Pepys' entry in his Diary for November 15, 1667, is very quaint. He says, "Home, and there find, as I expected, Mr. Cæsar and little Pelham Humphreys, lately returned from France, and is an absolute Monsieur, as full of form and confidence and vanity, and disparages everything and everybody's skill but his own. But to hear how he laughs at all the king's musick here, at Blagrave and others, that they cannot keep time or tune, nor understand anything: and at Grebus,[18] the Frenchman, the king's master of musick, how he understands nothing, nor can play on any instrument, and so cannot compose: and that he will give him a lift out of his place, and that he and the king are mighty great." On the following day, the 16th, Pepys notes that there was a performance of Pelham Humphreys' musick given before the king at Whitehall.
That Humphreys was an admirable musician, possessed of uncommon genius, is easily discernible from the numerous compositions of his which have come down to us. He took as his models Lulli and Carissimi; but fortunately Purcell's genius was stronger and more emphatic than that of his master: had it been otherwise he would have become a mere copyist; but, as we shall hereafter see, Purcell looked to Italy for good musical models, and was not afraid to express his dislike to the frivolity of the French school.
There exists a very interesting manuscript anthem in Purcell's handwriting, which was originally composed by Humphreys, but afterwards altered and improved by Purcell.
Poor Humphreys had but a short career, or we may be sure he would have accomplished greater things than he did. Two years before he died he married a very beautiful lady, who followed him to his grave in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey in 1674, he being only twenty-seven years of age.
Purcell was then sixteen years old, and his boy-soprano voice must have been near its breaking—perhaps it had already departed. It was, however, the good custom of the period to retain as supernumeraries of the King's Chapel any of the old boys who gave evidence of musical ability. In 1666 we find "Hen. Cooke, Thomas Purcell, and other Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, petition on behalf of themselves, the pages of the chapel, and boys whose voices have changed, for payment, there being no money assigned to the treasurer of the chamber for those purposes."
Purcell therefore continued attached to the Chapel Royal, and became a pupil of Dr. John Blow, the successor to Pelham Humphreys, as "Master of the Children." That Purcell studied under Blow is certain from the inscription on Blow's monument in Westminster Abbey, where it is stated that he was "master to the famous Henry Purcell." Blow was undoubtedly the very master Purcell then needed, for he was eminent for his goodness, amiability, and moral character, and combined with those excellent qualities all the learning and experience of a sound musician. His compositions are remarkable for their melodies and the boldness of their harmonical progressions.[19] He held appointments at the Chapel Royal, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and St. Margaret's, Westminster; and it speaks strongly for his singleness of heart, and the total absence of envy and jealousy in his nature, that recognising and proclaiming the remarkable abilities of his pupils, Purcell and Jeremiah Clarke, he resigned his appointments at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, in order that they might occupy those prominent and advantageous positions. This estimable man, Blow, survived his dear friend and pupil, Purcell, some years, and so became his successor at Westminster Abbey, and was eventually laid in a grave close to him, nearly beneath the organ where they had so often discoursed sweet music together.
That Blow fully estimated the genius of his pupil Purcell, there can be no doubt, since many manuscript copies of the compositions of the latter exist in the handwriting of Blow. Probably it was at the suggestion of Blow that Purcell was appointed copyist[20] to Westminster Abbey in 1676. He succeeded the Rev. Stephen Byng, one of the minor canons, who probably resigned the post, as he did not die till 1681. Purcell was eighteen years of age when he became copyist of Westminster Abbey; hence arose the mistake made by Burney and Hawkins, and constantly repeated on their authority, that Purcell was appointed organist of Westminster Abbey at eighteen. The office of copyist he held for two years only.
Mention has previously been made of the music to Macbeth as the composition of Purcell; probably the recognition of the excellence and effectiveness of this work induced the managers of the theatres to give him further employment; for in 1676 we find him composing music for at least three plays—Shadwell's Epsom-Wells, Dryden's Aurenge-Zebe, and Shadwell's Libertine. The latter contains a four-part chorus, "In these delightful, pleasant groves," still popular with choral societies. The whole of the music of The Libertine is very bold, and would be an interesting work to revive for its merits; it is further curious from the fact that the libretto is founded on the same story which was long years afterwards adopted by Mozart for his opera, Don Giovanni. In 1677 Purcell wrote the music for Mrs. Behn's tragedy, Abdelazor, and also the music, solo and chorus, of an ode "On the death of his Worthy Friend, Mr. Matthew Locke, musick composer in ordinary to His Majesty, and Organist of Her Majesties Chappel, who Dyed in August 1677." The words of the ode are as follow:—
"What hope for us remains now he is gone?