[ 702 3 
the mefes of the feven modes were Rationed uporr 
the lyre; and, in order to this, we mull: confider the 
llrudture of that inflrument. The lyre, after its laft en- 
largement, confifted of fifteen firings, which took in 
the compafs of a difdiapafon, or double odtave. Thefe 
firings were called by the fame names as the fifteen 
founds of the fyflem, and when tuned for the Dorian 
mode, correfponded exadtly with them. Indeed them 
can be no doubt, but that the theory of the fyflem 
had been originally drawn from the practice of the 
lyre in this mode/ which was the favourite one of 
the Greeks, as the lyre was alfo their favourite in* 
flrument. In this mode, then, the mele of the fyflem 
was placed in the mele of the lyre ; but in eveiy one 
of the reft, it was applied to a different firing, and 
every found of the lyflem tranipofed accoidingly. 
Hence arofe the diftindtion between a found in power 
and a found in polition for when the fyflem was 
tranfpofed from the Dorian to any other, mode, (fup- 
pofe, for inflance, to the Phrygian)' the mefe of the 
lyre, though flill mefe in polition, acquired, in this 
cafe, the power of the lichanos mefon ; and the pa- 
ramefe of the lyre, though flill paramefe in polition; 
acquired the power of the mefe. In thefe tranfpo- 
iitions, one or more of the firings always required 
new tunings , to preferve the relations of the fyflem; 
but, notwithstanding this alteration or their pitch; 
they retained their old names-, when fpoken of, in 
refpedl to their petitions only ; for the name implied 
not any particular pitch of the firing, but only its 
place upon the lyre, in the numerical order, reckoning 
the prollambanomenos for the firfl*.. 
r I thought 
