340 
manufactory, the then proprietor ex- 
plained to me, that being himfelf an 
amateur, and a few of his men having a 
little knowledge of mufic, he had endea- 
voured to cultivate and diffufe among 
them a tafte for it as generaily as pof- 
fible. That he procured a mafter to at- 
tend them from a neighbouring town on 
2 Monday evening, atter their work was 
ever, with whofe afliftance they got up 
feveral anthems in parts, which they per- 
formed’ at church on the following Sun- 
day. A forfeit was levied on each of the 
muficians who neglected attending on the 
Monday evening; and the pleafure on 
the one hand, with the forfeit on the 
ether, afforded motives {trong enough to 
keep them fober all the day, and confe- 
guently at work, in erder to be fit for 
their party in :he evening, inftead of de- 
voting St. Monday as heretofore to the 
ergies of Bacchus. 
1 do not at prefent recolleét to have 
heard of any other mufical party ameng 
the poor ona Monday: perhaps, if that 
of the artificers of Sheffield took place on 
this day inftead of the middle of the 
week, it might be attended with the like 
beneficial effects. I have been prefent, 
however, at a patty of poor men, a few 
miles from Leeds, praftifing the fmging 
of anthems and chorufes, on a Sunday 
evening, at the house of an amateur, who 
appropriated.a rocm once a week to their 
ufe, gave them’ fome of his home-brewed 
ale, and during part of the evening 
affifted them with his violoncello, &c. 
But I muft own I felt much more plea- 
fure at feeing thefe villagers fo cheaply 
and mnocently entertained by the un- 
affected good-nature of my friend, than 
from hearing: their uncouth utterance of 
the fublime “* Mefiah” of Handel. My 
friend generally invited the mufical club 
in a neighbouring town, of which he was 
a member, to fpend a day with him 
every fummer, where I have been prefent 
at the performance of one of Handel’s 
oratorios, of which the choruies were 
filled up by fixteen of his Sunday night 
vifitors. 
As the human animal feems to enjoy 
the moft perfeét fate when accuftomed to 
due mtervals of bodily labour and reit, I 
am inclined to think that much of the 
amufement of the rich may very properly 
confift in athletic exercifes, and among 
the diverfidns of the poor, that a great 
part fltould be fedentary. This mutt be 
the reafon why many fit fo long at the ale- 
houfe; where, for want of a purfuit to 
occupy even their leifure, they take re- 
Remarks on the innocent Amufements of the Poor. 
{ Nov. 
fuge in liquor. Now there does not occur 
to me any innocent fedentary amufement 
which the poor enjoy, except mufic; but 
IT doubt not it will be a fatisfaGtion te 
many of your readers, as well as myfelf, 
to hear from any of your correfpondents 
of fuch as are or might be brought into 
ufe among them. 
Though I am well aware that mufic 
among the rich lies open to, feveral ob-~ 
jections, of which I fhall only name twe, 
T believe it is liable to none among the 
poor, if taken in moderation, and is pro- ~ 
ductive of pofitive benefit to them, as 
well as the negative one which actuated 
our mafter potter to endeavour by this 
means to prevent his men’s inebriety. 
The two points where it may be difap- 
proved among the rich to which I allude, 
are: preventing the fame time being fpent 
to the intelle€tual and moral advantage 
of themfelves or others; and likewife a 
recourfe to plaintive mufic in a melan- 
chely er tender hour by thofe of a very 
fentimental turn, may, perhaps, too much 
foften down the mind, atid weaken the 
nervous fyftem*, When the mind is 
melted by real diftrefs, and prompted 
agreeably to the chief ends for which 
fympathy was given us) to attive bene- 
velence, it cannot be melted too often; 
but the frequency of that affection, when 
unaccompanied with this legitimate con- 
fequence, may perhaps pave the way to 
our futfering with more facility our vir- 
tuous propenfities to die witheut fruit 
another time. 
I do not think, however, that thefe two 
objections exift as to the poor: they mut 
‘have fome reft of body ; and when that is 
fatigued, the degree of relaxation of mind 
furnifhed by mufic appears to me quite 
appropriate to fuch a crifis. Nor do [ 
apprehend any thing, in general, from 
f{oftening too much the mind of the Eng- 
lith poor, as it might only tend to give 
them that gentlene{s and obligingnefs of 
“manner fo ftriking among the fame clafs 
ina neighbouring nation; and we have 
lately feen this courteoufnefs of manner 
has neither deprived them of their courage 

* If any perfons queftion the power of 
ufic over fome frames, I aflure them that 
have been eye-witnets of three ladies being 
thrown byit into hyfterics, and one of them in 
the ftrongeit.degree that I ever faw that dif- 
order operate. This efieét, though it was 
not, produced by the {pecies of compofition te 
which Iam here alluding, but by the moft 
fublime that perhaps was ever written, is not 
the lefs a proof of the power of mufic over 
the pailions. ' 
nor 
