VOL. LXIX.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 517 



where a band of gentlemen performers played the overture in Rodelinda, he was 

 so delighted with the minuet, that the next morning he hummed part of it in 

 bed ; and by noon, without any further assistance, played the whole on the 

 organ. 



His chief delight at present is in playing voluntaries, which certainly would not 

 be called music if performed by one of riper years, being deficient in harmony 

 and measure ; but they manifest such a discernment and selection of notes as is 

 truly wonderful, and which, if spontaneous, would surprize at any age. But 

 thouo-h he executes fragments of common tunes in very good time, yet no ad- 

 herence to any particular measure is discoverable in his voluntaries ; nor have I 

 ever observed in any of them that he tried to play in triple time. If he discovers 

 a partiality for any particular measure, it is for dactyls of 1 long and 2 short 

 notes, which constitute that species of common time in which many street-tunes 

 are composed, particularly the first part of the Belleisle March, which perhaps 

 may first have suggested this measure to him, and impressed it in his memory. 

 And his ear, though exquisitely formed for discriminating sounds, is as yet only 

 captivated by vulgar and common melody, and is satisfied with very imperfect 

 harmony. I examined his countenance when he first heard the voice of Signer 

 Pacchierotti, the principal singer of the opera, but did not find that he seemed 

 sensible of the superior taste and refinement of that exquisite performer ; how- 

 ever, he called out very soon after the air was begun, " He is singing in p." 

 And this is one of the astonishing properties of his ear, that he can distinguish 

 at a great distance from any instrument, and out of sight of the keys, any note 

 that is struck, whether a, b, c, &c. In this I have repeatedly tried him, and 

 never found him mistaken even in the half notes ; a circumstance the more ex- 

 traordinary, as many practitioners and good performers are unable to distinguish 

 by the ear, at the opera or elsewhere, in what key any air or piece of music is 

 executed. 



But this child was able to find any note that was struck in his hearing, when 

 out of sight of the keys, at 2 years and a half old, even before he knew the 

 letters of the alphabet : a circumstance so extraordinary, that I was very curious 

 to know when, and in what manner, this faculty first discovered itself; and his 

 father says, that in the middle of January 1778, while he was playing the organ, 

 a particular note hung, or to speak the language of organ-builders, ciphered, 

 by which the tone was continued without the pressure of the finger : and though 

 neither himself nor his elder son could find out what note it was, the child, 

 who was then amusing himself with drawing on the floor, left that employment, 

 and going to the organ immediately laid his hand on the note that ciphered, 

 Mr. Crotch thinking this the effect of chance, the next day purposely caused 

 several notes to cipher, one after the other, all which he instantly discovered : 



