Memoirs of the litte Gah Melville 
40 (Feb. 7; 
pletion, commences with the antepenul- The former of these sounds, is termed 
' i oe oy the rising inflexion, the latter, the falling 
timate, viz. “ ation,’ inflexion ; and in polite and familiar con- 
| cenk— Versation, tlie distance of each full slide, 
wel Ws jal Sales | _ as applied to contraries, agrees witha 
} es  ~—perfect musical fitth. 
ft may not be improperly noted: here, 
that: inflective sounds are:produced inthe 
uct of tuning musical instruments : they 
are also frequently made use of by violin 
performers, 1 sliding to what 1s termed 
the shift. , 
If the student be unacquainted with 
the science of music, perhaps, he will 
better understand the precise measure- 
ment or-distance of these full slides of 
sound, by an example, in nature, of in- 
flexion, unaccompanied by articylation. 
This will be effected by observing the 
chirp of birds, when they are’ supposed 
to cry “ sweet”: and I flatter myself that 
the instinct voices of ali animals, from 
man to the’meanest of the brute species, 
will be found. capable of this resolution 
of sound. Your's, &e. c 
JamMEs WRIGHT. 
December 27, 1809. 
MEMOIRS. AND REMAINS OF EMINENT PERSONS, 
ACCOUNT .of the LATE. 
GENERAL. MELVILLE. 
EN&RAL Melville was descended 
B from the Melvilles: of Carnbee, in 
Fite, a branch of the ancient and noble 
family of his name, of which the chief is 
the present Earl of Leven and Melville. 
‘The original stock of this family was a 
Norman warrior, one of the followers. of 
William the Conqueror, who, on some 
disgust he conceived at his treatment in 
England, withdrew into Scotland, in the 
reign of Malcolm Carmore, from whoim 
he received lands in Lothian, about 
066; and branches of his. family: were 
afterwards established on landsin Angus, 
and Fife. eds ‘ 
General Melville’s parents dying when 
he was very young, his guardians placed 
him .at the grammar-school of Leven, 
where he soon distinguished himself by a 
qaiek and lively apprehension, united to 
a. singularly. capacious. and. -retentive 
memory. Fron this semimary, his rapid 
progresgyin his stadtes enabied him to be 
early removed to the Universities of 
Glasgow and Edinburgh, where he con- 
tinued to apply with the happiest suc- 
cess.. His fortune:being but moderate, 
he, in compliance with: the counsels of 
his friends to select one of-the learned 
professions, turned his views to the study 
of medicine: but his genius’ strongly 
prompting him to follow a mititary life, 
and the war then carrying on if Fianders 
presenting a favourable opportunity for 
gratifying is. natural tendencies, young 
Melville could not resist the temptation. 
Without, therefore, the knowledge of his 
friends, he privately withdrew to Lon- 
_don, where, upon a: statement of his 
motives and. determination, he was fur- 
nished with the necessary means of car- 
rying his projects into effect. He ac- 
cordingly repaired to the Netherlands; 
‘and early'in 1744, he was appointed an 
ensign in the 25th regiment of foot, then 
forming a part of the allied.army, That 
campaign he served under Field-Marshal 
Wade, and all the following, up to the 
peace 
