520 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1779- 



which were much approved :" and Samuel Wesley, before he could write was a 

 composer, and mentally set the airs of several oratorios, which he retained in 

 memory till he was 8 years old, and then wrote them down. 



Here the difference of education appears : little Crotch, left to nature, has 

 not only been without instructions, but good models of imitation ; while Mo- 

 zart and Samuel Wesley, on the contrary, may be said to have been nursed in 

 good music : for as the latter had his brother's excellent performance to stimu- 

 late attention, and feed his ear with harmony ; the German infant, living in the 

 house of his father, an eminent professor, and an elder sister, a neat player on 

 the harpsichord, and constantly practising compositions of the first class for that 

 instrument, had every advantage of situation and culture joined to the profusion 

 of natural endowments. Of Mozart's infant attempts at music Dr. B. was 

 unable to discover the traces from the conversation of his father ; who, though 

 an intelligent man, whose education and knowledge of the world did not seem 

 confined to music, confessed himself unable to describe the progressiv^e improve- 

 ments of his son during the first stages of infancy. However, at 8 years of age. 

 Dr. B. was frequently convinced of his great knowledge in composition by his 

 writings ; and that his invention, taste, modulation, and execution in extempo- 

 rary playing, were such as few professors are possessed of at 40 years of age. 



Another wish has been formed, that the effects of different genera and divi- 

 sions of the musical scale might be tried on this little musician ; but the success 

 of such an experiment is not difficult to divine. An uncultivated ear would as 

 naturally like the most plain and common music, as a young mind would best 

 comprehend the most simple and evident propositions : and, as yet, the atten- 

 tion of Crotch cannot be excited by any musical refinements or elaborate 

 contrivance. , . . : 



It has been imagined by some, that every child might be taught music in the 

 cradle, if the experiment were made ; but to these it may be said, that such an 

 experiment is daily made on every child, by every mother and nurse that is able 

 to form a tune. In Italy tlie ninne nonne, or lullabies, are fragments of ele- 

 gant melodies, become common and popular by frequent hearing ; and these, 

 though they help to form tlie national taste, are not found to stinmlate the at- 

 tention of Italian children to melody, or to accelerate the display of musical ta- 

 lents at a more early period than elsewhere. 



Premature powers in music have as often surprized by suddenly becoming sta- 

 tionary, as by advancing rapidly to tl>e summit of excellence. Sometimes, 

 perhaps, nature is exhausted or enfeebled by these early efforts ; but when that 

 is not the case, the energy and vigour of her operations are seldom properly 

 seconded, being either impeded and checked by early self-complacence, or an 

 injudicious course of study ; and sometimes, perhaps, genius is kept from ex- 



