not the trouble to multiply the equation xy+yz — xx = 0, m " P by xyz: in order to change it into this form z +x+y ; fince it appears by infpection, that if it be divided by xz, it gives that very form which the author takes fo much troub e to find.

The author does not confider, that a long feries of algebraic computation, without an abfolute neceffity, difcourages beginners more than any thing elfe; and therefore it is prudent to avoid them as much as poffible, efpecially at the beginning of a work but if it be neceflary afterwards, it is better firft to lead them, as it were, gradually, from the most fimple expreffions to those which are more complex, the better to proportion the labour of learning to the extent and improvement of the learner's capacity.

Having thus briefly taken notice of what is most excellent in this work, as well as of fome few inaccuracies, which feem to be owing more to the examples given by former authors, than to any want of judgment in Mr. Lyons. We must acknowledge, to fum up the merit of the whole in one word, that the prefent performance is preferable to most that have appeared fince Sir Ifaac Newton publifhed his difcoveries and improvements on this fubject.

The first fifty pfalms. Set to mufic by Benedetto Marcello, Patrizio Veneto, and adapted to the English version, by John Garth, Folio. Publishing by Subfcription, to be compleated in Eight Vols. at 11. 1s. each. Johnfon's Mufic-fhop, Cheapfide.

F this curious work three volumes are already compleated. They are published independently, by fubfcription, at one guinea each ;-a volume every year.

As that ingenious master of harmony, Benedetto Marcello, may not be generally known here, we fhall give a few anecdotes relating to him, from his life prefixed to the first volume.

'Benedetto Marcello, patrician of Venice, was born at Venice on the 24th of July, 1686. He gave very early indications of his peculiar talent, which improving and difplaying itfelf, rofe at length to a great excellence in poetry and mufic. His genius for the latter of thefe ftudies was firft awakened by a

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342

GARTH's English Version of Marcello's Pfalms.

little incident in his own family, which roused in him a high fpirit of emulation: the affair was this.

The princes of Brunswick happened to be at Venice; and as Aleflandro Marcello, his elder brother, ufed to hold regularly, one day in the week, at his own house, an academy of mufic, in which his own compofitions, both vocal and inftrumental, were performed; the princes being at one of thefe affemblies, and understanding that Benedetto, who was prefent, and at that time very young, was Aleffandro's brother, they took occafion to afk him, in a polite manner, in what ftudy he employed himfelf? Oh, fays Aleffandro with an air of banter, his employment is to fetch me my papers, which fuits well enough with one of his age. This innocent pleafantry of his brother pierced the fenfible mind of Benedetto: he was piqued, and from a point of honour, gave himfelf up from that time wholly to mufic, and he fucceeded in it to admiration.'

He publifhed feveral collections of fonnets, with various other compofitions on facred fubjects. The fifty pfalms of David, fet to mufic by him, were received with the higheft applaufe.

One of thefe pfalms was performed every week at the palace of cardinal Ottoboni at Rome, where the principal nobility, both ecclefiaftical and fecular, were affembled. When the news of the death of Benedetto, in the year 1739, was brought thither, his eminence did him the honour to give a public teftimony of the esteem and affection which he had for him.-He ordered that on the day appointed for the ufual affembly, a folemn academy should be held in mourning: the room where they met was hung with black; Father Santo Canal, a jefuit, made the oration; and the moft eminent of the learned of that time, rehearfed their respective compofitions upon the occafion in various languages, in the prefence of the many confiderable perfonages there aflembled.'

As it is impoffible for us to exhibit any fpecimens of our Author's mufical abilities, we thought proper to fhew in what efteem they were held in his own country. His reputation, however, was not to be confined within fuch limits; the Germans tranflated part of his pfalms: and with powers, fimilar to thofe of Orpheus, he captivated even the rude Mufcovites; who tranflated the Italian paraphrafe into their language, for the fake of the music.

Mr. Garth of Durham has undertaken to beftow an English drefs upon the pfalms of this admired Italian, by adapting them to our verfion, and has obtained a patent for that purpofe: a task of no small care and extent, fince the agreement between the expreffion and the melody is with difficulty transferred into

another

another language, with any degree of fuccefs. In this point He has, however, fucceeded fo far, as to gain encouragement for publishing three of the volumes; and it is to be hoped, that he will be enabled to compleat his labours, in prefenting to his country fo admired a collection of harmony entire, and thereby farther enriching the powers of British melody. In this he will, undoubtedly, be countenanced by the lovers of his own science; and it will be laudable for the opulent, who have even no particular taste that way, to concur in fo patriotic a defign. For if we cannot urge much on the plea of utility, yet no friend to his country would willingly fee it behind-hand with others, even in matters of elegance and curiofity; efpecially when applied to religious purposes, confiftent with our own eftablished mode of worship.

Our approbation of this work will not appear in a fingular light, when we can produce the concurrent teftimony of the ingenious Mr. Avifon* of Newcastle; from whofe remarks, printed in the firft volume, we fhall produce an extract, which will fuperfede any thing we might farther fay concerning the merit of these pieces of mufic.

Let the general defign of the whole be firft confidered; let the juft expreffion of every particular part be attended to; let the whole have an adequate performance; and then the genius and talents of Marcello will appear in their full luftre; these pfalms will then be found fo excellent, and the great and affecting ftrokes, both of nature and art, fo numerous, that few fubjects of cenfure will be found. But these beauties may not, indeed, be fo eafily comprehended from any partial, defultory, or imperfect performance; nor yet from the niceft examination of them in writing: fince many very fingular beauties entirely arife from certain contrivances in the compofition, which can never be fully tafted and known, if not effectually performed; of which many remarkable instances will be obferved in this work. -Such are the changes from lively movements to pathetic; and e contra, in their various degrees.-The breaks and paufes which mark the bounds of the paffions.-The extreme modulations, which denote fome elevation or enthusiasm in the fentiments. Such alfo, in a particular manner, is the noble contraft between the Solo and the Chorus of many voices; which fulnes is intended, not only for enforcing fome peculiar expreffion, but also as a general aid, for relieving the ear by every poffible variety. To these we may add, the imitation of thunder, the raging of the fea, and of floods and tempefts, &c. by the accompa

* Author of an Effay on mufical Expreffion. See Review, Vol. VI. P. 346.

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nying

nying bafes, while the vocal parts are employed in fome awful and correfpondent expreffion. And this is alfo the cafe, where expreffion alone is required; as in the fublimity of praife-the chearfulness of devotion-and the forrow of contrition: each of which are expreffed in their refpective ftiles, and can be fully felt in the performance only.'

The prefaces of Marcello are tranflated, and prefixed to these three volumes; wherein he compares the antient and modern mufic, and handles the various ftiles of compofition, in a critical manner; which will fcarcely fail of giving pleasure to ftudents in fo enchanting a science.

The Hiftory of England, under the Houfe of Tudor. Comprehending the Reigns of K. Henry VII. K. Henry VIII. K. Edward VI. 2; Mary, and 2 Elizabeth. By David Hume, Efq; 2. In two volumes. 4to. l. is. in boards.

T

Millar.

HIS learned and liberal writer, who has already obliged the publick with the Hiftory of Great-Britain during the reigns of fome of our later kings*, has, in the volumes before us, traced the hiftory of England further back; and with great diligence and ingenuity, recorded the tranfactions of more remote, though not lefs interefting periods. Whether choice or accident induced the author to write backward, we are at a loís to determine; but we may venture to fay, that it is by no means the most natural or intelligible method of connecting hiftorical matter.

The writer, however, is to be commended for having confined himfelf to detached reigns, inftead of venturing at once upon a general hiftory. The annals of feventeen or eighteen centu ries, compiled, perhaps, in little more than as many months, can expect little credit or favour from the judicious. A work of fuch extent, if properly executed, is fufficient to engage almost all the years of mature judgment, with which nature has indulged the strongest faculties.

In felecting detached periods of hiftory, the hiftorian has leifure to be particularly copious and accurate in his narrative. He is fuppofed to examine the facts he relates, as far as poffible, by

*Mr. Home has publifhed the Hiftory of Great Britain, in two Vols. quarto. Containing the Reigns of James I. Charles I. the Commonwealth, Charles II. and James II. See Review, vol. XIL p. 206. and vol. XVI. p. 36.

original

original vouchers, which alone is a work of great labour and time. It is expected, that he fhould endeavour to investigate the causes of the events he commemorates, but more especially to trace their effects; and by the acuteness and folidity of his reflections, to explain, illustrate, and adorn the paffages of hiftory.

The reigns comprized in these volumes, are of the utmost importance to those who would gain a thorough knowledge of our government; and it requires an intimate acquaintance with the antient Conftitution of this kingdom, that is, the feudal fyftem; to treat of them with judgment and perfpicuity. Within this period, Henry the feventh laid the bafis of civil liberty; and in our review of the hiftory before us, we shall take occafion to controvert the writer's infinuation to the contrary.

This fhrewd prince first undermined that barbarous system, under which brutal violence had fo much the afcendancy in civil adminiftration, that mankind, during that time, can scarce be confidered as connected in a state of fociety. The alterations which he made in civil polity however, though they were the foundation of the freedom we now enjoy, were, nevertheless, as we shall shew in the course of our animadverfions, the occafion of that tyranny, which was exercised by his more immediate fucceffors.

The reformation, which dawned in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. with the violent measures taken by the former in the abolition of the religious houses, and the converfion of the facred plunder, contributed greatly to enlarge and improve the popular plan of freedom, which his predeceffor concerted, perhaps, without foreseeing the confequences. Though the bloody difpofition and blind bigotry of Mary, endangered a fatal change, yet the spirit and prudence of Elizabeth in completing the reformation, rekindled the fmothered fparks of political liberty; and even the tyranny of that princefs, ferved to ftrengthen the hands of the people, by abafing the nobility.

It is but just to acknowledge, that the hiftorian, in recounting the revolutions of this period, has, upon the whole, proceeded with great freedom of inquiry, and impartiality of judg ment. He has occafionally done juftice to all fects, and all parties he does not appear to be in the leaft tinctured with that bigotry, which difpofes men to adopt particular received tenets and opinions in religion and politics. But though he is free from all flavish zeal for the fyftems of others, he is not exempt from a frailty fcarce lefs dangerous, which is a paffion for finguJarity. If, in the course of this hiftory, he has inadvertently fallen into inconfiftencies and improprieties, his errors are to be

imputed