done to the Parliament; defiring in a bufinefs of fuch weight, that ftruck both at her religion and life, that fo nearly concerned her Lord and her whole pofterity, the might have a week's confideration, both to refolve the doubts of confcience, and to advise in matters of law and honour: not that her Lady ship was unfixed in her own thoughts, but endeavouring to gain time by demurs and protractions of the bufinefs; which happily the good Knight fufpecting, denied her the time defired, moving her Lady fhip to come to New Park, a houfe of her Lord's a quarter of a mile from Lathom, and to come thither in her coach (no mean favour believe it), where himself and his Colonels would meet her for a full difcourfe and tranfaction of the bufinefs. This her Ladyfhip refufed with fcorn and anger, as an ignoble and uncivil motion; returning only this anfwer, that notwithstanding her prefent condition, the remembered both her Lord's honour and her own birth, conceiving it more knightly that Sir Thomas Fairfax fhould wait upon her, than the upon him. Thursday and Friday were spent in letters and meffages; his Generalfhip at laft requiring free accefs for two of bis Colonels, and affurance of safe re turn, unto which her Ladyship conde fcended. On Saturday Mr. Afhton and Mr. Rigby vouchfated to venture their perfons into Lathom Houfe,bei gauthorized by the General to propound the following conditions: ift, That all arms and ammunition of war fhall forthwith be furrendered into the hands of Sir Thomas Fairfax. 2d, That the Countcfs of Derby, and all the perfons in Lathem Houfe, thall be fuffered to depart with all their goods to Chefter, or any other of the enemy's quarters; or upon fubmiffion to the orders of Parliament, to their own houfes. 3d, That the Countefs, with all her menial fervants, fhall be fuffered to inhabit in Knowfley Houfe, and to have twenty mufkets allowed for her defence, or to repair to the Earl her husband in the Ifle of Man. 4th, That the Countess for the prefent, until the Parliament be acquaint ed with it, fhall have allowed her for her maintenance, all the lands and revenues of the Earl her husband within the hundred of Derby; and that Parlia ment fhall be moved to continue her this allowance. [To be continued.] REMARKS ON THE USE AND ABUSE OF MUsic, &ç. That old and antique fong we heard last night, THE influence of Mufic over our affections is a truth eftablifhed both by facred and profane hiftory, and confirmed by its conftant ufe in all religious rites where the pallions are most deeply intercfted. If this art has power to direct the emotions of the heart, does it not deferve our most earneft attention to preferve its proper Influence, and direct it to the good purposes intended by the wife and kind Author of all good things? And this can only be done by preventing the art itself from being corrupted by the caprice and abfurdity of human frailty, and by directing the powers of its purity to aflift us in the habits of virtue and religion. Plutarch tells us, that a man who has learned mufic from his youth, will ever after have a proper TWELFTH NIGHT. fenfe of right and wrong, and an habitual perfuafion to decorum. This is undoubtedly true, if we confider, the ancient manner of inculcating the laws of their country, the great actions of heroes, the praifes of their deities, which were the fubjects of this art; not to mention its mathematical principles, which made a part of the Greek education, and induced the youth to ferious enquiry, and led them to noble truths. But I fear a general corruption has taken place, and defaced all hopes of producing thefe good effects, if we confider the prefent itate of this art. The fame author has alio told us, that the manners of any people are beft denoted by the prevailing state of the music of their country; and this is certainly true; as the mind will always feck feek its repofe and delight in pursuits the moft fimilar to its general tendency and direction. This reflection leads us to confider the prefent ftate of mutic in our own country, and how far it may be made fubfervient to the ornamental part of education; and at the fame time a means of inducing the mind to the fober pursuits of virtue and religion, which ought to be the true intention of parents in forming the minds of their children. Mufic is to be understood as a powerful affiftant to fentimental expreflion (I fpeak here of vocal mufic), which, by the power of its charms, enforces our attention to fome particular tubject, adapted to fome natural paffion of mankind. Under fuch confiderations, we are ftrongly impreffed with the ideas of love, fear, pity, or fome other natural affection. But to produce the effects of nature, the means must not be unnatural; and to raife the ideas of certain paffions, the means fhould be confonant to the paffion itself, and confined within the fimple bounds of nature. If this be not the cafe in mufic, its true end is defeated, it ccafes to be an affiftant to fentimental expreffion, and we abfurdly admire its mere founds, rather than powerfully feel its proper effects, Plutarch, and confider how far the manners of a people are denoted by the ftyle of their mufic. The prefent ftate of diffipation in the fashionable world, and the agitation of fpirits ever attendant on crouded affemblies and pleafurable purfuits, elevate the mind of tafte above the ftandard of fober thought. Every thing is fought which can aflift the temporary phrenzy, and nothing deemed worth our knowing, but how to forget ourselves. This unhappy fituation renders the generality of our fashionable people lot to any ferious examination of true or falfe im pretion, while they are indifcriminately led to approve or condemn whatever the multitude of fashion eftablishes by its fanction. Under this ftate it is that our mufic has become fo totally changed. It is not now fought as a repofe for the mind after its fatigues, but to fupport its tumults;-not to imprefs the delights of calm reafon, or prevail on us to liften to the charmer; but the muft leave the purity of her own nature, and by divefting herfelf of fimplicity. force us to admire, not feel, and yield to aftonishment and abfurdity, inftead of chafte beauty and delight. In a word, the imagination is now to be furprized, whilft the heart is totally neglected.Our compofitions are unnatural. opera at beft is a ridiculous performance, but rendered much more fo by our modern ftrange fpecies of compofition; it is not now confidered how to aid fenfe by expreffive found, but how to fer off the unnatural dimenfions of a voice. Every paffion is treated alike, and every fong extended to the utmost limits of the finger's mechanical powers. Our inftrumental performers are under the fame influence; hard labour, and unhappy progreis on the violoncello, have rendered it a rival to the tones of the violin, while this laft is reduced to the impotent fqueak of a dancing-mafter's kitt. In fhort, our music muit now be made for the performer not the hearer; corrupted tafte has ftampt that mufic with dullnefs which does not make us ftare, and given the palm to fuch as can never delight, or make us better. As mufic is thus divefted of its fimplicity, its difficulties are neceffarily increafed; and yet our children are to encounter whatever is thought great in a ftage finger, perhaps poffeffed of uncommon talents; whilft the vanity of the parents never diftinguithes, that by rendering a young lady thus great, the The prefent univerfal paffion for this art, and the fashion of making it a neceffary part of education, induces me to confider it as relating to the fair fex more particularly. Parents are naturally inclined to make their children partake of thofe amufements the moft prevailing and fashionable. As mufic in this age comes under this denomination, it is no wonder we find every attention paid to this qualification, at the earliest period of life. The moft eminent Mafters are obtained; and much time and much expence beftowed to acquire this accomplishment. The fond parent, anxious to embellish the darling child, and render her fit for polite company, compels her to perfeverance, without difcriminating the propenfity of her own nature, but vainly imagines, that a proficiency is. certainly to be obtained in proportion to the reputation of her inftructor. Under this delufion the young lady is too eften brought into public company, and exhibits her performance, to the well, bred admiration and aftonishment of the ignorant many, but to the filent pity of the judicious few. Here let us again call to mind the obfervation of An agreeable. But high-bred tafte, like high-born pride, is fometimes obliged to obey the dictates of pure fimple nature, and enjoy a pleafure it dares not openly avow. In fpite of prejudice, we fometimes find thofe who acknowledge that their affections are ftolen by a fimple old fong, even when they are ashamed to be touched by fuch low and vulgar productions. If finging has any power over our fouls, it muft arife from its aflifting fentimental expreffion; if the mufic be too complicated, the fenfe is confounded, and the effect destroyed, The true pathetic is only to be found in fimplicity. Take away the inftrumental accompanyments from an opera fong, and who would wish to hear the fong part? As it is not a real tune or pleafing melody, it ceafes to express any paffion, and becomes an aukward fucceffion of unnatural founds—figni too often becomes terrible, and instead of acquiring an accomplishment to delight her acquaintance on a vifit, or improve her own heart in the hour of retirement, fhe facrifices at the altar of vanity, and too often becomes ridiculous, by affecting to be thoroughly accomplished. Young ladies have feldom time to acquire any tolerable de gree of modern execution in finging, yet by always attempting what they hear applauded by the public, they fancy themfelves in poffeffion of what they think will render them admired, when too often the contrary is the unhappy confequence. The graceful minuet is a neceffary addition to the education of a young lady, but the attitudes of a Figurante, or the diftortions of the Allemande, fit aukwardly on thofe who are not trained for the ftage. Since fuch inconveniencies arife in the mode of acquiring this art as an ufeful accomplith-fying nothing. It were to be wished, ment, I would beg leave to fuggeft what methods appear moft probable for the moft ornamental as well as useful attainment of mufic. Since mufic is a language, it fhould be taught as fuch, and the fcholar proceed in a regular way to acquire fuch a knowledge of notes, as may enable her to fing eafy, plain, fimple tunes by infpection, and not the artificial manner of ipelling a fong by the keys of their harpsichord. This method always gives her a falte intonation, as that inftrument at beft (when tuned) is an imperfect one. By proceeding in this regular method of learning to read founds, they will foon be able to fing an inward part in a duet or trio, and feel the powers of harmony when joined to fome pleafing melody. Much lefs time would be employed in obtaining a fufficient know ledge of mufical intervals to enable a daughter to fing at fight an eafy, affecting melody, or, in fact a concife real tune, than is bestowed on the unmeaning and extravagant fongs of our modern operas. But fuch is the prevalence of what is called tafte, that no thing is allowed to the fcholar but what is new, however difficult to be attained, or however infigaificant when performed. If the generality of mankind would divest themfelves of prejudice, and the dread of having a vulgar tafte, we should not find them fo often undergoing the fatigue of liftening with dozing attention to what they are told is fine, but what with all their endeavours they cannot be brought to think that the mufical part of a lady's education was fo far limited, as to enable her to fing perfectly fome plain fweet melodies in her own language, and obtain fuch a degree of knowledge as is requifite to take a part, as before obferved, in ducts or trios; but thefe fhould be only in plain counterpoint, and the words of moral tendency at leaft; but rather, now and then, fuch as might awaken the mind to the fublime duties of praife and thankf giving. I could with the harpfichord was no otherwife employed than by playing the harmony or thoroughbafs to thefe fimple airs, but never to play the fong part, as is generally done; and this acquifition might easily be made in a fhort time and with little pains, as the baffes of fimple airs are generally (or fhould be) very fimple themfelves. How far more defirable fuch a degree of performance for our daugh‐ ters, than their imperfect attempts of doing what ought never to be done! how far more delightful one train of fuch mufic, than the claborate pages of Italian Operas, fraught with unnatural mufic and unaffecting poetry and how far more worthy the pursuit of rational beings, to devote an hour or two, even of the Sabbath, to fuch incitements to Virtue and religion, rather than expofe our accomplished fair-ones to the fncers of the critic and ridicule of fiddlers, by conveying them from house to houfe, as prodigies of execution and tafte, when the utmost of their performance is perhaps not quite difguft ing, and the flattery of their polite friends but ignorance and affectation. As to the ladies harpfichord performance, they often acquire a moft wonderful mechanical execution of moft difficult leffons: and here we leave them to their mafters, but with even in this department they were more confined to the real good compofitions of our beft mafters for that inftrument. In regard to the choice of proper mufic for a lady to fing, I need only obferve, how many moft delightful airs are to be found in the compositions of the immortal Handel; of fo fimple and exquifite conftruction, as to excite every degree of pleature and delight the mind is capable of receiving: I need not mention many others of our own countrymen, Purcel, Jackson, Boyce, Arne, &c. and with refpect to the excellence of our church mufic, no country has ever produced fo chafte, or fo pure and affecting compofitions of this kind in either one or more parts. As a fpeci: men of the true dramatic musical fimplicity, let me mention the mufic in Macbeth, and Prince Arthur. I mean not to exclude the Italian music from its due praife, but muft obferve, that the French airs are fometimes extremely aukward, from the defects in that deteftable language, which muft often occafion a falfe rhythmus from its double rhymes, and is therefore utterly unfit for musical expreffion. If we examine the mufic of the laft century, or even farther back, we fhall have good reafon to believe, that the ladies were better musicians than ours at prefent, notwithstanding our boafted improve inents and refined tafte. It was theh deemed a neceffary part of education to be able to fing their part at fight; and from the beautiful fimplicity of their compofitions, I make no doubt Sut the effect was equal to what could be wished for, and that their manners alfo were as unaffected as the ftyle of their mufic. Let our daughters then be taught mufic fo as to understand what they perform, and perform no more than what falls within the cafy compafs of their execution; nor ever attempt any thing but felect pieces of familiar, cafy, fimple conftruction, fuch as may delight the ear of theif friends, and contribute to improve their own hearts by directing its influence to the proper object. Having thus offered a few obfervations relative to the mode of acquiring a neteary knowledge of mufic, and its ufeful as well as ornamental part, which it ought to make (under proper direction) in the education of young ladies; I will venture to proceed, and offer to the Gentlemen alfo, what are the proper means of rendering this divine art profitable, as well as pleafing to our own fex. The fame fate feems to attend us both in purfing this art; our young gentlemen feldom becoming very agreeable performers, and hardly ever very ufeful ones. Their choice of cafy imperfect inftruments occafions this complaint in a great measure; and when they undertake the violin or violoncello, inftead of becoming useful performers in concert, and playing reak good mufic, they are never contented without rivalling the abfurd extravagancies of our modern executioners of mufic, and imitating the wonderful powers of thofe who have unhappily reduced mufic to the narrow limits of three inches of the bow upon two inches of the ftring. But I beg leave to lay before thefe rivals for excellence a fource of real ufeful knowledge. As gentlemen can hardly ever attain a degree of practical excellence equal to the profeffors, I would beg them to take this method how to exceed them in other points both with honour and picafure to themselves. Mufic is a fcience eftablished on the moft fublime parts of mathematical truths; its theory founded on the doctrine of proportion, on the most wonderful, though the most simple and few principles; the knowledge of which fills the enquiring mind with the most tranfcendant pleafure, and admiration of the wifdom of the Creator, who hath filled all things with good." As gentlemen fhould be fcholars alfo, and not ignorant of fuch a valuable part of learning as the fimple elements of plain Geometry, and practical arith metic, I would recommend them to read Doctor Holder's Treatife on the prin ciples of Harmony; Mr. Stillingfcet's Remarks on Tartini's Works; and, if they have no objection to a little Greek, they may look into Ptolemy, published by Dr. Wallis, or the five Greek writers on mufic by Meibomius. This is the ftudy of mufic really as a fcience, and will much facilitate the knowledge of its practice, efpecially as to thorough bafs, and the principles of compofition, This is the purfuit worthy a gentleman's attention; and this the knowfedge which alone diftinguishes the musician from the fiddler, and the archi test tect from the bricklayer. With what pleasure do we find that the fame proportions which the Divine Author of Nature has established for delighting the ear in mufic, are the fanie with thofe which are beautiful to the eye in architecture! and Sir Ifaac Newton has demonftrated, that the feven primary colours are refpectively limited under the very fame proportions. How fimple the economy of Nature, and how wonderful thefe difcoveries! that all beauty fhould be determined by one invariable rule and ordinance. I do not hereby preclude gentlemen from acquiring a practical knowledge of mufic from what has been faid, I would mean to affift their purfuit, and increase their pleature, by thus fearching the fources of its derivation. I would recommend to them a practical knowledge of thorough-bafs, which I am well affured is much easier for a gentleman to ac quire than is generally imagined; or fuch a proficiency on the violoncello, as will render him a useful performer in concerts of good mufic, or to accompany a fong. Not to forget mentioning the tenor, which is cafily learnt fo far as to play in concerts of the old good authors; a juft performance of which part, to happily unite the harmony of the other inftruments, has as good a claim to merit, and much better, than half the folo performers we daily hear, and requires the good judgement of the player, though not his great execution. I am perfuaded that half the time beftowed bv.gentlemen in the practice of very difficult, and confequently not very good mufic, would render them mafters of this art, even fo far as to read it as a language; a pleafure which thofe only experience who can look over a fcore of many parts, and "with the mind's ear" hear the different movements as perfectly as if really performed. (To be continued:) THE LONDON REVIEW AND LITERARY JOURNAL, For JANUARY 1793. Quid fit turpe, quid utile, quid dulce, quid non. The Environs of London; being an Hiftorical Account of the Towns, Village, and Hamlets, within twelve Miles of that Capital. Interfperfed with Big graphical Anecdotes. By the Rev. Daniel Lyfons, A. M. F. A. S. Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Earl of Orford. Vol. the First. 4to. l. 115. 6d. Cadell. 1793. WE agree with this ingenious Author in its being fomewhat fin'gular, that whilft a tafte for local Hiftory fo generally prevails as at prefent, the counties adjacent to London thould not have had their due fhare of illuftration, and that even in thofe of which Hiftories have been published, fome very interefting particulars have been Tholly unnoticed. These are fatis which cannot but be admitted, and therefore we are pleafed to find the hitherto neglected fubject become the object of attention to more than one perfon. By the labours of those who now have undertaken to illuftrate the Environs of London, we may hope to fee that information collected together which now lies buried in obfcure repofitories, or kattered through num berlefs |