BEING Bell's COURT AND FASHIONABLE MAGAZINE, FOR JUNE, 1812. A New and Improved Series. EMBELLISHMENTS. 1. An ORIGINAL PORTRAIT of MRS. DICKONS, Eugraven by Mr. CARDON, from an admirable likeness in Crayons. 2. A WHOLE LENGTH PORTRAIT FIGURE, in an OPERA, or GALA DRESS. 3. A very beautiful WHOLE-LENGTH PORTRAIT FIGURE, in the Fashionable EVENING DRESS of the Month, drawn from an Original Dress made within the Month. 4. An OUTLINE SKETCH of a LADY with a Fan of Feathers in her hand, by VAN DYK. 5. An OUTLINE SKETCH of a GENTLEMAN bolding his Daughter in his hand; by VAN DYK. 6. TELL ME WHEN AND TELL ME WHERE," an Original SONG, written and set to Music, for the Harp and Piano forte, exclusively for this Work, by Dr. KITCHINER. 7. An Original PATTERN for NEEDLE or TAMBOUR-WORK. TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS AND THE PUBLIC.. OUR SUBSCRIBERS and the Public, are referred to the EMBELLISHMENTS in the five preceding and present Numbers, as Specimens of the taste and finish in which they may expect the ornamental part of this Work to be executed in future. The PORTRAITS will form a new and interesting Series of Cabinet Prints, which are properly adapted for being framed and glazed, or for preservation in Portfolios, as they may be always admired as a Biographical and Portrait representation of distinguished Female characters of the present times. The COSTUMES of every Month will form a practical and highly interesting Collection of the FASHIONS of these days; the continued variations as they arise will ascertain the Auctuating state of the Fashionable World. In deference and respect to the numerous requests which the Publisher has received from his present Subscribers, in consequence of the very interesting and highly finished Farewell Portrait Print of Mrs. SIDDONS, given in the 29th Number of this Work, he will present the Public, in the succeeding Numbers, with a short series of Portraits of fEMALE PERFORMERS of the greatest Celebrity of the present times; accompanied with characteristic Memoirs and Criticisms on their professional merits. All to be taken from original Pictures of great estimation, and engraven and finished in a style of excellence not inferior to the highly admired Print of Mrs. Siddons above referred to. The Dramatic Portraits in succession are, April 1.-MISS SMITH, engraven by CARDON, after an original Miniature. May 1.-MRS. BILLINGTON, in the character of ST. CECILIA, after the celebrated Picture by Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, engraven by CARDON, in a most beautiful manner. June 1.-MRS. EDWIN, engraven by CARDON from an original Miniature. July 1.-MRS. DICKONS, from an admirable likeness in Crayons. Aug. 1.-MRS. JORDAN, as a Farewell Print, in the character of THALIA, engraven by Mr. CARDON, after the much admired Picture painted by the late Mr. HOPNER, in the possession of his Royal Highness the Duke of CLARENCE. London: PRINTED BY AND FOR JOHN BELL, SOLE PROPRIETOR OF THIS MAGAZINE, AND PROPRIETOR OF THE WEEKLY MESSENGER, SOUTHAMPTON-STREET, STRAND. JULY 1, 1812. LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE; For JUNE, 1812. A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND The Thirty-third Number. MRS. DICKONS. said, that the changeableness of the English climate must always operate against the human voice; but then we find that Italian singers preserve their vocal powers midst all our fogs, and we find that some of our fair countrywomen may be found to rival even them. The superiority then which Italy possesses (for it cannot be denied that a general superiority exists, though there are individual exceptions), must depend upon other causes than the mere ones of climate; and we must therefore refer to the second reason already mentioned. In tracing the progress of one who is, parts of Europe. It has indeed been often now allowed to be the first female English singer on our Stage, it is not our intention to enter into invidious comparisons between English talent and foreign execution; though we have seen (as recorded in our preceding Number) that English talent and execution could find even enthusiastic admirers in the native laud of harmony itself. It must be confessed that for many ages Italy has boasted the possession of the finest voices and of the finest execution. It must also be allowed, that this boast has been founded on just grounds, and the preeminence may be considered as arising from two causes; first, from the conformation of the vocal organs, to which the climate gives an extraordinary degree of flexibility; and secondly, the effect produced on the voice by early discipline, and the habit of executing the most difficult yet most harmonious compositions, many of which have been expressly formed in order to elicit the various powers of the human voice. Music, therefore, having been cultivated in Italy long before it became an object of attention to other realms, it is not surprizing that it should at least have a kind of chronological superiority over the other" Italy and France were long considered as the only two schools of music; though Germany had produced many excellent composers, and though England had her Purcell. Nor was it until the appearance of Handel (a German too by birth) that England was allowed her station in the musical world. Three schools, however, are now allowed to exist. Amongst these Italy claims the pre-eminence, and that she owes principally to Pergolese, who has been justly called the "Raphael of Music." His great excellence has been defined as lying in his power of exciting the passions by sounds lish composers may be said first to have which at first seem in direct opposition to made their appearance, we find that dif that which they would express; spiriting ficulty was considered as the greatest beauty the heart to rage by the most solemn ca- in their compositions, with the exception dences, and lulling it to the softest melan- of the madrigal, which possessed much choly by rapid chords. In all this, however, harmony when sung in parts, but was yet though much depended upon instrumental, too simple to draw out the powers of the yet vocal powers aiso bore a considerable human voice, though sufficiently instructive part. Much also was performed by his of the ear in teaching it to hit the distances, quick transitions of expression, which added and to direct the voice in their choice. But much to the practised flexibility of the Purcell now attempted to accustom English voice; whilst the voice again was kept in voices to Italian trills; yet as he engrafted tune, as we may say, by his simpler melodics their difficult beauties on the unmelodious where no passion was expressed, yet where chaunts of English ditties, our singing taste was formed and execution practised. would have been but a piece of patchSucceeding composers, it has been acknow-work had not Handel adopted the English ledged, have taken his style as their ground-manner simply, and improved it; for it is work, so that a kind of traditional mode and manner, and even power, have been handed down through succeeding generations. It must, however, be allowed, that varieties have been introduced; indeed we recollect having heard the Italian style in music classically compared to that of Seneca in writing, where there are some beautiful starts of thought, yet the whole filled with studied elegance and unaffected affecta-Italian, as established by Pergolese, excel tion. a musical fact, now well established, that Handel, though born a German, was a truc English composer, founding his best and almost immortal pieces on the English manner reduced to musical rules, whilst his imitations of the Italian school are now forgotten. If we were then to characterise the genius of the three schools, we would say that the led in the simplicity of passion; that the French was undoubtedly elegant, but nothing more; but that the characteristic of the English school, as elicited and illustrat In France, a peculiar style both of composing and singing has long prevailed; their music was like the ancient chaunts in their sacred worship; and its style has beened by Handel, possessed the true sublime. adduced as an additional proof of a position For such a school then we would say the apparently paradoxical, that in proportion English voice is peculiarly fitted, and havto the cheerful or sombre disposition of the ing practised its instructions, has at length inhabitants of any country, so is the genius learned to rival the execution of Italy. of their music in a strong contrast to it. To Lully, however, is France indebted for her later improvements, aided indeed much by the additional beauties invented by Rameau. Yet what have they done, as it has been asked, but added noise to dullness? Yet we will not press hard upon our national rivals, but refer them to the sentiments of their own admired country man, in Rousseau's Elvise. That English music was not favourable to the improvement and discipline of the human voice, previous to the time of Elizabeth, we believe no one will deny who has ever heard the ditties of that period, either preserved in old collections, or even yet traditionally sung in retired parts of the kingdom. Even in that reign, wheu Eng That the subject of our present biography is peculiarly fitted for a pure English singer, has long been acknowledged; not, however, for the English school in its native simplicity, but as now adorned with all the ornaments of art, and guided through all the intricacies of vocal harmony by the rules of musical composition, which are the same at all times and seasons, though their mode of application may, and does differ in various periods and in various countries. Mrs. Dickous, late Miss Caroline Pooic, was born about 1780, and was one of a very numerous family, her parents having ten children, of which she was the youngest but two. Her father, we believe, has not long been dead, and her mother paid the debt of nature at Newington, in March, great and well-merited success, it is said 1807, at an advanced age. that she resolved to give up all public appearance. The reason for this we know not; but it appears that soon after she formed a matrimonial connection, being united on the 7th of August, 1800, at St. Peter's Church, Liverpool, to Mr. Peter Dickons, au opulent Yorkshire manufac Midst the unavoidable expences arising from an extensive family establishment, it was with singular pleasure that her parents hailed the first dawning of infant genius, as her musical talents began to unfold themselves at the very early period of four years. still likely to be deferred, was most agrees ably hastened by a lottery speculation, which brought part of the first 30,0001. Even at that juvenile, or rather infantine It has been said that this union, which æra, a considerable degree of musical culti-for prudential reasons had been, and was vation seems to have taken place; for it is still remembered that she could give an astonishing degree of execution to some of the most difficult of Handel's Overtures be-prize ever drawn, into the coffers of the fore she was six years old. Such abilities not only promised future excellence, but imperiously demanded immediate embellishment, accordingly she was put under the tuition of Rauzzini, who continued to instruct her for some years, until an unharmonious duet with Mr. Poole put a stop to his further attendance. That her capacity for instruction must have been fully equal to her native powers, is evident from the fact of her being considered sufficiently. qualified for an engagement at Vauxhall, at the early age of thirteen, where the writer of the present sheet has been often charmed, not only with the melodious harmony of her voice, but also with the prudent and circumspect attention and atterance of her pa ren's. lovers; so that Plutus lent his aid to Cupid to lead this votary of Apollo to the temple of Hymen. From this period Mrs. Dickons retired from public life some years; but the || chances of trade having been unfortunate with Mr. Dickens, she found it prudent to resume her professional situation at the Sacred Oratorios, and soon after to accept of an engagement in 1807, at Covent-Garden Theatre. It appeared on this resumption of her early pursuits, that her musical powers had lost nothing of their excellence, but were even mellowed and improved. On the 20th of October, 1807, Artaxerres was performed at Covent-Garden, in order to give Mrs. Dickons an opportunity of making her first re-appearance in the character of Mandane, in which she electrified the audience; nay, it was said that powerful execution, she had even surpassed Mrs. Arne, for whom the various airs had been expressly composed. Few of the audience, however, could remember the original performer, though many had heard Miss Brent, and most had heard Mrs. Billington in The Soldier tir'd, and in the charming, yet difficult air of Let not Rage. Her powers as a singer were so fortunately displayed, and so favourably received at Vauxhall, that she was imme-in the combination of great taste with diately after engaged to perform at the Concerts of Ancient Music, thereby in some measure illustrating our former position, of the fitness of English voices for English harmony; and from these she was soon called to the stage, having made her debut in Ophelia, in Hamlet, when she could scarcely be fifteen years of age. This early introduction, however, was of great use to her, and has no doubt contributed to that ease of acting which she possesses, and which is so seldom enjoyed by professed singers. In 1795 Miss Poole received an invitation to the Dublin Theatre, which she accepted, and retained her engagement until 1797, when, notwithstanding her But it is not in sacred music alone, or in Handel's style, that Mrs. Dickons excels, for even in the airs of the Beggar's Opera she has yielded infinite delight: indeed, she became in all parts so great a favourite with the public, that when the Covent-Garden Managers proposed the introduction of foreign singers in our national Theatre, we |