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.

200 SALMAGUNDI.
perfectly understood; if he loses his speech, he must inevitably
be dumb all the rest of his life; but having once learned this
new musical language, the loss of speech will be a mere trifle
not worth a moment's uneasiness. Not only this, Mr. L., but it
will add much to the harmony of domestic intercourse; for it is
certainly much more agreeable to hear a lady give lectures on
the piano than, vivd voce, in the usual discordant measure. This
manner of discoursing may also, I think, be introduced with
great effect into our national assemblies, where every man,
instead of wagging his tongue, should be obliged to flourish a
fiddle-stick, by which means, if he said nothing to the purpose,
he would at all events " discourse most eloquent music," which
is more than can be said of most of them present. They might
also sound their own trumpets without being obliged to a hireling scribbler, for an immortality of nine days, or subjected to
the censure of egotism.
But the most important result of this discovery is that it may
be applied to the establishment of that great desideratum, in the
learned world, a universal language. Wherever this science of
music is cultivated, nothing more will be more necessary than a
knowledge of its alphabet; which, being almost the same everywhere, will amount to a universal medium of communication.
A man may thus, with his violin under his arm, a piece of rosin,
and a few bundles of catcut, fiddle his way through the world,
and never be at a loss to make himself understood.
I am etc.,
DEMY SEMIQUAVER.