MUSICK no improper part of an UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. The man that hath no mufick in himself, SHAKESPEARE, S an University is or ought to be esteem'd a nursery from which men are to be hereafter tranfplanted into the larger field of life, nothing that accomplishes the gentleman can be deem'd unworthy the attention of the fcholar. MUSICK has always been look'd upon as one of these politer accomplishments, and with juftice ftyl'd the fifter of poetry and painting. For to what are we indebted for the chief beauty of the one, but to the harmony of verfe? And what conftitutes the principal excellence of the other but the harmony of features? Since therefore thefe arts are fo clofely connected, I obferve with pleafure that a tafte for them is at laft fo happily establish'd in this University; and that we have in fome measure fhook off the chains of difputation and the dominion of ARISTOTLE and BURGERSDICIUS. If examples have any weight, we are told that two of the greatest heroes of antiquity, ACHILLES and ALEXANDER, thought it not beneath them to unbend their minds with playing on the harp. And in our own country can it be thought that SHAKESPEARE could fo ftrongly have defcanted on the power of MUSICK, if he had not previously found it in his own foul? MILTON, we are affur'd, before he apply'd himself to his divine compofitions, us'd to elevate and fublime his ideas and awaken the fpirit of enthusiasm by playing playing on the organ. And as we find in the Iliad the heathens entertained at their feafts by the lyre of APOLLO and the fongs of the MUSES, fo HARMONY in the Paradife Loft is introduc'd fo charmingly fmoothing her tones as to delight even the ear of God himself. But tho' I would recommend this as an amufing fcience and enforce the moderate use of it, let it not be thought that I would have it the only one. Our mornings, I hope, are devoted to more folid and interefting ftudies; and whatever variety of inftruments may be heard in our courts in the afternoons, I flatter myself that no one can complain of this in the former part of the day. And if fuch is the case, I fee no reason why our schools may not be frequented as well as our mufick-meetings, and NEWTON and LOCKE ftill have their followers as well as HANDEL and CORELLI. In an University, how much more agreeably is an evening laid out by a felect company of friends compofing a concert, than in carousing over a bottle, and joining, to fay no worse, in an unprofitable converfation? As to the concerts we frequently have in our halls, do they not in fome measure contribute, by bringing us into company, to the wearing off that ruft and morofenefs which are too often contracted by a long continuance in college? And though these meetings are frequented by fome fo entirely on account of the company and converfation, that it has been declared that the concert would have been excellent if there had been no MUSICK in it, yet in general we fhall find it otherwise. If these were abolifh'd, what a mortification would many of our smart fellow-commoners undergo, to be deprived of the pleasure of presenting tickets to the ladies, and ufhering them into the hall! Add to this, that the banishment of MUSICK from our rooms muft neceffarily be attended with the expulfion of the harpsichord, no inconfiderable part of our furniture. Not to mention the number of ingenious artists, that muft by this means be reduc'd to a fçanty fubfiftance, and that TIREMAN and RANDAL muft then only rely on the the organs of Trinity and King's-College chapels. As to FIDDLING in particular, for my part I fee no abfurdity in attracting the eyes of the fair by displaying a white hand, a ring, a ruffle, or a fleeve to advantage. Nor could any one, I imagine, blame the performer, nor could he himself be difpleas'd with his art, if he was fo fuccefsful as to fiddle himself into a good fortune. This would fufficiently recompence all the pains he took in learning it; and, whatever the rigid and auftere may think, the approbation of the ladies is no fmall fpur to a proficiency in this. and many other fciences. Dancing, painting, and poetry itself, as well as MUSICK, are doubly eftimable on account of their sometimes procuring us the praises of the fair; and I queftion whether ACHILLES himself (tho' HOMER is filent on this head) would have taken fo much pleasure in his harp, if he had not found it agreeable to DEIDAMIA or BRISEIS. In short whether we look upon MUSICK as a relaxation from graver studies, or as an innocent amusement and filling up of time that might be worse employ'd, no one fure can think that improper to be admitted into a British University, which was look'd upon as effential to a genteel education in ancient Greece. SIR, THE To the STUDENT. HE declaration you have made in your propofals, against publishing any thing that has been printed before, should have prevented me from troubling you with the following SCHEME; as the firft rude sketch of it was inferted about a twelvemonth ago in one of the weekly papers. But as newspapers are things of fhort duration, read chiefly in coffeehoufes by perfons who overlook every thing that does not relate to politicks or business; fome of my friends, who from the "the good opinion they have of this scheme are very defirous to fee it carried into execution, have follicited me to ask you to give it a place in your Mifcellany; in hopes thro' your patronage it may gain admittance to the closets of men of fense, where it will be confidered coolly, and if it has any merit at all, will be fet in it's proper light; from whose hands it may expect to meet with encouragement and improvement. Therefore what I would propofe to you is ASCHEME to raife a FUND for the maintenance of the WIDOWS and CHILDREN of the inferiour CLERGY. TH HIS project came into my head from the following incident. Some time ago I went with a friend of mine to visit the widow of an officer, who for the fake of living cheap is fettled in our neighbourhood. She has a boy about eight and a girl about ten years old, and I think a fonder mother or more dutiful or lovelier children I never faw. When we came in, the little boy was faying his catechifm to his mamma, while mifs was working by her; and, as Į afterwards learn'd, they had no other inftructor. I was fo charm'd with the obliging behaviour of the mother, and the pains that the little ones took to imitate their mamma, that I could not help faying, I thought her quite happy in having fuch sweet children. She answer'd with a smile mixt with concern, "Poor things, if they had not loft their "papa, it had been happier for them; but now they have no friend but me. However, if it please God to preserve "me till they are grown up, I hope, tho' I have nothing "but my penfion to live on, I shall be able to give them a virtuous education; and all I defire, is to fee them get a living in an honeft way, tho' a. mean one." Here I could not help reflecting, how happy it was, that women, left deftitute fo often as officers widows are, fhould have fuch provifion for them, as prevents both them and their children from falling into thofe vices, to which neceffity is fo irrefiftable irrefiftable a temptation! She went on with faying, that "if she was to begin life again, fhe would not marry an "officer; for befides the inconvenience of their frequent ab«fence from their families, they feldom left any thing behind them but children: yet still she thought them happier than the widows of the clergy in general, efpecially the inferiour ones; who very often leave a numerous iffue "behind them, to be maintain'd by the charity of well"difpos'd people; a meagre fubfiftance indeed !" This put me upon thinking, if the fame thing was done in the church as in the army, diftreffes of this nature would be easily remedied. The penfions of officers widows are paid out of a fund rais'd by their giving one day's pay in the for that purpose. Now if every ecclefiaftick from the archbishop to the curate was to do the fame, it would raise a fund large enough not only to maintain the widows but likewise to provide for many of the children. year I have mention'd this fcheme to every clergyman I have seen for these three years last past, which they all to a man approv'd: and as it would be a trifle of expence to every individual of this fociety, yet of such infinite advantage to the whole, if you would confider, improve, and recommend this defign, it would, I believe, be foon carried into execution. To make this fucceed, it muft, I know, be encouraged and protected by those who have the least interest in it; I mean, the heads of the church, whofe families are too well provided for to need any fuch affiftance: and as felf-intereft is the main fpring of human actions, this may appear a difcouraging circumstance: but there never was a more favourable opportunity of putting this defign in execution than the prefent, while the church has the happiness to be govern'd by men, whofe learning, piety, charity, and benevolence do honour to their profeffion. That fomething of this fort has been and is ftill neceffary, may appear from the many private provifions made by welldifpofed people for clergymens widows, as well as from the |