3(^ FROGEEDING& OP PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES. 



foreign composers as liis father, before whose death the fine school 

 of madrigal-writers was extinct : he also inherited James's love for 

 masques. The celebrated masque, given by the four Inns of Court, 

 called " The Triumph of Peace," was noticed, and some of its mu- 

 sic, — a part of which is preserved in the Music School library, at 

 Oxford, — was given. In Comus, the masque attained its highest 

 perfection. An interesting account of this beautiful dramatic poem 

 was given, and one of its songs, as originally set by H. Lawes, was 

 sung. Milton's opinion of the proper use and employment of the 

 stage was given in an eloquent passage from his prose works ; and 

 the lecture concluded with a review of the writings and character of 

 H. Lawes, to whom, Mr. Taylor said, the proud distinction of being 

 the friend of Milton worthily belonged. Some passages from 

 Lawes's writings, breathing a noble and high-minded spirit, as well 

 as a cultivated understanding, confirmed this remark, and several of 

 his songs justified Milton's discriminating appreciation of his talents 

 as a composer. 



Lecture III. — In order to ascertain the amount of obligation 

 which the English opera owed to that of Italy, Mr. Taylor gave a 

 succinct review of the latter from its very commencement in 1597, 

 illustrated with some very curious specimens. He then traced the 

 origin and progress of recitative, quoting, in illustration of his re- 

 marks, from cotemporary Italian authors. It appeared from these, 

 as well as from the illustrations, that the English and Italian ope- 

 ras proceeded from a different point, on different principles, and 

 aimed at a different object : it also appeared that the opera only be- 

 came a regular dramatic exhibition in Italy cotemporaneously with 

 the production of Comus. 



The lecturer then proceeded with the history of the English 

 stage, from the time of Shaksj)eare to that of the Restoration : in- 

 terspersed with many curious and interesting circumstances connect- 

 ed with this subject. The plays o'f Shakspearewere not then fa- 

 vourites with the public, and but few were on the manager's acting 

 list. They were usually subjected to alterations, and frequently 

 acted under new titles. D'Avenant, in consequence of this distaste 

 for Shakspeare, had recourse to a new kind of entertainment, in 

 which music was connected with the drama. The second of these 

 was IMacbeth, to which he added a scene, (borrowed from an old 

 play), for the purpose of introducing music into the piece. It has 

 been a subject of no little controversy, who was the author of this 

 celebrated music ; some writers having ascribed it to Purcell, and 

 Mr. W. Linley, in the preface to his " Songs of Shakspeare," to 

 Eccles. Mr. Taylor entered into a full discussion of this historic 

 doubt, detailing and commenting on all the evidence for and against 

 each claimant ; his summing up was decidedly in favour of Matthew 

 Lock. Some of Lock's other dramatic music was then sung, as well 

 as the music in the play of The Witch, (probably the earliest dra- 

 matic music extant), and, afterwards, a selection from the music in 

 Macbeth. 



