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john fryer

Quotable quotes

Barbarous Indian and shrill Western music

In what perfection [Indian] music stands (as I am no competent judge), I could never give my ears the trouble to examine, it seeming loud and barbarous; yet they observe time and measure in their singing and dancing, and are mightily delighted with their tumbling and noise. They as much dislike our shriller music, hardly allowing our waits fit to play to bears, and our stringed instruments strike not their hard-to-be-raised fancies; but our organs are the music of the spheres with them, charming them to listen as long as they play.