1 88 Dr. burney’s Account- of 
fuch as God fave great george our king'. Let ambition 
fire thy mind ; and Lke Lajler Hymn ; with which, and 
fuch chords as were pleating to his ear, he ufed to try the 
perfection of his inftrurnent. 
I have been favoured with feveral particulars concern- 
ing his fon’s firft attention to mufic from Robert par.- 
tridge, efquire, a gentleman of rank in the Corpora- 
tion of Norwich, who, at my requeft, has been fo oblig- 
ing as to afcertain many curious fails, the truth of which, 
had they refted merely on the authority of the child’s 
father or mother, might have been fufpedted; and trans- 
actions out of the common courfe of nature cannot be 
too fcrupuloufly or minutely proved. 
My correfpondent, of whofe intelligence and veracity 
I have the higheft opinion, tells me, that I may reft 
allured of the authenticity of fuch circumftances as he 
relates from the information of the child’s father, who is 
an ingenious mechanic, of good reputation, whom he 
knows very well, and frequently employs, as thefe cir- 
cumftances are confirmed by the teftimony of many who 
were witneffes of the child’s early performance ; and he 
adds, that he has himfelf feen and heard moft of the 
very extraordinary efforts of his genius. 
About Chriftmas 1776, when the child was only a 
year and a half old, he difcovered a. great inclination for 
mufic, 
