corresponds to truth, and the accompaniments to the affections," in opposition to Mrs. Child, who regards "the air as corresponding to the affections or sentiments, and the accompaniments to truth," are rather applicable to harmony than to an air and its accompaniments. So far as harmony is concerned, it would appear from Swedenborg that it does relate to the affections. He states that " the harmonies of musical sounds are from the spiritual world, and correspond to the affections with their gladnesses and joys." (Ap. Ex. 700.) On the other hand, Mrs. C. is in my opinion perfectly correct, in regarding the accompaniments (to a solo of course) which certainly are, or ought to be, subordinate to the melody, as having a subordinate signification. From the beautiful description Swedenborg has given of the singing of virgins (Conjugial Love, 19), it would seem that such were the sweetness and fulness of their songs, that any accompaniments, so far from heightening the effect, would have detracted from it. We find solos of a somewhat similar character in earthly music,-at least that will only admit of an exceedingly simple accompaniment. We meet with instances of this in Handel's "Messiah." The opening recitative, "Comfort ye my people, which in many respects has more the character of an air than of a recitative, and the beautiful solo, "He shall feed his flock," are so perfect in themselves, that any accompaniment, except of the most simple character, would encumber and consequently weaken the effect. Mozart was sensible of this; for whilst he has produced some most splendid effects in several airs in that oratorio, by his additional accompaniments for wind instruments, he has not attempted to make any addition to these. Those that admit of the most complicated instrumentation are generally meagre. This remark is applicable to · With verdure clad," in Haydn's Creation," and "Gratias Agimus," in Mozart's "Twelfth Mass," both of which derive much of their beauty from the accompaniments. 66 among 66 The music referred to in Scripture was of course such as prevailed the Jews. What the character of that music was, it might perhaps be difficult now to determine. It was probably very different in character and style from ours, as were also their instruments. Their instruments were, however, divisible, like those of the present day, into wind, stringed, and pulsatory instruments; and not only each kind, but also the particular instruments of each kind, had their proper significations. "The ground of this," our author states, 'is from sounds, for sounds correspond with affections, and from sounds affections are perceived in heaven; and inasmuch as there are various affections, and various sounds are uttered by musical instruments, therefore the latter, from 66 correspondence, and thence from agreements, are significative of the former." (Ap. Ex. 323.) He adds, moreover, that affections are excited (or called forth) by the sounds of various instruments. "Discrete sounds," he says, "excite the affections of truth, and continuous sounds excite the affections of good." (Ibid.) Again, "The stringed instruments were applied to the affections of spiritual good, and the wind instruments to the affections of celestial good." (Ap. Ex. 326.) He further states in the same paragraph, that "he who understands the internal sense of the Word, and at the same time the sounds of the instruments which are there named, may know what particular affection is described by them." In reference to the general signification of instruments- By pulsatory and wind instruments are signified the joy of those who are of the Lord's celestial kingdom, and by stringed instruments the joy of those who are of the Lord's spiritual kingdom." (Ap. Ex. 363.) It would follow, then, that the correspondence of an accompaniment would, in a great measure, depend on the signification of the instruments whereby it was performed. The singing mentioned in Scripture derived its character and signification from the instruments with which it was accompanied. "The good of truth is expressed by singing, by being awaked or excited by the psaltery, and by confessing unto the Lord among the people; and the truth of good is expressed by singing, by being excited by the harp, and by singing among the nations." (Psal. lvii. 8, 9-cviii. 23. See Ap. Ex. 323.) Although it appears from this that the instruments employed qualified the singing, it does not follow that the instruments have the highest signification; for truth in like manner gives quality to good, but every New Churchman knows that good is more exalted than truth. Some instruments mentioned in the Word have indeed a higher signification than singing. The trumpet is one of this kind; but it does not, that I am aware, appear to have been used in connection with singing, but with shouting, which represents "the joy of hearts resulting from the affection of spiritual and celestial good,” and has consequently a higher signification than singing. (Ap. Ex. 700.) That such was the case appears from the following, among other passages::-"God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." (Psal. xlvii. 5.) In Psalm xcviii., after an exhortation to sing to the Lord with the harp, it is added, "With trumpets and sound of cornet, make A JOYFUL NOISE before the Lord the King." (Ver. 6.) The shouting of the people at the taking of Jericho, was also preceded and accompanied by the sound of the trumpet. It has already been remarked that the harmonies of music signify the affections. I cannot forbear inserting the following beautiful remarks on the subject:- Joy of heart finds utterance in singing, because when the heart is full of joy, and thence the thought also, then it pours itself forth in singing; the joy itself of the heart by the sound of the singing, and the joy of the thought thence derived by the song; the quality of the joy of the thought being presented by the expressions of the song, and the quality of the joy of the heart by the harmony, and the quantity of the joy thereof by the elevations of the sound, and of the expressions of the song."-(Apoc. Ex. 326.) I will merely add, that the term song does not here mean a solo, the extract being part of the explanation to Rev. v. 9:- -" And they sung a new song." I now proceed to H's last objection, viz., to what Mrs. C. has said of the perfect chord, and the seven notes of the diatonic scale, which I will do as briefly as I can. Your correspondent argues that every chord in music is alike perfect, and that to speak of one being more so than another, is a fallacy. That every musical chord is perfect, in its degree, there is no doubt, just the same as a leaf is as perfect in its degree, as the tree to which it belongs; or as any member or viscus of the body is as perfect, in its degree, as the body itself. No one will deny that there are different degrees of perfection in the organs of the body, or maintain that the perfection of any part is equal to the perfec tion of the whole. So, although every chord has a perfection of its own, that generally called the common or perfect chord, has this perfection, which no other chord possesses, that it forms the termination of every piece of musical composition. However varied the harmonies or intricate the modulations may be, they all tend towards, and ultimately terminate in, that chord, which may therefore be called perfect, in a fuller and higher sense than any other. H also contends that, instead of seven, there are properly eight notes, in what is called the diatonic scale, which he endeavours to prove in the following manner:-"Let any one play the following series of notes on a piano-forte, or organ, by taking the notes indicated by the letters in the upper row, with the right hand, as treble notes, and those of the lower row, which are their fundamentals, with the left hand, as bass notes; namely, in ascending, CDEFGABC, and in descending, CBAGEDC and he will find, that in ascending, the treble F demands F in the bass, for its fundamental; and that the descending note ƒ in the treble, demands G in the bass, for its fundamental." He urges further, that ƒ in the descending scale requires to be flatter than F in the ascending scale; so that F and ƒ are two distinct notes, and that consequently there are eight instead of seven notes in the diatonic CGFGGCGC, scale. I grant that the effect on the piano-forte or organ is as here described, viz., that ƒ requires to be flatter than F; but there appears to me to be an important fact which H- has overlooked :-The instruments by which he proposes to test this are themselves imperfect, and therefore incompetent to the task he assigns them. Let any one play on either of these instruments-especially on the organ-in four or five flats, and he will find that most of the intervals are different to those produced by playing in the natural key; but who ever thought of assigning this peculiarity to the key, and not to the instrument? HI am sure, is fully aware, that the most perfect system of tuning cannot remove the imperfections of this instrument, but only spread them over the different keys in a manner so as to render them the least perceptible. The general system of tuning, by flattening the fifths as much as they will bear, is calculated to produce the very effect Halludes to. In an instrument thus tuned, reckoning from C, the note G, forming the fifth above will be flatter than its proper pitch, and the note F, forming the fifth below, will be sharper than the proper pitch. This will not be perceived in playing E and F as in the ascending scale, the octaves being perfectly tuned, nor will it be so much perceived if the intermediate A and C be taken; but in such a chord as the flat seventh formed by G and F, the slightest deviation from the true pitch becomes perceptible. For my own part, I very much doubt whether, on a perfect instrument, the ascending F and the descendingƒ would not be found to be the same note. I might pursue this subject further, but having extended beyond what I intended, I must forbear. I am, dear Sir, yours most sincerely, my remarks W. W. Erratum in the last paper.—Page 108, lines 7, and 9 from the bottom, for harmonies, read harmonics. Poetry. ON THE SUDDEN DEATH OF A FRIEND. Blest Saint! shall erring mortals blame, The stern decree whose summons came, |