Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > British minstrel, and musical and literary miscellany

i
MUSICAL AND LITERARY MISCELLANY;
51
THE MUSICIAN'S WIDOW.
Linton, a musician belonging to the orchestra of
Covent-Garden theatre, was murdered by street
robbers, who were afterwards discovered and exe-
cuted. A play was given for the benefit of his widow
and children ; and the day preceding the perform-
ance, the following appeared in one of the public
prints.
THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN.
For the Benefit of Mrs. Linton, (fc.
"The Widow," said Charity, whispering me in
the ear, " must have your mite ; wait upon her with
a guinea, and purchase a box-ticket."
" You may have one for five shillings," observed
Avarice, pulling me by the elbow.
My hand was in my pocket, and the guinea, which
was between my finger and thumb, slipped out
" Yes," said I, " she shall have my five shillings."
"Good heaven!" exclaimed Justice, "what are
you about? Five shillings! If you pay but five
shillings for going into the theatre, then you get
value received for your money."
" And I shall owe him no thanks," added Charity,
laying her hand upon my heart, and leading me on
the way to the Widow's house.
Taking the knocker in my left hand, my whole
frame trembled. Looking round, I saw Avarice turn
the corner of the street, and I found all the money
in my pocket grasped in my hand.
" Is your mother at home, my dear?" said I, to a
child who conducted me into a parlour.
" Yes," answered the infant; " but my father has
not been at home for a great while. That is his
harpsichord, and that is his vicdin, he used to play
on them for me. "
" Shall I play you a tune, my boy?" said I.
" No, Sir," answered the boy, " my mother will
not let them be touched ; for since my father weut
abroad, music makes her cry, and then we all cry."
I looked on the violin — it was unstrung.
I touched the harpsichord — it was out of tune.
Had the lyre of Orpheus sounded in my eai', it
could not have insinuated to my heart thrills of sen-
sibility equal to what I felt.
It was the spirit in unison with the flesh.
" I hear my mother on the stairs," said the boy.
I shook him by the hand — " Give her this, my
lad," said I, and left the house.
It rained — I called a coach — drove to a coffee-
house, but not having a farthing in my pocket, bor-
rowed a shilling at the bar.
TO MUSIC.
Queen of every moving measure.
Sweetest source of purest pleasure.
Music ! why thy power employ
Only for the sons of joy?
Only for the smiling guests
At natal or at nuptial feasts?
Rather thy lenient numbers pour
On those whom secret griefs devour ;
Bid be still the throbbing hearts
Of those whom Death or Absence parts ;
And, with some softly whispered air.
Smooth the brow of dumb Despair.
Joseph Wahton.
Yankee Doodle. — In the early part of 175.3,
great exertions were made by the British Ministry for
the reduction of the French power in Canada, and the
Colonists were called upon for assistance, and contri-
buted with alaci'ity their several quotas of men. ^ The
British army lay encamped a little south of the city of
Albany, and in the early pai-t of June the eastern troops
began to pour in. Their march, their accoutrements,
and the whole arrangement of their troops, furnished
matter of amusement to the British. The bands playou
the airs of two centui-ies old. A physician of the Bri-
tish army, by the name of Dr. Shaekbvirgh, to please
brother Jonathan, composed a tune, and' recommended
it to the officers as a celebrated air. The joke took, and
in a few days nothing was heard in the provincial camp
but Yankee-Doodle. The tune has since been adopted
as the national air of the United States — a distinction
to which its intrinsic merits certainly do not entitle it.
When contrasted, as it often is at sea, with the British
national air of " Rule Brittannia," its original meanness
becomes strikingly apparent. — Conven-atwns Lexicon,
Andante.
THE MINUTE GUN AT SEA.
DUET.
#=t
:t(t=PE:
t=A^
M. P. King.
1^
i**:
&
i;3=t£:
U
t=3==at:i=iz:i;p:
Let him who sighs in sad - ness here re -joice andknow a friend is near'
W
3:
mS.
/T\
m
*=a=
-•=1— p-
i^i^
What heav'nly sounds are these I hear? what bo - ing comes the gloom to cheer?
^^^^^^m^^^^