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with the heavenly voice abovementioned,
pleased me beyond description, and not so
much by what it did, as by what it did
not do; surely one cannot hear too much
of such a mellifluous voice. All the jar-
gon of different parts, of laboured con-
trivance, and difficult execution, is little
better than an ugly mask upon a beauti-
ful face; even harmony itself, upon such
occasions is an evil, when it becomes a
sovereign instead of a subject.
I know this is not speaking like a mu-
sician, but I shall always give up the pro-
fession, when it inclines to pedantry; and
give way to my feelings, when they seem
to have reason on their side. If a voice
be coarse, or otherwise displeasing, the
less it is heard the better, and then tu-
multuous accompaniments and artful con-
trivances may have their use; but a sin-
gle note from such a voice as that I heard
this morning, penetrates deeper into the
soul, than the same note from the most
perfect instrument upon earth can do,
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