Essays, or discourses, vol. 2 (of 4)

by Benito Jerónimo Feijoo

VI. Thirdly, the tales of cures which are pretended to have been performed by the means, or power of music, I consider as fabulous relations; at least, I have no doubt of the major part of them being such. Who, I won’t say can believe, but if he has any understanding, can endure to hear the chimera, that the sound of a lyre banished the plague from a whole kingdom? Such tales as these, were written by the authors of last year, in order that the fools of this might believe them.

VII. With respect to the curing some particular diseases, it may be proper to allow to music, an equal degree of credit, to that given to many other remedies, so much puffed, and blazoned in books, which although in reality they seldom do any good, still preserve their reputation; not so much on account of the few times they have proved serviceable, as from the sick person’s having owed his recovery to the assistance of Nature; when at the same time, people vainly and mistakingly have attributed it to the application of the chosen remedy. In this manner, and with these explanations and restrictions, we should understand music as a specific, for this or that disease; for if we consider it, as having influence to cheer the mind, there is no doubt, that it may contribute somewhat to the relief of such sick people, as are very fond of it; in the same manner, as any other thing would do, which gave them special pleasure or delight. I don’t however, find any reason to prefer the antient music to the modern, as best suited to produce either the one or the other of these effects; for we have seen cases, in which we have experienced this last, to have been very beneficial to sick people; and probably the antients never knew one, in which the curative excellence of music shone forth with more lustre, than it did in an instance, which happened in the present century, and which is related in the history of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, in the year 1707, which I shall here transcribe, in nearly the words of its illustrious author.

VIII. A famous musician and great composer, was attacked with a fever, which continued augmenting, till on the seventh day, it threw him into a violent delirium, which remained on him with little or no intermission, accompanied with shrieks, lamentations, terrors, and perpetual watching. On the third day, one of those natural instincts, which are said to cause sick brutes to seek such herbs as are beneficial for them, induced him to request some music for his entertainment. They sung to him, properly accompanied with instruments, some of the compositions of Mons. Bernier, a celebrated French musician: as soon as the harmony began, his countenance appeared serene, his eyes looked more tranquil, the convulsions ceased intirely, and he shed tears of pleasure; the fever left him while the music continued, but when that ceased, the fever and the symptoms returned again. Upon this happy and unexpected success, they repeated the music again and again, and always obtained a suspension of the fever and the symptoms, while the music lasted. A relation of his, used some nights to sit up with him, whom he intreated to sing and dance to him, and always found great relief from it; and it sometimes happened, that for want of other music, they entertained him with common nurses songs, and such as are used to divert children, and from which he found great benefit. In fine, ten days music, without any other medicinal assistance than one bleeding in the ankle, which was the second that had been prescribed for him, perfectly cured him.

IX. There may be some doubt, whether the total cure of this man was owing to music; and I must confess, there is no certainty that it was. He might owe his recovery to the second bleeding; or he might be indebted to Nature for it. The transitory relief which he received from the melody, had no more fixed connection with the substantial part of the cure, than those intervals of amendment have, which in many diseases, Nature affords of herself. The suspension of the symptoms, frequently proceeds from principles, which have not sufficient influence to entirely extirpate the malady. The knowing, that in general, it can’t be inferred, that the thing is able to perform the whole, which only executes a part, makes such a connection as we have mentioned before doubtful. But even if this was admitted, there still exists in the case related, an undubitable and marvellous effect of music; and perhaps, the quick suspension of the fever and the symptoms, every time they repeated the music, is a more striking instance of its immediate and wonderful power, than the perfecting a total cure would have been. I say, this appears more amazing to me, than if the remedy had worked an intire cure, by contributing to the recovery of the sick person, by slow degrees, and by little and little, and which could not have been compleated, but in the course of a considerable number of days.

X. It seems to me also, that those who are of opinion the modern music is brought to greater perfection than ever the antient was, may avail themselves of this instance very advantageously; first of all, because there can’t be produced in favour of antient music, another of the same character; and secondly, because it has appeared in the case of our sick person, that he not only received relief from concertos of excellence, but even from the most trifling and imperfect songs; whereas the cures attributed to antient music, are alledged to have been effected by that of the first class.

XI. However, let this proof, whose force or debility I shall not dwell upon at present, amount to what it will; that which you urge in favour of modern music, does not appear to me of any weight or efficacy. You say, that at present this art is much more cultivated, and by men of more industry, and better informed, than the unlearned and barbarous antients of yore, who flourished in the times when these extraordinary effects of music are related to have been experienced. From this supposition it should follow, that the modern music is much more perfect than ever the antient was. But I look both upon the opinion, that it is more cultivated at present than it was formerly; and likewise, that it is more perfect now than it was then, not only as uncertain, but even entirely false and ill-grounded.

XII. Two facts of public notoriety, which are related by Polybius, are sufficient to induce a belief, that music was as much, or more cultivated among the antients, than it is in our times. The first is, that both the Cretans, and Lacedæmonians, did not make use of the horrible clang of trumpets, even in battles, but of the melody of flutes. The second is, that the Arcadians, from the foundation of their republic, caused it to be observed as an inviolable law, that all their sons, from their infancy till they attained the age of thirty-one years, should apply themselves to music. In what kingdom in the world, is these at this time, so great and so general an application to this art?

XIII. The vast inferiority of the antients, compared to the moderns, with respect to industry and ability, is also a voluntary supposition. If this was so, it ought not only to be inferred, that they were deficient in the science of music, but in all the other arts also; but this is so far from being the case, that it is known to a certainty, there were many men among them, who arrived to the highest pitch of excellence, both as painters, statuaries, and poets, and who were such, as can hardly be equalled for eminence by any modern whatever. Of the two last of these arts, there are still monuments subsisting, which are invincible proofs, of their great talents for, and masterly performances in both of them; and their skill in the first, may be reasonably inferred, from their ability in the other two; for as Vincentio Carducho, in his Dialogues on Painting, justly reasons, if the works of the painters had been defective in any of the material requisites, as some have conjectured, the skill of the statuaries, and the perfection of the statues, would glaringly have displayed the faults of the painters; and would consequently, have discredited them as artists; but this was not the case, for it is established by the authority of history, that their works were exceedingly prized.

XIV. This proof then, falls to the ground as ill-founded; but the partizans of modern music, urge another that is tolerably specious; which is, that the antient was very limited, both in the modulation and harmonies of it. As to what regards the modulation, we should observe, that before the time of the famous musician Timotheus, who flourished in the reign of Philip of Macedon, the lyre had no more than seven strings, which expressed or marked seven tones or points only; because to the antient lyre, there were no frets, nor any substitute for them, wherewith they could make on the same string any progression of distinct sounds. Timotheus added two strings to it, which made it an instrument of nine; others maintain it had nine before, and that he added two to them, and made it one of eleven. But admitting this last to be the fact, it then remained an instrument of very small compass, compared to modern instruments. The chant could not exceed the bounds of the instrument, and by all this we may perceive the little variety and extension of antient modulation.

XV. With respect to harmony and concordances, authors, who have examined the thing with much attention, assure us, the antients knew no other than the third, the octave, and the double octave; adding, that they were entirely ignorant of the concerto, or music of different tones; and therefore all their accompanyments, either of an instrument with the voice, or of one voice, or one instrument with another, were constantly in unison. It may be asked now, what excellencies could be contained in a music, which was so limited and so simple? Or what comparison can you imagine there is between that and ours, either to delight the ear, or give satisfaction to the understanding?