_THE Antients having related wonderful Things done by Musick in their days, by which Diseases were suspended, the Sick restored ... I shall make a short Inquiry into the Reasons of it. Tho’ the Report be strange, and in some degree hyperbolical, yet some Account may be given of the surprizing Effects of Musick_, and is attempted by the learned Dr. _Willis_, (among others;) a Hint of which I shall add here, to what was observed before upon the Subject. _REASONS_ (or rather CONJECTURES) _for Medicinal Cures by MUSICK_. I. That Musick, if not new, was in those Days a rare thing, which the Vulgar, on whom ’tis reported to have mighty Effects, had scarce heard any before, and on whom a little Musick will do great Feats, as we now find a _Bag-pipe_ at a _Morris-Dance_. II. Antient Musick was much more simple and plain than ours now, having only one single Voice or Instrument apart, which to a rude Ear is much more taking, than compound Musick; the former not exceeding their Capacity, whereas a Concert of Musick confounds them quite, and ’tis by no means distinguishable by them, so as to affect them with the Harmony of its Parts. III. Musick, with the Antients, was of a much larger Extent than what we now call by that Name; for Poetry, and Dancing or graceful Motion, were then counted part of Musick, when it had arrived to some degree of Perfection: And we see that _Verse_ alone, if in good Measure and _moving Words_, sung by an agreeable Voice, with soft instrumental Musick, will work strangely on the Ear, and move all Affections suitable to the Tune and Ditty ... especially if attended with _proper Gestures and Actions_.... Thus suitable Acting on the Stage, gives great Life to the Words[334]. Footnote 334: _Lowthorp’s Abridg._ vol. i. p. 618. If a deliberate pathetick Reading of a well-penn’d Romance, will strike the Passions, and produce Mirth, Tears, Joy, Grief, Pity, Wrath, Indignation, suitable to the respective Intents of it; much more would it so do, if accompanied with all those Attendants.—— If it be ask’d, _Why may not all this be done now?_ I answer, No doubt but it may, if the Address be made in proper Words, emphatically spoken, with agreeable Voice, attended with a decent Gesture; and all these adjusted to the Passion and Temper of the Mind, particularly design’d to be produced, (be it Joy, Grief, Pity, Courage, Indignation) will certainly now, as well as then, produce great Effects upon the Mind, especially upon a Surprize, and where Persons are not otherwise pre-engaged. _Ibid._ The Antients had the Art of exciting this or that particular Passion of the Mind, the Tunes being suitably adapted to such Designs; whereas those now are almost quite neglected in our modern Musick.