1799.] Lift of a Kitchen Library....Mr. Bufby on Modern Mufic. 
Io the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
LTHOUGH I am unable to give 
your correfpondent MuNNoo any 
information refpecting the origin of hat- 
making, I am inclined to fuggeit a {mall 
acceflion to his kitchen library, if you 
will allow me to do fo through the me- 
dium of your Magazine. 
With the exception of Dr. BEDDOES’sS 
well-known ‘* Hiffory of Iaac Fenkins,” 
I think Mrs. Trimmer’s writings are 
better calculated to intereft and initruéct 
the poor than thofe of any other perfon I 
have met. She adapts the ftyle and phra- 
feoiogy of her little tracts to their tafte 
and compreherfion, without reminding 
them of her condefcenfion, or their in- 
feriority ; and her piety is of that kind 
which has a tendency to mend the temper, 
as well as to regulate the conduc. 
«© The Life of Benjamin Franklin,” 
written by himfelf, is a work of general 
utility: the narrative is remarkably in- 
terefting, and while the writer mutt be al- 
lowed to have pofleffed uncommon powers 
of mind, his life would feem to teach, 
that perfons may arrive at eminence by 
the exercife alone of temperance, induftry, 
and frugality. But I torgot, I have only 
to fuggeft books, and not to make com- 
ments on them. 
<¢ Life of Benjamin Franklin,” 
by himieif. 
<¢ Frankhn’s Effays,’ and ‘* Poor Rich- 
ard’s Almanack.” 
<< Hiffory of Ifaac Fenkins,” by Doktor 
Beddoes.” 
Mrs. Trimmer’s ‘* Family Magazine,” 
printed in 1788, by and for John Mar- 
fhall and Co, Aldermanbury Church- 
Yard, Bow-lane, London. 
“¢ The Servant’s Friend,’ by Mrs. 
Trimmer, ditto. 
“© The Txvo Farmers,’ by Mrs. Trim- 
aner, ditto. 
Dr. Mavor’s ‘ Britifh Nepos.” 
“<< The Hiftory of Sandford and Mertox.” 
*¢ Robinfon Crujfoe.”” 
<< A felection ot cheap repofitory books, 
fuch as ** The Shepherd of Salifbury 
Plain.” ‘* The Happy Waterman.” ** The 
Lancafhire Colker Girl,’ and «* Pattent 
ver” 
<¢ The Reports of the Society for bettering 
the Condition and encreafing the Comforts 
of the Poor.” ; 
I fhall be happy if the above lift meet 
che approbation of Munnoéo, and I am, 
Sir, your obedient and humble fervant, 
Edinburgh, BE. F, 
Fanuary 7, 3799» 
written 
5 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
fa fo are prejudices, the removal 
of which require a previous prepa- 
ration of the public mind. Before even an 
attempt be made praéiically to fubdue 
eftablifhed errors, it is neceflary to render 
people willing to be convinced. No 
ftronger inftance can, perhaps, be adduced 
of a fettled adherence to one opinion, at 
leaft on fcientific fubjeéts, than that 
which we find in certain mufical amateurs 3 
I mean the partifans of the old fchool. 
They are fo involved in their partiality 
to what is called ancient mujic, as abfo- 
lutely to be perfuaded that all genius ne- 
ceflary to the produétion of found harmony 
and original melody, has long fince been 
extinét: to be a modern, is to be difquali- 
fied for their approbation. 
The names of Purcel, Handel, Corelli, 
and Geminiani, inftead of being held 
forth as ftimulatives to rivalfhip, or to 
imitation, are hung iz terrorem, over the 
heads of living compofers; and are only 
employed to check thofe exertions which 
they ought to excite and encourage. For- 
tunately, this fubjeét of complaint has 
not exifted in the fame degree in literature, 
or the other arts and fciences. Here the 
fields of improvement have been left fairly 
open, and the endeavour to furpafs for- 
mer works has, under due encouragement, 
given birth to more ufeful difcoveries and 
nobler fyftems of thinking, than thofe 
known to our forefathers. Had the injuf- 
tice I am pointing out been exercifed to~ 
wards the great mafters above cited; had 
they, becaufe they were moderns, been 
confidered as incapable of fucceeding to 
the merits of their profeffional ancei{tors, 
fo great a difadvantage muft, in fome 
meafure, have fupprefied thofe talents 
which they fo forcibly difplayed. 
Perhaps, in yo province of the harmo- 
nic art, has this obftacle to dawning ta- 
lent more formidably obtruded  itfelf 
among the lovers of ancient mufic, than 
in that of oratorial compofition. With 
them it is not fufficient to allow that Han- 
del’s facred dramas have been hitherto . 
unequalled ; we are obliged to erant that 
he towers above every thing to be expegted 
from future genius; and that in this de- 
partmentrall human ability mutt fink be- 
tore him. ‘This prejudice, Sn, has un- 
happily extended itfelf to fome modern 
profeffors of eminence; and I am intimate 
with a mafter.of high and deferved re- 
pute, who, on being preffed by his 
friends to compofg an oratorio, faid * No 
man 
