Sone

A short lyric poem set to music. The use of songs seems to be'a natural consequence from that of words, and in effect is’ scarcely le yeneral. The ancients had the art of singing before they had that of writing, and their laws, as well as their histories, were’ sung long before they were inscribed. All lyric poetry, properly speaking, consists of songs, but we only treat of that which more commonly bears this name, and which, as far as concerns the ancient songs, will lead us to some curious particulars, To begin with the songs of the table. the miost remote times of Greece, all the guests, according to Dice arch us, Plutarch, and Artemon, sung together, and in the same strain, the praises of the divinity. Hence these songs were real peans, or sacred canucles, The guests afterwards sung succe ively, each in his turn, holding a branch of myrtle, which pa ed from the hand of him who had sung io him -who was to sing next. At length, when music was improved, and; the lyre was used in feasts, only the ingenious SO and scientific were qualified to sing at table, at least to the accompaniment of the lyre. The others, obliged to sing unaccompanied, and to confine themselves to the braneh of myrue, gave birth to a Greek proverb, by which they - said of a man when they would tax him with ignorance, that he “* sung with the myrtle.” The subjecis of the scolia, cx songs sung to the lyre, were not only drawn from love and wine, like modern festive songs, but from history, war, and even morality. The Greeks had also songs proper to. the different profe ions: such as the Song of the Shepherds, the Song of the Reapers, the Song _of the Millers, the Song of the Weavers, the Song of the Wool-carders, the Song of the Nurses, the Song of Lovers, the Song of the Ladies, and the Song of young Girls, They had also a marriage song, called Hymenéa, the Song Datis for merry occasions;~ for lamentation, Jaleme; and Linos for funerals. Lastly, there were also hymns, or Songs in honour of the Gods and Heroes,: This genus pa ed from the Greeks to the Romans, and several of the odes of Horace are gallant or Bacchanalian. The moderns have also their songs of different kinds according to the taste and genius of each country; but the Italians, English, and French, bear away the palm from the rest of Europe in this species of composition.. The genuine Scotch and Irish songs have, however, the merit of an originality of character, and po e an exclusive sweetne which has always delighted the ears of every nation. (Busby). The best collections of British songs are those by Percy, Aikin, and Plumtre. 867