206 i. W. Poole on Perfect Musical Intonation. 
an instrument, Which has been een carefully in all its pouty 
out of tune. — 
Notwithstanding the evidence 3 our senses, that the paces 
scale is most pleasing to the ear—notwithstanding the sure deduc- 
tions from the mathematics, there are those who speak and write 
against ere intonation. ‘Why,’ it is asked, ‘if it was in- 
tended, in nature, that music should be in perfect tune, “ a tem- 
scale been used for so many centuries?” Admit such an 
Shjedliae. and there is an end of all invention and diccoter'y, in 
this, and every other science. Against the greatest invention of t 
age—the ae 3 telegraph—the same objection has equal ied 
2 as no mechanism had been invented, by which more than 
twelve | iitheds-¢ ea be conveniently managed by the performer, 
we should naturally suppose that organ-builders would manufac- 
ture such instruments as we have, and give to them the best tune 
they could, even if it was somewhat imperfect ; but we might 
not have expected, that learned and professedly scientific writers 
should have attempted to prove, from this fact, that the nature of 
music does not permit its chords to be in perfect tune.* It has 
not been customary, so far as our information extends, for those 
* Prof. Peirce again says, $115, “It isa aoe to suppose, as pare vd have oat 
that temperament applies only to instruments with ke eys and fix =— Sing’ 
violin-players and all others who can pass throug gh every gradat nof t eae mus 
4 
ow s 
till he could at as ph ree nor = oe : or resi iolin- player accompanying each 
other and arriving at the same note by different intervals, would find a continual 
want of agreemen 
With regard to the meme in the first paragraph, we shall now take occasion 
only to say, that the reverse we believe to be true; and it appears to us contradic- 
ly #s 
the original number ; for this reason, nevertheless, the Professor does not advocate a 
temperament in the mathematics, The supposed trou uble with the peso Segoe who 
arrive at the same note, by different intervals, is, that they will not arrive at the 
ne. 
It was perfectly proper to treat of temperament, in a scientific se of this kind, 
as showing the best that could be done with twelve pons but we think it is to be 
regretted that imperfections should _ been attributed to sasledé as a science, 
which pertain only to the construction of musical instruments. 
