31 MARCH 1894, Page 3

There are treasures of ancient knowledge to be dis- covered

yet. Almost every excavation in Egypt yields papyri, and the Greek antiquarians have recently dug up a hymn to Apollo, with its musical notation so far perfect that a Parisian composer has been able to reconstruct the melody. "It is," writes the Athens correspondent of the Times, " in a minor key, and in peculiar time, with five crotchets to the bar. It was sung before the King of Greece on Thursday, and the effect, though strange, was exceedingly pleasing," the whole composition having "much of the dignity of the finest German -chorales." There can be little doubt that the Greeks, with their acute senses, had as fine music as their instruments would admit, and it is a little inexplicable that the tradition of it should have so entirely died away, unless, indeed, it is still concealed under the earlier Roman chants. That a literature should perish is intelligible, but the music of songs should be handed down as long as humanity lasts.