EXPRESSION IN MUSIC. 197 



Miss Tibbs ! Several minor pieces followed, when Mr. P. announced 

 that the next piece to be performed would be the celebrated over- 

 ture to the " Siege of Algiers." Here he was particularly requested 

 by the ladies Shrimpington to explain what it meant. " The Siege 

 of Algiers," replied he, "is intended to represent all the events, 

 attack, siege, counter-siege, plot, counter-plot, commanding, fight- 

 ing, dying, drowning, praying, and blowing-up of Algiers : it is the 

 expression of music.*' " How nice !" said the ladies. 



The violin then commenced conhrio, which excited much atten- 

 tion, as it was understood that the Dey of Algiers was thereby 

 threatening destruction to the English fleet. Mr. Acteon Snaggs 

 whispered to Miss Mellitung that he thought the Dey had but a 

 tremulous voice for so ferocious a warrior, but which the Doctor 

 overhearing, he declared that as the Dey must have been terrified, 

 it was perfectly natural that there should be a quivering of the 

 chordae vocales, or vocal strings. Perigrine finaled by a very 

 effective slash of the bow across the strings, which Bob Salter said 

 was a clever passage, and expressed that the Dey was in terrible 

 swearing rage. 



Whilst the audience were lost in admiration at the last vibra- 

 tion of the enraged Dey, full of wonder and alarm as to the result 

 of this threat from one so every way qualified to execute it. Pere- 

 grine shook aloft his magical bow, and, giving a long tattoo on the 

 piano, the whole band — violin, ram's-horn, triangle, clarinet, piano, 

 bells, and pipes — should have struck up with one unanimous burst, 

 but, for some reason not explained, the ram's-horn followed the vio- 

 lin, the bells followed the horn, the piano the bells, the clarinet the 

 piano, and the pipes and triangle the clarinet, that it was at first 

 supposed by the Miss Trumps, that the English were in suspense 

 how to proceed. Every one worked full drive after the other, 

 shewing the eagerness of the debate : at length the furious notes 

 expired, when the Miss Trumps, all eagerness, requested to know 

 the result of so furious a discussion. Discussion ! screamed the 

 heated Miss Tibbs, it was no discussion ! What then, pray } said 

 the ladies. What then ! reiterated Mr. Crook, puffing like a 

 Grampus — why the English were cannonading the town and bat- 

 teries to be sure. Nonsense! smiled the incredulous IMiss Trumps, 

 Dr. Mellitung stared, Mr. Crook stared. Miss Tibbs stared, the man 

 with the bells stared, every one stared but Bob Salter, who begged 

 to inform the audience that the next part of the overture was a solo 

 by himself on the drum ; the meaning of which was that the Eng- 

 lish prisoners were having the sack. Bob played so rapid and so 



