ear; they seem to defy all delicate management; and they always ftare from the fine mellow founds of the natural voice, like the ftrokes of a modern dauber, on an old embrowned portrait of Titian or Vandyke. By dint of affiduous practice, the lower of thefe artificial notes may be fo fubdued and affimilated, as occafionally to come in aid of the natural voice, but I never knew an instance in which they would bear an obligato part with complete fuccefs. Braham himself, who ma nages his voice on all occafions with infinite felicity, fails here, I think. The highest, the clearest, the most powerful, and altogether the most extraordinary natural voice I ever heard, is that of a Mr. Smith, who is now, I learn, under the tuition of the Ahleys. If he fucceed in giving it the finish of modulation, he will become a very great acquifition to the mufical. world. Neither the tone nor the compass of the voice, is much under the power of practice: the tones may be a little improved; the compafs a little extended; but nature mult have done nearly all.

II. In the Voice, Nature does nearly every thing; EXECUTION depends entirely on ourselves.-Execution, fo far as it refpects a single note, confifts in holding that note fteadily and firmly, with different degrees of ftrength, in the fame even tone; in fwelling it, gradually and equably, from the gen. tleft afpiration to the utmost plenitude. of volume; and lastly, in diminishing that volume, by the fame imperceptible gradations, till it dies away upon the ear like the vibrations of a bell. Simple as thefe operations may appear, they are by no means eaty: the laft, indeed, is fo difficult, that very few, even of the first performers, are perfect matters of it. Farinelli, who was great in every thing, is faid to have been tranfcendantly fo in this particular. The elements of execution, as it refpects a fuccefion of notes, confiit, in paffing firmly, and without any perceptible interval of time, or change in either tone, from one note to another; or, in melting the two notes infenfibly one into the other by a blended gradation of intermediate tones.-Thefe requifites in the management of fingie notes and their connection attained, nothing remains to perfectionate Execution, but that

knowledge and that practice which is neceflary for the acquifition of excellence on any musical instrument. One obfervation, however, I will make, be cause it holds univerfally true, and is too generally neglected.- Every note fhould be distinctly given. Even in the most rapid and difficult divifions, where what is emphatically called Execution, is moft brilliantly displayed, not a particle should be flurred over : every thing, even to the minutest appoggiatura, fhould be touched.-I do not mean to fay with force and terfenefs (that muft depend on the occafion), but, on all occations, with a decifion that may strike the ear. It is only by a ftrict attention to this particular, that we can hope to emulate that precifion and fpirit which charms us in the first profeffional performers.-For eminence in Execution, we cannot look to higher ftandards, than Mrs. Billington, Mr. Braham, and Signior Morelli: they are perfect models, in their refpective departments, of this fort of excellence.

III. TASTE is difplayed in whatever is introduced to delight the ear, beyond what the compofer has prefcribed; either by fome inflection of the notes as they itand in the fcore, or by the ad. dition of others in the form of gracings. The fubject is obviously too delicate for preceptive criticifm: nothing but an original fenfibility, cultivated by an attention to the belt models, can poffibly enable us to excel, or to judge of excellence, in this department of the

art.

There is an error or two, however, on the fubject, which it may be proper to notice. In the firft place, the infertions of Tafte fhould intimately partake of the genius and character of the air which they are employed to decorate. A very different fpecies of embellishment is required for "Hope told a flattering tale," and "The Soldier tired of war's alarms :" the gracings of the former, thould partake of the penfive and the tender; the adornings of the latter, of the animated and the grand. Nothing, however, is more common, than to find the fame: round of flourishes promifcuously applied on all occafions. In the next place, thefe infertions, except in ad libitum movements, fhould never interfere with the time. If the performer have not kill and execution enough to reconcile his gracings with this inflex

ible

ible ftandard, by all means let the gracings be dismissed. Lastly, even under both these reftrictions, the infertions of Tafte fhould not be too oftentatiously obtruded; the performer, after all, is fubfervient to the compofer; and his efforts are miferably mifapplied, if they ferve to obftruct that impreffion which they should only tend to affift.-I cannot point out two more exquisite examples of judicious and tasteful decoration than Mr. Harrifon and Mr. Braham.

IV. We are now arrived at ExPRESSION. Tones, almost as melodious as the voice, may be produced from the organ, the flute, and the oboe; Execution, in fome refpects, nearly as perfect, and in fome, ftill more brilliant, may be difplayed on these and various other inftruments; and fome thing like an emulation of its graceful decorations, may, in hands of exquifite fkill, be extracted by the bow; but, on the fubject of expreffion, all competition from inftrumental mufic fades away, and the human voice stands unparalleled and alone. Without entering upon a difquifition on the faculty of founds to itir the affections, the peculiar aptitude of the voice for this purpose may be confidered as arifing from its wonderful and exquifite flexibility; from its exclusive property of conveying the fenfe with the tone in which it is invested; and from its proceeding directly from the perfon of the performer: by its flexibility, it is fufceptible of fuch turns and touches, true to nature and to feeling, as no inftrument can reach; by combining the fenfe with the found, it prepares the paffion which it defigns to excite, and is left the eafy task of inflaming the emotions which eloquence has kindled; by proceeding directly from the mouth of the performer, it is capable of uniting to both thefe capital advantages, the effect and intereft of dramatic reprefentation.-The only mode of attaining to Expreflion, in this enlarged, and indeed in any fenfe, is to kindle in our own breafts, the paffion we design to infpire: this accomplithed, nature will do the rest; without it art can do nothing. The only teft of its existence, is an appeal to the fame quarter.-For high examples of this great excellence, I have no heftation in pointing to

Mr. Kelly, Mr. Bartleman, and Madame Mara.

Such appear to me the four grand requifites for eminence in finging. They are evidently fubfervient to each other in the order in which I have placed them: without Voice, there can be no Execution; without both, there can be little difplay of Tafte; and without the union of all three, Expreffion must remain imperfect. They naturally, too, fucceed to our regard, and rife in real value, in the fame order: we firft fet out with admiring fimply a good Voice; we next begin to feel the fuperior merit of Execution; Tafte in the management of both, at length attaches our eftecm; till at last we juftly give our rapture to the fuperior tranfcendant virtue of Expreffion. Thefe qualities may indeed obtain in different proportions, and in different combinations, in different performers; they may even prevail in the very op potite arrangement to that I have adopted; but it is only in the complete union of all four, feparately fublimed to excellence, that perfection can confift. Imagine a Voice of prodigious compais, and clear, and full, and powerful throughout all its extent: "conceive this incomparable voice commanded by an Execution the most correct, the moft obfequious, the most brilliant: aflume, as a prefiding principle to guide thefe talents, a Tafte, pure and exquifite in its nature, and appropriate, varied, and chalte in its application; lattly, feign all these qualities united in a vocal Garrick, full of feeling, full of difcrimination, and anxious, as able, to employ them all in the great fervice of Expreffion-and we thall poffefs in our minds a standard of perfection as exalted as human ability can reach. Were I required to affign, from performers whom we have known, ingredients of excellence which might approximate the neareft to this imaginary standard, I would felect for this purpofe, with little fcruple, the Voice of Marchef, the Execution of Billington, the Tate of Braham, and the Expreffion of Mara.

I fall here, for the prefent, close my oblervations on the art of Singing. Should they prove acceptable, I may perhaps hereafter follow them up with fome more detached remarks; and with a fcale, on the principle of that of Gray's for painters, to express the par

ticular

ticular and relative proficiency of fome of our principal performers in each of the four divifions into which I have

diftributed their talents. In the mean time, I remain, &c. &c.

G. N.

I

Swanfea, Oct. 17, Sunday MR. EDITOR, Evening. ARRIVED in Swansea about eight o'clock on the morning of the 31t of Auguft, with my wife and child, whom I brought from Devon with me to this place in the packet. My aëroRatic machinery being under the care of a trufty fervant, who was behind on the road, I waited in Swanfea near a fortnight before I received any intelligence. Having taken up my refidence, the fecond day after our arrival, at Mr. Griffith's, the linen draper, in this town, during this vacation, as I had plenty of leifure time upon my hands, I put together a large Montgolfier, made of tiffue paper, which meafured twenty feet by eighteen in diameter, likewife a parachute, which was intended to be attached to the balloon, with a small car, containing a cat and dog, likewife a pafteboard box filled with combustibles, and a flow match, which was to fire the balloon, and burn away the cord which fufpended the parachute and the two little animals. We had every thing ready by the even ing of the intended day, which proved exceedingly windy; so much as to render the filling of the Montgolfier ex; tremely difficult, but which I accomplithed by the affittance of some Gentlemen of the town.

Just as I brought the fire balloon upon the stage, a Gentleman ftept up to me and faid, "Mr. Barrett, fend up the balloon to night, and you may get two or three hundred pounds in the town; all your fuccefs depends upon to-night! if you fucceed you will do well here," &c. I had the mortification to perceive a large hole juft below the middle part of the Montgolfier; however, as it was of fufficient magnitude to contain enough of gas in the upper part to carry up its own weight, and we found that it made confiderable efforts to afcend, I de fired the man who held the lower end of the rope which suspended the balloon, to "cut away;" the machine

afcended; but in a minute was checked by the fame rope, which took a dozen turns round about the eye of a key through which it was passed, as a fubftitute for a block which had been previously removed before the machine was filled, on account of the pulley not working free. The wind being high, brought the longest part of the Montgolfier parallel with the horizon, which immediately took fire, and was in a few minutes confumed; here was a failure that I felt severely; and the more fo as there were about a thoufand people affembled on the outside of the Ball Court of the George Inn, which was the place fixed upon for my aëroftatic experiments; however, chagrined as I was, this did not deter me from making (of the best materials I could get in this place, which was common printing paper, much too heavy) two other Montgolfiers, one about twelve feet high and fifteen diameter, and the other feven feet high, and the fame diameter, exactly the fame fhape as Mr. Garnerin's cylindrical balloon, the top being fpherical. The first of thefe I fent up after discharging two dozen of good maroons, and a few light balls: it afcended very heavily to the height of about 4000 feet, and remained in the air till the fire went completely out, when it fell in the yard of a houfe about 200 yards from the place where it afcended, and was brought me back again very much torn. About one hour afterwards, I fent up the other, which was ftill heavier than the former; however, that afcended about 1,0co feet, and fell nearly in the fame fpot as the first, after being in the air about eight minutes. I let off a few more maroons, and left the court for that night. A few days after this, my large balloon, car, net, twenty tin tubes, and the rest of the apparatus arrived fafe in this port; and no other damage done except to the pipes. which were nearly fhook to pieces, and unfit for ufe till repaired. I found

that the town feemed rather diffatis fied; but I began to think that as the fight of a proper aëroftatic machine, with its apparatus, must be an entire novelty to fome hundreds of the inhabitants, I concluded that to attempt an afcent would be ftill more fatisfactory, and, in fome meafure, make amends for the difappointment occafioned by the non-afcent of the first Montgolfier. It was very windy weather, and there was no covered building, or any other convenient place, to blow it up with common air, but the Ball-court, which was high enough, but exposed to the atmosphere.

In this place I began to have it in flated in the morning; and after half a day's puffing and blowing with a fmall pair of forge bellows, which had twenty holes in it, we got it about 7-tenths full; the day's exhibition yielded twenty-two fhillings; at dark we preffed out the common air, and removed it to my apartments.-A day or two after, I began to fill it again with common air; but the wind being very high, we again pressed out what air had been blown into it, and removed it to our lodgings; the amount of this day's receipts was four fhillings, out of which I had to pay for workmen's labour, ufe of the Court, &c. about four pounds twelve fhillings and two-pence halfpenny, and I had about eleven fhillings left to pay it with. As I had met with to little encouragement either to go on with any more Montgolfiers, or to attempt to raise the Aeroltat, I began to think myself placed in a very whim fical predicament, not to fay unfortu. nate; and, upon retrospection, my paft expences, labour, fatigue, and anxiety of mind, as well as ill fuccefs, and the daily_flagellation of the Gentlemen of the Type, put me almost to my wits end, to find out in what kind of mode I could propofe to fill my balloon with gas fufficient to carry me up into the atmosphere! indeed it struck me once or twice, whether it would not be more profitable to cut up my balloon and fet up a manufactory of bathing caps, umbrellas, and hat-covers, of which I could foon have produced a plentiful stock; but again reflecting that my favourite object was not yet accomplished. viz. making an afcent

into the air, I determined at all events to push my point to the utmost: accordingly, I published hand-bills, and folicited a fubfcription to the amount of 70l. This would have been ineffectual, had it not been for the kind interference of Mr. Ruffell, and another Gentleman, as there were three doubtful points exifting in the minds of the people, viz. ft, As to my being able to fill the balloon. 2dly, As to the poflibility of getting fubfcribers fufficient to pay the expences. 3dly, If the balloon was filled, whether I would afcend. However, the vitriol was at my request obtained by a Chymist of the town from Brittol and Neath, and Wednesday the 6th inft. was the day fixed. There were about 500 people affembled; I had been at work three days before in getting the casks, confifting of barrels, hogfheads, and puncheons, which were obtained with much difficulty and folicitation. About eight o'clock on Wednesday morning I began to fill the balloon; but, owing to a misunderstanding, which occafioned delays, the gas condensed while I was waiting for vitriol; at length I was neceffitated to top the process of filing for want of vitriol, after using eight bottles, or carpoys, and was upon the point of haranguing the audience, when part of the stage broke down, and feveral perfons thereon fell, together with myself: I was no further hurt than falling on my thumb, which pained me for a few hours; a boy fractured the bone of his leg by the fall, which, as it was occafioned in fome measure by the balloon as the primary caufe, I acknowledge myfelf willing to pay for the fetting of his leg out of the fubfcription money collected. Thus ended that day's bufinefs, which was very incorrectly, not to lay maliciously or ill-naturedly, stated in the Papers. This day's bufinets yielded me nothing except chagrin; however, I confoled myself as well as I could with the old adage, "that a bad beginning often makes a good ending," and that there is "a time for every thing under the fun;" and though that tinie was yet to come, it might not be long before I should be able to rife above the clouds of ad. verfity, and hold my head as high as any other Aeronaut, either French or

English.

re

English. While I amufed myself with thefe fpeculations, I was all on a fudden cheered with the animating hope of accomplishing my wishes, and depriving of their venom thofe wafps who had ftung me fo often in the public prints. By the kind affiftance of the two Gentlemen before named, a 'formidable fubfcription was fet on foot; the expence of a fresh fupply of vitriol was guaranteed; and on my fide, to prove to thofe Gentlemen that I wished to render myself worthy of their confidence and efteem, I made no hesitation to fay, that I would take my balloon and apparatus that I would fill it and afcend; which was approved of, and articles of agreement figned and fealed. Accordingly, laft Friday was the day fixed; and, after getting the stage repaired, and all other materials ready the day before, we commenced the process of filling. I forgot to mention to you, that I had been occupied four or five days in varnishing my balloon with elaftic gum varnish, which I prepared just before I left London, to render all fecure, and prevent as much as poflible a fecond difappointment. This job was done in the open fields alternately, as the weather permitted-pardon this digreffion. We commenced filling precisely at a quarter before ten o'clock; and by half past twelve the balloon was fufficiently inflated barely to carry up my own weight. About this time, a cafk, which had been just charged with vitriol and water, burft and let out the materials: this occafioned fome delay; befide which a fmart breeze, which fprung up from the north-eaft, occafioned a rent in the lower part of the balloon, owing to the great train of part of the net across the filk of the machine, to keep it fteady we loft a great deal of gas; but foon repaired this trifling accident. From the difficulty of obtaining a fufficient number of cafks, we were obliged to empty and again charge the fmall cafks, while our large refrigatory, confifting of eleven tubes and larger casks, were at work. About half past one, I went to my lodgings to get fome roaft mutton, part of which I fecured and put up in my pocket handkerchief, in cafe of defcending

:

where no meat was to be had. I returned to the field; but in that space of time (about fifteen minutes) could not perceive much alteration in the fize of the balloon. I gave directions for the car to be flung. As our vitriol was all out, and the tubes flaccid, a little before three I got into the car with fifty pounds of ballast, a bottle of brandy, fome mutton and bread, flags, &c. all of which I threw out before the balloon began to afcend, except the bottle; and that went foon after to enable me to clear a hedge which the balloon got foul of. The populace then came up, and bore me and the balloon upon their fhoulders to the extremity of the field, when I found myfelf rifing gradually, and for the fit time in my life abandor-d to a new element. However, the pleasure I enjoyed in the profpect of the town and its environs, as well as rifing amid the acciamations and applause of near 10,000 people, was very fhort lived; for at the moment I was whirling round my cap to take leave of the multitude below me, to my very great mortification and difappointment, I found the balloon defcending, which it continued to do until it lighted gently about four fields dittance, after which it alternately afcended and defcended for the space of a quarter of an hour, carrying me over fields, trees, and hedges, and fometimes fkimming a few feet above the furface of the earth. Finding all my endeavours to re-afcend ineffectual, I got out of my cradle; and, after opening the valve, the bal. loon, which was now lightened by 130lb. afcended with great velocity, till it appeared not larger than an acorn, taking its courfe directly over the fea, where it remained ftationary; but foon after met with a different current of wind, which brought it within fix miles of the place it first afcended from, where it fell gently in the middle of a field, after being up three hours, and all the while in fight. The balloon was feized by the country people; and cut through the middle, to let me out, as they alleged, whom they fuppofed nearly or quite dead.

FRAN. BARRETT.

MR.