CHAP, i.] Early Recollections. 13 



contents of which," remains unfinished, and the narra- 

 tive recommences with : " After reading over many 

 pages, I thought it best to destroy them, and merely 

 to write down what I remember to have passed in our 

 family." Accordingly there is no record of anything 

 preserved during this interval until May, 1760, when 

 the head of the family returned to it for good broken 

 in health and worn out by hardships to which he was 

 no longer equal, but strong in purpose and devoting 

 himself at once to the musical education of his chil- 

 dren and to giving lessons to the numerous pupils who 

 soon came to seek instruction from so excellent a 

 master. Jacob returned for the second time from 

 England at the end of 1759, and obtained the place 

 of first violin in the court orchestra. As usual the 

 appearance of this member of the family caused a 

 general upset of domestic comfort, for 



" when he came to dine with us, it generally happened that 

 before he departed his mother was as much out of humour 

 with him as he was at the beefsteaks being hard, and 

 because I did not know how to clean knives and forks with 

 brickdust." 



The younger children made great progress under 

 their father's careful training, and with all her pro- 

 pensity for seeing the dark side, the daughter's 

 recollections of this period afford glimpses of a 

 tolerably happy household. Tf it was " a helpless 

 and distracted family to which, as she writes, her 



