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Prince of Leinengen, aged fourteen, and a Princess aged ten, and to whom her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent is appointed guardian, according to the present marriage contract.

This amiable and truly illustrious Prin

ill, we

are well assured, know how to estimate such a treasure; and the English nation at large, ever prone to honour and appreciate worth and virtue, cannot fail to experience the most heart-felt gratification by this auspicious marriage.

Published by John Bell, 04:11818

LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE;

For SEPTEMBER, 1818.

A New and Improved Series.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND

DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS.

Number One Hundred and Fourteen.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT.

cess, was the youngest daughter of the late Duke of Saxe-Cobourg; and was educated altogether with her truly excellent and accomplished brother, his Royal Highness Prince Leopold, under the immediate care and inspection of their august and wellinformed mother, a Princess whose merit and judgment have gained her the most

WHEN every virtue that can adorn humanity, while it adds lustre to a coronet, is found shining conspicuous in those of illustrious birth, the historian and the biographer dwell with delight on such rare endowments, and are emulous of handing down their memorial to posterity; happy in the idea that such memorial will be perpetuated to distant ages, a lasting mouu-high and well-deserved admiration of all ment of the dignity of human nature. who have the honour and happiness of approaching her.

The members of the present house of Saxe-Cobourg are all worthy of the princely race from whence they sprung, and of the high and royal alliances they have formed. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the illustrious object of this sketch, whose likeness we have the gratification of presenting this month to our readers, was born at Cobourg, in the year 1786, and received the baptismal names of Victoria Mary Louisa.

The Princess was married early in life to the Prince of Leinengen, and at his demise, which took place in 1814, she was appointed Regent of that principality. By this marriage the Princess of Leinengen had two children; a son, the present Prince of Leinengen, aged fourteen, and a Princess aged ten, and to whom her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent is appointed guardian, according to the present marriage contract.

Her daughter has proved herself worthy of such a parent: the Princess, in her single state, lived idolized in the hearts of every inhabitant of Cobourg; and in her first marriage, which she adorned by her virtues, she found herself equally loved, honoured, and estimated throughout the principality of Leinengeu. Affability and kindness accompany every word and ges ture of this exalted and charming female, and while her dignity commands respect, her amiability ensures the love of all who are so happy as to come within her influence.

The Duke of Kent, whose popularity continually increases by his late unremitting attention to the public good, will, we are well assured, know how to estimate such a treasure; and the English nation at large, ever prone to honour and appreciate worth and virtue, cannot fail to experience the most heart-felt gratification by this

This amiable and truly illustrious Prin- auspicious marriage.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSIC.

(Continued from page 53.)

"Dear Music, that can touch,

“Beyond all else, the soul that loves thee much."-MOORE'S LALLAH ROOKH.

MUSIC OF INDOSTAN.

attendant Pagnis, complains of slighted THE instrumental part of the music of love, or bewails the pains of absence. SriIndostan is rather noisy, from the constant raga patronizes the dewy season, which is use of drums of all sizes, and of trumpets the time of delight, that ushers in the and pipes, even from that so large as to re- spring, the fragrant, and the flowery quire a man to bear the mouth-piece on his time over which Hindola, or Vasanta, preshoulder while it is played by another, to sides. When the oppressive heats come the smallest reed. They have the double on, the soft and languid melody of Diapaca pipe, which is seen in antique sculptures, but || sympathizes with the fevered feelings, which is not remarkable for the sweetness while the refreshing season of the new of its tones. There are several instruments || rains bestows a double pleasure when acof the guitar and lute kind, some of which companied by the sweet strains of Megha. are formed of hollow gourds, by way of sounding boards; and from a triangular harp or lyre, the tones are charming. There is also an instrument played with a bow, something like a dancing master's kit; the strings of which are of iron or brass wire, and the fingers used for fretting the strings are armed with thimbles of metal: the tones from this instrument are not replete with that mellowness we find in Europe.

It is extraordinary that when we consider music as being one of the dearest objects of sense to all mankind, that we should find the Chinese, who have so long been a civilized people, still without any eminent composers or performers. Dr. Burney is of opinion that "there is a physical defect in the intellects or organization of all the sons of men, except in Europe; and that a perfect ear, and the power of delighting it, are local.”—This, we think, is advancing too much, and giving too much praise to one quarter of the globe at the expence of another. Had this learned writer on the art of music asserted

Yet there is little doubt but what the ancient music of Indostan was infinitely superior to the modern. They ascribed such a divine art, as well they might, to|| the Gods alone; and the Bramins, at this time, suppose it to have been communicat- || that Europe contains more unremitting ed to man by Brahma himself. The pas-industry amongst her inhabitants, we toral people in the neighbourhood of Mat- || should be more ready to accede to his hura, delighted in singing the loves and opinion. adventures of their hero, Chrisna, who was himself the patron of music, and is often represented dancing while he plays on a reed. The scale of the Hindoos comprehends seven sounds, called sa, ri, ya, ma, pa, dha, ni, and in the octave they reckon twenty-two quarters and thirds.

The six chief modes are personified as beautiful youths, the genii of music, and presiding over the six seasons. Bhairava is lord of the cheerful, dry, or autumnal season, and his strains invite the dancer to accompany them. Malava rules the cold and melancholy months, and with his

The English, in themselves, do not form a very musical nation: and the number of volumes in the British Museum of music, has no proportion to those on the other arts.

In the music book of Prince Henry, afterwards Henry VIII. in the Pepys collection, at Cambridge, are several of his compositions; and Anne of Boleyn, while she resided in France, collected and learned a great number of them. In the British Museum is a very beautiful MS. consisting of French songs of the fifteenth century, in three or four parts; and the most capital

collection of Josquin's works are also in words; and the plain song of the Romish the British Museum.

A very curious and valuable musical MS. is preserved, which once belonged to Dr. Robert Fayrfax, an eminent English composer in the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII.: it was afterwards in the possession of General Fairfax, and in the year 1787 was the property of Mr. White, of Newgate-street. It consists of a collection of very ancient English songs, the music of which have been carefully preserved. The writing is clear and intelligible; though, from the time in which it was written, the want of modern punctuation in some parts, renders it difficult to be ascertained.

In the year 1512, the third of Henry VIII, a memorandum is made that three minstrels were retained as a part of the Earl of Northumberland's household, viz. a taberet, a luyte, and a rebec. Every minstrel, if a taberet, to be paid four pounds, and every luyte and rebec, thirty-three shillings and fourpence.

Henry VIII. in his youth, made music a serious study; he had a finished education, and was eminent as a musician. He composed two entire masses, which were always sung in the King's chapel. He exercised himself daily in shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, throwing the bar, playing on recorders, flutes, virginals, setting of songs to music, and learning of ballads.

Great attention was paid to choral music when this Prince succeeded his father on the throne of Great Britain, before his breach with the sovereign Pontiff of Rome. Six singing boys, and six gentlemen of the choir, always made a part of the royal retinue. And Henry could not only perform the music of others, but was sufficiently skilled in counterpoint to compose several pieces, as may be seen by an anthem in Boyce's collection. In the time of Henry's reign it was reckoned a requisite accomplishment for a gentleman to sing a part in the full pieces then in vogue, and not only for a private gentleman, but even for nobles and Princes.

When Henry VIII. resolved to emancipate himself from the control of the Pope, he made no other change in ecclesiastical music than merely adapting it to English

church in the principal hymns and responses in the Common Prayer, remained nearly the same, as may be seen in the Te Deum laudamus. It seems, too, as we may safely conclude, that the chief part of such portions of scripture, or hymns of the church, as have been set by English musicians to Latin words, were produced before the Reformation, or, at least, in the time of Queen Mary. When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, a school of counterpoint, equal to any in Europe, was founded.

Before the Reformation as there was but one religion so there was but one kind of ecclesiastical music, which was plain chant; and this kind of sacred music was all derived, in the middle ages, from the church of Rome.

Henry was, however, as we have said before, not only a judge but an encourager of music. Beside the household baud on his establishment, he had supernumerary musicians in his service: the number of singing boys in his chapel are not specified, but there is an account of the allowance made them for their maintenance, and also for their teaching.

In the sixteenth century, music certainly was looked on as the best regale that could be given to any foreign Prince, or person of high rank. The Emperor Charles V. was entertained here with music during his meals.

It was in the reign of Edward VI. that metrical psalmody, in the same manner as it is yet sung in our parochial churches, commenced; and which was versified by Sternhold and Hopkins. Sternhold was groom of the robes to Henry VIII. and afterwards of the bedchamher to Edward VI. He was then accounted a most excellent poet.

Until the year 1549, parish churches had all used the same kind of chant as cathedrals (styled the plain chant), with English words; but during the reign of Mary, ecclesiastical music was again transferred to Latin words. The gloomy Priucess herself was a performer on the virginals, an instrument resembling the spinnet, and also on the lute. Queen Catharine of Arragon, her mother, after her separation

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