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In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Preface to 1828 Dictionary
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MEL'ODY, n. [Gr. a limb, or a song, an ode; L. melos.]
An agreeable succession of sounds; a succession of sounds so regulated and modulated as to please the ear. To constitute melody, the sounds must be arranged according to the laws of rhythms, measure, or the due proportion of the movements to each other. Melody differs from harmony, as it consists in the agreeable succession and modulation of sounds by a single voice; whereas harmony consists in the accordance of different voices or sounds. Melody is vocal or instrumental.
To make melody in the heart, to praise God with a joyful and thankful disposition, ascribing to him the honor due to his name. Eph.5.
A sweet or agreeable succession of
sounds.
Lulled with sound of sweetest melody. Shak. A rhythmical succession of
single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and so
related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity of what
is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing to the ear
and characteristic in expression.
* Melody consists in a succession of single tones; harmony is a consonance or agreement of tones, also a succession of consonant musical combinations or chords. The air or tune of a musical
piece.
Syn. -- See Harmony. | ||||||||