Salmagundi; or, The whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, esq. [pseud.] and others. By William Irving, James Kirke Paulding and Washington Irving. Printed from the original ed., with a preface and notes by Evert A. Duyckinck.

A NEW BOB-MAJOR. 195
TO LAUNCELOT LANGSTAFF, ESQ
SIR:
S IR'I felt myself hurt and offended by Mr. Evergreen's terrible philippic against modern music, in No. II. of your work, and
was under serious apprehension that his strictures might bring
the art, which I have the honor to profess, into contempt. The
opinion of yourself and fraternity appears indeed to have a wonderful effect upon the town. I am told the ladies are all
employed in reading Bunyan and Pamela, and the waltz has
been entirely forsaken ever since the winter balls have closed.
Under these apprehensions I should have addressed you before,
had I not been sedulously employed, while the theatre continued
open, in supporting the astonishing variety of the orchestra, and
in composing a new chime or Bob-Major for Trinity Church, to
be rung during the summer, beginning with ding-dong di-do,
instead of di-do ding-dong. The citizens, especially those who
live in the neighborhood of that harmonious quarter, will, no
doubt, be infinitely delighted with this novelty.
But to the object of this communication. So far, sir, from
agreeing with Mr. Evergreen in thinking that all modern music
is but the mere dregs and drainings of the ancient, I trust,
before this letter is concluded, I shall convince you and him that
some of the late professors of this enchanting art have completely distanced the paltry efforts of the ancients; and that I,
in particular, have at length brought it almost to absolute perfection.
The Greeks, simple souls! were astonished at the powers of
Orpheus, who made the woods and rocks dance to his lyre;-of
Amphion, who converted crotchets into bricks, and quavers into
mortar; and of Arion, who won upon the compassion of the
fishes. In the fervency of admiration, their poets fabled that