the great and good Lord Lyttelton was pleased to wish, a little before his death, "that he had been a few years younger, on purpose to go on pilgrimage to

terpretation from me, in which I compared myself to an isthmus which joins two great continents."

Upon Johnson's approach, the General said, "From what I have read of your works, Sir, and from what Mr. Boswell has told me of you, I have long held you in great veneration."

The General talked of languages being formed on the particular notions and manners of a people, without knowing which we cannot know the language. We may know the direct signification of single words; but by these no beauty of expression, no sally of genius, no wit is conveyed to the mind. All this must be by allusion to other ideas.

"Sir, (said Johnson) you talk of language, as if you never had done any thing else but study it, instead of governing a nation."

The General said, "Questo e un troppo gran complimento," this is too great a compliment.-Johnson answered, "I should have thought so, Sir, if I had not heard you talk."

The General asked him, what he thought of the spirit of infidelity which was so prevalent ?-Johnson. "Sir, this gloom of infidelity, I hope, is only a transient cloud passing through the hemisphere, which will soon be dissipated, and the sun break forth with his usual splendour."-" You think, then, (said the General) that they will change their principles like their clothes."-Johnson. "Why, Sir, if they bestow no more thought on principles than on dress, it must be so."

The General said, that "a great part of the fashionable infidelity was owing to a desire of shewing courage. Men who have no opportunity of showing it as to things in this life, take death and futurity as objects on which to display it."-Johnson. "That is mighty foolish affectation. Fear is one of the passions of human nature, of which it is impossible to divest it. You remember that the emperor Charles V. when he read upon the tomb-stone of a Spanish nobleman," here lies one who never knew fear," wittily said, then he never snuffed a candle with his fingers."

Corsica, that he might visit this living image of an cient virtue, and venerate in the mind of Pascal Paoli, the spirit of Timoleon and Epaminondas."

He talked a few words of French to the General; but finding he did not do it with facility, he asked for pen, ink, and paper, and wrote the following note:

"J'ai lu dans la geographie de Lucas de Linda un pater-noster Ecrit dans un langue tout-à-fait differente de l'Italienne, et de toutes autres lesquelles se derivent du Latin. L'auteur l'appelle LIN GUAM CORSICE RUSTICAM; elle a peutêtre passe, peu à peu; mais elle a certainement prevalue autrefois dans les montagnes et dans la campagne. Le même auteur dit la même chose en parlant de Sardaigue; qu'il y a deux langues dans l'isle; une des villes, l'autre de la campagne."

The General immediately informed him that "lingua rustica” was only in Sardinia.-Vol. I. page 314.

General Paoli said of Goldsmith's new play: "Monsieur Goldsmith est comme la mer que porte des perles et beaucoup d'autres belles choses, sans s'en appercevoir."-Goldsmith replied, "Très bien dit, et très élégamment."Vol. I. page 399.

General Paoli observed to Mr. Boswell upon death: “That it is impossible not to be afraid of death; and that those who at the time of dying are not afraid, are not thinking of death, but of applause, or something else, which keeps death out of their sight: so that all men are equally afraid of death when they see it; only some have a power of turning their sight away from it better than others." -Vol. II. page 144.

"On Friday, June 25, Mr. Boswell dined in company with Dr. Johnson at General Paoli's, and there being a variety of dishes much to the Doctor's taste, of all of which he was observed to cat so much, Mr. Boswell whispered the General not to press him any more. "Alas! (said the General) see how very ill he looks; he can live but a very short time; would you refuse any slight gratifications to a man under sentence of death? There is a humane custom in Italy, by which persons in that melancholy situation are indulged with having whatever they like best to eat and drink, even with expensive delicacies."Vol. II. page 523.

Mr.

MR. BRAHAM.*

THE pen of the biographer is never more pleasingly, nor, perhaps, more beneficially engaged than in recording the progress of genius, seconded by emulation and perseverance. Sedulous exertion is in itself honourable to the mental powers, and intimates a stamina of mind, and manliness of feeling, which, in whatever art or science they are employed, augment the sum of public utility, and extort respect: but when talent forms the groundwork, and that secret, glowing ambition which grasps at every attainable excellence, urges the student forward to his destined superiority, every movement becomes interesting; we retrace the steps of his elevation with a felicitous concern, and add to our respect the tribute of admi

ration.

The individual to whose successful efforts we allude, and to whose professional merits the musical public have been indebted for so large a portion of their amusement, is descended from the German stock of the Jewish nation. Having in his earliest years the misfortune to become an orphan, the seasonable and affectionate attention of a near relation supplied in a great measure the loss of his parents. But to whatever degree this kindness might extend, it probably would never have induced the developement of those powers which were one day to fascinate every cultivated car, had not fortune provided a patron with a judgment qualified to appreciate and improve the * Communicated by Dr. Busby.

dawning gifts of nature, and a heart formed to cherish and protect unconscious genius.

Happily for young Braham, when he was about twelve years old, Leoni, whose fine falsetto voice and polished taste long delighted the frequenters of the Synagogue in Duke's-place, Covent-garden theatre, and all the first concerts in London, became acquaint ed with his musical endowments, and instantly felt in them a claim to his encouragement and protection; that admired performer, accordingly, in the pure spirit of philanthropy, took upon himself the double charge of father and tutor; of providing for and instructing the youth whose promised excellence engaged his affections; and he enjoyed the gratification of witnessing the rapid expansion of those talents, the carly indications of which had attracted his benevolent notice: indeed, so extraordinary were the ad. vances of his pupil in the road to pre-eminence, that before he reached the age of fifteen, he in some particular acquisitions left his tutor behind him, who in turn actually became the scholar, and produced in his songs many a graceful novelty for which he was indebted to the suggestions of his young protegé; these instances are, however, to be received as proofs of Braham's improving taste rather than of his scien tific progress; since Leoni, though so charming and justly-admired a performer, went no farther in his musical accomplishments than to what regards tasle and manner; and being generously determined to make something more of his pupil than a mere singer, he engaged forhim a more qualified master, by whom

he

be was instructed on the piano-forte, and in musical theory.

About this time the project of the late Mr. John Palmer for establishing a theatre in the liberties of the Tower-Hamlet was brought into operation; and young Braham's first public effort was, among other novelties, presented to the audiences of Wellclose-square. His voice, though distinguished by its compass, which extended from the tenor B flat to B flat in alt, was still more remarkable for its peculiar sweetness of tone; and the power of exccution procured by juvenile practice, was aided by an expression and sentiment indicative of mental manhood. Not being able to procure a patent for dramatic performances, strictly so called, Mr. Palmer, to support his new speculation, was under the necessity of resorting to miscellaneous bills of fare, consisting of pantomimic exhibitions, detached speeches, addresses, catches, glees, and detached songs. Every evening therefore afforded an opening for the display of Braham's early powers, which generally shone forth in some of the bravura songs at that time rendered popular by the performance of Madam Mara; among which he was particularly happy in his exccution of "The Soldier tir'd of war's alarms," and Se libera non sono, a bravura song composed by Gresnic. The regular pieces in which he appeared at that theatre were the Birth-day, composed by Carter, and Hero and Leander, by Reeves, in the former of which he performed the part of Cupid, and in the latter that of IIymen. He at this time had not acquired the art of sight-singing, but was uncom