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188 —

— Addison Adelkind

THE JEWISH ENX'YCLOPEDIA

and delightful melody," which, unfortunately, he omitted to tmnsoribe. The old German tune spread rapidly east and west, being still modified to suit tlic local ear at emli stage of its joiirneyinj;. It even riaelud Asia and Afrira, wlure it came Its Wide Popularity, into the rcirion nf a musical system widely dilTering from that of its northern fatherland. Thus tliis melody was affected by the peculiarities of the Pcrso-Arab music, with its plaintive sadness, its frequent repetition of l)ricf phnuses, its tendency to ornamentation, anil its im-

When,

diatonic tonality.

form was chanted

therefore, the orientalized in Egypt about forty

Lubhirt

to E.

years ago, he did not reatlily recognize its descent from the " Addir llu " of the north l)ut transmitted it to Fetis, the historian of music, simply as a melody

188

tention needs be given here is an essay that appeared in the" Spectator," No. lil.'), September 27, 1712, which is devoted wholly to the sulijcct of the Jews. The other essjiys show his recognition of the debt that the English language owes to the Hebrew tongue for the idioms it has absorbed, the intlucnce upon English custom and law of Jewish vencnition for the name of God. and the iirevaleuce of patriotism and love of country among the ancient Jews while they still had a country. Xo. 49.5 of the "Spectator" contains an interesting characterization of the Jews, and deals with their (liss<Mninatiou throughout the trading world, their numbirs. their adherence to their religion, and the natural and providential rea.sons that may be assigned for these fact.s. The most interesting and signilieant jiassages in tliis essay are those dailing with the economic value of

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however, the version which

the .Tews, resulting from their dispersion throughout the world. As to this fact, he says: " They are. Indeed, so disseminated thnnieti all the trading

gest themselves in the mouth of a .Jewish cantor in Egypt, very little variatiim in essentials remains from the version either of old Konigsberg or of modern

parts of the world, that they are bt-coine the Instruments liy whleh the most distant nations ronverse wltli on.' annlh.T, and liy which mankind are knit loiielher Inagenenil ninesponileiice. They are like the pet's and nails in a great building, which, ttioiigh they are but little valueil in themselves, are absolutely necessary to keep the whole frame together."

synagogue at Alexandria. " When, is given above (C) is divested of the local coloring of the melody and shifting of the accent which would inevitably sug" traditional in the

New

York.

Bibliography: Rlttangel, Lihcr Ititmim Paxchnliutn, KonlpsHH-t: N'auiiihurg, Rtu-uril ik Chant:* tics Tsnu'iitis^ Paris. 1S74; Marksohn and Wiilf. AiixtmM Alti r Siiiiit'h'iialt)erp.

Mitniliin,

I,t'ii»if.

IsT.i;

Japhet. JlaniiwlaJi

ff'tr

l'rs<ir)i^

Schoenfplil. Ilctitativr iiml Vtn-tnmi' otn Ersttit xnul Ziriitin Ahinde Gcsilmic th» Vclicrttchrfititintstr stts^ IViscn. 1S44: Paut-r and ('(then, 18S4

Fralikfcirt^cin-lhe-Main.



zum

Traditiontil ITie

Hehnir

Mrhnlirs, Ijnidon,

Revised Haggo'lah. London.

Is'.W;

..

A. Green,

Is'.iT.

F. L. C.

It would be a serious error to regard Addison as merely echoing prevailing popular views of his time

On the contrary, much stress in these titterances. must be laid here on Addison's kindly interest and sympathy, his knowledge of his subject, his curiosity concerniiig Jews and Judaism, his acquaintanceship with Jews, formed both at home and abroad, his information gained through theoHicial channels of the state

ADDISON, JOSEPH

English essayist born at Jlilston, in England, May 1,1672; died June 17, 1719. He has been tittingiy characterized as "the chief architect of English public opinion in the eighteenth century." For this reason his attitude toward

Jews and Judaism

is





of importance. influenced the ptiblic es-

By his writings he greatly

in resjtect to their social and economic status; and for a century after Attitude he wrote, legislation and judge-made Toward law both emanated from the classes the Je'ws. who read and enjoyed the writings of

timate of the

An

Jews

the chief author of the "Spectator." examination of .ddison's writings discloses at

least five distinct references to .Tews anil Judaisin, in all of which he shows a sympathetic attitude and

a comparatively intimate knowledge of the subject, (See the considerinff the circumstances of the dav. "Spectator," Xos. 405. 49.5, 531; "The Freeholder." No. 5, and passages in his "Dialogue on Medals.") The only one of these references to which special at-

Addison and Shake-

and colonial dciiarlments. and

his

indebtedness to his father, L.vncki.ot Addison, who published an appreciafive volume on the Jews, a few years

after his son's birth. When Addi.son's attitude toward the Jew is cfimjiared with that of Shakespeare in his" .Merchant of Venice," one becomes impressed with the former's broad, as

speare.

contrasted with the latter's seemingly narrow, point of view. That this liberal attitude was largely peculiar to Addison himself, even though it may have influenced English gentlefolk to the present day, hecomes still more apparent from the fact that no such sympathetic treatment of the .Jew as his appeared in l^nglish literature for approximately a century after Addison wrote. Addison's reference to the Jews and international commerce is especially important, because it was a contemporary recognition of the great contribution to general civilization made by the Jews In the English possessions at that time. [.ddison's "Ode on Gratitude" was translated