7* 



On the Musical, Modes 



but, fince many of thofe modes would be infufferable in practice, and fome 

 would have no character fufficiently marked, the Indians appear to have 

 retained with predilection the number indicated by nature, and to have en- 

 forced their fyftem by two powerful aids, the affectation of ideas, and the 



mutilation of the regular fcales. 



Whether it had occurred to the Hindu mufkians, that the velocity or 

 ilownefs of founds muft depend, in a certain ratio, upon the rarefaction 

 and condenfation of the air, fo that their motion muft be quicker in fum- 

 mer than in fpring or autumn, and much quicker than in winter, I cannot 

 affure myfelf ; but am perfuaded, that their primary modes, in the fyftem 

 afcribed to Pa 'vANA/were firfl: arranged according to the number of Indian 

 /feafons. 



The year is diftributed by the Hindu? into fix ritus, or feafons, each 

 ■confifting of two months ; and the firlt feafon, according to the Amarcofoa, 

 began with Mdrgasirfia, near the time of the winter folltice, to which 

 month accordingly we fee Grishna compared in the Gita' ; but the old 

 lunar year began, I believe, with A'fivina, or near the autumnal equinox, 

 when the moon was at the full in the firft manfion : hence the mufical 

 feafon, which takes the lead, includes the months of A'fwin and Cdrtic, and 

 bears the name of Sarad, correfponding with part of our autumn; the next 

 in order are Hemanta and Sisira, derived from words, which fignify frojl 

 and dew ; then come Vafanta, or fpring, called alfo Surabhi or fragrant, and 

 .Pujhpafamaya, or the flower time ; Grijhma, or heat ; and Verjha, or the 

 feafon of rain. By appropriating a different mode to each of the different 

 feafons, the artifts of India connected certain ftrains with certain ideas, and 

 were able to recal the memory of autumnal merriment at the clofe of the 



