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pidity, the animal fpirits to mount into the fire of ardor, anger, ambition, or any warm paffion; fuch alfo is the musician's province. Let the reader recollect the effect which many of Handel's chorufes have, which cannot be heard without the greatest emotion; particularly in Alexander's feaft" The princes applaud with a furious joy ;" and above all others the concluding chorus in the Meffiah. If we go to these oratorio's in any difpofition of mind, however low or funk, their effect will appear in the ftrongest manner; nor can we be mafters of our paffions, while fuch powerful notes almoft tear us from ourselves

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*It may be faid in the inftances which I have quoted, that mufic in them borrows the aid of poetry; but in the most of the chorufes, the effect arifes from the mufic alone; and, I am fully perfuaded

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Such being the feveral diftinct powers of poetry, painting and mufic, the union of the first and last will always be attended with the greateft effects, which are then irrefiftible; for the poetry explains

thofe little diftinctions which mufic cannot, and giving the reader an idea of feveral paffions and emotions which the mufic impreffes, renders its force complete. The finest inftances of this is, the Alexander's feaft of the immortal Handel.

I have often thought what vaft effects might be the refult of these three arts

fuaded, would be attended with the fame, if there were no voices, for they are in general fo drowned in the inftruments, that it is difficult to diftinguish the words, though they add greatly to the general harmony never were any compofitions greater than the two I have mentioned.

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united with that of dancing *. If we may fuppofe fuch a union to fet off beauty in its brighteft colours, how could the foul of man be proof against fuch bewitching charms of beauty, motion, numbers, found and colours, all confpiring at the fame inftant to overcome him by the warmth of their impreffions+? Sure

* Quintilian fays, Cum valeant multum verba per fe, & vox propriam vim adjiciat rebus, & geftus motufque fignificet aliquid, profecto perfectum quiddam, cum omnia coierint, fieri neceffe eft.

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+ Can there be fuppofed a more delightful fituation, than that perfon, whofe foul experiences at one and the fame time the most lively impressions of painting, mufic, poetry and dancing, all united to charm it? Alas! why is such a fituation fo feldom compatible with virtue ?

Batteux's Principles of Lit. vol. i. p. 56. Plutarch, speaking of mufic, does not attribute any fuch effects to it. A man, fays he, who has

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Sure that mind that could withstand fuch a combination of enchanting images must be harder than adamant, It has been often afferted, that the fine arts are no friends to a ftrict virtue, but I арprehend this opinion arofe from the loofe lives of many of their votaries: I leave it to the reader to judge, whether fuch a union of foftening powers as I juft mentioned, would be likely to imprefs on the mind of the spectator fentiments of a rigid virtue, or an effeminate delicacy.

learnt mufic from his infancy, can never fail of having a tafte for what is good, and confequently a hatred of what is bad, even in things that belong not to mufic; he will never difhonour himself by any meannefs. He will be useful to his country, careful in private life: all his actions and words will be governed by the rules of difcretion, and bear the characters of decency, moderation, and order.

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A warm and lively imagination is almoft always united with warm paffions; thofe fublime geniufes, whose works charm the world, were never men of a warm temperature. Perhaps painting requires as warm an imagination as either of them, and the profeffors of that charming art have many of them been men of violent paffions. The famous Raphael died of a debauch at the age of thirtyfeven*. Annibal Carrache's debauches

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* One day after he had abandoned himself to women with excefs, he was taken very ill of a burning fever; and the phyficians, from whom he concealed the true caufe of his distemper, having dealt by him as if he had a pleurify, quite extinguished the little fire that was left in his body. He died on the fame day that he was born, Good-Friday, anno 1520. Cardinal Bembo wrote his epitaph, which is to be feen upon his tomb in the church of the

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