[ 3°° ] 



The next time I faw Mafter Wefley, I mentioned Bremner's 

 defence to what he had blamed ; on which he immediately an- 

 fwered, " that when fuch excellent rules were broken , the compofer 

 il Jhould take care that thefe Ucenfes produced a good effedi ; whereas 

 Iff thefe pajfages had a very bad one.''* I need not dwell on the 

 great penetration, acutenefs, and judgement of this anfwer. Lord 

 Mornington, indeed, (who hath fo deep a knowledge of mufic) 

 hath frequently told me, that he always wifhed to confult Matter 

 Wefley upon any difficulty in compofition ; as he knew no one 

 who gave fo immediate and fatisfaclory information. 



Though he was always willing to play the compositions of 

 others, yet for the moft part he amufed himfelf with extemporary 

 effufions of his own moft extraordinary mufical infpiration, which 

 unfortunately were totally forgotten in a few minutes ; whereas 

 his memory was moft tenacious of what had been publiflied by 

 others. 



His invention in varying paffages was inexhauftible; and I have 

 myfelf heard him give more than fifty variations on a known 

 pleafing melody, all of which were not only different from each 

 other, but fhewed excellent tafte and judgement. 



This infinite variety probably arofe from his having played fo 

 much extempore, in which he gave full fcope to every flight of 

 his imagination, and produced paffages which I never heard from 

 any other performer on the harpfichord. 



The readinefs of his fingering what was moft difficult to be exe- 

 cuted on the inftrument, and in the only proper manner, was 

 equal to his mufical fancy ; of which I will mention the following 

 proof : 



Since the comic Italian operas have been performed in England, 

 there is frequently a paffage in the bafe, which confifts of a fingle 



note 3 



