add dancing; or shall we rather suppose that music tends
to be productive of virtue, having a power, as the gymnastic exercises
have to form the body in a certain way, to influence the manners so as
to accustom its professors to rejoice rightly? or shall we say, that it
is of any service in the conduct of life, and an assistant to prudence?
for this also is a third property which has been attributed to it. Now
that boys are not to be instructed in it as play is evident; for those
who learn don't play, for to learn is rather troublesome; neither is
it proper to permit boys at their age to enjoy perfect leisure; for to
cease to improve is by no means fit for what is as yet imperfect; but it
may be thought that the earnest attention of boys in this art is for
the sake of that amusement they will enjoy when they come to be men and
completely formed; but, if this is the case, why are they themselves
to learn it, and not follow the practice of the kings of the Medes and
Persians, who enjoy the pleasure of music by hearing others play, and
being shown its beauties by them; for of necessity those must be
better skilled therein who make this science their particular study
and business, than those who have only spent so much time at it as was
sufficient just to learn the principles of it. But if this is a reason
for a child's being taught anything, they ought also to learn the art of
cookery, but this is absurd. The same doubt occurs if music has a power
of improving the manners; for why should they on this account themselves
learn it, and not reap every advantage of regulating the passions or
forming a judgment [1339b] on the merits of the performance by hearing
others, as the Lacedaemonians; for they, without having ever learnt
music, are yet able to judge accurately what is good and what is
bad; the same reasoning may be applied if music is supposed to be the
amusement of those who live an elegant and easy life, why should they
learn themselves, and not rather enjoy the benefit of others' skill.
Let us here consider what is our belief of the immortal gods in this
particular. Now we find the poets never represent Jupiter himself as
singing and playing; nay, we ourselves treat the professors of these
arts as mean people, and say that no one would practise them but a
drunkard or a buffoon. But probably we may consider this subject more
at large hereafter. The first question is, whether music is or is not
to make a part of educatio