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nervous : itiTention, fire, and contraft, in his quick moTe- 

 ments; a tender, graceful, and infinuating melody, in the 

 flow ; together with the ingenuity and nchne s ot the ac- 

 companiments i charadlerizehis produdions, all replete with 

 great cffeds, produced by an enthufiafm of genius, retined, 

 but not reprefled, by cultivation. 



The following is a lill of his principal works, which we 

 advife true lovers and judge- of good mufic to purchafe 

 wherever they can find them : as, though more than forty years 

 old, in fpite of faihion and a rage for novelty, they will long 

 continue to be good mufic ; " VI Sonate da Camera a 2 Vio- 

 lini e Baflo," Noremb. 1 761. " VI Sonate a Violino Solo 

 e BalTo, Op. 6," Paris. " VI Concerte de Violon k plu- 

 fieurs Inllrum." Par. " VI Sonates choifies pour le Clave- 

 cin avec Violon, Op. ima." Paris. In MS. he left un- 

 published, fix fymphonies, twenty-one violin concertos, two 

 harpfichord concertos, and nine violin folos. 



Stamitz, Charles, the worthy fon of fo great a father, 

 was born at Manheim in 1 746, and itudied under Canabich. 

 In 1767 he was admitted into the eleftor palatine's chapel, 

 as principal fecond violin. He has travelled fince all over 

 Europe, and given fpecimens of his fpirited compofitions and 

 performance, particularly on the tenor. He was in England 

 about the year 1780, and performed at Bach and Abel's 

 concerts. He compofcd a duet for a violin and tenor, which 

 Cramer and himfelf performed to the wonder and delight of 

 all hearers. This duct has often been played fince by great 

 performers on the tenor, violin, and violoncello. On this 

 inilrument, we believe Linley was the laft. 



In 1770 Charles Stamitz went to Paris, where he gained 

 great applaufe by his compofitions and performance on the 

 tenor and viol d' amour. In 1785 he returned to his own 

 country, and exercifed his fkill and talents at Berlin, Dref- 

 dcn, and Helle Caflel : in all which places he continued 

 writing for almoft all kinds of inilruments. 



Stamitz, Anthony, the younger brother of Charles, 

 was born in 17 J3, and became eminent likewife by his com- 

 pofitions and performance. 



STAMMERING, in Phyfiology, an hefitation or inter- 

 ruption of fpcech, which feems generally to arife from fear, 

 cagernefs, or fome violent paffion, that prevents a child's arti- 

 culating rightly, by the confufion which it occafions in the 

 vibrations that defcend into the mufcular fyftem, fo that, find- 

 ing himfelf wrong, he attempts again and again, till he hits 

 upon the true found. It does not therefore begin, in general, 

 till children are of an age to dillinguith right from wrong in 

 refpeft of pronunciation, and to articulate with tolerable 

 propriety. A nervous diforder of the mufcles of fpeech 

 may have a like efftft. When the trick of Hammering has 

 once begun to take place in a few words, it will extend itfelf 

 to more and more from very flight relemblances, and par- 

 ticularly to all the firft words of fentences, becaufe then the 

 organs pafs in an inftant from inaftivity to aftion, whereas 

 the fubfequent parts of words and fentences may follow the 

 foregoing from allociation ; juit as in repeating memoriler, 

 one is molt apt to hefitate at the firft word in each fentence. 

 A defeft of memory from pafilon, natural weaknefs, &c. fo 

 that the proper word does not occur readily, alfo occafions 

 ftammering, and, like all other modes of fpeaking, it is 

 caught, in fome cafes, by imitation. 



Sometimes ftammering takes place only in the utterance 

 of fuch words as begin with certain letters, which are ge- 

 nerally fome of the labial or guttural confonants, as b, p, 

 m, c, g, Sec. Some perfons, on the contrary, ftammer in the 

 utterance of all words iodifcriminately, with whatever letter 

 they begin, whether they be vowel or confonant, at certain 



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times only ; as e. g. when the fpeaker is placed iii any fitu- 

 ation that occafions hurry or embarrafl'ment. Agreeably to 

 the obfervations already made, we find that perfons of great 

 nervous irritability, and lively confcioufnefs, are moft liable to 

 ftammering. This fort of impediment is a bad habit, founded 

 upon this conftitutional fufceptibility : and in attempting to 

 remove ftammering, while every attention (liould be paid to 

 fuch means as phylical and medical fcience will point out for 

 the ftrengthening of the corporeal fyftem, it is of the utmoft 

 importance to induce the perfons affefted with it to reafon on 

 the fubjeft. Let them praftife the formation of tiie compo- 

 nent parts of words, (that is, fimple vocal founds and the 

 powers of the confonants,) fingly, and in combination, alter- 

 nately, till a facility and habit of fubjefting the mufcles 

 concerned in fpeech to the will be acquired or regained. 

 They ftiould be accultomed to confider that which is true in 

 faft, that the organs of fpeech are moved by mufcles which, 

 from the laws of animal economy, are the iuftruments of the 

 will ; though we are conlcious of an aft of the will only at 

 the commencement of fuch aftions. 



To counteract ftammering, therefore, we rauft appeal to 

 the underftanding, and endeavour to aroufe the will into 

 vigilant and vigorous controul of the mufcles. When a hefi- 

 tation happens, let a volition or direft aft of this power take 

 place : firft to ceafe mufcular motion altogether, and then to 

 commence a new feries. The grcaleft deliberation and re- 

 colleftion fhould be ufed in ordinary converfation ; and the 

 aft of fpeaking, as fuch fliould be conllantly prefent to the 

 mind, till the wrong habit be overcome, and the right fo 

 confirmed as to leave no room to apprehend a relapfe. The 

 voice fhould be carefully pitched at that tone which nature 

 in the individual points out as eafieft to the organs, and moft 

 agreeable to the ear ; and by no means ftiould a hurried 

 pronunciation, or fiftitious voice, be reforted to. It (hould 

 be ftudioufly remembered, that we are accountable to no 

 one for the innocent and decorous exercife of our mufcular 

 powers — that over them we ourfelves alone ought to have 

 controul — that fpeech, on proper occafions, is not only an 

 innocent and a decorous, but, in the eyes of others, a ne- 

 cefiary and an agreeable exercife of our mufcles. Why 

 then be thrown into perturbation and confufion, when we 

 are to perform an aftion, confcftedly in our power ; and 

 which others have not only no right to prevent, but are de- 

 firous that we fliould perform i If this train of rcafoniog 

 be fairly entered upon, many other arguments will fuggeil 

 themfelves, and muft inevitably produce good. 



The following direftions, with variations according to 

 circumftances, will be found to be attended with advantage, 

 if duly and perfeveringly complied with. 



In order to raife a voice, or that material of which fpeech 

 is formed, let the vowels be praftifed in a natural key, but 

 with firmnefs and ftrength, for ten minutes or a quarter of 

 an hour, at leaft, every morning. Then let the powers of 

 the confonants be formed, in their order, fingly, and variouQy 

 combined with the vowels. 



After a little reft, if imagination fupply a fubjeft, by all 

 means let an imaginary converfation take place for twenty 

 minutes, half an hour, or even an hour, in a firm and natural 

 tone of voice, ufing every effort of fancy, to fuppofe it di- 

 refted to perfons indifcriminately ; that is, fometimes to 

 fervants, fometimes to equals in age and rank, and fome- 

 times to elders, or thofe confidered as fuperior in confe- 

 quence and rank in fociety, from whatever caufe. But if 

 imagination do not furniih a topic, then let the time be 

 fpent in reading, in a tone as nearly approaching to the eafe of 

 familiar converfation as poflible, taking care to manage the 

 4 fancy 



