VOL. LXIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 515 



But, according to his mother, it seems to have been in consequence of his 

 having heard the superior performance of Mrs. Lulman, a musical lady, who 

 came to try his father's organ, and who not only played on it, but sung to her 

 own accompaniment, that he first attempted to play a tune himself: for, the 

 same evening, after her departure, the child cried, and was so peevish that his 

 mother was wholly unable to appease him. At length, passing through the 

 dining room, he screamed and struggled violently to go to the organ, in which, 

 when he was indulged, he eagerly beat down the keys with his little fists, as 

 other children usually do after finding themselves able to produce a noise, which 

 pleases them more than the artificial performance of real melody or harmony by 

 others. The next day, however, being left, while his mother went out, in the 

 dining-room with his brother, a youth of about 1 4 years old, he would not let 

 him rest till he blew the bellows of the organ, while he sat on his knee and beat 

 down the keys, at first promiscuously ; but presently, with one hand, he played 

 enough of God save the King to awaken the curiosity of his father, who being 

 in a garret, which was his work-shop, hastened down stairs to inform himself 

 who was playing this tune on the organ. When he found it was the child, he 

 could hardly believe what he heard and saw. At this time he was exactly 2 years 

 and 3 weeks old. It is easy to account for God save the King being the first tune 

 he attempted to play, as it was not only that which his father often performed, 

 but had been most frequently administered to him as a narcotic by his mother, 

 during the first year of his life. It had likewise been more magnificently played 

 than he was accustomed to hear by Mrs. Lulman, the afternoon before he be- 

 came a practical musician himself; and, previous to this event, he used to teize 

 his father to play this tune on his organ, and was very clamorous when he did 

 not carry his point. 



The next day he made himself master of the treble of the 2d part ; and the 

 day after he attempted the base, which he performed nearly correct in every par- 

 ticular, except the note immediately before the close, which, being an octave 

 below the preceding sound, was out of the reach of his little hand. In the be- 

 ginning of November 1777, he played both the treble and base of " Let ambition 

 fire thy mind," an old tune which is, perhaps, now better known by the words to 

 which it is sung in Love in a Village, " Hope, thou nurse of young desire." 



On the parents relating this extraordinary circumstance to some of their neigli- 

 bours, they laughed at it ; and regarding it as the efl^ect of partial fondness for 

 their child, advised them by no means to mention it, as such a marvellous account 

 would only expose them to ridicule. However, a few days after, Mr. Crotch 

 being ill, and unable to go out to work, Mr, Paul, a master weaver by whom he 

 was employed, passing accidentally by the door, and hearing the organ, fancied 

 lie had been deceived, and that Crotch had stayed at home in order to divert 



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