BAN 



donations as arc ufually beftowcd on itinerant talents in fuch 

 places. Hence, by the power of fong, fhc was conveyed to 

 Paris, where her voice was fo much admired, that, afcer 

 veiy linle teaching- by fome of her countrymen whom flie 

 met with there, fhe was permitted to ling at the concert 

 fpiritiicl. Here the applaufe was fo loud, that it foon 

 reached England, and inclined the proprietors of the pan- 

 theon to engage her for three fcafons, at 8go1. a year, upon 

 condition that lool. fhould be deducted each fcafor. out of 

 her falary, for the payment of an able mailer to cultivate her 

 voice. Sacchini was the fiilt appointed to this office ; but 

 foon found her fo idle and obftinatc, that he quitted her as 

 an incurable patient. She was next alTigned to fignor 

 Piozzi, whofe patience was likewife exhauiled before fhe 

 btcame a pcrfeft finger. In 1779, '^"^ returned to Italy 



as ignorant of mufic as when Iheletttiiat country; but from 

 the accuracy of her ear, and power of imitation, {he fcon 

 improved, more by example than precept orllndy; and in 

 J/Rj, we find in mufical records that (lie was engaged at 

 Florence, as firft woman, to fing with Marchefi, then at the 

 2enith of his powers and favour. The next year flie fnng at 

 Turin; then at Milan; and in 1786, flie went to Vienna; 

 thence to Warfaw in 1787; and in 1788, firll performed at 

 Naples, where the theatre is the largell in Europe, and 

 reckoned the poll of honour among fingers. And here her 

 favour was fo great, that after finging at Milan with Cre- 

 fcentini, and at Venice with Pacchierotti, llie was recalled 

 to Naples three feveral times before the year 1793, ^'I'Cn fhe 

 went to Spain ; and at Madrid flie feems ftill to have in- 

 creafed in fame and favour. His Cathohc majelly finding 

 that fhe had a large family of children, which was increafcd 

 during her refidence in Spain, took two off her hands, and 

 promifed to have them educated, and to provide for them. 

 It is hardly credible, with a perfon and voice fo entire and 

 ivell preferved, but flie ufed to declare, that fhe had had 

 children and mifcarriagcs to the amount of eighteen! 



In 1794, on quitting Spain, ftie returned to England, 

 where fhe preferved her voice, incrcafed its powers, and her 

 favour with the public, everj- feafon, till 1S02, when flie 

 again returned to her own country ; and in November per- 

 formed at Bologna, in Anttgona, an opera compofed by 

 Bianchi. From Bologna flie was invited to Naples for the 

 fourth time; and from Naples was invited to fing at Milan, 

 during the carnival of 1803. 



We cannot take our leave of this admirable performer, 

 without declaring, that we never heard a voiceof more grateful 

 tone, or more conftant in tune; or an execution (as far as 

 fhe attempted Ira'uura) more neat, brilliant, and articulate. 

 The low notes of her voice were mellifluous, rich, and full 

 to an uncommon degree; and in pathetic airs, tlie tones 

 through her whole compafs were truly touching. 



Her knowledge of mufic was inconfiderable, and this fhc 

 always confeffcd; that is, fhe could not fing at fight: but 

 who is ever required in public to fing airs at fight ■" ard 

 whether fhe was an hour or a week in ftudying a part, it 

 was the fame thing to the audience, as fhe was always 

 perfect on the flage ; fo that the inconvenience was 'all her 

 own. 



It has been faid that fhe wanted variety in her cmbellifh- 

 ments; but few female fingers axe fufficiently fidlled in 

 the laws of counterpoint to invent graces themfelves, that 

 fhall not break the time or injure the harmony; and we be- 

 lieve that con-pofers mufl rejoice in fuch ignoiance, as 

 mcdeftly delivers their melodies Uiifophlilicated, difguifed, 

 and changed by what are vulgarly termed graces, but w hich 

 perlons of true talle and judgment, with more propriety, 

 iienoniinatc ignoiance and impertinence. 



BAN 



Wc long wifhcd the Banti's fhake a little more open, but 

 even tiiat v. ilh was gratifii;d before hir departure. 



And now, quilting the firiger, we fliall pay our refpcfls 

 to her as an attrefi; in wiiich faculty fhe furpaffcd in gr.'.ce, 

 dignity, and propriety, all the flage fingers whom we remem- 

 ber ever to have feen ; and whoever rccoUefts her perform- 

 ance in the opera of Srmiramide, will not difpute her tran- 

 fcendent merit in that particular: ever attentive to the 

 perfons who addrtifcd her in each fcene, whether good 

 or bad fingers, fiiends or foes to herfelf, flie never feemed 

 to think tiiem lefs worthy'of her notice than the ladies of 

 her acquaintance in the pit or the boxes. 



Her prrfon and figure were good, and her countenance, 

 though not handforae, was expreflive, and her features llrong 

 alid flexible. Upon the wliolc,' we know not whether 

 fhe gratified us nioft as a finger or an aftrefs. 



BANTON, or Batan, in Geography, one of the fmaller 

 Piiiiippine iilands. 



BANTRY, a market and poft town of the county of 

 Cork, Ireland, fitnatetJ at the bottom of the extenfive bay 

 called from it, on the tail fide. It was formerly caUed the 

 Old town, to dillinguilli it from a fettltment more to the 

 north, where general Ireton caufed a fortification to be 

 erefted, but when the fort went to decay, it was er.tircljr 

 forfaken. Several years ago, Bantry was a thriving town, on 

 account of the pilchard fifliery, feveral thoufand pounds worth 

 of them having been fent to Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and 

 much oil made from them. In 1748 and 1749, there was 

 a great herring fiflier}-, as appears from returns made to the 

 Dublin fociety, but the town has fince fallen into decay. It 

 vi'as however brouy-ht into notice by the French fleet going 

 there, and fortifications were ercftcd there to prevent a 

 future furprile. Whiddy ifland, oppufite the tov.n, is re- 

 markable for its fertihty and beauty; and Glangariff, be- 

 tween Banti-y and Bear ifland, is a charming place, the rocks 

 of vvh'.ch are covered with Arbutus trees, and plants of 

 different kinds. Bantry is 164 Irilh miles S. W. from 

 Dublin. N. lat. 51° 39'. W. long. 9° 20'. 



Bantry Bay, a large harbour in the wellern part of the 

 county of Cork, Ireland, vi-hich. is one of the fineft in the 

 world, being twenty-fix miles, long, and from three to five 

 broad. There is in fome parts from 30 to 40 fathom 

 water, and the tides move very gently right in and out 

 through the whole bay. There are few ftrands round it, 

 the coatl being all high and llupendous rocks. In this bay, 

 near the entrance, there was an engagement in A. D. J 689, 

 between the French fleet which brought James II. to Ire- 

 land, and the Britifli fleet, of very inferior force, under 

 admiral Herbert, when, after engaging fome hours, the 

 former got into the bay, and the latter returned to England 

 with very fmall lofs. In 1796, it was fixed as the place of 

 rendezvous for the French torce dcilined to invade Ireland, 

 and fome fhips arrived there the 22d of December, which 

 caufed a great alarm throughout the countrv', but general 

 Hoche, the commander in chief, with the rell of the fleet, 

 not arriving, they failed the 27th of the fame month, with- 

 out having attempted to land. 



BANUB, a town of Egypt, 52 miles W.N.W. of Man- 

 fora. 



BANVILLE, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Calvados, three leagues N.N. W. of Caen, and 2| E. o 

 Bayeux. 



BANY, the name of a river that lies on the fouth-wtfl 

 coafl of Africa. The Dead ifland is in this river; and 

 the coalt runs here eaft and weft from cape Fermofa. 

 BANYAN Tree, in Botany. See Ficus. 



BANZA, 



