B. Certainly. A. But how wou'd you treat the Muficians? B. I wou'd encourage them. A. Wou'd you not lay them under fome proper Restraint, according to the Judgment and Practice of the antient Greeks, who always join'd Pleasure and Usefulness together? B. Explain yourself a little. A. Tho' they join'd Mufick and Poetry together, and carry'd both thefe Arts to the greateft Perfection; they apply'd them to infpire People's Minds with Fortitude, and noble Thoughts. They us'd Poetry and Mufick to prepare them for Battle; and carry'd Musicians and their various Inftruments, to War. Hence came Drums and Trumpets, which rais'd in them a Spirit of Enthusiasm, and a fort of Fury that they call'd Divine. It was by Mufick and the Charms of Verfe, that they foften'd favage Nations and by the fame Harmony, they fweetly inftill'd Wisdom into their Children. They made them fing HOMER'S Verses to infpire their Minds with the Love of Glory, Liberty, and their native Country; and with a Contempt of Death, and Riches, and effeminate Pleasure. They gave their very Dances a grave and ferious Turn: for it is certain they danc'd not merely for the fake : C 4 5. 14. 2 Sam. vi. fake of Pleafure. We fee, by DAVID'S Example, that the Eastern People reckon'd Dancing a serious kind of Employment, like Mufick, and Poetry. The myfterious Dances of the Priests were adapted by the Heathens among their Ceremonies, on folemn Festivals, in Honour of their Gods. There were a thousand Instructions couch't under their Poems, and their Fables: nay their moft grave and auftere Philosophy always appear'd with an Air of Gayety, and good Humour. All those Arts that confifted either in melodious Sounds, regular Motions of the Body, or the Use of Words; Mufick, Dancing, Eloquence, and Poetry, were invented to express the Paffions; and by that means to communicate these Paffions to others. Thus did they endeavour to convey noble Sentiments to People's Minds, and give them lively affecting Views of the Beauty of Virtue, and the Deformity of Vice. So that all these Arts, under the Shew of Pleasure, favour'd the most serious Designs of the Antients; and were us'd to promote Morality and Religion. Even the Diverfion of Hunting was encourag'd to train up the Youth for War. Their ftrongest Pleasures contain'd always fome folid Inftruction. From which Source flow'd those many heroick Virtues in Greece, which all Ages have fince admir'd. It is true this first kind of Inftru ction ction was aftewards chang'd; and of it felf was accompany'd with remarkable Defects. The chief Fault of it was, its being founded on a falfe and pernicious Scheme of Religion: in which the Greeks, and all the antient Sages of the Heathen World were ftrangely deceiv'd; being plung'd into grofs Idolatry. But notwithftanding this fundamental Mistake, they chose a very proper way of infpiring Men with Religion and Virtue: their Method was wife, agreeable, and apt to make a lively, lafting Impreffion. C. You faid that this firft Inftitution was afterwards chang'd: Pray, how did it happen? A. Tho' Virtue gives Men the true Politeness; if great Care be not taken, Politeness gradually degenerates into an unmanly Softnefs. The Afiatick Greeks fell firft into this Corruption. The Ionians grew effeminate; and all that Coaft of Afia was a Theatre of Luxury. The Cretans too became corrupted, notwithstanding the wife Laws of MINOS. You know the Verse that St. PAUL quotes from one of their own Poets. Corinth was remarkable for its exceffive Riot, and Diffolutenefs. The Romans, as yet unpolish't, began * Κρῆτες αεί ψεται, κανὶ Θηρία, γαςέρες αργαι. TIT. I. 12, began to fall into fuch Practices as quite relax't their ruftick Virtue. Athens was not free from the general Contagion, with which Greece was all-over infected. Pleafure which was us'd at first as the means to convey Wisdom into People's Minds, ufurp't the Place of Wisdom itself: and in vain did the Philofophers remonftrate against this Disorder. SOCRATE s arose, and fhew'd his deluded Fellow-Citizens that the Pleasure about which they were entirely employ'd, ought only to be us'd as the Vehicle of Wisdom, and an Incentive to Virtue. PLATO, his Disciple, (who was not afham'd to compofe his Dialogues on the Plan and Subject of his Mafter's Difcourfes,) banish't from his Republick all fuch mufical Notes, Scenes of Tragedy, and poetical Compofitions, (even fuch Parts of HOMER himself,) as did not incline People to love Order, and wife Laws. This, Sir, was the Judgment of SOCRATES and PLATO concerning Poets and Musicians: do you approve of it? B. I'm entirely of their Mind; and wou'd allow of nothing that is useless. Since we may find Pleasure enough in solid and valuable things, we ought not to feek for it elsewhere. In order to recommend Virtue to Men's Efteem and Practice, we must show them that it is con fiftent fiftent with Pleafure: and on the contrary, if we separate Pleasure from Virtue, People will be strongly tempted to forsake a virtuous Courfe. Befides, that which gives Pleasure only, without Inftruction, can at best but amuse and soften the Mind. Don't you fee, Sir, how much a Philofopher I'm become, by hearing you? But let us go on to the End: for we are not yet perfectly agreed. A. I hope we fhall be very quickly. And fince you are grown fo much a Philofopher, give me leave to ask you one Question more. We have oblig❜d Muficians, and Poets, to employ their Art only for promoting Virtue: and the Subjects of your new Republick are debarr'd from all fuch Spectacles as can only please, and not inftruct them. But what wou'd you do with Conjurers? B. They are Impoftors that ought to be banish't from all Societies. A. They do no harm. You cannot think they are Sorcerers: fo that you have no Reason to be afraid of their practising any diabolical Art. B. No, I don't fear that: nor fhou'd I give the least Credit to any of their fenflefs Stories. But they do harm enough by amufing the common People. I will not fuffer fuch idle Persons in my Commonwealth, as divert others from their Bufi nefs, |