A lady gave him a remarkable large orange: after looking at it a moment, with admiration, “Ah! (says he,) this is a double orange.” Some have reported that he is humoursome: it is true, he will not always continue playing on in a regular manner during the time allotted for company to see him; nor can it be expected, he is not of an age to be reasoned with, and humanity forbids compulsion: it is, in fact, rather surprising that he can be brought to play everyday, without growing tired, and disappointing the company.
We forgot to observe, that if any person plays a tune he never heard, with the right hand on his organ, he will put a bass to it with his left hand. He will also name every note that is struck on an organ, or any other instrument, and always knows if any person plays out of tune.
Literary Miscellany, for June, 1779.
ACCOUNT OF MADEMOISELLE THERESA PARADIS, OF VIENNA, THE CELEBRATED BLIND PERFORMER ON THE PIANO-FORTE.
The following account of this wonderful woman appeared in one of the periodical papers for March, 1785.
“This young person, equally distinguished by her talents and misfortunes, is the daughter of M. Paradis, secretary to his Imperial Majesty, in the Bohemian department, and god-daughter to the Empress Queen.
“At the age of two years and eight months, she was suddenly deprived of sight, by a paralytic stroke, or palsy in the optic nerves.
“At seven years old, she began to listen with great attention to the music she had heard in the church, which suggested to her parents, the idea of having her taught to play on the piano-forte, and soon after to sing. In three or four years time, she was able to accompany herself on the organ, in the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi, of which she sung the first soprano, or upper part, in the church of St. Augustin, at Vienna, in the presence of the Empress Queen; who was so touched with her performance and misfortune, that she settled a pension on her for life.
“After learning of several masters at Vienna, she pursued her musical studies under the care of Kozeluch, who has composed many admirable lessons and concertos, on purpose for her use, which she plays with the utmost neatness and expression.
“At the age of thirteen, she was placed under the care of the celebrated empyric, Dr. Mesmer, who undertook to cure every species of disease by Animal Magnetism. He called her disorder a perfect gutta serena, and pretended, after she had been placed in his house, as a boarder, for several months, that she was perfectly cured; yet, refusing to let her parents take her away, or even visit her, after some time; till, by the advice of the Barons Stoerk and Wenzel, Dr. Ingenhous, Professor Barth, the celebrated anatomist, and by the express order of her late Imperial Majesty, she was taken out of his hands by force; when it was found, that she could see no more than when she was first admitted as Mesmer’s patient. However, he had the diabolical malignity to assert, that she could see very well, and only pretended blindness, to preserve the pension granted to her by the Empress Queen; and, since the decease of this princess, the pension of Madame Paradis has been withdrawn, indiscriminately with all other pensions granted by her Imperial Majesty.