[ 3 1 / ] 



The child both looks k and is very intelligent in other matters, 

 which do not relate to muiic, and draws in a bold mafterly way 

 with chalk on the floor. One of his molt favourite objects to 

 reprefent is a violin, which he forms inftantaneoufly with a few 

 flrokes ; I need fcarcely mention the difficulty of reverting the 

 two fides, and S's, which muff, be very obvious to penmen, as 

 well as painters. The boy like wife fucceeds very well in the bafty 

 outline of a fhip. He is generally good humoured, though fa 

 often teazed to play, which he readily complies with for the moll: 

 part, if a child of the fame age is not in the room, whole com- 

 pany he is not pleafed with, perhaps apprehending that he will 

 be fet dow 7 n to his organ,., a property of which he feems to be 

 extremely jealous '. 



The prefent Earl of Momington 5 " furnifhes an inftanceof a frill 

 earlier attention to mufical inftruments. 



His father played well (for a gentleman) on the violin, which 

 always delighted the child whilft in his nude's arms, and long 



k Crotch had. now been vifited by mod of the mufical people in Lon- 

 don, and his portrait was engraved ; but the refemblance is by no means 

 a: good one-. 



1 As I have mentioned fo many other proofs of early genius in children, 

 1 here cannot pafs unnoticed Mafler Lawrence, fori of an inn-keeper at 

 the Devifes in Wiltfhife. 



This boy is now [viz. February, 1780] nearly ten years and a half 

 old ; but at the age of nine, without the moft diflant infiruftion from any 

 one, he was capable of copying hiftorical piftures in a mafterly ftile, and 

 alfo fucceeded amazingly in compofitions of his own, particularly that 

 of Peter denying Christ. In about feven minutes he fcarcely ever failed 

 of drawing a flrong likenefs of any perfon prefent, which had generally 

 much freedom and grace, if the fubjecr. permitted. He is likewife an 

 excellent reader of blank verfe, and will immediately convince any one, 

 that he both underflands and feels the finking paffages of Milton or 

 Shakefpeare. 



ra Well known to the mufical world, for his great abilities as a com- 

 pofer. 



7' before 



