448 - On Ancient Greek Music. readers were musicians, that we might join and do our ut-* most to restore, as far as may be, this divine art to its old and pristine dignity. But no one can hope to do much in the present degraded state of music. Till it is allowed its proper place in general education, it will not I fear be found desirable to restore it to its ancient simplicity. Musicians are, perhaps de- servedly, held in a qualified contempt among us : the practice is discouraged, the study almost forbidden : the cultivation of a musical ear, even among those who are otherwise most anxious to cultivate all their faculties, is neglected and de- spised ; our music is overladen with a multitude of burden- some and extraneous ornaments, variations, and accompani- ments ; and where are we to look for those simple and severe melodies which may appeal to the natural ear and the natural soul — where are we to find the means of ^'re- creating ^^ and composing our travaiFd spirits with the solemn and divine harmonies of musick heard or learnt, which if wise men and prophets be not extremely out, have great power over dispositions and manners to smooth and make them gentle from rustick harshness and distempered pas- sions ?**' I own it appears to me that this can only be done by applying with energy to the st^dy of the ancient music, of our own and of other nations, and especially that of the Greeks. And I hope I have not altogether failed in shewing that in so doing we shall not be unprofitably employed ^^. ^3 Milton, Letter on Education. ^^ There are very few specimens of the ancient Greek music extant ; I would refer those who wish to satisfy themselves concerning the nature of its strains to one upon which I am content to rest all my chance of convincing them of its beauty; the original music of the opening of the first Pythian Ode of Pindar, set in modern notes in Bumey's Hist, of Music Vol. i. p. 106. Sir J. Hawkins's Hist, of the Science and Practice of Music, Vol. i. p. 54. and in Boeckh's Dissertation on the Metres of Pindar. H A.
