ing their spirits, instead of drinking, and spend their time in singing songs and hymns, adapted to improve the mind and elevate the heart; instead of the profane or indecent conversation, or noisy clamor which is generally heard on such occasions.

But music also has an effect which cannot be doubted in softening and elevating the character. It diminishes the strength of the passions, by keeping them, for a time at least, in a state of inaction. It counteracts them, by producing the opposite and softer feelings. On this subject allow me to quote the opinion of Luther, whose well known skill as a composer of music, no less than his character as a great reformer, must give weight to his opinion.

'I ought now to speak,' says he, 'of the utility of this noble art, which is indeed so great, that no one, however learned he may be, can give a satisfactory account of it. This one thing I can declare (of which I am convinced by experience also,) that according to the sacred Word of God, no art deserves so much celebrity and praise as music; inasmuch as it has a mighty control over every movement of the human heart, and often governs and restrains mankind, as their Lord. Stringed instruments and the lower animals utter sounds merely, and are incapable of language. Man, however, was endowed with the powers of speech, that he might be able to speak and sing the praise of God at the same time, and thus magnify his goodness and grace by the combined efforts of both.When natural music, however, is highly cultivated and polished, then we ascertain, for the first time, in part, (for it never can be fully understood,) and with astonishment, the great and perfect wisdom of God, displayed in this curious art. Wherefore, I recommend it to every man, particularly to youth, and hereby admonish them duly to love, honor, and esteem this precious, useful, and cheerful gift of God; the knowledge and diligent use of which, will, at all times, drive off evil thoughts, and diminish the effect of evil society and vices.'

So universal and essential was a knowledge of it at that

time among teachers, that Luther observes, 'It is necessary that this art be taught in schools. A schoolmaster must be able to sing, or else I will not look upon him. The youth must always be accustomed to this art, for it makes good and virtuous people.'

Plato says, 'Bodily exercise is the sister of pure and simple music; and as exercise imparts health to the body, so music imparts the power of self-government to the soul.' In accordance with this sentiment, I am convinced that it has no small influence on school discipline. I was struck with the superior order and kindly aspect of the German schools in comparison with our own, and ascribed it not a little to the cultivation of music in them. Those who unite in singing with their fellows and their master, will be more disposed to be kind to the one, and obedient to the other.

In addition to this, the study of music, from its very nature, cultivates the habits of order, and obedience, and union. All must follow a precise rule. All must act together, and move in obedience to a leader; and the habit acquired in one part of our pursuits necessarily affects others.

use.

But we cannot give music its full influence without combining it with words. It has in this way been made the handmaid of vice, and the companion of depravity, and its influence has been fearful. It should be converted to a better 'Let me make the ballads of a nation, and you may make their laws,' said one who was well acquainted with human nature. The maxim is one of obvious soundness. The law is but seen in shadow, and its threatenings heard as distant thunder. Even the pulpit brings forth its instructions only weekly; and the preacher often writes upon a sand beach, from which the returning tides of the business of the week speedily efface almost every vestige of his instructions. But the ballad is fixed in the memory by the association of rhyme and sound it is constantly brought home to the heart by the sweet influence of melody; and while the law is out of view and the sermon forgotten, it repeats and reiterates its expres

sions until it penetrates the hardest heart, and fastens itself in its strongest feelings. Let us but have hundreds of hymns, not merely sacred, but moral, social, and national, which shall convey elevated sentiments and stimulate to noble acts, and we send forth so many little messengers of good, which can penetrate even through the walls of a castle, and be conveyed on the wings of the wind to every quarter of the globe. Some of the best European airs have been found by travellers transported to the centre of Africa.

Especially will this be the case, if these songs are associated with familiar objects and events. The Germans have hymns for children and youth, on the Rising Sun, the Morning Star, Harvest, a Storm, a Forest, &c., which are recalled every time the objects are seen, and thus all nature is made vocal. A specimen of this class of songs, will best show you their tendency.

Andante.

THE RISING SUN.

*

Array'd in robes of morning, His daily course to

run, The world with light a

dorning-Behold

*The pupils of the agricultural school at Hofwyl, on returning from their labors at night, saw the evening star rising, and immediately, with one accord, struck up the appropriate song. Such occurrences are frequent, and during my residence at Hofwyl, I have often heard them going to their work before day, uniting, in chorus, in a morning hymn or a harvest song.

the

rising

sun.

2 With grateful hearts and voices,
We hail thy kindly rays;

All nature now rejoices,

And sings thy Maker's praise.

3 O shed thy radiance o'er us,
And cheer each youthful mind;
Like thee our Lord is glorious,
Like thee our God is kind.

But many, who are ready to admit the pleasure and the profit to be derived from vocal music, suppose that they can never be extended to the mass of the community. We are met on the threshold with the objection, that this branch of education must be reserved for those who have what is termed a 'natural ear' and a natural voice,' and that only a few persons can distinguish musical sounds, and imitate them accurately.

If the grounds of this opinion are demanded, we are presented with a greater or less number of individuals in society, who tell us they cannot distinguish one sound or one tune from another-that they know not whether notes are high or low; accordant or discordant; and that they cannot imitate any of them.

The first difficulty sometimes arises from not understanding the terms employed. Sounds, like colors, cannot be described in words. They must be taught by examples, patiently repeated and carefully attended to, until the ear is familiar with them; and gradually extended, as its powers of discrimination are increased. I have known cases in which persons who said they could not distinguish one note from another, have found no difficulty in doing it, as soon as a few notes had been sounded before them, and the use of the appropriate terms had been illustrated.

have

But, in addition to this, the examples taken are not fair They are of persons whose ear and vocal organs been formed to certain habits so long, that they cannot be

ones.

supposed to be so susceptible or flexible as they once were. Read a portion of French or German to the same individuals, and see if they can distinguish the similar words and sounds at once. Call upon them to pronounce the nasal and guttural sounds of these languages; or require a foreigner to pronounce our own language, and it requires no second sight to determine that they would not succeed better than in music. Is this an evidence that they have not a natural ear or a natural voice for German, or French, or English? Surely not. Why then apply this reasoning to music? Indeed, the argument would be more applicable to language, so far as experience extends. Who ever heard of an individual who spent whole days, for several years together, in singing, who did not find an ear for it? But we have few examples of men who pronounce a foreign language without obvious errors, even after years of study or of residence in a country where they speak it incessantly. Until we are presented with individuals who were taught music as they were taught language, from their childhood, and who still cannot distinguish or imitate musical sounds, there is no good reason for admitting that any considerable number of persons are naturally destitute of an ear for music.

I do not mean to deny that there are defects of hearing of every degree, from absolute deafness, to mere dulness of hearing, which renders it difficult to perceive nice distinctions, and so on to a perfect state of the organ; nor that some individuals may have a natural rigidness or other defect of the muscles and cartilages of the mouth and throat, as others have in their limbs. Nor have I any doubt that great natural differences exist as to the degree of accuracy in imitating musical sounds, as they do in the distinctness of articulation and the correctness of reading, in those whose organs are not obviously defective. But I am satisfied from the testimony of those who have had extensive means of observation and experiment, both in this country and in Europe, as teachers of music, as well as by an obvious course of reasoning, that