an Infant Mufician. aor 
however, the only method by which fuch an infant can 
as yet be taught any thing better feems by example. If 
he were to hear only good melody and harmony, he 
would doubtlefs try to produce fomething fimilar; but, 
at prefent, he plays nothing correCtly, and his voluntaries 
are little lefs wild than the native notes of a lark or a 
black- bird. Nor does he, as yet, feem a fubjeCt for in- 
ItruCtion : for till his reafon is fufficiently matured to 
comprehend and retain the precepts of a mailer, and 
fomething like a wilh for information appears, by a ready 
and willing obedience to his injunctions, the trammels of 
rule would but difguft, and, if forced upon him, dellroy 
the miraculous parts of his felf-taught performance. 
Mr. baillet publifhed in the laft century a book, 
Sur les Enfans celebres par leurs etudes ; and yet, not- 
withftanding the title of his work, he fpeaks not of in- 
fants but adolefcents, for the youngeft wonder he cele- 
brates in literature is at leaft feven years old ; an age at 
which feveral ftudents in mulic under my own eye have 
been able to perform difficult compofitions on the harp- 
lichord, with great neatnefs and precilion. However, this 
has never been accompliffied without inftruCtions and 
laborious practice, not always voluntary. 
Mulical prodigies of this kind are not infrequent: 
there have been feveral in my own memory on the harp- 
lichord. About thirty years ago I heard palschau, a 
Vol. LXIX. D d German 
