1741.
1. The Enraged Musician, Designed, engraved, and published by W. Hogarth. "Mr. John Festin,[1] the first hautboy and German flute of his time, had numerous scholars, to each of whom he devoted an hour every day. At nine in the morning he attended Mr. Spencer, grandfather to the earl of that name. If he happened to be out of town on any day, he devoted that hour to another. One morning at that hour he waited on Mr. V——n, afterwards Lord V——n. He was not up. Mr. Festin went into his chamber, and opening the shutter of a window, sat down in it. The figure with the hautboy was playing under the window. A man, with a barrow full of onions, came up to the player, and sat on the edge of his barrow, and said to the man, 'if you will play the Black Joke, I will give you this onion.' The man played it. When he had so done, the man again desired him to play some other tune, and then he would give him another onion. 'This,' said Festin to me, 'highly angered me; I cried out, Z——ds, sir, stop here. This fellow is ridiculing my profession: he is playing on the hautboy for onions.' Being intimate with Mr. Hogarth, he mentioned the circumstance to him; which, as he said, was the origin of 'The enraged Musician.' The fact may be depended upon. Mr. Festin[2] was himself the Enraged Performer." The story is here told just as he related it to a clergyman, in whose words the reader now receives it.
Of this print[3] it has been quaintly said, that it deafens one to look at it. Mr. Walpole is of opinion that it "tends to farce." Rouquet says of it, "Le Musicien est un Italien que les cris de Londres font enrager." The wretched figure playing on a hautbois, was at that time well known about the streets. For variations, see the horse's head, originally white, but now black.—Sleeve of the child with a rattle, at first smaller, as well as of a lighter hue—the milk-woman's face, cloak, &c. boy's dragg, cutler's hatchet, dog, &c. &c. more darkened than in the first impressions. These, however, can scarcely be termed varieties, as they were occasioned only by retouching the plate, and adding a few shadows.
Hogarth, however, made several alterations and additions in this plate when it appeared to be finished. He changed in some measure all the countenances, and indeed the entire head and limbs of the chimney-sweeper, who had originally a grenadier's cap on. Miss had also a Doll, significantly placed under the trap composed of bricks, near which some sprigs from a tree are set in the ground, the whole contrivance being designed by some boy for the purpose of taking birds; but when occupied by Miss's Play-thing, became emblematic of the art of catching men. What relates, however, to this young lady from a boarding-school, was gross enough without such an amplification. The play-bill, sow-gelder, cats, dragg, &c. were not introduced, nor the pewterer's advertisement, nor the steeple in which the ringers are supposed. It is remarkable that the dustman was without a nose. The proofs of the plate in this condition are scarce. I have seen only one of them.[4] Mr. S. Ireland has the original sketch.
[1] "Mr. Festin has not been dead ten years. He was brother to the Festin who led the band at Ranelagh."
[2] In the second edition of these anecdotes, I had said "the musician was undoubtedly Castrucci;" though one gentleman assured me it was Veracini. The error is here acknowledged, to shew the danger of receiving information upon trust. In the first edition, I had fallen into a less pardonable mistake, by supposing it was Cervetto, whom I described to be then lately dead. But "Hogarth's musician," as a friend on that occasion suggested to me, "is represented with a violin; whereas Cervetto's instrument was the violoncello; but, however that may be, he is now certainly living. He lodges at Friburg's snuff-shop, in The Haymarket, and may be seen every day at The Orange Coffeehouse, although he completed his 101st. year in November 1781." This extraordinary character in the musical world came to England in the hard frost, and was then an old man. He soon after was engaged to play the bass at Drury-lane theatre, and continued in that employment till a season or two previous to Mr. Garrick's retiring from the stage. He died June 14, 1783, in his 103d year. One evening when Mr. Garrick was performing the character of Sir John Brute, during the drunkard's muttering and dosing till he falls fast asleep in the chair (the audience being most profoundly silent and attentive to this admirable performer), Cervetto (in the orchestra) uttered a very loud and immoderately-lengthened yawn! The moment Garrick was off the stage, he sent for the musician, and with considerable warmth reprimanded him for so ill-timed a symptom of somnnolency, when the modern Naso, with great address, reconciled Garrick to him in a trice, by saying, with a shrug, "I beg ten tousand pardon! but I alvays do so ven I am ver much please!" Mr. Cervetto was distinguished among his friends in the galleries by the name of Nosey. See Gentleman's Magazine, 1783, p. 95.
[3] London Daily Post, November 24, 1740. "Shortly will be published, a new print called The Provoked Musician, designed and engraved by Mr William Hogarth; being a companion to a print representing a Distressed Poet, published some time since. To which will be added, a Third on Painting, which will compleat the set; but as this subject may turn upon an affair depending between the right honourable the L—d M—-r and the author, it may be retarded for some time."
Query to what affair does Hogarth allude? Humphrey Parsons was then Lord Mayor.
[4] In the collection of Mr. Crickitt.