ra 
448 
new traits of harmony, and at paflages fo 
eriginal, and, -till then, fo unheard trom 
wind initruments.”” 
The cautious reader will,’ perhaps, hefi- 
gate to admit, in its fulleft extent, this <e- 
gount by the author of the bicgraphy; but 
even after an allowance for fome exagge- 
tation, the moft phlegmatic will grant that 
much mut have been atchieved by this 
great mafter, to afford a bafis for fo glow- 
wng a picture of the merit and fucceis of 
L’enlévement cu Serail. During the com- 
ae of this opera, he was married to 
ademoifelle Weber, a diftinguifhed vIr- 
tuofa; and the piece was fuppoied to owe 
to this felicitous circumftance, much of 
that endearing charatter, that tone of 
tendernefs, and that expreffion of the 
fofter paffions which form its principal at- 
traGtions. ‘* The Marréage of Figaro,” 
which was in the highelt repute at all the 
theatres, was in the year 1787 transform- 
ed into an Italian opera; and Mozart, at 
¢he inftance of the emperor, fet it to mu- 
fic. This piece was highly received every 
where, and kept poffeffion of the theatre 
at Prague during almof the whole of the 
@inter in which it firft appeared: nu- 
merous extracts were made trom it, and 
the fongs and Gances of Figaro were vo- 
eiferated in the ftreets, the gardens, and 
the taverns. Mozartcame that very win- 
ver to Prague, and performed in public 
6x the piano-forte. His auditors at all 
times liftened to him with admiration : 
but whenever he played extempore, and 
indulged the {pentaneous and uninter- 
Fupted fallies of his fancy, which he fome- 
¢imes would for more than halt an hour, 
every one was feized with the moft en- 
thufiaftic raptures, and acknowledged the 
Gnrivalled refources of his imagination. 
About this time the manager of the thea~ 
gre contracted with him for the compofition 
ef a new opera, which, when produced, 
was called ‘«1/ Difoluto Punsto, or Dou 
Giovanni.” His reputation was now fa 
exalted, that the Bohemians piqued them- 
@lyes on the circumftance that this opera 
was compofed for their entertainment. 
But this fame, this great and univerfal 
applaufe, had net yet produced to the ad- 
mired artift any folid advantages; he had 
obtained no place, no fettled income: 
but fubfifted by his operas, and the in- 
Bructions and cccafional concerts which 
_ ke cave. The profits of thefe proved in- 
fiificient for the ftyle which he was 
abliged to fupport ; and his finances be- 
came much deranzed. The critical fitua- 
£ gic 
5 
mea ia which he aow fouad himfelf, made 
Life of Mozart, 
by Mr. Bufby. [Dee,. 
him refolve to quit Vienna, and {eek att 
afylum in London; to which metropolis he 
had often been inyited ; but Jofeph nomi- 
nating him compfiteur de la chambre, 
though, with a very inadequate falary, he 
was mduced to accept it; and Germany 
had the advantage of retaining him. 
But let me afk: had not the active and 
penetrating Joleph the ability better and 
_lefs tardily to appreciate the merits of a 
man fo diftinguifhed in genius and in {ci- 
ence? Or had not his minifters the power, . 
at leaft, to perfuade him how. greatly 
it would have been to his honour fo have 
granted fo illuftrious an artift a protection 
more efficacious? But emperors will be 
emperors ; mortals fo extravagantly ex- 
alted, know too well their own fecurity 
ftom the general inconveniences of life to be 
greatly fubject to the gracious influence 
of benevolent perfuafions; or to thofe 
inducements to a good action which ope 
rate with men whole conditions are com- 
mon; otherwife the baron de Switten, 
muft have enjoyed an influence with this 
Jofeph fufficient to have given a better 
direction to his conduét with refpect te 
Mozart. But the fignal proteétion which 
the baron has always afforded te this 
refpectable family will not permit his 
naine to defcend to pofterity with lefs 
eclat than that of his father, fo illuftrious 
for his fuccefs in the nobleft of the 
{ciences. 
It is lamentable that premature genius 
too rarely enjoys a long career: The acces 
leration of nature in the mental powers 
feems to hurry the progrefs of the animal 
ceconomy, and to anticipate the regular 
clofe of temporal exiftence. 
In the year 1791, Mozart, juft after 
he had received the appointment of Maztre 
de chapelle of the church of St. Peter, and 
when he was only thirty-five years of 
age, paid the laft tribute; and left the 
world at once to admire the brilliancy, 
and jJament the fhortnefs of his earthly 
fojournment. 
Indefatigable, even to his death, he 
produced during the laft few months of 
his life, his three great mafter pieces: La 
Fluite Exchaniée, La Clemence de Titut, 
and a reguiem, his laft produétion. Le 
Flutte Enchantée, was compofed for one 
of the theatres at Vienna; and no dra- 
matic Olio could ever boaft 2 greater iuc- 
cefs. Every air ftruck the audience with 
a new and {weet furprize; and the fat 
enfemble was calculated to afford the deepett 
and moft varied impreffioits. This piece. 
had, ia fact, fo-great a number of fuccefive 
repre-< 
