them.[9]

Sec. 13. Let the Master do his utmost, to make the Scholar hit and sound
the Notes perfectly in Tune in _Sol-Fa_-ing. One, who has not a good
Ear, should not undertake either to instruct, or to sing; it being
intolerable to hear a Voice perpetually rise and fall discordantly. Let
the Instructor reflect on it; for one that sings out of Tune loses all
his other Perfections. I can truly say, that, except in some few
Professors, that modern Intonation is very bad.

Sec. 14. In the _Sol-Fa_-ing, let him endeavour to gain by Degrees the high
Notes, that by the Help of this Exercise he may acquire as much Compass
of the Voice as possible. Let him take care, however, that the higher
the Notes, the more it is necessary to touch them with Softness, to
avoid Screaming.

Sec. 15. He ought to make him hit the Semitones according to the true
Rules. Every one knows not that there is a Semitone Major and
Minor,[10] because the Difference cannot be known by an Organ or
Harpsichord, if the Keys of the Instrument are not split. A Tone, that
gradually passes to another, is divided into nine almost imperceptible
Intervals, which are called Comma's, five of which constitute the
Semitone Major, and four the Minor. Some are of Opinion, that there are
no more than seven, and that the greatest Number of the one half
constitutes the first, and the less the second; but this does not
satisfy my weak Understanding, for the Ear would find no Difficulty to
distinguish the seventh part of a Tone; whereas it meets with a very
great one to distinguish the ninth. If one were continually to sing only
to those abovemention'd Instruments, this Knowledge might be
unnecessary; but since the time that Composers introduced the Custom of
crowding the Opera's with a vast Number of Songs accompanied with Bow
Instruments, it becomes so necessary, that if a _Soprano_ was to sing
_D_ sharp, like _E_ flat, a nice Ear will find he is out of Tune,
because this last rises. Whoever is not satisfied in this, let him read
those Authors who treat of it, and let him consult the best Performers
on the Violin. In the middle parts, however, it is not so easy to
distinguish the Difference; tho' I am of Opinion, that every thing that
is divisible, is to be distinguished. Of these two Semitones, I'll speak
more amply in the Chapter of the _Appoggiatura_, that the one may not be
confounded with the other.

Sec. 16. Let him teach the Scholar to hit the Intonation of an