In the Mourning Bride, Act 1 by William Congreve the 18th cent. dramatist,
Almeria declaims:

   'Music has charms to soothe a savage breast,
   To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak'

And this is undoubtedly true if the story of the Russian Envoy and the
Goldberg Variations is to be believed.  Count Kayserling, we are told,
complained to the great J.S.  Bach about his frequent bouts of insomnia.
Whereupon the Kapellmeister composed a number of variations which have come
to be known as the Goldberg Variations after the Count's harpsichordist.
Johann Goldberg.  These variations did to the Count what counting sheep do
to you and I.  Coming to think of it this idea of having private musicians
on hand is so much better than computing ruminants.

Tony de Freitas
Trinidad, W.I.
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