V. Secondly, in some of the cases, there seems no occasion to have recourse to miracles for their explanation; I mean there is no occasion for attributing the events they tell of, to the wonderful powers of music. It required but little impulse, to rouze the warlike ardour of Alexander; a spark only will cause a vast conflagration, if it falls on a large quantity of gun-powder. Athenæus, who relates the story of Herodotus, says, he was a man of gigantic size, and extraordinary robustness. He gives him near eight feet of stature, and says further, that he ate twenty pounds of meat a day, and drank wine in proportion. A man of such robustness, could make use of much larger trumpets than those of the common size, and might blow his breath through them with such an impetus, as might strikingly agitate the mind, and might also add some temporary degrees of vigour to the body; and for accomplishing this, it is not necessary to suppose any special dexterity in the management of the instruments, for strength was more requisite to produce such an effect than address; and whoever at this time, should be equally robust with Herodotus, might be capable of doing the same thing. Neither perhaps in the other instances, I mean those of irritating and mitigating rage, is there so much to be admired; for the influence of the music, might be applied to subjects, who are very easily moved; some such as we frequently see, that like light weather-cocks, are wafted and turned round with the slightest breeze; and perhaps some modern musician, might be able to work equal changes in the passions, on subjects who are equally susceptible. VI. Thirdly, the tales of cures which are pretended to have been performed by the means, or power of music, I consider as fabulous relations; at least, I have no doubt of the major part of them being such. Who, I won’t say can believe, but if he has any understanding, can endure to hear the chimera, that the sound of a lyre banished the plague from a whole kingdom? Such tales as these, were written by the authors of last year, in order that the fools of this might believe them.