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nd, of particular Ages, cannot be

awn in a strait inartificial outline exactly anfigure of a depofitum corpus? Statuary then have been derived from the mummies, though fimilar model.

of defending the body from putrefcence by the ofition of gums and effences, must have been ion amongst the Egyptians, and, as it fhould ofterior to the fimpler operation of perpetuating ce of features and of form in clay. From affecEt for parents and friends, it was afterwards cafily the flattery of the great, while living; and to of them, when dead. There is a paffage conrigin of Idolatry in the 14 Chap. of the Wisdom hich is too remarkable to be omitted. "For a ted with untimely mourning, when he hath age of his child foon taken away, now honoured God, which was then a dead man, and delivered ho were under him, ceremonies and facrifices.en could not honour in prefence, because they off, they took the counterfeit of his vifage from made an express image of a king whom they hothe end that by this their forwardnefs, they ter him that was abfent, as if he were prefent." the claim, which Egypt has to the original invenand Sciences, fee fome ingenious Reflections on the ndation of the High Antiquity of Government, Arts, , in Egypt, by Dr. N. FORSTER, printed at Ox43.- For the difference between the facred fculpEgyptians, and their hieroglyphics, fee Lord , in the Second Vol. of the Origin and Progrefs of p. 247, 248, who quotes alfo the authorities of Dr. and the Comte de Caylus. * See p. 10. better

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by deducing from that comparison the causes, which operated on their progress. The comparison just hinted at between the Doric Architecture and Mufic, might be extended to the general progrefs of the two arts among the Antients. A fimilar comparison of modern Architecture and Mufic has been made by Mr. AVISON in his elegant Efay on Mufical Expreffion, Sect. II. "I have often thought that the state of Mufic, at different times, might very appofitely be compared to the series of alterations in the Art of building. We cannot indeed with the fame certainty and precifion determine what may have been the perfection of Mufic in its original state among the Antients; yet the fhort Analogy, which follows, may ferve to evince, that both these Arts have varied according to the tafte of particular Ages.

"It is well known, that in old Greece and Rome Architecture was in its highest perfection, and that after their several em

pires were overthrown, these glorious mo- Obf. III. numents of their taste and genius were almost entirely destroyed. To thefe fucceeded a ftrange mixture of the Antique and barbarous Gufto, which has fince been diftinguished by the name of Gothic. In these latter Ages the Art has gradually returned to its former state: and the antient relish of the grand, the fimple, and convenient, is revived.

"And thus we may distinguish the three great æras of Mufic. Amongst the Antients the true fimplicity of Melody, with perhaps fome mixture of plain unperplexed Harmony, seems to have been that magic spell, which fo powerfully enchanted every hearer.

"At the revival of this Art in the time of Pope GREGORY, a new fyftem, and new laws of harmony, were invented, and afterwards enlarged by GUIDO ARETINO. But they ferved only to lead the plodding geniufes of those times, (and fince, their rigid followers) to incumber the art with a confuon of parts, which, like the numerous and trifling

of wondering at the patience and minuteness of the artist, and which like that too, by men of taste hath long been exploded

"The art has now gained much freedom and enlargement from thofe minute and fevere laws, and is returning nearer to its antient fimplicity."

IV. *

In examining the funereal monuments of the moderns, however valuable in the illustration of Genealogical Antiquities, the Antiquary in vain expects to meet with that entertainment, which he receives from the Sepulchral Infcriptions of the Ancients. Perhaps there is no fpecies of compofition, in which the moderns fo generally fall short of the Ancients, as in this. The infcriptions

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of the latter are characterised by a tenderness Obf. IV. and delicacy of fentiment, expreffed with the greatest fimplicity and elegance of Language. Of the former there are few which are not remarkable on one hand for an affected antithefis in the expreffion; and on the other, for an extravagance of panegyric: or distinguished by a pompous display of titles fuperadded often to much fuperfluous decoration, and cumbersome magnificence. — Of the Greek Epitaph it is unneceffary to produce here any particular inftances; as a large collection of Carmina fepulchralia may be seen in the Anthologia of Reiske, of which they form a distinct part.

Tibullus has given us in Eleg. VIII. Lib.I. a specimen of a sepulchral inscription, which has at least one of the ancient Characteristics:

Quod fi fatales jam nunc explevimus annos,
Fac lapis his fcriptus ftet fuper offa notis:
Hic jacet immiti confumptus morte Tibullus,
Meffalam terra dum fequiturque mari.

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