vasule; and the Logish nation at you righness the Duchess of Kent is large, ever prone to honour and appreciate appointed guardian, according to the pre-worth and virtue, cannot fail to experience sent marriage contract. the most heart-felt gratification by this This amiable and truly illustrious Prin- auspicious marriage. For SEPTEMBER, 1818 A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS. Number One Hundred, and. Fourteen. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT. WHEN every virtue that can adorn humanity, while it adds lustre to a coronet, is found shining conspicuous in those of illustrious birth, the historian and the biographer dwell with delight on such rare endowments, and are emulous of handing down their memorial to posterity; happy in the idea that such memorial will be perpetuated to distant ages, a lasting monument of the dignity of human nature. The members of the present house of Saxe-Cobourg are all worthy of the princely race from whence they sprung, and of the high and royal alliances they have formed. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the illustrious object of this sketch, whose likeness we have the gratification of presenting this month to our readers, was born at Cobourg, in the year 1786, and received the baptismal names of Victoria Mary Louisa. The Princess was married early in life to the Prince of Leinengen, and at his demise, which took place in 1814, she was appointed Regent of that principality. By this marriage the Princess of Leinengen had two children; a son, the present Prince of Leinengen, aged fourteen, and a Princess aged ten, and to whom her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent is appointed guardian, according to the present marriage contract. cess, was the youngest daughter of the late Duke of Saxe-Cobourg; and was educated altogether with her truly excellent and accomplished brother, his Royal Highness Prince Leopold, under the immediate care and inspection of their august and wellinformed mother, a Princess whose merit and judgment have gained her the most high and, well-deserved admiration of all who have the honour and happiness of approaching her. Her daughter has proved herself worthy, of such a parent: the Princess, in her single state, lived idolized in the hearts of every inhabitant of Cobourg; and in her first marriage, which she adorned by her virtues, she found herself equally loved, honoured, and estimated throughout the principality of Leineugen. Affability and kindness accompany every word and ges ture of this exalted and charming female, and while her dignity commands respect, her amiability ensures the love of all who are so happy as to come within her influence. The Duke of Kent, whose popularity, continually increases by his late unremitting attention to the public good, will, we are well assured, know how to estimate such a treasure; and the English nation at large, ever prone to honour and appreciate worth and virtue, canuot fail to experience the most heart-felt gratification by this This amiable and truly illustrious Prin- auspicious marriage. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSIC. (Continued from page 53.) "Dear Music, that can touch, "Beyond all else, the soul that loves thee much."-MOORE'S LALLAH ROORH. MUSIC OF INDOSTAN. attendant Pagnis, complains of slighted love, or bewails the pains of absence. Sri raga patronizes the dewy season, which is the time of delight, that ushers in the THE instrumental part of the music of Indostan is rather noisy, from the constant use of drums of all sizes, and of trumpets and pipes, even from that so large as to re-spring, the fragrant, and the flowery quire a man to bear the mouth-piece on his time over which Hindola, or Vasanta, preshoulder while it is played by another, to sides. When the oppressive heats come the smallest reed. They have the double on, the soft and languid melody of Diapaca pipe, which is seen in antique sculptures, but || sympathizes with the fevered feelings, which is not remarkable for the sweetness while the refreshing season of the new of its tones. There are several instruments rains bestows a double pleasure when acof the guitar and lute kind, some of which companied by the sweet strains of Megha. are formed of hollow gourds, by way of sounding boards; and from a triangular || harp or lyre, the tones are charming. There is also an instrument played with a bow, something like a dancing master's kit; the strings of which are of iron or brass wire, and the fingers used for fretting the strings are armed with thimbles of metal: the tones from this instrument are not replete with that mellowness we find in Europe. Yet there is little doubt but what the ancient music of Indostan was infiuitely superior to the modern. They ascribed such a divine art, as well they might, to the Gods alone; and the Bramins, at this time, suppose it to have been communicated to man by Brahma himself. The pastoral people in the neighbourhood of Mathura, delighted in singing the loves and adventures of their hero, Chrisna, who was himself the patron of music, and is often represented dancing while he plays on a reed. The scale of the Hindoos comprehends seven sounds, called sa, ri, ya, ma, pa, dha, ni, and in the octave they reckou twenty-two quarters and thirds. The six chief modes are personified as beautiful youths, the genii of music, and presiding over the six seasons. Bhairava is lord of the cheerful, dry, or autumnal season, and his strains invite the dancer to accompany them. Malava rules the cold and melancholy mouths, and with his It is extraordinary that when we con sider music as being one of the dearest objects of sense to all mankind, that we should find the Chinese, who have so long been a civilized people, still without any eminent composers or performers. Dr. Burney is of opinion that "there is a physical defect in the intellects or organi, zation of all the sous of men, except in Europe; and that a perfect ear, and the power of delighting it, are local."-This, we think, is advancing too much, and giving too much praise to one quarter of the globe at the expence of another. Had this learned writer ou the art of music asserted that Europe contains more unremitting industry amongst her inhabitants, we should be more ready to accede to his opinion. The English, in themselves, do not form a very musical nation: and the number of volumes in the British Museum of music, has no proportion to those on the other arts. In the music book of Prince Henry, afterwards Henry VIII. in the Pepys collection, at Cambridge, are several of his compositions; and Aune of Boleyn, while she resided in France, collected and learued a great number of them. In the British Museum is a very beautiful MS. consisting of French songs of the fifteenth century, in three or four parts; and the most capital collection of Josquin's works are also in || words; and the plain song of the Romish the British Museum. A very curious and valuable musical MS. is preserved, which once belonged to Dr. Robert Fayrfax, an eminent English composer in the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII.: it was afterwards in the possession of General Fairfax, and in the year 1787 was the property of Mr. White, of Newgate-street. It consists of a collection of very ancient English songs, the music of which have been carefully preserved. The writing is clear and intelligible; though, from the time in which it was written, the want of modern punctuation in some parts, renders it difficult to be ascertained. In the year 1512, the third of Henry VIII. a memorandum is made that three minstrels were retained as a part of the Earl of Northumberland's household, viz. a taberet,|| a luyte, and a rebec. Every minstrel, if a taberet, to be paid four pounds, and every luyte and rebec, thirty-three shillings and fourpence. Henry VIII. in his youth, made music a serious study; he had a finished education, and was eminent as a musician. He composed two entire masses, which were always sung in the King's chapel. He exercised himself daily in shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, throwing the bar, playing on recorders, flutes, virginals, setting of songs to music, and learning of ballads. Great attention was paid to choral music when this Prince succeeded his father on the throne of Great Britain, before his breach with the sovereign Pontiff of Rome. Six singing boys, and six gentlemen of the choir, always made a part of the royal retinue. And Henry could not only perform the music of others, but was sufficiently skilled in counterpoint to compose several pieces, as may be seen by an anthem in Boyce's collection. In the time of Henry's reign it was reckoned a requisite accomplishment for a gentleman to sing a part in the full pieces then in vogue, and not only for a private gentleman, but even for nobles and Princes. church in the principal hymns and responses in the Common Prayer, remained nearly the same, as may be seen in the Te Deum laudamus. It seems, too, as we may safely conclude, that the chief part of such portions of scripture, or hymns of the church, as have been set by English musicians to Latin words, were produced before the Reformation, or, at least, in the time of Queen Mary. When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, a school of counterpoint, equal to any in Europe, was founded. Before the Reformation as there was but one religion so there was but one kind of ecclesiastical music, which was plain chant; and this kind of sacred music was all derived, in the middle ages, from the church of Rome. Henry was, however, as we have said before, not only a judge but an encourager of music. Beside the household baud on his establishment, he had supernumerary musicians in his service: the number of singing boys in his chapel are not specified, but there is an account of the allowance made them for their maintenance, and also for their teaching. In the sixteenth century, music certainly was looked on as the best regale that could be given to any foreign Prince, or person of high rank. The Emperor Charles V. was entertained here with music during his meals. It was in the reign of Edward VI. that metrical psalmody, in the same manner as it is yet sung in our parochial churches, commenced; and which was versified by Sternhold and Hopkins. Sternhold was groom of the robes to Henry VIII. and afterwards of the bedchamher to Edward VI. He was then accounted a most excel. lent poet. Until the year 1549, parish churches had all used the same kind of chant as cathedrals (styled the plain chant), with English words; but during the reign of Mary, ecclesiastical music was again transferred to Latin words. The gloomy PriuWhen Henry VIII. resolved to emanci- cess herself was a performer on the virgi pate himself from the control of the Pope,nals, an instrument resembling the spinnet, he made no other change in ecclesiastical and also on the lute. Queen Catharine of music than merely adapting it to English || Arragon, her mother, after her separation |