Music And The Masonic Ritual—No. Ii.

when Demetrius besieged a certain city , his soldiers were unable to move a large tower of wood against the walls , fco enable them to attack the besieged , until the sounds of music inspired them Avith strength ( ib ., p . 327 ) . Terpander is cited , among other notable examples , for having calmed a sedition in Lacedemon by the sweetness of his songs . And Timofcheus , by playing on the lyre ( called by the Greeks Ortias ) , is reputed to have transported Alexander to madness , and calmed him again with equal facility ; or , in the language of Dryden , *

' * Timotheus , plac'd on high , Amid the tuneful quire With flying fingers touch'd the lyre : . * # * # # ' * ¦ * $ " Thus long ago , Ere heaving belloivs learn'd to blow , ¦ While organs yet AA-ere mute : Timotheus , to his breathing flute And sounding lyre , Could swell . the soul to rage , or kindle soft desire . "

In the east the power of music is well known as being employed by the snake charmers ; for , in the language of holy writ , " the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears , and refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer charm he never so wisely , " is still an admitted fact ; and it is also affirmed that music is of great benefit in cases of poisoning by the bites of serpents and other noxious reptiles . To support this view ,

Dr . Richard Mead , in one of the dissertations published in his worksf quotes Aurelianus , " JDolorem miiigari et discuti tiibrationibus" ( p . 56 , vol . i . ) Our art has also the credit of curing hysterical fits , and is very servicable in divertin g melancholy monomania , for , as Roger states , "it dissipates the ideas of the soul , and substitutes others ; e . g ., it takes aAvay the fear of death , and for this reason Oueen

Elizabeth sent for her musicians Avhen she was dying , " ( p . 240 ) . Roger also gives the folloAving whimsical accounts of the use and power of music . He tells us that the Arabs think singing contributes more to the fattening of their horses and cattle than the richness of the pasturage , and he quotes Olaus Magnus , and Paulus Diaconus , to support him in affirming that music excites a flock to graze better

, and to eat with more avidity ( p . 172 ) . Whether there be any virtue , or not , in this method , the pictorial representations of shepherds in all ages do somewhat confirm it ; for we all of us know that the distinguishing badge of a shepherd , in all pictures , is his pipe or reed . He also tells us an amusing story of a nation whose horses were tau ght to dance at the sound ofthe pipe , and ivhen they ivent . out to battle , the

enemy being aAvare of the practice , ordered their flute players to play , Avhich caused the horses all to dance , and rendered the cavalry of their opponents completely useless . But it is the last of these