convey much useful instruction to those who have not had the leisure or the opportunity of studying Polemic Writers, or of forming an adequate idea of the superior excellence of the Establishment under which we have the happiness to live. The Editors of "The Protestant Advocate" continue their activity, with the zeal, not of hireling writers, but of men attached, by every moral and religious principle, to the sound and orthodox principles of the pure and Apostolical Church which they so ably step forward to support. It is not our intention, nor is it within our province, to detail the contents of these periodical Pamphlets; but, having given a specimen of their Review, we shall now add, Second Letter from the Bishop of St. David's to the Clergy of his Diocese; on the Independence of the antient British Church on any Foreign Jurisdiction: with a Postscript on the Testimony of Clemens Romanus. "In his First Letter, the Bishop of St. David's undertook to prove two points; 1st, That Christ, not St. Peter, is the Rock of the Christian Church; and 2d, That St. Paul was the Founder of the Church in Britain. In the second letter, now before us, this strenuous assertor of Christian liberty, against the unfounded pretensions of the Popes; this successful assertor of the franchises of our country's church,-pursues the victory which he has gained; and proves 'the indepen dence of the antient British Church on any foreign jurisdiction.' The arguments of this learned prelate are most conclusive, and cannot fail to satisfy every mind open to conviction. "In his First Letter, the Bishop proved that the Church of Britain was fully established before the Church of Rome; (see Prot. Adv. p. 67.) his Lordship now proceeds to demonstrate that the British Church was an independent one, during those centuries in which primitive simplicity prevailed; and afterwards, when error and innovation had deteriorated the purity of the Romish Church, so late as the Seventh Century, the British was a truly Protestant Church, protesting against the corruptions of superstition, images, and idolatry, and refusing all Communion with the Church of Rome.' The Bishop states seven epochs, including the preaching of Christianity in this island by St. Paul, and extending from the first to the seventh Century; at each of which we clearly see the independence of the British Church. These epochs are, Cent. 1. St. Paul's preaching of the gospel in Britain. Cent. 2. Lucius's public protection of Christianity. Cent. 3-4. The Dioclesian persecution. Cent. 4. The councils of Arles, Sardica, and Ariminium. Cent. 5. The suppression of Pelagianism, Cent. 6. The Synod of Llanddewi Brefi: Cent. 7. The rejection of Popery by the British bishops." "His Lordship adds, "In these seven epochs, we have very ample and substantial evidence of Christianity,-a Christian church in Britain founded by St. Paul, and subsisting for near six centuries before the arrival of Austin, the monk,-and in that subsistence a proof of its entire independence on any foreign jurisdiction'." David's examines the meaning of the "In a Postscript, the Bishop of St. specting the extent of St. Paul's journey phrase used by Clemens Romanus, reto preach the Christian religion- the utmost bounds of the West.' In this enquiry, conducted with his usual eritical acumen, his Lordship demonstrates that this expression, in Clement's time, certainly included Spain and Britain." The Speech of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex in the House of Lords on the Catholic Question. "We had heard, and seen in the papers, something of the Duke of Sussex's having spoken in the House of Lords in favour of what is called Catholic Emancipation. We had also seen the advertisements announcing that the Speech was published: but, whatever curiosity we might have had to learn in what manner a Prince of the House of Brunswick would et about combating the principle upon which is founded his Father's title to the throne of these realms, as well as his own connexion with Royalty, we had abstained from indulging it: not certainly from want of respect for his Royal Highness, or his august Family, but from the directly opposite feeling. Wishing most sincerely that such a speech had never been spoken, we could have no pleasure in dwelling upon it. We felt as we should do, were we to observe any one of the order of nobility, either by his acts or language, derogating from the rank which he holds; or any Clergyman, by the tenets which he professes, or the conduct which he pursues, directly attacking or bringing into discredit the Church which he has solemnly engaged to defend and support: of both which cases we have sometimes suspect ed ed that more than one instance has forced itself upon our notice. Had therefore other Reviewers suffered this voluminous and heavy compilation to pass without praise or comment, we should not have lent our hand to drag it from obscurity. But no choice has been left us in that respect: and our duty to the cause which we have undertaken, compels us to notice as well the speech, as its panegyrists. Indeed, what says the Edinburgh Reviewer, with evident exultation and gaiety of heart? When the sons of kings write books, silence would be disloyalty and unwise neglect. No. XXXIX. p. 55." After an elaborate criticism on the Speech," in which the Reviewers take some pains to prove that it could not possibly be written by a Prince of the House of Brunswick, they add, "Our belief is, indeed, that the compiler of this tract is not only a Roman Catholick, but a Priest, and probably a Foreigner. We think this, because some of the expressions made use of, are such as no Englishman would employ. And the formal and pedantic style in which the whole is written, appears to have come from one who has been chiefly conversant with the barbarous Latin of the schools, and the phraseology of monkish writers..... ... Upon the whole, we really do not despair of having the satisfaction to find his Royal Highness, when the Question shall next be agitated, shew, at least by his vote, that he is come to a better mind; and that he listens to other counsellors than those who have laboured to disgrace him by affixing his name to such a miserable production as this." [See our vol. LXXXII. i. 640.] The Necessity of Protestant Petitions against Popish Claims. "Beside the immediate subject of the pamphlet, the publick will find in it a great deal of most useful information respecting the Popish claims, in general; well worthy the attention of all classes of people." REVIEW OF NEW MUSICAL PÚBLICATIONS. "And true it is, would man delight receive 7. J. B. Cramer's Instructions for the THE selection of favourite airs for lessons, occupying 22 pages, with the explanatory notes at the bottom of every page, we highly approve; agree ing as we do in opinion with the Author, that the introduction of popular airs for lessons greatly promotes the improvement of the learner, by the pleasure they afford in practice. Many of the tunes in this collection are well-known songs and dances. We are the more particular in mentioning this opinion of one of our greatest performers, because a foolish prejudice prevails, that such tunes employed as lessons are detrimental. Mr. Hook, indeed, has asserted as much in the preface to his Guida di Musica, a book which most learners have found tiresome by its length and want of va YRIARTE. riety, notwithstanding the many pret ty lessons it contains: so far from giving any proof of his assertion, his book goes to establish the contrary. Mr. C.'s lessons would be more useful if they were more gradually progressive. Clementi's instructions are still more faulty in this particular. This may originate from our most expensive masters having little to do with the stupid. The common practice is, that some masters, whose terms of teaching are low, (for want of patronage or assurance, as often as for want of merit) have the drudgery of teaching the rudiments, subject to the capricious judgment of their employers, till the learner has a convenient opportunity, or is thought sufficiently advanced, to take a few lessons from some master of reputation, for the sake of the name, and he alone has ever afterwards the credit of having taught whatever has been learnt; while the first master, who had the most trouble, is forgotten. The "Elementary Instructions" form the least valuable part of the work under consideration. The terms treble and bass are employed, p. 3. before they have been explained. And the term modu modulation*, p. 9. is used and not explained at all. Eight pages are devoted to the rules and examples of fingering. This part of the work exhibits no superiority nor originality. Much better directions for placing the body, and a better arrangement of the rules of fingering, may be found in other works on the Pianoforte. We shall extract what in our opinion is most useful. According to Mr. Cramer, the performer should be seated so high as to have the elbows a little higher than the key-board or clavier, and the feet resting firmly on the floor, near the pedals of the instrument: the shoulders should be depressed a little, and the wrists held nearly on a level with the arms and elbows, the knuckles being kept somewhat elevated, and the 1st, 2d, and 3d fingers curved so as to bring the thumb and the little finger on a line. Each finger must be placed over its respective key, and remain in that position, whether used or not. The extremities of the fingers, but not the nails, must strike the keys: their motion must be so smooth as not to be noticed: the thumb must be kept over the keys so as to bring the fingers close to the black keys, ready to strike them; this will prevent the wrist from moving uselessly backwards and forwards. Rule 1. The fingering of a passage is to be regulated according to the number of the notes ascending or descending; also according to the distances (or intervals): passages of five notes may be played in one fixed position of the hand, each finger striking its respective key; but, when 6, 7, 10, or more notes, are placed in a series, the thumb must either pass under the long fingers in ascending, or these over the thumb in descending, with the right hand (and with the left the contrary). Rule 2. The thumb may pass under the 1st, 2d, or 3d finger in ascending, but not under the fourth or little finger; and in descending, the 1st, 2d, or 3d finger may pass over the thumb, but not the 4th finger. Rule 3. A long finger must not pass over another, as it would displace the position of the hand,and look very awkward, Rule 4. It is not allowed to play two successive (different) notes with the same finger, unless a pause or rest intervene. Rule 5. The natural place of the thumb of the right hand, in a series of notes ascending, is immediately after a short or black key, and in descending, before a short key; on the contrary, the place of the thumb of the left hand, in ascending, is before, and in descending, after, a short key. Rule 6. When a note is repeated, the performer should take that opportunity for changing the position of the hand, as required, upwards or downwards, by playing one of the repeated notes with another finger. Rule 7, (from Dusseck). When by the nature of the passage you are led out of the position directed by the rule, always pass the 3d finger over the thumb till you have recovered the right position. Obs. In legato passages, the fingers sometimes require to be changed on the same key, without letting it rise during the change. A constant practice of the twelve major and twelve minor scales, is the best mode of attaining a neat and rapid execution." The rules for shifting the hands in playing these scales, are the same as Dusseck's, Turk's, &c. and are known to every Pianoforte Master. We must not omit to add that this Instructionbook contains a good Plate representing a lady properly seated before one of the new Cabinet Pianofortes. The instrument is in bad perspective; but that is of no consequence. We have extended this article, because we know that what is directed by Mr. Cramer, will have great weight with musical people, as well with those who can, as with those who cannot judge for themselves. Marks may be found in this gentleman's compositions which are not explained in his Instructions. We think him more successful in furnishing examples than precepts. A Mr. Trotter has lately proposed a new arrangement of the clavier or key-board; more correctly speaking, it is an old arrangement for a new purpose. He places a short key between every two long keys, and by * Modulation, in the modern acceptation of the word, is a change or passage from one key or scale to another. Dr. Pepusch defines modulation to be "the art of rightly ordering the melody of a single part, or the harmony of many parts, either keeping in one key, or in passing from one key to another." Treatise on Harmony, p. 3 and 58. London, 1731, that that means the interval between two contiguous long keys, in every part of the instrument, is a whole tone; and the octave above or below any long key, is a short key. The black keys are continued under the long ones, and appear, projecting in front like another range of keys. It is quite unnecessary to enter into a more minute description of this plan for facilitating execution. We should as much expect that wearing a patten on one foot would give facility and grace in dancing. 3. The much-admired Castanet Dance, performed by M. Vestris and Signora Angiolini in the favourite Ballet of Don Quichotte, composed by F. Venua, and arranged as a Rondo by F. Lanza, Preston. ALTHOUGH we cannot speak very favourably of the air itself, the arrangement is ingeniously and tastefully written, and does credit to Mr. Lanza's abilities. We particularly approve the return to the subject (p.4.) through the German sixth, A flat, C, E flat, F sharp, resolved on the fourth and sixth, G, C, E, &c.; and the imitations of the theme on the last page. It is written in the key of F major. The word Rondo is not in Baretti's Italian Dictionary. Rondeau is a petit poëme particulier aux François; or, an instrumental piece of music, in two or more strains, so constructed that after having performed the second strain we recommenee the first, and so on, always returning to the strain with which we began. The end of the first strain must agree with the commencement of all the other strains, and the terminations of those must be made to agree with the beginning of the first. The circumstance of the melody going round to the first strain, with which it terminates, gives it the name of Rondo. For an account of vocal Rondos, see Rousseau's Dict. de Musique. 9. Spanish, Portuguese, &c. Airs for the Harp, composed, arranged, and dedicated to Mrs. Charles Fauquier, by John Mich. Weippert. THE first movement, after the preJude, in the Spanish style, very much resembles the dance we have been considering. The second, named a Spanish ballette," is a very pleasing little air in rondo, extremely simple. never at the conclusion of a move- 10. An Adagio and March, in the Turkish Style, composed and dedicated by Permission, to His Excellency Count Woronzow, Ambassador from all the Russias to His Britannic Majesty: by F. W. Southwell. pp. 3. THIS composition, which is equally free from vulgar as from very original traits of melody, will prove an agreeable exercise for the young prac titioner. As we do not write to infor the instruction of learners, that, struct the learned, we may remark although it is one of the grossest faults in composition to write parts in consecutive fifths or octaves, yet, when a whole phrase or passage is by design written in octaves, as we find in several parts of this march, a good effect is frequently produced, and such consecutive octaves are allowed by all harmonists. The chromatic dischord of Fa sharp,(A natural, C, E flat, G flat, a chord of diminished seventh) resolving on the fourth and sixth (B flat, E flat, G,) in the middle of the adagio, is a very sweet progression; but we do remark it as a novelty. Dr. CROTCH's Course of Lectures on Musick (on Friday Evenings) commenced at the Surrey Institution on the 29th January. SELECT SELECT POETRY. The following Verses are extracted from I thinke it would a good grammarian poze the Preface to BARRET'S "Alvearie." ARTHUR GOLDING TO THE READER. THE pleasant iuice that prime of yeere doth yeeld [tree, In herbe, in flower, in leafe, in plant, or Good purpose, as (iftruth be rightly scand) Thou art to blame, but if thou be his [better. detter Of earned thankes, and fare by him the How fit the Tytle of this present Booke Doth hit the matter written in the same, Thou shalt perceive the better if thou looke Throughout the worke, which well doth [fame For underneath this Hiue yet small in Of fower Tungs the flowers hyued bee In one sweete iuice to serue the turue of thee. brooke his name. 1 Of truth, the skill and labour was not small To set ech Inglish Phraze in his due place, And for to match the Latin therewithall, Of either Language keeping still the grace, And orderly the Gréeke to interlace, And last of all to ioyne the French theretoo, [adoo. These things (I saie) requyrde no small And furthermore right well thou mayst espie, [minde There lakt in him no forewardnesse of To have set downe a sownd Orthographie: Through want whereof all good inditers find [kind, Our Inglishe tung* driuen almost out of Dismembred, hacked, maymed, rent and torne, [skorne. Defaced, patched, mard, and made a For who is he that rightly can discerne The case, the kind, and number of the Nowne? For my instruction gladly I would lerne, How men might trie what writer setteth downe The Article aright, or who doth drowne The Pronowne by misplacing it, as now Most wryters doe, and yet they marke not how. * Arthur Golding's, or the printer's Orthography is not quite uniform, Inglish Phraze, Inglishe tung, &c. To giue iust rules of Derivation, How rich in Composition Inglishe is. Moreover, how shall men directly find The Coniugation,Number, Person, Tence, And Moode of Verbes togither in their kind: What man I praie can stand in iust defence Of due Construction both of Wordes and Sence : And if to Verse men further will proceede How shall a mau assure true quantitie How might he set it downe with cumlinesse, But were there once a sound Orthographie Set out by learning and aduised skill, (Which certesse might be done full easilie) And then confirmed by the Souereines will, For else would blind and cankred custome still His former errors wilfully maintaine And bring vs to his Chaos backe againe : No doubt but men should shortly find there is As perfect order, as firme certeintie, For verse or prose in Inglish every waie, As any comen language hath this daie. And were wée giuen as well to like our owne, [weede And for to clense it from the noisome Of affectation which hath ouergrowne Ungraciously the good and natiue séede, As for to borrowe where wée have no néede : [in strength, It would pricke néere the learned tungs Perchaunce, and match mée some of them at length. Wherefore, good Reader,yéeld thy further[square, ance To mend the things that yet are out of Thou hast a help thy purpose to advaunce, And meane to ease thy greatest péece of care. And he that hath done this for thy wellfare, Upon thy fréendely fauor and regard, May chaunce to trauell further afterward. AS |