CARLISLE.
AtCarlisleI waited on LordDiddle-doodlewith proper musical credentials: he was sat against a glass practising some solfeggis on the violin, and attending to the gracefulness of his own attitude. “Most illustrious Peer,” says I, (making a bow to the very ground) “your noble ancestors gain’d victory in the hardy fields of war, but you by music civilize and harmonize mankind; with what rapture must they lean from their starry mansions to see and hear your immortal powers of harmony and grace!” I stopp’d, and on looking up, found that his lordship had not attended to a word I had spoken, nor seemed conscious of my being in the room;—but as great geniuses are often absent, I repeated my compliment in a louder voice, and approaching, wasamazed to find that his lordship was quite deaf, deaf as a post; and yet he executed the most difficult passages in music with the greatest grace and manner, better, I dare say, than if he had heard his own performance.
When his lordship had perceived me, he approached me with the utmost politeness, and made signs for me to sit down, and accompany him upon the bassoon, which I did ’till dinner-time. After dinner, I intreated my ladyDiddle-doodleto prevail upon the noble lord to sing, which he did; but I was rather disappointed at finding that his voice was only pack-thread[3]. However, he sung in tune; had a shake, and was far from vulgar. My lady afterwards made ample amends by her own singing. Her voice was a skane of silk, without the least mixture of worsted. She understood all the lights and shades of melody. Her back-ground;her mezzotints; and her clare-obscure were charming, and there was such a roundness and dignity in all the tones, that every thing she did became interesting.
[3]“His voice is now but a thread.”Tour to Italy.
[3]“His voice is now but a thread.”Tour to Italy.
[3]“His voice is now but a thread.”
Tour to Italy.
It was in this part ofEngland, I paid a visit to Mr.Quaver, with recommendatory letters from lordDiddle-doodle; I found him to be a gentleman of considerable and original musical genius; his taste was pure, chaste, refined; and his execution, particularly upon the Jew’s harp, was exquisite; he executed with great taste and powers,Nancy Dawson,Lillabullero, andOld Sir Simon the king. After dinner he explained to me his system for the improvement of sound, which was at once sublime and original. “The Author of Nature,” said he, “has with an equal and judicious hand distributed his gifts among his creatures: to one he has given strength; to another, dexterity; to a third, perseverance; in the same manner has he divided the agreeable qualifications; andthe courtier and the fine gentleman need not blush to receive instruction from the spaniel and the monkey—Now as the philosopher models his life upon an imitation of the virtues of animals, the true connoisseur will do the same”—there he stopp’d, as if afraid to explain himself; but I told him, that there was something so original and masterly in his conceptions that I should never be easy, until he communicated them. Upon which, after a short pause, he seized me by the hand, and grasping it with affection, “since,” said he, “I find in you the true spirit of your science, I will no longer maintain any reserve; know then, that after a profound meditation upon the sublimest mysteries of our profession, I have traced them up to the creation”—“how!” said I, with amaze, “I thought that the greatest Antiquarians had never brought them with any certainty higher than the Deluge.” “I knew,” said he, “I should surprize you; but it is certain thatAdam,amongst his other qualifications, possessed that of expressing every sound that ever has or can be uttered; hence he could not only sing base and treble, counter-tenor, and soprano to admiration; but also squeak like a pig, croak like a frog, bellow like a bull, whinny like a colt, and bray like an ass.”
“It is true, that the greater part of these faculties was taken from him at the Fall, and have been very sparingly bestowed upon his descendants; from hence arises that degeneracy into which music has fallen in the modern ages of the world: that sublime science, instead of expressing the natural passions, by a judicious imitation of the tones of beasts; instead of roaring out the lion’s rage; bellowing the jealousy of the bull, or chanting the amorous passions of the nightingale, is become a meer unmeaning jargon, without force or energy, and its professors and admirers are dwindled into the most contemptible part of the creation; quaveringeunuchs, unfeeling prostitutes, insignificant blockheads, wretches without head, or heart, or sentiment, or enthusiasm.”—I was too sensible that there was but too much truth in this gentleman’s observations, though I could not assent to every thing he said against our modernvirtuosi, among whom envy itself must acknowledge there are some accomplished characters; and the eighteenth century will always glory in having produced anElector of Munich, aTenducci, and aMus.
“But,” said my friend, “perceiving this to be the lamentable state of things, I have with true and indefatigable industry applied myself to the restoration of the firstAdamiticalharmony; I have selected the most admirable notes from every animal, and have already acquired a tolerable proficiency in bellowing, braying and grunting: I indeed found that thesquallof the peacock was two notes too high for my voice; but in return, if I may say so without vanity, I can inspire every hen and gosling in the yard with tender sentiments. I have, besides this, collected every great natural genius that I have found among the brute creation; I have a young he-ass who has an admirable bass; a young hog, (acastrato) who sings counter-tenor; and a dear little cat, whom, in honour of that illustrious name, so celebrated in the Doctor’s tour, I callMingotti, who has an excellent treble, and a surprisingportamento. But why waste I time in description? you shall see my scholars, and myschola.”
Saying this, he led me to a large building, which resembled a barn, where we were received by theMaestro di Capella, who was an old and deaf huntsman. The first object I beheld was a beautiful she-ass in aMecklinburghnight-cap, who brayed a solo. Her voice was one of the clearest, sweetest, truest, most powerful and extensive I ever heard. In compass,it is fromB♭on the fifth space in the bass, toDinalt, full steady and equal; her shake was good, and herportamentoadmirably free from the nose, mouth, or throat. We were then entertained by a duet between theMingotti, and a large raven, in thechromatic, which grew more spirited by my friend’s pulling a bone out of his pocket, which he threw to the performers, and thereby produced aconflicta. I then told my friend that I would willingly hear thecastrato, but he told me he was afraid theCaffarellicould not oblige me in that particular, as he had unfortunately taken cold by rolling too long upon an unaired dunghill, and was then actually in a course of sugar-candy. However, he threw a turnip to encourage him to exert himself, and I could judge from what I then heard, that he is likely to become a most masterly performer.
My friend then tied strings to the ears of six young greyhound puppies, which he twitch’d with so much art and judgmentby means of a pully, that I think the effect was equal to anyviol di gambaI ever heard, not excepting that of the Elector ofMunich.
My friend then suspended two cats by the tails, which he contrived should alternately bob upon the noses of two sucking pigs, who were tied by the hind-legs to the floor: though I observed these performers were somewhat embarassed in their manner, yet I could not but acknowledge the effect was quite original and truly theatric.
Mr.Quaverthen told me that he had formerly introduced some of these performers to sing at a concert, but without success: and he made great complaints of the unpoliteness of the audience, which he said could sit with patience three hours to listen to the unmeaning trills of heroes in hoop-petticoats, andItalianvagabonds in a strange language, while they would not bestow one half hour upon the voice of nature and their brethren. Tho’ I wasquite ignorant of the facts he alluded too, yet, like Dr.Mus, I was so partial to talents, wherever I found them, that I could not help condoling with my kind host upon the occasion; and after having bemoaned the degeneracy of the times, and wished him success in his truly original undertaking, which I promised him I would take due notice of in my intended work, I set forward on my journey toBristol.
Had I been rich, I should have agreed with a coachman, who was just then setting out, and offered to carry me and my bassoon, in the basket, for sixteen shillings. But as riches are not always the companions of genius, I rather chose to take my place in a coal-vessel, which was to arrive at that city in three days. Here, as the weather was extremely fine when I sat out, I travelled very agreeably, for the first day, and dined upon bread and cheese, and cold bacon, without making any observations worth communicating to the public, except that I saw a man standing upon the bank, and angling for dace, notwithstanding the earliness of the season.
The second day, as the wind suddenly changed from West to North-East, was foggy, rainy, and so exceedingly cold, that I was obliged, for want of Dr.Mus’s lousy blanket, to slip my legs and thighs into a coal-sack; we stopped about two o’clock atAverley, a little village on the banks of theSevernto dine; and here I cannot but inform the world, that Mr.Bangor, at the sign of theGoat in Boots, is an extremely civil and polite landlord, and has no contemptible taste in music. When I informed him of my design in making this expedition, he very obligingly led me into his hall, which was stuck round with various antique pieces of music, such asChevy Chace,The Children in the Wood,Three Children sliding on the Ice,The history of St. George, &c. which he kindly permitted me to enrich my collection with. I beggedhard that he would permit me to prick out the notes of an incomparable whistle as he performed it, which at length with great difficulty he complied with, upon condition however that I should not print it. But I was more than all surprized and charmed with his generosity, in slipping a piece of fried cow’s heel into my pocket, and insisting upon treating me with a dram, before I went into the cold.
As I walked down to the river side, I remarked a boy, who was humming the tune ofYanky Doodle; and as I knew this to be an extremely popular air in some parts ofAmerica, I conjectured that this part ofEnglandwas originally peopled from that continent.