CHARACTER OF KEYS, in music. Most of those writers who have brought forward irregular systems of temperament, of such wherein an invariable law is not observed (as far as the scale or number of notes in the octave will admit) in the temperament of the different concords, as in regular douzeaves for instance, in the case where eleven of the fifths are tuned equal, have insisted much on the advantages of what they call the peculiar character of certain keys, arising from their varied and often very considerable degrees of imperfection, in the principal concords of such keys. Earl Stanhope was one of those who insisted on the advantage of the great contrast of the harmony in some of the keys in his temperament, when compared with others. This gave rise to a controversy on the subject in the Monthly Magazine vol. 22 and 23, in which the very able and much to be lamented Dr. Callcott took a part. From all, however, that we have read or heard, we are dispsed entirely to disregard the characters of keys derived from their imperfections ; and to contend, that nothing seems wanting to heighten the pleasure of hearing modulations skilfully conducted, on regularly tempered scales, where the different keys are exactly alike tempered, as on D. Loeschman's patent instruments with 24 strings or pipes in each octave, or by able singers or violin player, who use no tempered harmonies whatever ; and the same has lately been more fully confirmed, by often hearing the Rev. Henry Liston's patent organ, where every harmony is given absolutely perfect, and yet nothing seemed wanting in the effects of its modulations, or of the pieces performed upon it in different keys.