[ 3 2 ° ] 



both read and ftudied mufic, whilft he at the fame time committed 

 his ideas to writing. As he had however never received the leaft 

 in ft ruction in this abftrufe, though pleafing fcience, he wilhed to 

 confult both Rofengrave and Geminiani, who, on examining his. 

 compofitions, told him they could not be of the leaft fervice to 

 him, as he had himfelf inveftigated all the eftablifhed rules, with 

 their proper exceptions. 



Though fimple melodies commonly pleafe moft in the earlier 

 ftages of life, he had always a ftrong predilection for church 

 mufic, and full harmony, as alfo for the minor third, in which 

 for that reafon he made his firft compofition. 



In procefs of time his lordfhip was jfo diftinguiihed for his 

 mufical abilities, that the univerfity of Dublin conferred upon 

 him the degree of Doctor andProfeflbr of mufic. 



1 have happened to ftumble upon two other instances of chil- 

 dren, mewing a moft early difpofition to mufic. 



In Dodfley's Regifter for the year 1763 there is an account 

 from Brookeheld in North America, of a boy, who, at the age 

 of twenty-two months, fung the treble to one of Dr. Watts's 

 hymns, whilft accompanied by a bafe voice ; and at three years 

 and a half the fame child would fing twenty different tunes, by 

 rules commonly ufed for teaching r . The compiler alfo mentions 

 a clergyman's fon in London, who, at five years of age, could 

 execute difficult leflbns on the harpfichord, after they had been 

 once played over to him. 



Many have wifhed that thefe early geniufes might be left to 

 themfelves, in order perhaps to produce a better ftile of mufic 

 than we are poflelied of at prefent ; a conceit which Dr. Burney 

 hath moft ably refuted. I could almoft wifli however, that little 



r He was the fon of Thomas Bannifter of that place. 



Crotch, 



