I 2 r\\RAr)AV, Correspondence of Lt.-Col. J. L. PJiilips. 



The following passage from the same letter bears on 

 the early musical history of Manchester and Liverpool. 

 It refers to a concert given at Liverpool 121 years ago, 

 which evidentl}', in more respects than one, resembled 

 some concerts of to-day : — 



I must before I send my story 



Touch on our late grand Rorotory, 

 Fiddles there were whose notes would charm ye, 



And Syren strains would quite disarm ye. 

 Fine folks there were as thick as bees, 



Old, Vouny, High, Low, of all degrees 

 Some part there were who went to hear 



And not a few to Gape and Stare, 

 CoxcomliS who go to prate and gabble 



More music find in senseless babble, 

 Than in the notes of Bach it Abel, 



Each found, however what he wanted 

 So every one went home contented. 



Our Doctor's so well pleas'd, I hear 

 He'll try the same another year. 



The " Doctor " here referred to appears to have been 

 Dr. Curric, whose name appears as one of the earliest 

 honorary members of the Manchester Literar}- and Philo- 

 sophical Society. From a letter from Taylor, dated 

 January 13th, 1781, from Norwich, where Ta\-lor seems 

 to have regularly spent the Christmas holida}-s for some 

 }-ears, we learn that Philips had been staying atWavertree 

 with a Mr. Okell,* and that he had already, at the age of 20, 

 become a collector of engravings. In it is a reference to 

 a Miss Braddock,as an " irresistable attraction" toW'aver- 

 tree, and to a purchase on Philips' account in Norwich, 

 for the total sum of 40s., of "five beautiful things of 

 Bartolozzi's, four small Rembrandts, two large etchings, 

 a beautiful F'rench landscape in aquafortis, and three 

 small things by Albert Durer," Norwich ha\-ing been 



* This was Mr. John Okell, of Wavertree, who married Miss Jane Leigh, 

 second daughter of Geoige Leigh, of Oughtrington. He was therefore J. L. 



rhilips' uncle by marriage. 



