followed for its financial benefits, as a means of living. This consideration would doubtless, in the general, stimulate to more applauded performances, that their services might thereby command greater remuneration. Hence the extravagances into which these hired mourners fell in time, by substituting the apparatus of ill directed art, in the place of those channels, which nature has supplied, to pour forth the depth of her distress. It is true their funeral music, both vocal and instrumental, was at times peculiarly tender and plaintive, and mingled itself harmoniously with aspirations of inexpressible grief. But at other times, and often on the same occasions, as we have seen, it was extremely harsh and discordant, the reverse of everything agreeable and soothing in sound, accompanied with gestulations of an equally repulsive character.

We collect further, that there were compositions, both musical and literary, expressly adapted for these solemn seasons, such as orations, dirges, and elegies; for it is said, "behold they are written in the Lamentations." A few fragments of the orations said, or sung in part, at the grave of celebrated individuals, have been preserved; but the rest, which formed the collections of "Lamentations," we regret to say, exist only in the past.

It also appears that they had their anniversaries, or periodical seasons of commemorating the death of distinguished persons; at which times they

would be likely to select from the collection, pieces most appropriate to the character of the individual, whose name they wished to honour. This was done in the case of Josiah; for it is said, it became 66 an ordinance in Israel," a settled, periodical, and an established ceremony.

As these funeral ceremonies, rather unnaturally, we admit, pressed under the denomination of music,―are still prevalent in the east, it is highly probable they formed a part on the death of the ruler's daughter, whom our Saviour raised from the dead. "When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, Give place, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn."* By the minstrels here mentioned, is plainly understood persons using instruments of music, perhaps accompaniments to a vocal dirge; and the noise made by the people may be regarded as not merely describing the mournful conversation, or occasional bursts of sorrow, which affection involuntarily pays, as a tribute to departed relatives and friends, but referring to professional mourners, hired for the occasion. With this explanation of the relation given by the evangelist, it appears likely to have been those hired mourners and minstrels, that "laughed our Saviour to scorn;" a circumstance that would give

Matt. ix. 23, 24.

them a fine opportunity of drawing out their character. For in the derision which they attemped to cast upon our Saviour for his saying, they would, as a matter of course, make use of such distortions of the body, and hideous sounds, such circumstantial mimicry, as would heighten the effect of the whole performance.

There are many portions of the Old Testament, where the Almighty presses into notice the whole compass of these funeral services, in order to give force to his impressive addresses to the Jews. They are intended, on the one hand, to portray the debased, noxious, and contaminating carcase of mere profession, when the life and spirit of religion has taken its departure; and, on the other hand, to exhibit his bowels of compassion, as a husband, father, and friend, over the spiritual death of his people. Take a striking illustration from the prophecy of Jeremiah. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the cunning women, that they may come; and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion. How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his

mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation; for death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the street."* And again: "Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kir-heres."+ The prophet Amos furnishes another instance in point. "Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus, wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing."

The spirit of and moral effects intended to be produced by these similitudes, prove satisfactorily that their originals were well known to the people; or, in other words, that music, in all its various modifications, and, indeed, contrarieties, was generally and continually; from the commencement to the close of their history, introduced by the Jews into their funeral ceremonies.

* Jer. ix. 17-21.

+ Ibid. xlviii. 36.

Amos v. 16. See also Eccles. xii. 5.

CHAPTER V.

JEWISH DEVOTIONAL MUSIC.

Music not much cultivated amongst the Jews till David's time— Saul's disorder-sends for David-David's success-various opinions on Saul's disorder-David appointed different officers in the tabernacle music-David's musical genius-his poetic character considered as shown in his psalms-the titles of the Psalms considered to be musical terms-various meanings of the word Selah-Solomon's regard for music-Vast display of music at the opening of the temple-Hebrew music not much improved after this time-the Jews in Babylon-the temple rebuilt, and music revived-the genius of Hebrew music examined-Dr. Burney, Mr. Nathan, Dr. Burn, &c. quoted.

THE music of the Jews, in any of its forms and uses, was seldom more conducive to its avowed purpose than when brought to the aid of devotion. As we have before observed, the children of Israel, in their exodus from Egyptian bondage, employed it in a praiseworthy manner, to raise their thanks to heaven at the close of their first remarkable deliverance. From a consideration of the knowledge then possessed of the art,—the estimation it must have been held in for religious purposes, as well as from the direct, or more scattered references made to its use in their history,-there can be no doubt from that period, that music formed an attractive part of Jewish worship. It does not