PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, BY THE EDITOR. HAVING, in the year seventeen hundred and seventy-six, put forth A HISTORY OF Music, in five volumes quarto (which buy), notwithstanding my then avocations as Justice of the Peace for the county of Middlesex and city and liberty of Westminster; I, Sir John Hawkins, of Queen Square, Westminster, Knight, do now, being still of sound health and understanding, esteem it my bounden duty to step forward as Editor and Reviser of THE PROBATIONARY Odes. My grand reason for undertaking so arduous a task is this: I do from my soul believe that Lyric Poetry is the own, if not twin sister of Music; wherefore, as I had before gathered together every thing that any way relates to the one, with what consistency could I forbear to collate the best effusions of the other?-I should premise, that in volume the first of my quarto History, chap. i. page 7, I lay it down as a principle never to be departed from, that "The Lyre is the prototype of the fidicinal species." And accordingly I have therein discussed at large, both the origin, and various improvements of the Lyre, from the Tortoise-shell scooped and strung by Mercury on the banks of the Nile, to the Testudo, exqui sitely polished by Terpander, and exhibited to the Ægyptian Priests. I have added also many choice engravings of the various antique Lyres, viz. the Lyre of Goats-horns, the Lyre of Bulls-horns, the Lyre of Shells, and the Lyre of both Shells and Horns compounded; from all which, I flatter myself, I have indubitably proved the Lyre to be very far superior to the shank-bone of a crane, or any other Pipe, Fistula, or Calamus, either of Orpheus's or Linus's invention; ay, or even the best of those pulsatile instruments, commonly known by the denomination of the drum. Forasmuch, therefore, as all this was fi nally proved and established by my History of Music, I say, I hold it now no alien task to somewhat turn my thoughts to the late divine specimens of Lyric Minstrelsy. For although I may be deemed the legal guardian of Music alone, and consequently not in strictness bound to any farther duty than that of her immediate Wardship (see Burn's Justice, article Guardian), yet surely, in equity and liberal feeling, I cannot but think myself very forcibly incited to extend this tutelage to her next of kin; in which degree I hold every individual follower of THE LYRIC MUSE, but more especially all such part of them, as have devoted, or do devote, their strains to the celebration of those best of themes, the reigning King and the current year; or, in other words, of all Citharista Regis, Versificatores Coronæ, Court Poets, or, as we now term them, Poets Laureats. Pausanias tells us, that it pleased the God of Poets himself, by an express oracle, to order the inhabitants of Delphi to set apart for Pindar one half of the first fruit offerings brought by the religious to his shrine, and to allow him a place in his temple, where, in an iron chair, he was - used to sit and sing his hymns in honour of that God. Would to heaven that the Bench of Bishops would, in some degree, adopt this excellent idea!—or at least that the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, and the other Managers of the Abbey Music Meetings, would in future allot the occasional vacancies of Madame Mara's seat in the Cathedral Orchestra, for the reception of the reigning Laureat, during the performance of that favourite constitutional ballad, "May the King live for ever!" It must be owned, however, that the Laureatship is already a very kingly settlement; one hundred a-year, together with a tierce of Canary, or a butt of sack, are surely most princely endowments, for the honour of literature, and the advancement of poetical genius. And hence (thank God and the King for it!) there scarcely ever has been wanting some great and good man both willing and able to supply so important a charge. At one time we find that great immortal genius Mr. Thomas Shadwell (better known by the names of Og and Mac Flecknoe) chanting the prerogative praises of that blessed æra. At a nearer period, |