The Inconfiftent Father:

299

the disclosure of a fecret which had been extremely burdenfome to him, by a declaration that an alliance with Mifs Webfter, could alone reftore him tothe happinefs which he enjoyed before he

"Well Tom," replied Mr. Brown

be approved of by her father, and he was fill lefs encouraged to hope for her approbation of them, as he had only a small place in one of the public offices. His expectations, indeed, from his uncle (who was a very gener-danced with her at D ous man, and enabled him to make a genteeler appearance than he could pre-low, "you have given me a great deal of tend to, with the emoluments arifing from his place) were rational, and every body who knew him looked upon him as his heir; but as Mr. Brownlow was far from being an old man, (tho' he was pofted by the ladies for an old batchelor) and had a large fhare of health, his profpects, tho' flattering, were distant.

pleasure by this franknefs; and in return-here's my hand-you may de-. pend upon it, that I will endeavour to bring about a match between you: that is, provided Mifs Webfter likes you as much as you like her."

Here Tom fighed.

"Come, come, no more fighing.I will make a vifit to morrow to old Webster, and try to ftrike a bargain for you.'

Mr. Brownlow, perceiving a confiderable alteration in his nephew, who was naturally a lively young fellow, Tom's anfwer was in the highest deand generally in high fpirits, couldgree grateful, and it quickened his unnot help rallying him upon his folemn cle's vifit to Mr. Webster. looks, and frequent inattentions.

"Why, Tom," said he to him, one day after dinner, being particularly facetious, " one would fwear the mifchievous little God-or rather Devilhad fhot one of his sharpeft arrows into your heart.”

Tom, who had been accustomed to laugh at his uncle's whimfical mode of exprefling himself, could at that time. only reply with a faint fmile, and a heavy figh.

"Ay, ay, faid Mr. Brownlow, I fee plainly how the cafe is; you are touched, Tom; you are touched. Tho' I have never been in love myself, I have seen people enough in your melancholy condition to know the fymptoms of the tender paffion, and thofe which I behold at prefent are too strong to be mistaken, I affure you. Now, if you will break your mind freely to me, and tell me who, among all the fine girls at our laft affembly, (for I never obferved any figns of the fweet paffion of love in you before) I may, perhaps, have it in my power to be of fervice to you."

Tom, encouraged by the conclufion of his uncle's fpeech, freely opened his heart to him, confeffed his violent paffion for Mifs Webster, and finished

While this converfation paffed between Mr. Brownlow and his nephew, Alicia was in a fituation which rendered her very unhappy.

A genteleman who was, every way, difagreeable to her, had made propofals to her father, and he had, without confulting her, deftined her to his

arms.

When Alicia was first acquainted with her father's refolution about her marriage with Mr. Gritton, she fell fenfelefs on the floor.

Mr. Webster, immediately fearing that the fudden communication of his intelligence had killed her, ran about the room like a madman, and alarmed the houfe with his cuteries; for at the moment of her falling, he was the only perfon with her.

Mrs. Webfter, who was at work in an adjoining apartment, foon appeared, with a fervant; and Alicia, by their united efforts, in a fhort time fhewed figns of life.

When he was thoroughly recovered, her father, being eagerly defirous of feeing her the wife of Mr. Gritton, took an infinite deal of pains to reconcile her to an union with him, but in vain.-She declared her rooted aver fion to him in the moft forcible terms; Q92

ad

adding, with her eyes full of tears, "that he would rather die than be married to Mr. Gritton."

"Phaw, phaw, cried Mr. Webster, this is a ftrange romantic way of talking. Your averfion to Mr. Gritton is highly unreasonable, and therefore I fhall pay no regard to it. I infift upon your receiving him tomorrow, continued he, in a peremptory tone, as the man whom I have chosen for your hufband."

With those words, which he would not retra&, tho' Mrs. Webfter, in the mildelt manner, ftrove to make him remove the pain which they had occationed, by others of a gentler kind, he flew out of the room with looks which boded no good to Alicia if the difobeyed his commands, if she refused to receive Mr. Gritton as the man to be her husband.

by the coldness of his neighbour's car. riage, and the conciseness of his language; he had alfo too much fpirit to itay a minute in his houfe, when he found his company was not agreeable.

In a few day after that interview Mr. Webster was fummoned to London in order to attend Westminster Hall about a very singular affair.

Mr. Gritton too was obliged to give his attendance at the fame place.

During their refidence in London, Alicia was not only relieved from the vifits of the man whom the abhorred, but truly delighted with the vifits of the man whom she preferred to all his fex.

Mr. Brownlow, as foon as he heard of Mr. Webster's fetting off for London, went to pay his refpects to his lady, not without hopes, as he had been informed of her fentiments in favour of his nephew, that he might obtain the admiffion of him, and the

Mr. Gritton came, Alicia received him with politencfs, but he could not bring herfelf to difcover the leaft fa-exclufion of his rival. tisfaction in his company. Her anfwers to every fpeech which he addreffed to her, would have difcouraged any other man; but he, being determined to have her for his wife, told her plainly, at laft," that as her father approved of him, he would marry her whether the pleased to like him or not." A profound filence followed on her part, and he quitted the room foon afterwards, very much piqued at her behaviour, but not at all difpofed to relinguifh his pretenfions to her.

From Mrs. Webfter he met with a reception very different from that which he had received from her husband.She told him, when he had acquainted her with the occafion of his vifit, that the thoroughly approved of Mr. Sidcup for her fon-in-law from the character which fhe had heard of him, and that he would do every thing in her power to prevent her daughter's marriage with Mr. Gritton, to which fhe had, with her, many infuperable objections.

In a few hours after Mr. Gritton's Mr. Brownlow was extremely pleafdeparture Mr. Brownlow made his ap-ed with her affurances, and begged her

to let his nephew wait on Miss Webfter in form.

To that requeft fhe readily acceded, as the intended to be always prefent, heifelf, at their converfations.

By this procedure Mrs. Webster certainly acted like a kind mother, folicitous about the happiness of her child; whether he acted like a good wife, at the fame time, is a queftion on which a great deal, for and against, may be advanced. Certainly, how ever, the question is of too complicated a nuture to be difcuffed here.

Sidcup was tranfported when his

un

The Inconfiftent Father.

301

"Well, my dear, faid fhe, at laft, if you will make Alicia miferable--" "Make her miferable! What do you mean by that, madam?" replied he:

uncle told him what had paffed between anger, was not intimidated by his fuhim and Mrs. Webster, and his impa-rious addreffes to her. With the fofttience to know Alicia's fentiments eft accents the attempted to reason concerning him from her lips, (from with him about the cruelty of his inher eyes, for they had often feen each tentions to unite his daughter to a man other, fince the affembly night above with whom the never could be happy, mentioned, at third places, he drew but to no purpofe. favourable conclufions) would not fuffer him to remain in a ftate of fufpenfe till the next day. He waited upon her that very afternoon. The prefence of Mrs. Webster-"no man in the world can with more tho' he had fufficient reason to believe to make his daughter happy than I do that she was entirely on his fide, was mine. If I had not a fincere love for a check upon him. He could not Alicia, I fhould not fo ftrenuously ingive à loofe to the fond effufions of his lift upon her giving her hand to Mr. heart before her; but he met with en- Gritton." couragement enough from them both to renew his vifits.

He renewed them, and behaved in fuch a manner as not only to attach Alicia more and more firmly to him, but to fix Mrs. Webfter more and more ftrongly in his interest.

While they were, all three, taking their tea one afternoon, the unexpected entrance of Mr. Webfter fomewhat difconcerted them, tho' neither of them was confcious of being in a fituation to dread a furprifal.

At the fight of Mr. Sidcup his eyes flafhed indignation. He did not, indeed, actually collar him, and turn him out of his house by main force, but he directed a fpeech to him which haftened his retreat; his retreat was as precipitate as the occafion of it was provoking.

No fooner had Tom decamped than Mr. Webfter commanded his daughter in very harsh accents, to leave the room. He then, with uncommon fiercenefs, attacked his wife for encouraging any man--particularly Mr. Sidcup-to vifit Alicia as a lover, when fhe knew that she was already engaged. "I am no ftranger to your deligns, madam," continued he, foaming with rage," but by every thing facred Alicia fhall never be married to Mr. Sidcup: Mr. Gritton is the man whom I have pitched upon for her, and Mr. Gritton the fhall have."

Mrs. Webfter, having been accuftomed to her husband's paroxfyms of

"Mr. Gritton, my dear

"Not a fyllable against him." Mrs. Webfter then thinking it imprudent to increase the ftorm, which the fight of Mr. Sidcup had raised, by oppofing it, withdrew.

In about a fortnight after the raging of this domeftie ftorm the day was named, in fpite of all Mrs. Webster's argu ments, intreaties, and tears, (for without tears fhe could not think of her daughter's being doomed to a species of wretchednefs not to be defcribed with fufficient force by the strongest language) for the union between Alicia and Mr. Gritton.

Very foon after Alicia became Mrs. Gritton, Mr. Webiter repented of having required her to facrifice her inclination to his own, and of having forced her to that facrifice by making her dread the effects of his displeasure. He repented fincerely, and his repentance rendered him the most unhappy of fathers: the most miferable of men. He was continually diftracted by his tormenting reflections. To item thofe reflections he had recourfe to the bottle, and in a fhort time drank himfelf into a fituation which effectually precluded all relief from medical prefcriptions.

When he was given over by his phyficians, he expreffed a very earnest defire to fee his poor unhappy child; an amiable child, of whofe unhappiness he had, himfelf, been the original caufe. He wished to afk her pardon

for having cruelly deftined her to perpetual mifery; but he died without that confolation: for her still more cruel hufband would not permit her to comply with his dying request. By that husband's increafing ill ufage, her health grew, every day, more and more impaired; her mind, more and more unhinged, and she, in a very fhort time after her father's deccafe, was buried in the fame vault with him, to the inexpreffible grief of her mother, who never recovered from a fhock of which a mother can, alone, have an adequate idea.

A SKETCH of a FRENCH young LA-
DY, educated in a CONVENT,
Addrefled to an ENLGISH LADY.

"A

French young lady at fixteen or feventeen years of age, fometimes fooner, goes from a convent into the world (you know what a convent is); the nuns with whom the has lived ever fince her childhood, restore her to her parents, who frequently, the fame day, deliver her to a husband, whom the knows by having received fome frigid compliments from him thro' a grate. She knows very well how to fay her beads, the angelus, the benedicite, the thanksgivings. She has learned a hundred ways of recommending herfelf to the faint whofe name fhe bears, to her guardian angel, to the patron faint. of the order and of the convent. She

leffons of the minuet and countrydance, fhe makes admirably well the most profound curtfies. Laftly, if the is found to have a taste and talent for mufic, the matron grand chantrefs, will take a pleasure in teaching her to fol-fa, and the will fing moft devoutly little hymns and long canticles.

Sec, madam, how far they go: the knowledge, the talents, the attainments of a young French woman of quality, who has been well educated. The mother glories in having a daughter fo well formed for the world; fhe pretends to discover that fhe does not hold up her head, that she has a fhoulder too high, or an aukward air, to have it thought that he may ftill be improved, fo as to become a prodigy. The young lady, enriched with fuch an ample collection of fine things, is placed at the head of a numerous and fplendid houfhold, is prefented at court, introduced into all companies, given up to the great world, and it is recommended to her to become the mother of a family within the year.

We heartily congratulate our fair country-women, that they are not fubjected to fuch a prepofterous mode of education, in which there is nothing commendable, but that it fecludes from temptation, and prevents the forming of improper connections, both which ends may be answered by parental example and precept.

Music.

From Sr JOHN HAWKINS's preliminary
Difcourje to the HISTORY of Mu-
SIC. Vol. I.

(Continued from Page 232.)

has read more than once fome extracts of the POWERS and PROGRESS of of the legend; fhe knows a number of marvellous tricks which demons and Spirits play in this lower world: fhe is ignorant of none of thofe little paftimes with which the imagination and, judgment of girls are exercifed. She can colour images, and adorn with ftraw and gilt paper fome Agnus Dei's, and relics, as elegantly as a professed have elapfed fince the anthem of nun. Perhaps fhe alfo knows how to Dr. Tye, "I will exalt thee," was embroider a flower in gold or filver on compofed, and near as long a time filk, and in thread on cloth, to work fince Tallis compofed the motet, "O à la Marli, to make buckles of rib-facrum convivium," which is now fung bons, and even to knit ftockings. She as an anthem to the words, "I call has received in the great parlour some and cry to thee, O Lord," and it is

U

PWARDS of two hundred years

com

Of the Powers and Progress of Mufic.

comparatively but a few years fince Geminiani was heard to exclaim in a rapture that the author was infpired. Amidst all the varieties of compofition in canon, which the learning and ingenuity of the ableft musicians have produced, that of Bird, compofed in the reign of his miftrefs, Elizabeth, is confidered as a model of perfection. Dr. Blow's fong, "Go perjured man," was compofed at the command of king Charles the Second, and Purcell's fong, "Sing all ye mufes," in the reign of his fucceffor: but no man has as yet been bold enough to attempt to rival either of these compofitions. Nor is there any of the vocal kind, confifting of recitative and air, which can fland a competition with thofe two cantatas, for fo we may venture to call them, "From rofy bowers," and "From filent fhades.'

Of poetry, painting, and feulpture, it has been observed that they have at different periods flourished and declined; and that there have been times, when each of thofe arts has been at greater perfection than now, is to be attributed to that viciffitude of things, which gave rife to the prefent enquiry, and is implied in an obfervation of lord Bacon," that in the youth of a ftate arms do flourish, in its middle age

To this teftimony we may add that of a foreigner, refpe&ting the church mufic of queen Elizabeth's days, thus recorded by Stype in his Annals of the Reformation, Vol. II. page 3:4

In her [the queen's] paffing, I fay, (ne visited Canterbery: how magnificently the was received and ent rained by archbishop Parker, I have related el ewhere. This I only ad1, that while he was here, the French ambaffador came to her, who hearing the excellent mufic in the cathedral church, ex olled it up to the sky, and brak out into thefe words:

O God, I think no prince befide in all Europ ever heard the like, no not our holy father the pose him eit." A young gentleman tha ftold by him replied, "Ah! do you compare our teen to the knee of Rome, or rather prefer him before ber?" Wher at the amLaffador was higley angred, and told it to fome of the counsellors. They bad him be quiet, and take it patiently. "For the boys." faid they, with us fo call him, and the Roman antichrift too."

303

learning, in its deeline arts and merchandize."

And if this obfervation on the various fates of poetry, painting and fculpture be true, why is it to be affumed of mufic, that it is continually improving, or that every innovation in it must be for the better?

That the mufic of the church has degenerated, and been greatly corrupted by an intermixture of the theatric ftyle, has been long a subject of complaint; the Abbot Gerbert laments this and other innovations in terms the most affecting; and indeed the evidence of this corruption muit be apparent to every one that reflects on the ftyle and structure of those compofitions for the church, that are now most celebrated abroad; even thofe of Pergolefi, his maffes, for inftance, and thofe of Jomelli and Perez have nothing that diftinguishes them but the want of action and scenic decoration, from dramatic reprefentations.

Like them they abound in fymphony, and the accompaniments of various inftruments, no regard is paid to the fenfe of the words, or care taken to fuit it with correfpondent founds; the claufes Kyrie Elifin [Lord have mercy on us], Chrifle Eleifon [Chrift have mercy on us], Miferere mei [have mercy upon me], and amen, are uttered in dancing metres, and the former, not feldom, in that of a military jig. Even the funeral service of Perez, lately publifhed at London, so far as regards the meafures of the feveral airs, and the inftrumental aids to cred and folemn compofure, as a burthe voice parts, differs as far from a fa, letta does from an opera or mufical tragedy.

From thefe premif;s it may be althe musical productions of past ages is lowed to follow, that a retrofpect to no abfurdity, as that a curious enquirer need to decline it. No man fcruples to do the like in painting; the connoiffeurs are as free in remarking the excellencies of Raphael, Titian, Dominichino, and Guido, as in comparing fucceeding artifts with then, and