the keys, any note that was struck, whether ABC, &c. In this, Dr. Barney used repeatedly to try him, and never once found him mistaken, even in the half notes: a circum stance the more extraordinary, as many practitioners, and good per formers, are unable to distinguish by the ear, at the Opera or elsewhere, in what key any air or piece is executed.onAt this early age, when he was tired of playing on an instrument, and his musical faculties appeared wholly blunted, he could be provoked to attention, even though engaged in any new amusement, by a wrong note being struck in the melody of any well-known tune; and, if he stood by the instrument when such a note was designedly struck, he would instantly put down the right, in whatever key the air was playing.

Before he was six years old, this infant prodigy taught himself to play on the violin, which he used to hold as a violincello; he could also play on the common flute and sticcado pastorello. At three years old he played on the organ in King's College Chapel, Cambridge, while sitting on his mother's knee; and at this time a print of him playing on the organ was engraved by Sanders, at Norwich.

As a painter in oil colours, Dr. Crotch possesses very considerable talents, although he exercises them only for amusement. A picture, painted by him as a companion of one by Salvator Rosa, which was in the possession of the late Charles Cowper Esq,, of the Albany, fully evinced his talents; it was so excellent in colouring, harmony, and effect, that, although entirely dif ferent in the subject, no one standing in the middle of the room could tell which picture was painted by Salvator Rosa, unless he had been previously informed. Dr. Crotch also drew, and etched in soft ground, twelve views taken from the environs of Oxford, which are acknowledged to be very picturesque and spirited performances

The extraordinary musical talenty exhibited by Dr. Crotch in infancy, was matured by study and practise, so as afterwards he was enabled to attain the highest rank in his profession; and, as a professor of music,

he still continues to benefit society. He went to Oxford in 1788, and in 1790, was elected Organist to Christ Church; in 1797, he was honoured with the Professorship of Music; and in the same year succeeded Dr. Hayes, as Organist to St. John Col lege and University Church. Dur ing his residence in this city, married Miss Bliss, the daughter of a respectable bookseller there; by whom he has living one son, who is now a fellow of New College; and two daughters, who are twin sisters, and are both unmarried. Dr. Crotch left the University of Oxford, and^ came to London in 1805, since which period, he has every season deliverJ vered lectures on music, either at the Royal Institution in Albemarle Street, or at the Surrey Institution near Westminster Bridge, with the exception of one season, during which, he lectured at the London/9 Institution.

Among the friends of Dr. Crotch, we must not omit to mention the late celebrated Dr. Burney, and Charles Cooper Esq., Dr. Jowett, of Cambridge, and the late Rev. John Owen, Secretary to the Bible Soeiety. The Rev. A. C. Schomberg, fellow of Magdalen College, Ox-¶ ford, was his earliest and best patron.

bi

Among the numerous musical com- ari positions, published by Dr. Crotch, we cannot help mentioning two " which more particularly advanced his reputation; "Palestine, a Sacred Oratorio;" and "Specimens of Va-5 rious kinds of Music," in 3 vols. folio. He is also author of a work on the Elements of Musical Com position.

The early age, at which Dr. Crotch to discovered a most astonishing musi cal genius, is without a parellel, in*** the history of eminent musicians: and perhaps none come so near his precosity of musical talent, as the two Westleys and Mozart. The od WESTLEYS discovered, during earlys infancy, very uncommon faculties for the practice of music. CHARLES, the eldest, at two years and threequarters old, surprised his father by s playing a tune on the harpsichord 10 readily, and in just time; soon after he played several, whatever his mother sang, or whatever he heard in the street. SAMUEL, the youngest,

though he was three years old: before he aimed at a tune, yet, by constantly hearing his brother practice, and being accustomed to good mu sic and masterly execution, before he was six years old, arrived at such a knowledge in music, that his extempore performances on keyed in struments, like MOZART's, was so masterly in point of invention, modulation, and accuracy of execution, as to o surpass in many particulars, the attainments of most professors at any period of their lives.

Indeed, Mozart, when a little more than four years old, is said to have been not only capable of executing lessons on his favourite in strument, the harpsichord, but to have composed some in an easy style and taste, which were much ap proved; and SAMUEL WESTLEY, be fore he could write was a composer, and mentally set the airs of several

oratorios, which he retained in memory till he was eight years old, and then wrote them down.

Here the difference of education appeared; young CROTCH, left to nature, was not only without instructions, but good models of imitations while MOZART and SAMUEL WESTLEY, on the contrary, may be said to have been nursed in good music; for as the latter had bis brother's excellent performances to stimulate attention, and feed bis ear with harmony; the German infant, living in the house of his fa ther, an eminent professor, and an elder sister, a neat player on the harpsichord, and constantly practis ing compositions of the first class for that instrument, had every ade vantage of situation and culture, joined to the profusion of natural endowments.

As the study of Antiquities illustrates the page of History, a few gleanings, from the extensive field of British Antiquities, will have a tendency to elucidate some obscure portion of the History of our own country.

Among the Antiquities of our native land, the Tumulus is not the least attracting. In various parts of the country, the eye of the traveller is arrested by its solitary appearance. And the person unacquainted with it is doubtful whether the protuberance be natural or artificial, In Derbyshire and Wiltshire, Tumuli of various shapes and dimensions present themselves to our view. That which is commonly termed Silbury Hill, near Marlborough, is of a gigantic size, being 560 feet in diameter at the base; 170 feet in perpendicular height, and 105 feet in diameter at the top. The smallest of them are about 12 feet in diameter at the base. Those upon the Yorkshire Wolds, which will be described in a future paper, are of the latter size.

The word Tumulus is purely Latin, and signifies a heap of earth." When more than one is meant, the Latin plural Tumuli, is used. The word more frequently denotes a sepulchre, and is used in this sense by the Roman Poets and Historians.

"Tumulum tamen nuper Varianis legionibus structum disjecerant."

They destroyed the monument which had lately been raised for the troops of Varius.

For the same purpose has the Tumulus generally been raised in our own country. It is by some, called a Barrow; and when com posed of loose stones, a Cairn; which is common in the northern parts of the island; and whose bulk has been increased by the passenger, who manifested his respect for the dead, by adding his stone to the number.

The Tumulus or Barrow is of ancient date, and extensive use. In the early ages of Egypt and Greece, they were piled to commemorate the names and actions of the illustrious dead; and were the magnificeut Pyramid in embryo. They are found in the wilds of America, as well as in the formerly wealthy kingdoms of Asia, and civilized states of Europe. Of the manner of their formation by the ancients, we have an account in the Iliad.

"Where yet the embers glow, Wide o'er the pile, the sable wine they throw;

And deep subsides the ashy heap below.

Next, the white bones, his sad companions place,

With tears, collected in a golden vase. The sacred relics to the tent they bore; The urn, a veil of linen cover'd o'er. That done, they bid the sepulchre aspire,

Aud cast the deep foundations round

the pyre;

High in the midst they heap the sweling bed

Of rising earth, memorial of the dead." Book xxiii. 310.

In a future number will be desTcribed the different kinds of Tumuli.!

T. R.

Huggate.

MR. EDITOR,

THOUGH naturally a modest man, I have taken leave to obtrude myself upon you at this time, for reasons which, when stated, may induce you to excuse so great a liberty. My appearance and manner, be it known to you, are generally supposed to be somewhat remarkable, or, as my countrymen the Scotch say, kentspecle; and are becoming a subject of talk and observation in most places which I visit; so that, did not introduce myself to you, you might hear of me by some other hand, in a way, so as to give you a prejudice by no means in my favour. I have thought proper, therefore, to be beforehand with any who might be disposed to caricature me to you, of which promptness you will, no doubt, see the prudence, as it may save me some trouble hereafter, besides giving me the advantage of the first word in my own

cause.

My name, Sir, is John Shanks; not Cruikshanks, as I have sometimes been miscalled. My appearance is allowed, by all worthy persons who have judgment in these matters, to be quite gentlemanlike; not that shabby-genteel, as others have impertinently said; and although I have been profanely called "Old Shanks," I protest I am only fifty years of age, which you will agree with me, Sir, in thinking, leaves me quite a young man. A half-grown sprig of divinity chose disrespectfully to describe me as a raw, unshapely, gaunt - looking man, with a very long neck, or thraple, as he termed it, which he had the assurance to say, was evidently meant for a rope. He went on shamelessly to say, that my knowlty shoulders rose on each wing of me to a level with my jaws, overlooking my person like promon tories, from whence my arms, he protested, hung like the handles of an old-fashioned pump; at the lower extremities of which (with as much Eur. Mag. Vol. 83.

grace as the flat piece of lead on that pendulum-like article), swung, he said, my 66 clattering hands," each about the size of a shoulder of mutton.

4

He further profaned my person, by calling my back" my trunk," because it is a little elongated; saying that my shoulder-blades stuck out, particularly in certain of my movements, so that my coat looked as it were hung on pins, or on a dyer's frame. My knees, it was averred, betokened great kneeling; and as to my feet, he swore it must have been from me that the Irishwoman asked a shoe, to make of it a cradle for her child.

Was it not very provoking to say all this of my person, besides affirming, that my mouth and ears were very near neighbours; and that my skinny jaws were made frightful by my grey whiskers; and because, in the course of shaving, I have left the one something larger than the other, to call them by the names of the great bear, and the little bear? -Now, Sir, I confess that this, and a great deal more, has gone abroad of me; nevertheless, I can assure you it is utterly false, and that I am a very tolerable looking youngish man; though, perhaps, a little bandy, particularly on one side; but one does not know what will please in these new-fangled times; for when I was a stripling of thirty, no gentleman was thought handsome who was not a little bandy, for, that was then the fashion.

It is also false to say that I stutter and mumble, or that my voice sounds as if it came out of an empty cask. I have, indeed, a little asthmatic cough, that I am so accustomed to, I really should feel dull without it; and as for that nervous twist in the mouth, and shake of the head that I occasionally have, I never feel any inconvenience from it, excepting, that certain ill-reared persons sometimes burst out laughing in my face while I am speaking

20