This word, when originally appropriated by Dr Franklin to that peculiar form or mode of musical glasses, which he himself, after a number of happy experiments, had constituted, was written Armonica. In this place, however, we have ventured to restore it to its native plenitude of sound, as we have no antipathy against the moderate use of aspirations. It is derived from the Greek word ἀγωνία. The radical word is ἀγωνία, to suit or fit one thing to another. By the word ἀγωνία the Greeks expressed aptitudes of various kinds; and from the use which they made of that expression, we have reason to conclude, that it was intended to import the highest degree of refinement and delicacy in those relations which it was meant to signify. Relations or aptitudes of sound, in particular, were understood by it; and in this view, Dr Franklin could not have selected a name more expressive of its nature and genius, for the instrument which we are now to describe; as, perhaps, no musical tone can possibly be finer, nor consequently susceptible ceptible of juster concords, than those which it produces.

In an old English book, whose title we cannot at present recollect, and in which a number of various amusements were described, we remember to have seen the elements or first approaches to music by glasses. That author enjoins his pupil to choose half a dozen of such as are used in drinking; to fill each of them with water in proportion to the gravity or acuteness of the sound which he intended it should produce; and having thus adjusted them one to another, he might entertain the company with a church-tune. These, perhaps, were the rude and barbarous hints which Mr Puckering afterwards improved. But, for a farther account of him, of the state in which he left the instrument, and of the state to which it has afterwards been carried, we must refer our readers to the following extracts from Dr Franklin's letters, and from others who have written upon the same subject.

The Doctor, in his letter to Father Beccaria, has given a minute and elegant account of the Harmonica. Nor does it appear that his successors have either more sensibly improved, or more accurately delineated, that angelic instrument. The detail of his own improvements, therefore, shall be given in his own words.

"Perhaps (says he) it may be agreeable to you, as you live in a musical country, to have an account of the new instrument lately added here to the great number that charming science was possessed of before. As it is an instrument that seems peculiarly adapted to Italian music, especially that of the soft and plaintive kind, I will endeavour to give you such a description of it, and of the manner of constructing it, that you or any of your friends may be enabled to imitate it, if you incline so to do, without being at the expense and trouble of the many experiments I have made in endeavouring to bring it to its present perfection.

"You have doubtless heard the sweet tone that is drawn from a drinking-glass, by pressing a wet finger round its brim. One Mr Puckering, a gentleman from Ireland, was the first who thought of playing tunes formed of these tones. He collected a number of glasses of different sizes; fixed them near each other on a table; and tuned them, by putting into them water, more or less as each note required. The tones were brought out by pressing his fingers round their brims. He was unfortunately burnt here, with his instrument, in a fire which consumed the house he lived in. Mr E. Delaval, a most ingenious member of our Royal Society, made one in imitation of it with a better choice and form of glasses, which was the first I saw or heard. Being charmed with the sweetness of its tones, and the music he produced from it, I wished to see the glasses disposed in a more convenient form, and brought together in a narrower compass, so as to admit of a greater number of tones, and all within reach of hand to a person sitting before the instrument; which I accomplished, after various intermediate trials, and less commodious forms, both of glasses and construction, in the following manner.

"The glasses are blown as near as possible in the form of hemispheres, having each an open neck or socket in the middle. The thickness of the glass near the brim is about the tenth of an inch, or hardly quite so much, but thicker as it comes nearer the neck; which in the largest glasses is about an inch deep, and an inch and a half wide within; these dimensions lessening as the glasses themselves diminish in size, except that the neck of the smallest ought not to be shorter than half an inch.—The largest glass is nine inches diameter, and the smallest three inches. Between these there are 23 different sizes, differing from each other a quarter of an inch in diameter. To make a single instrument there should be at least five glasses blown of each size; and out of this number one may probably pick 37 glasses (which are sufficient for three octaves with all the semitones) that will be each either the note one wants, or a little sharper than that note, and all fitting so well into each other as to taper pretty regularly from the largest to the smallest. It is true there are not 37 sizes; but it often happens that two of the same size differ a note or half a note in tone, by reason of a difference in thickness, and these may be placed one in the other without sensibly hurting the regularity of the taper form.

"The glasses being chosen, and every one marked with a diamond the note you intend it for, they are to be tuned by diminishing the thickness of those that are too sharp. This is done by grinding them round from the neck towards the brim, the breadth of one or two inches as may be required; often trying the glass by a well-tuned harpsichord, comparing the note drawn from the glass by your finger with the note you want, as founded by that string of the harpsichord. When you come near the matter, be careful to wipe the glass clean and dry before each trial, because the tone is something flatter when the glass is wet than it will be when dry;—and grinding a very little between each trial, you will thereby tune to great exactness. The more care is necessary in this, because if you go below your required tone there is no sharpening it again but by grinding somewhat off the brim—which will afterwards require polishing, and thus increase the trouble.

"The glasses being thus tuned, you are to be provided with a case for them, and a spindle on which they are to be fixed. My case is about three feet long, eleven inches every way wide within at the biggest end, and five inches at the smallest end; for it tapers all the way, to adapt it better to the conical figure of the set of glasses. This case opens in the middle of its height, and the upper part turns up by hinges fixed behind. The spindle is of hard iron, lies horizontally from end to end of the box within, exactly in the middle, and is made to turn on brass gudgeons at each end. It is round, an inch diameter at the thickest end, and tapering to a quarter of an inch at the smallest. —A square shank comes from its thickest end through the box, on which shank a wheel is fixed by a forew. This wheel serves as a fly to make the motion equable, when the spindle, with the glasses, is turned by the foot like a spinning-wheel. My wheel is of mahogany, 18 inches diameter, and pretty thick, so as to conceal near its circumference about 25 lb. of lead.—An ivory pin is fixed in the face of this wheel, about four inches from the axis. Over the neck of this pin is put the loop of the string that comes up from the moveable stop to give it motion. The case stands on a neat frame with four legs.

"To fix the glasses on the spindle, a cork is first to be fitted in each neck pretty tight, and projecting a little without the neck, that the neck of one may not touch the inside of another when put together, for that would make a jarring. These corks are to be perforated with holes of different diameters, so as to suit that part of the spindle on which they are to be fixed. When a glass is put on, by holding it stiffly between both hands, while another turns the spindle, it may be gradually brought to its place. But care must be taken that the hole be not too small, lest in forcing it up the neck should split; nor too large, lest the glass, not being firmly fixed, should turn or move on the spindle, so as to touch or jar against its neighbouring glass. The glasses thus are placed one in another; the largest on the biggest end of the spindle, which is to the left hand: the neck of this glass is towards the wheel; and the next goes into it in the same position, only about an inch of its brim appearing beyond the brim of the first; thus proceeding, every glass when fixed shows about an inch of its brim (or three quarters of an inch, or half an inch, as they grow smaller) beyond the brim of the glass that contains it; and it is from these exposed parts of each glass that the tone is drawn, by laying a finger on one of them as the spindle and glasses turn round.

"My largest glass is G a little below the reach of a common voice, and my highest G, including three complete octaves.—To distinguish the glasses more readily to the eye, I have painted the apparent parts of the glasses within-side, every semitone white, and the other notes of the octave with the seven prismatic colours; viz., C, red; D, orange; E, yellow; F, green; G, blue; A, indigo; B, purple; and C, red again;—so that the glasses of the same colour (the white excepted) are always octaves to each other.

"This instrument is played upon by fitting before the middle of the set of glasses, as before the keys of a harpsichord, turning them with the foot, and wetting them now and then with a sponge and clean water. The fingers should be first a little soaked in water, and quite free from all greasiness; a little fine chalk upon them is sometimes useful, to make them catch the glasses and bring out the tone more readily. Both hands are used, by which means different parts are played together.—Observe, that the tones are best drawn out when the glasses turn from the ends of the fingers, not when they turn to them.

"The advantages of this instrument are, that its tones are incomparably sweet beyond those of any other; that they may be swelled and softened at pleasure by stronger or weaker pressures of the finger, and continued to any length; and that the instrument, being once well tuned, never again wants tuning."

Such was the state in which this learned and ingenious author found, and such the perfection to which he carried, that celestial instrument of which we now treat. We call it celestial; because, in comparison with any other instrument which we know, the sounds that it produces are indeed heavenly. Some of them, however, are still constructed in the same imperfect manner as the instrument of Mr Puckering. They are contained in an oblong chest; their positions are either exactly or nearly rectilineal; the artificial semitones by which the full notes are divided, form another parallel line; but the distances between each of them are much greater than those between the notes of the natural scale, as they take their places not directly opposite to the notes which they are intended to heighten or depress, but in a situation between the highest and lowest, to show, that in ascending they are sharps to the one, and in descending flats to the other. This structure, however, is doubly inconvenient; for it not only increases the labour and difficulty of the performer, but renders some musical operations impracticable, which upon the Harmonica, as constituted by Dr Franklin, may be executed with ease and pleasure. In this fabric, if properly formed and accurately tuned, the instrument is equally adapted to harmony and melody. But as no material structure could ever yet be brought to the perfection even of human ideas, this instrument still in some measure retains the perverse nature of its original stamina. Hence it is not without the utmost difficulty that the glasses can be tuned by grinding; and the least conceivable redundancy or defect renders the discord upon this instrument more conspicuous and intolerable than upon any other. Hence likewise that inexplicable delicacy to be observed in the manner of the friction by which the sound is produced: for if the touch be too gentle, it cannot extort the tone; and if too strong, besides the mellow and delicate sound which ought to be heard, we likewise perceive the finger jarring upon the glass, which, mingled with those softer sounds by which the senses had been foreshadowed, gives a feeling similar to iron grating upon iron, but more disagreeable. In wind-instruments the operation of the tongue, in harpsichords the stroke of the quill, and on the violin the motion of the bow, gives that strong and sensible interruption of sound which may be called articulation, and which renders the rhythmus or measure of an air more perceptible; but, upon the glasses, the touch of the finger is too soft to divide the notes with so much force; so that, unless the mind be steadily attentive, they seem to melt one into another, by which means the idea of rhythmus is almost lost. There is no way of performing a slur but by forbearing to stop the first sound, when that which is immediately subsequent commences. Thus, when the slur is of any length, and regularly descends or rises by the interval of a second, all the notes in the slur must be heard together, and produce no agreeable dissonance; yet if it rises or descends by perfect chords, the effect is pleasing. The open shake, or trill, is another unhappy operation upon musical glasses; which can only be performed by the alternate pulsations of two continued sounds, differing from each other only by a note or semitone. But as these pulsations thus managed cannot be distinct, the result is far from being pleasant; nor is there any succedaneum for the clole shake, which in the violin is performed by alternately depressing the string to the finger-board, and suffering it to rise without entirely removing the finger from it, and which, by giving the note that tremulous sound produced by the human voice affected with grief, is a grace peculiarly adapted to pathetic and plaintive airs.

We proceed, however, to a farther account of the same instrument, extracted from the Annual Register, vol. iv. p. 149.

"Besides those tones (says the author of that account) which every elastic string produces by a vibration..." bration of all its parts, it is capable of another set of tones, in which only a part of the string is supposed to vibrate. These sounds are produced by the lightest touches, either by air, as in Oswald's lyre, or by rubbing the bow in the softest manner on the string of a fiddle.

"Analogous to these sounds are those produced by bells; in those last, besides those tones produced by their elliptical vibrations, there are a set of tones which may be brought by gently rubbing their edges, and in which the whole instrument does not appear to vibrate in all its parts as before.

"Take, for instance, a bell finely polished at the edges; or, what will perhaps be more convenient, a drinking glass; let the edges be as free from anything oily as possible; then, by moistening the finger in water (I have found alum-water to be best), and rubbing it circularly round the edge of the glass, you will at length bring out the tone referred to.

"This note is possessed of infinite sweetness; it has all the excellencies of the tone of a bell without its defects. It is loud, has a sufficient body, is capable of being swelled and continued at pleasure; and, besides, has naturally that vibratory softening which musicians endeavour to imitate by mixing with the note to be played a quarter-tone from below.

"To vary these tones, nothing more is required than to procure several bells or glasses of different tones, tuned as nearly as possible, which may be done by thinning the edges of either; or, for immediate satisfaction, the glasses may be tuned by pouring in water; the more water is poured in, the graver the tone will be.

"Let us suppose then a double octave of those glasses, thus tuned, to be procured. Any common tune may be executed by the fingers rubbing upon each glass successively; and this I have frequently done without the least difficulty, only choosing those tunes which are slow and easy. Here then are numbers of delicate tones, with which musicians have been till very lately unacquainted; and the only defect is, that they cannot be made to follow each other with that celerity and ease which is requisite for melody. In order to remedy this, I took a large drinking glass, and by means of a wheel and gut, as in the electrical machine, made it to turn upon its axis with a moderately quick but equable motion; then moistening the finger as before, nothing more was required than merely to touch the glass at the edge, without any other motion, in order to bring out the tone.

"Instead of one glass only turning in this manner, if the whole number of glasses were so fixed as to keep continually turning by means of a wheel, it follows, that upon every touch of the finger a note would be expressed; and thus, by touching several glasses at once, an harmony of notes might be produced, as in a harpsichord.

"As I write rather to excite than satisfy the curious, I shall not pretend to direct the various ways this number of glasses may be contrived to turn; it may be sufficient to say, that if the glasses are placed in the segment of a circle, and then a strap, as in a clock's wheel, be supposed to go round them all, the whole number will by this means be made to turn by means of a wheel.

"Instead of the finger, I have applied moistened leather to the edge of the glass, in order to bring out the tone; but, for want of a proper elasticity, this did not succeed. I tried cork, and this answered every purpose of the finger; but made the tone much louder than the finger could do. Instead, therefore, of the finger, if a number of corks were so contrived as to fall with a proper degree of pressure on the edge of the glass, by means of keys like the jacks of an organ, it is evident, that in such a case a new and tolerably perfect instrument would be produced; not so loud indeed as some, but infinitely more melodious than any.

"The mouths of the glasses or bells used in this experiment should not resemble the mouth of a trumpet, but should rather come forward with a perpendicular edge. The corks used in this case should be smooth, even free from those blemishes which are usually found in them, and at the same time the more elastic the better."

In the two accounts here given seems to be comprehended every thing valuable which has been said upon the subject. It remains, however, our permanent opinion, that the form and structure designed and constituted by Dr Franklin is by much the most eligible; nor can we admit, that a cork, however successfully applied, will produce the same mellowness and equality of tone in general with the finger. It appears to us, that, by this kind of voluntary attrition, a note may be sunk or swelled with much more art and propriety than by the substitution of any thing else extrinsic to the hand; and when chords are long protracted, that degree of friction, which renders every sound in the chord sensible to the ear, without harshness, must be the most agreeable. For this reason, likewise, we should recommend alum-water in preference to chalk.

From what has already been said, it will easily be perceived, that this instrument requires to be tuned with the nicest degree of delicacy which the laws of temperament will possibly admit. For these laws the reader will naturally have recourse to the article Music †, in † Chap. vii. this Dictionary; where, from M. D'Alembert, is given art. 64, even a plain and satisfactory account, both of the method proposed by Rameau, and of that established in common practice, without anticipating the experience and taste of the reader, by dictating which of these plans is preferable. To those who have occasion to tune the instrument, it may likewise be useful to peruse the detached article Temperament in this Work. Without recapitulating the different rules of alteration prescribed in these accounts, we shall presuppose the reader acquainted with them; and proceed to describe how, under their influence, the Harmonica may be tuned. But it is previously expedient to observe, that the same rules which conduct the process of tuning a harpsichord, will be equally effectual in tuning the Harmonica; with this only difference, that greater delicacy in adjusting the chords should, if practicable, be attempted.

There are different notes from whence the procedure of tuning may commence. La or A, which is the key that pretty nearly divides the harpsichord, is chosen by some; this la in common spinets is 24 natural keys from the bottom, and 13 from the top; and the ut above it, or second C upon the G clef, by others. This last we should rather advise, because we imagine those intervals... intervals which we have called seconds major to be more just through the whole octave, when the course of tuning is begun by a natural semitone. The initiate, therefore, may begin by tuning the second ut of his Harmonica, or C above the treble clef, in unison with its correspondent C upon the harpsichord or any other instrument in concert-pitch; then, descending to its octave below, adjust it with the ut above, till every pulsation if possible be lost, and the sounds rendered scarcely distinguishable when simultaneously heard. To the lowest note of this octave he must tune the sol or G immediately above it by a fifth, still observing the laws of temperament: To this G, the re, or D immediately above it, by the same chord: To the re, or D above, its octave below: To this, by a fifth, the la or A immediately above it: To la, the mi or E ascending in the same proportion: To mi, its octave below: To this, the fa or B immediately above it by a fifth: To the first ut, or C, which was tuned, the fa or F immediately below by the same chord.

That the practitioner may be still more secure in the justice and propriety of his procedure, he may try the thirds of the notes already adjusted, and alter, as much as is consistent with the fifths and octaves, such among these thirds as may seem grating and disagreeable to his ear. Thus far having accomplished his operation, he may tune all the other natural notes whether above or below by octaves. His next concern is with the semitones. And here it will be suggested by common sense, that as in all instruments with fixed scales the sharp of a lower must likewise answer for the flat of a higher tone, the semitone ought as nearly as possible to divide the interval. He may begin with la or A sharp; which la in its natural state is a third minor beneath the ut or C, from whence he began in the natural scale. This semitone should correspond with the F natural immediately above by a fifth. To it may be tuned the re or D sharp immediately below by a similar chord: To D sharp, its octave above: To fa or B natural, immediately above the la or A first mentioned, may be adjusted the F or fa sharp immediately above it: To this its octave below: To that octave, the C or ut sharp above by a fifth: To the C sharp, its octave below: To this, by a fifth, the G or sol sharp above. Between this G sharp and the D sharp immediately above it, the fifth will probably be too sharp; but if the others are justly tuned, that discord will not be extremely offensive; and it is a necessary consequence of temperament. The rest of the sharps and flats, like their naturals, whether ascending or descending, may be tuned by their octaves.

The notes, with their chords, may be expressed by letters and figures, thus; where, however, it must be observed, that the higher notes of any chord are marked with larger capitals. It should likewise be remarked, that the figures are not expressive of the different ratios which the notes bear one to another, considered with respect to their vibrations; but only significant of their nominal distances, according to the received denominations of the intervals. Cc cG cD DD DA AE EB EB CF. The sharps and flats thus, AxF#, AxD#, DxD#, B#F#, F#C#, FxC#, CxC#, cG#. In running over the sharps and flats as the naturals, it will likewise be necessary to try the thirds, and to alter such as may offend the ear; which, if cautiously done, will not sensibly injure the other chords.

—Though this article has been protracted to a length which we did not originally intend, we have however the satisfaction to find, that it comprehends everything essential; so that any person who understands the nature of chords, and the practical principles of music as universally taught, may not only be able to tune his instrument, but to acquire its whole manoeuvre, without the least affluence from a master.

On Plate CCXXVI. is represented an instrument of this kind, made by Mr Dobb of St Paul's churchyard, London.

Though this topic appeared in itself complete in the former edition of this extensive work, yet having since received from Dr Edmund Cullen of Dublin the following observations, and reflecting that men of musical talents have not only different tastes, but different powers of mechanical operation, we have thought it proper to submit to the choice of our readers, either Dr Franklin's form and arrangement of the glasses, or that which has been adopted by Dr Cullen; but in either case, we would recommend it to the initiate in this instrument, to distinguish by colours, according to Dr Franklin, the notes and semitones.—We likewise cannot forbear to think, that the complete bass practicable on the harmonica, is by many degrees preferable to the chords with which Dr Cullen proposes to grace every emphatic note, with which, from the structure and arrangement of his instrument, he is under a necessity of deluding instead of satisfying the ear, with the full effect of the regular procedure of the treble and bass upon the same instrument.

This instrument the Doctor describes as consisting "of 35 glasses of different sizes, answering to so many distinct sounds, and ranged in the manner hereafter to be described. They are exactly of the form of a cocoa nut when the usual quantity of the top is cut off, or the sugar-bowls made of cocoa-nut shells so much in use will give a precise idea of their figure. They are blown with plain long stalks, which are fitted to wooden feet screwed on a board at proper distances, in such a manner that the circular tops of all may be in the same horizontal plane, at the distance of about an inch asunder. Of these 35, 10 only are allotted for half tones; there remain therefore 25 for the diatonic scale. The lowest note corresponds to G in the bass clef; hence it extends upward to the octave above C in alt. For uniformity, take the glasses which are chosen gradually and regularly diminishing in size as they ascend in tone. This, however, is not absolutely necessary, as the tone of the glass does not entirely depend upon its size, but in a great measure upon the proportion of its different parts to one another; hence the glass corresponding to one note may be smaller than a glass corresponding to a note three or four tones higher: however, where it is practicable, they should always be chosen gradually diminishing as they ascend, both on account of the elegance of appearance, and that an equality in point of loudness may be preserved; for, as everybody knows, an instrument may be liable to great inequality in point of strength, though perfectly in tune. This must have a very bad effect; and therefore we find performers on the violin and other instruments of that kind very solicitous about the proportional tional thickness of their strings. The glasses being chosen in the best manner circumstances will permit, we proceed to arrange them. Here let me observe, that in general the diameter of the largest glass at its mouth is about seven inches, and its solid contents about five English pints, while the highest is of about $\frac{1}{2}$ inch, and its contents about $\frac{1}{3}$ of a gill: this, however, is arbitrary, and depends upon the pitch of the instrument. In arranging the glasses, we shall, to avoid confusion, take the diatonic scale first, and afterwards the half tones will be easily understood. The wooden feet before mentioned are to be screwed on a strong board of a proper size, and they are disposed at convenient intervals in rows perpendicular to the longest sides of the rectangular board on which they stand. In these feet the glasses are disposed in the following manner: Beginning with the lowest note $G$, we fix that on the foot which stands in the nearest angle of the board on the left hand, $A$ in the next bottom in the same perpendicular line, $B$ in the third; when we come to $C$, however, we do not place it in the same perpendicular line, but in the nearest bottom of the second perpendicular row to the left hand, $D$ in the second of the same row, $E$ in the third; $F$ again in the nearest bottom of the third row, $G$ in the second of the same row, $A$ in the third; $B$ again in the nearest bottom of the fourth row, $C$ in the second of the same, and so on. By this contrivance, it is easy to see an immense compass is obtained: so great a one indeed, that if the glasses were disposed according to the old method, regularly ascending in a line parallel to the front of the instrument, to take in the same compass, it must stretch to a considerable length, no less than a length equal to the sum of all the perpendiculars we before spoke of, which in ordinary size of the glasses would amount to upwards of 16 feet; the inconvenience of which it is unnecessary to dwell upon. As to the half tones, perhaps a more judicious and convenient arrangement may be thought of for them: but the present mode is far from inconvenient, except in some keys; and it is sufficiently commodious for performing such airs as are best suited to the nature and design of the instrument. After explaining the arrangement, we shall speak somewhat more exactly of them. $E_{b}$ on the first line of the treble staff stands in the fourth bottom of the first perpendicular row to the left hand; $F_{b}$ on the first space stands in the fourth place of the second row, $G_{b}$ on the second line of the treble staff stands in the fourth of the third row, $C_{b}$ on the third space of the same staff stands in the same manner in the fourth row, and so on, ascending $F_{b}$ in the fifth row, $G_{b}$ in the sixth, $A_{b}$ in the seventh, $C_{b}$ in the eighth. In the ninth perpendicular row, that is, the last to the right hand in the diatonic scale, stands $C$ alone; but immediately behind is placed $B_{b}$ of the middle line of the treble staff, and again behind it $D_{b}$ of the fourth line of the treble staff, which finishes the whole. There is something singular, and perhaps whimsical, in the distribution of the half tones: but it is found sufficiently convenient; and if a better is thought of, it may easily be adopted. In the mean time I must observe, that two of them, viz. $C_{b}$ and $F_{b}$, standing immediately behind the $D$ and $G$ respectively above them, are singularly well fitted for performing running passages either up or down in the key of $G$. Ex. gr. let us suppose that we have that very common $A$, $G$, $F_{b}$, $E$, semiquavers.

Here the performer touches $A$, which is in the first place of the fifth row, with his left hand, $G$ with the fore-finger of his right, $F_{b}$ with the middle, and $E$ again with the left hand; in the same manner may $E$, $D$, $C_{b}$, and $B$, be played, or upwards by inverting the motion: Thus we can with the utmost ease run either up or down two very frequent passages in a key, which might naturally be supposed difficult upon this instrument, and that with any given rapidity. I wish as much could be said of all the other half tones, of which, by the bye, some are altogether wanting: it is obvious, however, that they may easily be added, if we can find convenient places; and I apprehend even that very practicable. Be that as it may, notwithstanding the seemingly inconvenient situation of some half tones, and the total want of others, pieces may be performed on this instrument of considerable rapidity. I myself, though very far from being an accomplished player, can with great ease go through all the parts of Fifer's celebrated Rondeau; nay, I have heard the fifth concerto of Vivaldi played upon it with as much distinctness as upon a violin. The glasses are not necessarily chosen perfectly in tune, but are tuned by the help of a quantity of water. Here, however, two cautions are necessary: 1st, By no means to take a glass which is, when without water, flatter than the note you intend; as in that case you cannot remedy it, the water making the tone still flatter: rather let it be somewhat sharper, and you may tune it to the utmost nicety by a little water. The second caution is, not to choose a glass which is very much sharper than the note required; as in that case, to large a quantity of water will be required to tune it as will entirely smother the tone.

"This instrument is to be played somewhat in the manner of the harmonica, viz. the fingers are to be well wetted; and by the application of them to the side, assisted by a proper motion, the sound is produced. And here I would observe, that the proper motion is, to make the fingers follow the thumb, not the thumb follow the fingers in going round the glass: it is necessary also to preserve the circular motion very exactly, as the least deviation from it produces the most horrible sound that can be conceived. It is likewise to be observed, that you must touch the smaller glasses upon the very top of the brim; and for that purpose the palm of the hand must be nearly parallel to the top of the glass: but in coming to the larger glasses, it is absolutely necessary to make the fingers touch the side, not the top of the glass; and the larger the glass, the more distant from the top must they be touched. Practice alone can determine this matter.

"From this disposition of the glasses, it is easy to see that the perfect chord of $C$ is always most completely in our power, namely, by using different fingers to the different notes at the same time; and although a full bass cannot be executed upon this instrument, we have always a great number of accompaniments which can easily be introduced; more perhaps than upon any instrument, the organ and others of that species excepted. The thirds or fifths occasionally can be introduced; and when done with taste and judgment, will scarcely yield to a middling bass. If to this is added the thrilling softness of the tones, inimitable by any other substance, it will readily appear to be an instrument more in the true style of..."