TO THE
GOVERNORS of the HOSPITAL for the Maintenance and Education of exposed and deserted young Children.
GENTLEMEN,
While I was extracting the following sheets from my voluminous Journal, and connecting them together as accurately as I was able, in order to present the Public with a Specimen of my laborious investigation of the present state of Music in this my native country, I was somewhat at a loss to whom I could with most propriety inscribe my work. Whether to Doctor Burney, as the original inventor of this species of composition, and the first musical traveller of our nation, to whom I stand so much indebted for the plan, and conduct of my book, and of whom I might truly say in his own words, “that he has long been my magnus Apollo:”—or whether I was in duty bound to pay homage to the King of Prussia, as the greatest Dilettante performer of the age; who, I suppose, at this present writing, like another Nero, is playing his new Solfeggi to the dying groans of the obstinate Dantziggers;—or whether I ought not to call forth from his obscurity that venerable Judge, who contented with less ambitious pleasures, cultivates the fine arts by humbler and modester, but not less curious experiments, and amuses the leisure hours of a long vacation in caponizing blackbirds[1]; or whether I should not do well to express my gratitude, and that of the nation, to the honourable Directors of our Opera, for having at last condescended to permit an Englishwoman to be called Signora, and by virtue of that title to share some of the princely incomes which have been hitherto lavished on Italians, and which, I dare say, those worthy Noblemen and Gentlemen would as readily bestow upon EnglishMEN, if they would but consent to be properly qualified. This dilemma, however, was at an end, as soon as I learnt, that Dr. Burney, and Signor Giardini, had, under your authority, just founded a school for music (in imitation, I suppose, of the Italian Conservatorios) in the Foundling Hospital, where about an hundred of such poor children, as have hitherto been placed out to trades and services, in which they had no opportunity of making a noise in the world, are, in future, to be trained to harmony from their infancy, and constantly employed in the study of music; ’till in process of time they take their regular degrees as Doctors, and Doctoresses of music, and come forth, sufficiently accomplished (as they must be under such masters,) to form the national taste, by the true Italian standard. When I was informed of this event, I hailed the happy omen, the dawn of an Augustan æra; and resolved to offer my tribute of congratulation and applause, and to dedicate this work to a set of gentlemen, who have so distinguished their zeal for the interest and advancement of music. Perhaps it will at first appear a bold undertaking in the guardians of deserted orphans, chiefly supported by parliamentary grants of public money, to declare, that they cannot be maintained by the public for a more useful purpose, than to be taught to sing and play Italian airs. For men of narrow and contrasted minds, who have neither ear, nor voice, nor hand, will still imagine, that it might prove of more national utility, to breed these adopted children of the public, to Husbandry, Navigation, &c. the objects of their original destination; than to convert one of the noblest of our public charities into a nursery for the supply of musical performers at our Theatres, gardens, and hops.—But this is a vulgar prejudice. The improvement of the fine arts ought to be the first object of public attention in an age of luxury, PEACE, and plenty, like the present; when we have rivalled the Italians in music, it will be time enough to think of our navy, and our agriculture. We have already (to our shame be it spoken,) better sailors than fiddlers, and more farmers than contrapuntists. But as I take this circumstance to arise entirely from the different degree of encouragement those occupations have hitherto received; I do not despair of seeing the reverse take place, when gentlemen of your rank deign to stand forward, and correct the errors of the public, by the influence and sanction of your example. Should any obstacles arise to impede the immediate execution of your plan, from some obsolete but unrepealed parliamentary restrictions, doubtless the same legislators who so readily expended the public money in the purchase of Sir William Hamilton’s collection of antique vases, and Etruscan rarities, will not only repeal any former act which may stand in your way; but rejoice in a fresh opportunity of displaying their fine taste and love of the arts, by laying an additional tax upon such of the necessaries of life as are not already overloaded, in order to raise a competent sum for the purchase of the best Cremonas, and other instruments which can be procured on the continent, for the service of your Academia. I have only to add, gentlemen, that if upon a perusal of the following sheets you shall find, as I am persuaded you will, that my travels are also[2] in some measure, a matter of national concern; I hope you will be kind enough to second my intended application to parliament, that the charges of my future expeditions may be defrayed at the public expence. This, gentlemen, may be done by a very short clause; and as it will enable me to pursue my enquiries with spirit, credit, and success, will lay a lasting obligation upon,
Gentlemen,
Your very obedient,
and devoted humble Servant,
JOEL COLLIER.
[1] Vide the last Vol. of the Philosophical Transactions.
[2]—“He was the first who seemed to think my journey was, in some measure, a matter of national concern.”
Tour to Germany, &c.
MUSICAL TRAVELS, &c.
I was born in the Parish of Gotham, in the county of Nottingham: my father was a sawyer, and my mother had, for many years before her marriage, cried oysters and Newcastle-salmon about the streets of London. Neither of them are said to have been remarkable for their vocal or instrumental talents. My mother’s voice was, indeed, exceedingly shrill and dissonant, as I have been credibly informed by the neighbours; however, I was no sooner born than I gave proofs of uncommon musical propensities. I entered the world, singing, instead of crying; at least, my squall was truly melodious, and ravished the ears of the midwife; tho’, I must confess, the envious old hag of a nurse did pretend that my mother and Mrs. Midnight mistook the origin of the wild notes I uttered as soon as I saw the light; and, insisting that they only denoted the wind-cholic, immediately drenched me with a large dose of rhubarb: however, she has candidly confessed, that she easily sang me to sleep whenever I was peevish, and that even by means of such simple melody as Jack Sprat, or hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle. A harsh and menacing recitative would as effectually deter me from a naughty trick, as a good whipping. The sound of a drum, or any other martial music, had such an immediate effect upon my nerves, that I was always obliged to be turned dry before the piece was half over. The famous March in Saul is too powerful for me even at this day, tho’ I can stand any other, without being offensive. Indeed, I am so well convinced of the connection between the sound and the sense in all good music, that I will venture to prescribe Handel’s water-piece, and water parted from the sea, as specifics for a strangury. I know that there is great truth in what Shakespear says of the bag-pipe; and I have observed that a jockey always whistles to his horse upon these occasions, which never fails to produce great effects, tho’ the performer want brilliancy of execution ever so much.
One of the first circumstances I myself can recollect in my early years, was the great pleasure I took in hearing a blind boy play tunes on a bladder of air press’d between a bow-stick and its string. The Jew’s-harp next engaged my attention; and afterwards the bag-pipe and bassoon. Indeed I do remember having been told by my Grandmother, that whilst I was yet in coats, I took vast delight in pinching the tails of the Parson’s litter of pigs, and would listen to their various notes and tones from the f sharp of the whine of the least of the family, quite down to the b flat of the boar himself. This, with my attention to my coral and bells, and rattle, singing thro’ a comb and brown paper, together with the great expertness I afterwards shew’d in making whistles of reeds, and the recent bark of sycamore twigs, made the oldest people of the parish foretel, that I should one day or other become a great and celebrated Musician.
My taste for the sister art of music, Poetry, was likewise, as I am inform’d, observed very early in my childhood; as I always held my mouth wide open, when the Psalm was sang at our Parish-Church; and soon was able to repeat without book a great part of Sternhold and Hopkins’s excellent version of that great Dilettanti performer on the harp, King David’s pieces.
Having been well inform’d that the infancy, and indeed the riper years of the great Mus. D. or musical Doctor (whom I call, par excellence, Dr. Mus) passed in much the same manner, and with similar expectations from all the old ladies of his acquaintance; and having observed with what eclat, and indeed universal approbation of all people of taste, his ingenious account of his ingenious travels has been received, I conceived a design of following so illustrious an example, and travelling through the dominions of England, Scotland and Ireland, with the town of Berwick upon Tweed, to give a true state of the musical improvement and progression in these kingdoms; and hope I may flatter myself, that the Dr. himself will applaud my undertaking, and consider it as a proper supplement to his elaborate work.
Before I set forwards on my travels, I chose to change my name from Collier to Coglioni or Collioni, as more euphonious; and on the first of April, having torn myself from the arms of my weeping wife, and four small children, I put my bassoon into a green-bag, and slung it across my shoulders; my large violoncello was laid on my knee as I sat in the waggon, and my clothes, with a bottle of brandy and some biscuits, were pack’d up in the viol-case. As I was neither patronized, nor franked on my tour by any Dilettanti Lord, I must confess the low state of my circumstances, and the poverty in which I had left my family, cast a damp on my spirits; but this was always soon dissipated by an air on the violoncello, and by recollecting the great advantages my travels, to enquire into the state of music in this island, would be to my dear native country, and the fame and glory I should acquire by the publication of my work, perhaps only inferior to that of the great Dr. Mus himself.
Inspir’d by taste, o’er lands and seas HE flew,
Europe he saw, and Europe saw him too.
Thro’ lands of singing, or of dancing slaves,
Love-echoing woods, and lute-resounding waves.
O while along the stream of time, that name
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame;
Say, shall my little bark attendant sail,
Pursue the triumph and partake the gale?—