PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE, BY, THE EDITOR. HAVING, in the dred and feventy fix, put forth A HISTORY OF MUSIC, in five volumes quarto, (which buy) notwithstanding my then avocations as Juftice of the Peace for the county of Middlefex and city and liberty of Westminster; I, Sir John Hawkins, of Queen-fquare, Westminster, Knight, do now, being still of found health and understanding, esteem it my bounden duty to step forward as Editor and Reviser of THE PROBATIONARY ODES. My grand reafon for undertaking fo arduous a task is this; I do, from my foul believe that Lyric a Lyric Poetry is the own, if not twin-fifter of Mufic; wherefore, as I had before gathered together every thing that any way relates to the one, with what confiftency could I forbear to collate the best effufions of the other?-I fhould 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 difcuffed at large, both the origin, and various improvements of the Lyre, from the Tortoife-fhell fcooped and ftrung by Mercury on the banks of the Nile, to the Teftudo, exquifitely polished by Terpander, and exhibited to the Ægyptian Priefts. 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 myfelf, I have indubitably proved the Lyre to to be very far fuperior to the fhank bone of a Crane, or any other Pipe, Fistula, or Calamus, either of Orpheus's or Linus's invention; aye, or even the best of those pulfatile inftruments, commonly known by the denomination of the drum. Forafmuch, therefore, as all this was finally proved and established by my Hiftory of Music, I fay I hold it now no alien task to somewhat turn my thoughts to the late divine fpecimens of Lyric Minstrelfy. For although I may be deemed the legal Guardian of Music alone, and confequently not in ftrictness bound to any farther duty than that of her immediate Wardship; (See Burn's Justice, article Guardian) yet furely, 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 fuch part of them, as have devoted, or do devote their strains to the |