f 32* ] 



Crotch, who hath not only heard, but can execute, feveral tunes,, 

 Ihould be brought up in a village, where there was neither mu- 

 fician nor ring of bells. For though probably his mufic would not 

 be abfblutely wild ; he might perhaps hazard fome moft Angular 

 pafTages, which might have an amazing effect, when properly in- 

 troduced by an able compofen 



It may now perhaps not be improper to make fome com- 

 parifon between the impreflions made upon us by mufical notes, 

 and words, during our infancy. 



And here it will firft appear, that the mufical connexion is 

 much the ftronger j for no child can at once repeat a fhort ftory, 

 or even fentence ; but we find that a tune is immediately executed 

 by them, both by their own voices, and on inftruments. 



At firft it may be fuppofed, that this arifes from the nurfe 

 finging to the child; but this cannot be the caufe, for they 

 generally give over their lullabies when the infant is fix months 

 old, nor is one nurfe in twenty capable of finging a tune through- 

 out. How few children alfo are able to do this, even after they 

 are grown up, and have had fo many better fubjeds to imitate ! 



But perhaps it may be urged, that though the nurfe is not 

 mufical, the parents may be fo. To which I anfwer, that I have 

 known feveral inftances where both the father and mother have 

 been blefled with a love of mufic, yet many of the children have 

 not fhewn the leaft difpofition of the fame kind. 



I know very well, that many conceive they have a tafte or ear 

 for mufic ; but whether they have or not is inftantly difcovered,. 

 if they attempt to hum an air. I would not by this intimate, 

 that it is incumbent upon every perfon to have a good voice ; 

 but they who have a mufical ear will never fing confiderably out 

 of tune, though their tone, or organs of voice, may be never fo 

 indifferent. 



T t Another 



