with great improvements under the care and abilities of the present worthy Profeffor, effectually restored till the year 1665.t*

This was Dr. Philip Hayes, who died fuddenly in 1797. The taste and abilities of the worthy Profeffor will be remembered, as long as fenfibility fhall' be affected by strains of tendernefs and fweetnefs. Of his generous temper, as well as of his attention to his office, the following memorial is an eminent teftimony, and not foreign to the text.

"In 1780, Dr. PHILIP HAYES, Profeflor of Mufic, anxiously wishing to "have the Mufic School made more commodious, confulted Mr. Wyatt about 66 a plan for that purpose. The defign furnished by this ingenious architect "(in which the Orchestra was arranged according to the directions of the "Profeffor) he requested his friend Dr. George Horne (Prefident of St. Mary "Magdalen College, and then Vicechancellor) to lay before a meeting of the "Heads of Houfes and Proctors; who approved it altogether, and promised "fifty pounds towards the execution of it. In confequence of fo great en66 couragement, the propofed alterations were begun and completed during the "long Vacation of the fame year, and the School was opened in December "with a Lecture for Michaelmas Term,

"To defray the expence of thefe improvements (exclufive of the fifty pounds "above mentioned) Dr. Hayes foon afterwards obtained leave from the new Vicechancellor, Dr. Samuel Dennis (Prefident of St. John Baptift's College) "for three Choral Concerts in the Theatre at the next Commemoration. One "of them (the facred Oratorio of Prophecy) was compofed by the Profeffor "himself: and as they were all attended by a numerous company, and as fome "of the Performers, in compliment to the occafion, affifted either gratis or on "moderate terms, he was not only enabled out of the clear profits to pay the "whole debt, to the amount of two hundred and fifty three pounds, eighteen "fhillings; but had also a small balance remaining in his favour. He at his

own coft furnished the Orchestra with stuff feats and ftools, and the Orchestra "window with a large Venetian blind. Drs. Burney and Dupuis also very ❝ liberally gave each five guineas; which purchased an entire set of forms for "the area.

"The Bookcafes are no lefs useful than ornamental: they contain the "FOUNDER'S collection, and fubfequent donations; as well as the Exercises "of Proceeders to Mufical Degrees. Indeed the whole School, IN ITS PRESENT STATE, is at once elegant and convenient. The niche on the left of "the door is appropriated to the three Magiftrates of the Univerfity; the gallery "to ladies, ftrangers, and the higher order of Academics; and the area to "Mafters and Students.

"When their Majefties vifited Oxford in 1785, the Profeflor had the honour "of kiffing hands in the very room thus modernized by his means.

"He gave alfo to the School, in which they are now placed, many pictures of " eminent Muficians, and fome bufts." Gutch's Wood's Annals of Univ. Ox. vol. ii. p. 888. 892.4to. 1796. EDITOR.

I find the following injunction from Cromwell's Vice-chancellor and delegates, dated April 3, 1656," Whereas the Mufick L. cture ufually read "in the Vefperiis Comitiorum, [in this School] is found by experience to be ❝ altogether uselesse, noe way tending to the honour of the university, or the fur"therance of any literature, but hath been an occafion of great difh nour to God, "fcandall to the place, and of many evills: It is ordered by the delegates that it "be utterly taken away." MS. ACTA Delegator. Univ. Oxon. ab ann. 1655. fub. ann. 1656. Yet foon afterwards the following order occurs under the fame year. "Concerning the Mufick Lecture, it was approved by the Delegates, that "Inftruments bee provided according to the will of the founder: and Mr. Proctor bee defired to goe to the Prefident and Fellows of S. Johns for the gift or "loan of their Chaire-organ." And afterwards it is ordered under 1657, that the mufick books of the School, which had been removed by one Jackson, a

f

I have purpofely referved what I had to fay particularly about Lawes's COMUs, with a few remarks on the characteristic style of his mufic, to the end of this Note. Peck afferts, that Milton wrote Coмus at the request of Lawes, who promised to set it to mufic. Moft probably, this Mask, while in projection, was the occafion of their acquaintance, and firft brought them together. Lawes was now a domeftic, for a time at least, in Lord Bridgewater's family, for it is faid of Thyrfis in Coмus, v. 85.

That to the fervice of this house belongs,

Who with his foft pipe, &c.

And, as we have feen, he taught the Earl's daughters to fing, to one of whom, the Lady ALICE, the SONG to ECHO was allotted. And Milton was a neighbour of the family. It is well known, that Lawes's Mufic to Coмus was never printed. But by a manuscript in his own hand-writing it appears, that the three Songs, SWEET ECHO, SABRINA FAIR, and BACK SHEPHERDS BACK, with the lyrical Epilogue, "To the Ocean now I fly," were the whole of the original mufical compofitions for this drama. I am obliged to my very ingenious friend, the late Doctor William Hayes, Profeffor of Mufic at Oxford, for some of this intelligence. Sir John Hawkins has printed Lawes's fong of SWEET ECHO with the words, HIST. Mus. vol. iv. p. 53. So has Dr. Burney. One is surprised that more mufic was not introduced in this performance, efpecially as Lawes might have given further proofs of the vocal skill and proficiency of his fair fcholar. As there is lefs mufic, fo there is less machinery, in COMUS, than in any other mask. The intrinfic graces of its exquifite poetry dif dained affiftance.

For a compofition to one of the airs of Cartwright's ARIADNE, mentioned above, Lawes, as I have before incidentally remarked, is faid to have introduced the Italian style of mufic into England: and Fenton, in his Notes on Waller, affirms, that he imparted a fofter mixture of Italian airs than was yet known. This perhaps is not strictly or technically true. Without a rigorous adherence to counterpoint, but with more tafte and feeling than the pedantry of theoretic harmony could confer, he communicated to verfe an original and expreffive melody. He exceeded his predeceffors and contemporaries, in a pathos and fentiment, a fimplicity and propriety, an articulation and intelligibility, which so naturally adapt themselves to the words of the poet. Hence, fays our author, SONN. xiii. 7.

To after age thou fhall be writ the man

That with Smooth air could humour best our tongue.

mufician and royalift, fhould be reftored, and the ftipend duly paid to the profeffor Dr. Wilfon. This inftitution, however, languished in neglect and contempt till the Reftoration; and for this flight fupport, I fufpect, was folely indebted to the interpofition of Dr. Wilkins, one of the Delegates, Cromwell's Warden of Wadham College, a profound adept in the occult fciences, and a lover of mufic on philofophical principles. WARTON.

Which lines ftand thus in the manuscript,

66

To after age thou fhalt be writ the man
That didft reform thy art.

And in COMUS, Milton praises his "foft pipe, and Smooth-dittied fong," " v. 86. One of his excellencies was an exact accommodation of the accents of the mufic to the quantities of the verse. As in the SONNET juft quoted, v. 1. feq.

Harry whofe tuneful and well measur'd song

First taught our English music how to span
Words with juft note and accent, not to scan
With Midas ears, committing fhort and long.

Waller joins with Milton in faying, that other compofers admit the poet's fenfe but faintly and dimly, like the rays through a church window of painted glass: while his favourite Lawes

-Could truly boast,
That not a fyllable is loft.

And this is what Milton means, where he fays in the SONNET fo often cited, "Thou honour'ft verfe." v. 9. In vocal execution, he made his own fubfervient to the poet's art. In his tunes to Sandys's Pfalms, his obfervance of the rythmus and fyllabic acçent, an effential requifite of vocal compofition, is very striking and perceptible; and his ftrains are joyous, plaintive, or fupplicatory, according to the fentiment of the ftanza. These Pfaims are for one finger. The folo was now coming into vogue: and Lawes's talent principally confifted in songs for a fingle voice; and here his excellencies which I have mentioned might be applied with the best effect. The SONG TO EсHо in COMUS was for a fingle voice, where the composer was not only interested in exerting all his skill, but had at the same time the means of fhewing it to advantage; for he was the preceptor of the lady who fung it, and confequently must be well acquainted with her peculiar powers and characteristical genius. The poet fays, that this fong, "rofe like 61 a steam of rich-diftilled perfumes, and stole upon the air, &c." v. 555. Here feems to be an allufion to Lawes's new manner; although the lady's voice is perhaps the more immediate object of the compliment. Perhaps this fong wants embellishments, and has too much fimplicity, for modern critics, and a modern audience, But it is the opinion of one whom I should be proud to name, and to which I agree, that were Mrs. Siddons to act the Lady in Coмus, and fing this very simple air, when every word would be heard with a proper accent and pathetic intonation, the effect would be truly theatrical. Another excellent judge, of confummate taste and knowledge in his fcience, is unwilling to allow that Lawes had much address in adapting the accents of the mufic and the quantities of the verfe. He obferves, that in this SONG to ECHO a favourable opportunity was fuggefted to the musician for inftrumental iterations, of which he made no ufe: and that, as the words have no accompaniment but a dry bass, the notes

were but ill calculated to awaken Echo however courteous, and to invite her to give an answer, Burney's HIST. Mus. vol iii. ch. vii. pp. 382. 383. 384. 393. It is certain, that the words and fubject of this exquifite fong, afford many tempting capabilities for the tricks of a modern compofer.

Mr. Mafon has paid no inconfiderable teftimony to Lawes's mufic, in encouraging and patronifing a republication of hisPfalm-tunes to Sandys's PARAPHRASE, with Variations, by the ingenious Mr. Matthew Camidge of York cathedral. From the judicious Preface to that work written by Mr. Mafon, I have adopted, and added to what I had hazarded on the subject in my laft edition, many of thefe criticifms on Lawes's mufical ftyle. Lawes has also received another tribute of regard from Mr. Mafon: in Lawes's SONG TO ECHO, he has very skilfully altered or improved the bass, and modernised the melody. WARTON.

Of the Music for Comus, the Song, SWEET ECHO, is the only part with which the Public have been presented. I have been informed, that this Song was taken from Henry Lawes's manuscript book of Songs, which was one of the mufical rarities belonging to the late Reverend and learned William Gostling, Minor Canon of Canterbury; in the Catalogue of whofe "Col lection, which (after the death of its worthy poffeffor) was fold by Auction in London on the 26th and 27th of May 1777, No. 59, of the First Day's Sale, exhibits the following information "Lawes's Henry, Ayres and Dialogues, with his Head, 1653"Lawes's Henry, 274 Songs, MS. and William Lawes's Col"lection of Songs, MS. N. B. Thefe Songs of Henry and "William Lawes are feverally in their own hand-writing: In "the former are the Songs in the Malque of Comus, as fet by the "Author, at the request of Milton, for the original Performance thereof " at Ludlow Caftle." The note fubjoined, with many others also in the Catalogue, is faid to be taken from Sir John Hawkins's History of Mufic. The lot was fold for forty-five fhillings, but to whom I have yet to learn.

From this manuscript Mr. Warton's account of the music for Comus may probably have been derived. See before, p. 43. See alfo Sir John Hawkins's HIST. OF MUSIC, vol, iv. P. 52, where it is faid, that the two Songs, "Sweet Echo," and " Sabrina fair,” with three other paffages felected for the purpose, " Back Sheps "herds back," "To the Ocean now I fly," and "Now my task is "Smoothly done," were the whole of the original mufic for Comus: to which account Dr, Burney adds, that befides the music for the

The unparalleled collection of scarce and valuable Mufic, as well manufcript as printed, which was thus offered to the public, had been the joint accumulation of Mr. Goffling, and his eminent father the Reverend John Goflling, Minor Canon of Canterbury, Sub-Dean of St. Paul's, and Prebendary of Lincoln,

MEASURE, between verfes 144 and 145, and the SOFT MUSIC prescribed before verfe 659, we are told after verse 889, that "Sabrina rifes, attended by Water-Nymphs, and SINGS By the 66 rushy-fringed bank, &c." And before verfe 966 it is faid "This "SECOND SONG prefents them to their father and mother." So that though no more of the Original Mufic is to be found, than that faid to fubfift in the compofer's own hand-writing, yet more feems to have been produced, even by Milton's own direction. HIST. OF MUSIC. vol. iii. p. 382.

Mr. Warton has not noticed that divifion of the lyrical Epilogue into two compofitions, which both the hiftorians of Mufic have represented. These compofitions were originally unconnected; for the drama appears to have opened with the former, beginning "From the Heavens" inftead of "To the Ocean," as it clofed with the latter, "Now my task is smoothly done." Having been informed by the Reverend Francis Henry Egerton, that Dr. Philip Hayes was in poffeffion of the Mulic of COMUS in Lawes's own hand-writing, I wrote to the Doctor, and was favoured with an answer, dated Feb. 8. 1797, from which I extract the following account, relating to this original manuscript : "Henry Lawes has written before the Songs in Comus, The 5 "Songes followinge were fett for a Maske prefented at Ludio Caftle "before the Earle of Bridgewater, Lord President of the Marches. October 1634.

"1ft Songe. From the Heavens now I fly [which ends]

Where many a Cherub fofte repofes.
Sweet Eccho.

Sabrina fayre.

Back Shepperds Back.

Noble Lord and Lady bright.

Now my tafke is smoothly done,

I can flye, or I can run.

"No fuch Song appears, as To the Ocean now I fly. I fear none "of the intermediate INSTRUMENTAL STRAINS are recoverable. "I have none of them in the manuscript before me." This is a remarkable difference from the preceding accounts of the Mufic; but, remarkable as it is, it perfectly agrees with the Ashridge manuscript of the Mask. See APPENDIX No. II.

The Songs for Comus might not have been copied into Lawes's mifcellaneous collection, till they had been adapted to the alterations made by the poet. The first Song, " From the Heavens," was then transferred to the Epilogue; but the laft, " Now my "task, &c." appears to have remained unaltered, although the poet's emendation is," But now my task is smoothly done."

To Dr. Philip Hayes's curious intelligence his obfervations as well on the music for Comus, as on the general merit of Lawes,

It is remarkable, that Soft Mufic is neither prescribed in the Ashridge nor in the Cambridge MS.