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But who will venture to say, that the
musician who should compose or per-
form like Orpheus, or Amphion, would
be deservedly most applauded now? Or
who will be bold enough to say, how these
immortal bards did play or sing, when
not a single vestige of their music, at
least that is intelligible to us, remains?
As far as we are able to judge, by a com-
parative view of the most ancient music
with the modern, we should gain nothing
by imitation. To copy the canto fermo
of the Greek church, or that of the
Roman ritual, the most ancient music
now subsisting, would be to retreat, not
to advance in the science of sound, or
arts of taste and expression. It would
afford but small amusement to ears ac-
quainted with modern harmony, joined
to modern melody. In short, to stop
the world in its motion is no easy task;
on we must go, and he that lags behind
is but losing time, which it will cost
him much labour to recover.
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