that of their precursors, though their genius, too, is unquestionable.
The old masters could sing, but they had not art and science at their
command,--a noble alliance which enables us to merge into one the
finest melody and the power of harmony.

"Now, if a knowledge of mathematical laws gave us these four great
musicians, what may we not attain to if we can discover the physical
laws in virtue of which--grasp this clearly--we may collect, in larger
or smaller quantities, according to the proportions we may require, an
ethereal substance diffused in the atmosphere which is the medium
alike of music and of light, of the phenomena of vegetation and of
animal life! Do you follow me? Those new laws would arm the composer
with new powers by supplying him with instruments superior of those
now in use, and perhaps with a potency of harmony immense as compared
with that now at his command. If every modified shade of sound answers
to a force, that must be known to enable us to combine all these
forces in accordance with their true laws.

"Composers work with substances of which they know nothing. Why should
a brass and a wooden instrument--a bassoon and horn--have so little
identity of tone, when they act on the same matter, the constituent
gases of the air? Their differences proceed from some displacement of
those constituents, from the way they act on the elements which are
their affinity and which they return, modified by some occult and
unknown process. If we knew what the process was, science and art
would both be gainers. Whatever extends science enhances art.

"Well, these are the discoveries I have guessed and made. Yes," said
Gambara, with increasing vehemence, "hitherto men have noted effects
rather than causes. If they could but master the causes, music would