a BS NEN I aa Ins 
552 Emily Spencer—Dr. Arnold, 
being of a volatile difpofition, and poflefling 
a confiderable fhare of humour, he very early 
exchanged his fituation in life for that of an 
Hei player, and for many years made no 
nconfiderable figure in the Dramatis Perfona 
of various Country theatres, particularly in 
thofe charaéters of old men which are mark- 
ed with drollery. Ill health compelling him 
to quit the ftage, obi for the laft fix ye: NES» 
refumed his original profeffion in the houfe 
of ‘his former employer; but, from the feve- 
rity of his diforder, was under the nece‘lity of 
paffling nearly half his tifmeon a. fick bed, 
where, highly to the honour of humanity, 
his anguifh has been alleviated by the kind 
attention of his fellow-workmen, at the ex- 
pence of not lefs than rool. By the fame be- 
nevolent friends, his humble funeral was at- 
tended, its moderate charged defrayed, and a 
imall furplus beftowed on a diftrefied wi- 
cow. 
The celebrated Emily Spencer, an unfortu- 
mate charaéter. The name of this diftin- 
guifhed votary of illicit pleafure has, for 
thefe laft twenty years, denoted a perfon of 
exquifite beauty. She was of plebeian origin, 
. feduced almoft in her infancy, and, at that 
early period, configned to the care of a fa- 
mous procurefs in King’s Place. There fhe 
became the admiration of many perfons of 
rank, by one of whom fhe.was foon taken 
away, and who gave her a {plendid e(tablifh- 
ment. At this time, and for feveral years 
aiterwards, the beauty of her perfon and 
countenance was confeffediy unparaileled, and 
the was prevailed upon, at different times, to 
fit to the late Sir Jothua Reynolds, when he 
was delineating on canvafs an idea of a beau- 
tiful angel. After paffing through thofe 
icenes of youthful diffipation and folly—after 
having been repeatedly transferred from one 
noble profligate to another, intent only on 
prefent pleafure, fhe became warmly attached 
to a perfon in an inferior ftation, and had two 
children. She was compelled, whether 
threugh unkindnefs or inability is not faid, 
to lie-in of her fecond child in a workboufe, a 
circumftance fo fhocking to her feelings, who, 
for feveral years, had fo much the command 
of perfonal fplendour, that it conftantly prey- 
ed upon her f{pirits, and induced her to have 
recourfe to dram-drinking, by which fhe foon 
became the feeble reprefentative of a beauti-: 
ful ruin. She again, however, became preg- 
mant, and expired, a few weeks ago, in 
childbed, at not more than thirty-fix years of 
age. 
At his houfe in Duke-ftreet, Weftminfter, 
Samuel Arnold, Muf.D. a refpeétable orna- 
ment of the mufical world. He had been 
il for fome time before his death. His works 
are fo numerous and fo well-known, that 
hardly any eulogium can be neceflary on 
abilities which have been fo long and fo juft- 
ly admired. A trifle has often contributed 
more to fuccefs than even folid learning and 
[Jan. 1, 
extraordinary talents; and Dr. Arnold was firft 
diftinguifhed in his profeffien by a little air, 
that at once became popular through the na- 
tion. We mean *¢ If ’tis Joy to wound a 
Lover,” a lively and original melody that was 
immediately warbled by every tongue. Dr. 
Arnold, however, pofieffed fuch knowledge, 
tafte, and genius in his art, as muft have 
raifed him high in public eftimation, in pro= 
portion as his powers were developed. After 
Dr. Arne’s great and merited fuccefs in 
‘¢ Love in a Village,” Dr. Arnold entered 
into an amicable competition with that great 
compofer, in ** The Maid of the Mill,” an 
opera in which there is much mufic, and 
which produced him a confiderable degree of 
profefiional repute. The chief mufical pieces 
that have been brought forward at the Hay- | 
market Theatre, for a long courfe of years, 
were compofed by Dr. Arnold; and, being a 
man of good fenfe, and well acquainted with 
life, he was enabled to enter into the fpirit 
of an author’s meaning. Hence all his com- 
pofitions, in addition to their acknowledged 
{cience, tafte, and fancy, have the merit of 
being peculiarly appropriate to the fentiments 
which they are intended to exprefs. A proof 
of the truth of this may be found in the 
younger Colman’s dramas, all of which, with, 
we believe, the fingle exception of ** The 
Tron Cheft,’? were compofed by Dr. Arnold. 
He was originally under the fuperintendance 
of the immortal Handel, and derived a tafe 
for facred mufic from that fublime compofer, 
as is apparent in the Oratorios which Dr. 
Arnold has given to the world. In thefe 
Oratorios, there isa grandeur, dignity, and 
energy not unworthy of a follower of fo 
great a mafter. In this refpeét, therefore, 
the talents of Dr. Arnold appear to rare ad- 
vantage, for he not only acquitted himfelf 
with high credit in thofe folemn and augu& 
fabjeas. which relate to our religious duties, 
but in thofe tender, playful, and humorous 
compofitions, which belong to the beft of our 
public amufements. The ‘* Maid of the 
Mill,” the «* Agreeable Surprize,”—** Incle 
and Vance the ** Surrender of Calais,” the 
‘¢ Shipwreck,” and *¢ Peeping Tom,” will 
continue to delight, as long as harmony con- 
tinues to charm. In the higher ftyle of com- 
pofition alfo, his fuccefs was great ; and Dr. 
Brown’s Oratorio of ** The Cure of Saul,” 
compofed about thirty-five years ago, was 
confidered to be the beft production fince the 
time of Handel. His ‘“¢ Shunamite Wo- 
man,” one of his lateft produétions, poffefles 
all the genius of earlier conipofitiqns, with 
that additional fcience which he had derived 
from ftudy and experience. The bafis of his 
character, in his profeffion, and in private’ 
life, was good fenfe; and it was this faculty 
which oikaiicd the luxuriance of his imagi- 
nation, and regulated his compofitions accord 
ing to charaéter and fentiment. He was fo= 
cial and goud-humoured, converfant with life, 
and 
