geance which would possess his soul. But, Sir, it suits us very well. We are very humble musicians; and if we can be amused with clumsy mimicry, what have we to do with taste? Why need we attend to criticism?"

Why, indeed? But why, on the other hand, should not we criticise? Othello's occupation is worth perseverance; and we yet hope to see better times, and hear better music.

Mr. Bacon's book is likely to be useful in promoting the latter consummation: but where did he fall in with the word "judgematically," p. 220? not in any English Dictionary, we are sure. As notes, which we could not readily incorporate with our text, we beg leave to add the following:

"It must, however, be understood, that whenever the art is spoken of with a view to the public exercise of talent, a given quantity of ability from nature is presupposed, since it would be absurd for a person of confined voice to think of pursuing singing as a profession. The instances of young people who are misled by the partiality of friends to the attempt are numberless, and often exceedingly ridiculous. I remember the late Dr. A. having been engaged in a correspondence with a lady in Ireland, who wished to be ushered into the musical world under his protection, and, according to her letter, Madame Mara could not be expected to surpass her; she could sing every thing. The lady accordingly came to England; but, upon hearing her sing, the Doctor, with his accustomed honesty, exclaimed, Madam, you must go back to Ireland; for, by G-, unless you and I were shut up in a band-box together, I could not hear you.'

"About the same time a person who had lavished an enormous sum in Italy upon the musical education of his wife, brought her to Dr. A, for lessons. The Doctor very candidly told him that the lady had no ear; she sung too sharp, and that nothing could be done. This was a severe stroke upon one who aspired to become the Prima Donna at the Opera. The Doctor's opinion was, however, verified by the public judgment; for I saw her advertised afterwards at Sadler's Wells or the Circus, in the ensuing winter.

"Marchesi is said to have devoted three entire years to equalising and perfecting two notes of his voice.

"It was long a favourite notion of mine, that the best way to begin the instruction of a singer would be to teach him to tune an instrument, or perhaps to play on the violin, while the first rudiments of singing were going on. This idea was confirmed by the fact, that Madame Mara was originally taught the violin. In a conversation which I held lately with that lady, she fully confirmed my opinion, by assuring me that had she a daughter, she should learn the fiddle before she sung a note. For, said Madame M. how can you best convey a just notion of slight variations in the pitch of a note? By a fixed instrument? No. By the voice? No. But by sliding the finger upon the string, you instantly make the most minute variation visibly as well as audibly perceptible.

"It is a very extraordinary fact, that an individual will catch in a moment, from hearing a thing done, that which he never, by the force of his own genius, could bave been able to attain. This truth very curiously applies to mimicry. I have known several persons who would never have conceived themselves capable of imitating Kemble, Kean, and other actors, arrive at a very fair copy, by hearing such a man as Taylor or Matthews imitate them.

"A singer ought never to be satisfied, for I have never heard accomplishment so perfect that it might not have been carried further. Catalani could have taught Mara much-Mara could perhaps have taught Catalani more-and if we could have restrained Braham's imagination, or given Vaughan Braham's fertility, or to both Harrison's tone and finish, what a singer might have been compounded!"

SELECTED FOR THE MUSEUM.

THE OLD MAN'S REVERIE.

SOOTH'D by the self-same ditty, see
The infant and the sire;

That smiling on the nurse's knee,
This weeping by the fire;
Where unobserved he finds a joy
To list its plaintive tone,
And silently his thoughts employ
On sorrows all his own

At once it comes, by memory's power,
The loved habitual theme,
Reserved for twilight's darkling hour,
A voluntary dream;

And as with thoughts of former years
His weakly eyes o'erflow,

None wonders at an old man's tears,
Or seeks his grief to know.

Think not he dotes because he weeps;
Conclusion, ah! how wrong!

Reason with grief joint empire keeps,
Indissolubly strong;

And oft in age a helpless pride
With jealous weakness pines,

(To second infancy allied)
And every wo refines.

How busy now his teeming brain,
Those murmuring lips declare;
Scenes never to return again
Are represented there.

He ponders on his infant years,
When first his race began,

And, oh! how wonderful appears

The destiny of man!

How swift those lovely hours were past,

In darkness closed how soon!

As if a winter's night o'ercast

The brightest summer's noon.

His withered hand he holds to view,
With nerves once firmly strung,

And scarcely can believe it true

That ever he was young.
And as he thinks o'er all his ills,
Disease, neglect, and scorn,
Strange pity of himself he feels,
Thus aged and forlorn.

FROM THE LONDON MAGAZINE.

PRINCE CHARLES'S JOURNEY INTO SPAIN.

THERE is no English historian who does not make especial mention of the Spanish match, and of the expedition of King Charles the First (then Prince of Wales) into Spain. It is not however generally known that, in order to quiet the alarms of the people, and probably to mitigate the public displeasure so likely to manifest itself, when the extraordinary situation, if not the imminent danger, to which the heir-apparent of the English throne was exposed should become generally understood, a very particular account of the reception given to the Prince on his arrival at Madrid was printed in England during his residence in the Spanish capital. It is a tract of great rarity; and as it betrays evident signs of having issued from head quarters, and besides throws no small light on the manners of the two courts at that period, we shall give some account of it in our present article.

The pamphlet is entitled A true Relation and Jovrnall of the Manner of the Arrivall and magnificent Entertainment, given to the high and mighty Prince Charles, Prince of Great Britaine, by the King of Spaine in his Court at Madrid. Published by Authority. London, Printed by John Haviland for William Barret. 1623.

From this it appears that the Prince arrived at Madrid on Friday March the 7th, at eight in the evening, attended only by the Marquis of Buckingham, and the postillion with whom they had ridden. post the three preceding days. They immediately went to the house of the Earl of Bristol, then ambassador at the Court, hoping that their names and rank might remain concealed. It soon however got whispered abroad that the Marquis was arrived, but the very next morning the Conde de Gondomar was privately informed of the real character of both these illustrious visiters, and instantly repaired to Lord Bristol's house, where he remained an hour in discourse with the Prince of Wales. In this conference it was agreed, that the King should be informed of the Marquis's presence, but the Prince's name was to be altogether concealed. The Conde de Gondomar engaged to effect this, and immediately carried the news of the Marquis's arrival to the Conde d'Olivares, the King's favourite, "who (says the writer of this authorized narrative) for his noble condition, and choice parts doth well deserue the large portion which the king his master affordeth him of his estimation and affection." After informing the King, Olivares sent to request permission to wait upon the Marquis, an honour which was declined, in order the more surely to conceal the Prince; but an appointment was made for the two nobles to meet that afternoon in the park, which they did, when the Marquis and his attendants, the Conde de Gondomar, the Earl of Bristol, and Sir Walter Aston, were led through a private way

into the royal presence: here the letters from King James the First were delivered, and then it was that, in the course of conversation, the great secret of the Prince's arrival was disclosed, "wherewith the king was extremely taken, and much transported with joy."

Although the time in which the Prince came, it being Lent, was one observed with peculiar strictness by the Spanish court and nation, the King resolved "to lay aside the consideration of the time," in order that he might pay more attention to his illustrious guest. The reason does not seem very apparent, but the first meeting between the King and Prince was appointed to take place on the Prado, and as if the parties were unknown to each other. To effect this, the Prince was driven thither in the Duke of Cea's coach, which passed and repassed that of the King several times, and although they had mutually agreed not to take any notice of each other, they were "not able to abstaine from saluting mutually, with the hat, as they passed by."

After this, a more direct interview was sought on the part of the King, who would have visited the Prince at his own apartments, had not the Prince strongly remonstrated against it, and proposed to pay that respect to his Majesty by waiting upon him at the palace. The King, however, on the other hand, would by no means allow this, alleging that the Prince had no sufficient equipage; and after much debate, the Prado was again fixed on as the place of introduction, and the time appointed was the evening, when it might The King was at the appointed spot first, and sent to the Prince to inform him of it, who immediately hastened thither, attended by the Conde de Gondomar, the Earl of Bristol, Sir Walter Aston, and Sir Francis Cottington, the Prince's Secretary.

"When they were upon the point of meeting, they alighted out of their coaches, and the King embraced the Prince, and made incomparable professions of his love and affection, and of the streight obligation which the King our Souereigne and his Highnesse had cast upon him, by that maine act of confidence and fauour."

The King then invited the Prince into his own coach, where they continued for some time in conversation, the Earl of Bristol interpreting between them.

On the 10th of March the Prince expressing a desire to see the King a second time, was conducted through a back way by the Conde d'Olivares, towards the palace. They were met by the King, who handed the Prince into his coach, and they were then driven towards the Casa del Campo, which is a house of pleasure belonging to the crown, near Madrid, where, after they had spent about an hour, his Majesty brought his illustrious guest nearly to the Earl of Bristol's house; nor would he suffer the Prince to pay the same compliment in return, which he was desirous of doing, by attending on the King to his own palace.

The eleventh and twelfth the Prince spent in "recreating him

selfe abroad in the fields, the Earl of Bristol waiting on him with his hawkes."

On the thirteenth the Prince repaired a second time to the Casa del Campo, where the King with the infantos Don Carlos and Don Fernando were ready to receive him. After the usual salutations and very affectionate embracing between the parties, they were amused by a shooting exhibition, which over, the King attended the Prince homewards as before.

On the fourteenth, the King pardoned all criminals throughout the kingdom,"reserving only the rights and interests of third persons, as in the case of debts, appeales for murder and the like;" and liberated all the English condemned to the gallies for life, on account of piracy or other crimes.

On the fifteenth, which was Saturday, the King sent two horses to the Prince, desiring he would make choice of one to use the next day (that being the day appointed for the public entry), adding, that the one rejected would be used by the King himself. "Whereupon his Highnesse passed out into a garden, not farre from the Earle of Bristol's house, where, like himselfe, hee tooke paine and pleasure to try them both; to the end that if there were a difference, hee might take the lesse excellent to himselfe, and returne the other to the King."

On the sixteenth, the Prince made his public entry in the most magnificent manner, attended not only by the whole court, but even by the King himself, who, with Don Carlos and Don Fernando, conducted his Royal Highness to the apartments provided for him; where, for the first time, the King took the right hand of, and preceded, the Prince, considering the latter in his own house. So truly correct was the old Castilian notion of politeness.

The establishment provided for the Prince was of the most extensive and superb nature. The Conde de Montercy, brother-inlaw to the Conde d'Olivares, and a grandee of the first rank in Spain, was appointed steward of the household, and the Conde de Gondomar and the Conde de Puebla were nominated his assistants: all indeed who waited on the Prince's person were of the rank of nobility; besides which the king assigned half his own guard to be on duty about the person of their royal visiter. Nor was this the whole; the Prince had in addition, the disposal of every office that happened to become vacant during his residence at the court.

The tract concludes with a description of the attentions paid to the Marquis of Buckingham, which, says the account "hath not beene seene imparted to any stranger, meerely a subject." It seems indeed more than probable that the whole statement was drawn up by, or at least under the superintendence of, that nobleman, who had not, at the time of its publication, become dissatisfied with a generous and confiding nation; nor, on the other hand, himself given disgust to the Spanish people, and above all to the Spanish court, by the insolence and licentiousness of his man

ners.

VOL. VI. No. 33.-Museum.

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