Sect. IV.] Musk, 149 



vielody, and is better calculated to make new, 

 surprising, and diversified impressions. 



It was about the beginning of the century un- 

 der consideration that Italian music first became 

 fasliionable in England. The first Opera, upon tlie 

 Italian plan, was performed therein 1705. Com- 

 positions derived from the same source have sinee 

 become more popular and general. How much this 

 kind of musical drama, invented by Politian, is 

 indebted to Metastasio for its improvement is ge- 

 nerally known. 



The sacred musical drama, or Oimtorio, was in- 

 vented in Italy in the beginning of the fourteenth 

 century, but was never publicly exhibited in Grc;it 

 Britain until introduced by George Tredcrick 

 Handel, in 1732. This wonderful genius had 

 come from Germany to England about twenty 

 years before, and by his zeal, and the incompa- 

 rable excellence of his compositions, formed a 

 grand a^ra in the history of music. Perhaps no 

 individual musician of the age has been more fre- 

 quently the subject of eulogy, or filled a larger 

 space in the public estimation than this illustrious 

 German. His Oratorios, including the chorusses, 

 which lie brought into use, were exhibitions of the 

 very first order *. 



It would be improper to omit taking notice in 

 this place of a new musical instrument, which the 

 century we are considering produced, dcn()n)i- 

 nated by Dr. Franklin the Harmonica. This is an 

 instrument formed of glass, on which, by rubbing 

 the finger according to certain rules, the most de- 



* Burney's History of Music, vol. iv. 



