 

 than that very voice would do with a greater number, 

 replies, that the multitude of instruments only ob- 

 structed the sound of the song, and hindered it from 

 being heard. Yet the same author in another place 

 expressly says, that music, by the combination of the 

 base and higher tones, and of notes long and short, 

 and ot a variety of voices, arises in perfect harmony. 

 And in the following chapter, speaking of the revolu- 

 tions of the several planets, as perfectly harmonizing 

 one with another, they being all of them conducted by 

 the same principle, he draws a comparison from music 

 to illustrate his sentiments ; just as in a chorus, says 

 he, of men and women, where all the variety of voices, 

 though all the different tones, from the base to the 

 higher notes, being under the guidance arul direction 



