140 
gentleman’s life as came within my know- 
Jedge, accompamted with a few critical re- 
marks on the ftyle and merits of his com- 
pefitions, might be acceptable to the Read- 
ers of the Monthly Magazine, I have feized 
a leifure hour to commit them to paper, and 
truft they will not be deemed unworthy a 
piace in that ufefal and widely-circulating 
mifcellany. 
Mr.. William Jackfon was born at 
Exeter in May, 1730 His father, an 
eminent grocer tn that place, and mafter 
of the city-workhoufe, gave him a liberal 
education, with a view to one of the 
learned profeffions; but the youth focn 
Gifcovering a particular genius for the 
harmonic {cience, he was induced to in- 
cuige the bent of nature; and placed him 
under the tuition of Mr. Travers, orga- 
nift of the cathedral church of St. Peter, 
in Exeter, with whom he remained two 
years. Mr. Jackfon, after leaving Mr. 
‘Travers of Exeter, went to London,where 
about the year 1748, he became a pupil 
of the celebrated Mr. Travers, author of 
** Haft: my Nannette,”” and other much- 
admired two and three-part fongs; and 
at that time organift of the King’s Che- 
pel, and St. Paul’s Covent-garden.— 
Under this mafter he fiudied two years, 
after which he returned to his native 
city, where he for many years, practiled 
2s a compofer, performer and teacher, 
with confiderable profit and reputation. 
His compofitions, chiefly vecal, were nu- 
merous, and of fuch fingular merit asin pri- 
vate to command the moft flattering appro- 
bation of the beft judges, bothin the coun- 
- try and the metropolis, and to quickly 
elevate him to a refpeftable ra k in his 
profeffion. Indeed they, for the moft 
pait, exhibited a chaftenefs of conception, 
ingenuity of conftruftion, and truth of 
expreflion, which not only evinced much 
Native genius, but a tafte and knowiedge 
of the higher principles of harmony thar 
could only refit from great acutene!s of 
objervation, and clofe and elaborate ftudy. 
Jn Lor.don, his fuperior talents weuld 
not only quickiy have enfured him fome cf 
thofe parochial fertlemcnts which are daily 
becoming vacant; but the condu&. of 
public concerts, theatrical compofition, 
and other provinces of profeffional prattice, 
unknown at a diftance from the capital, 
would have called his abilities into con- 
fiant exercife, and have accelerated his 
pregrefs both in wealth and tame. But 
fixed in ‘Exeter, cut off frem_ thele 
‘opportunities of advancement, his pecu- 
niary reward, tho’ far from fcanty, could 
not keep pace with his growing repute ; 
LMemsirs of Mr. Fackfon, of Exeter. 
(Sept. 1, 
and notwithftanding his great and acknow. 
ledged merit, he did not obtain any 
fettled benefice until Michaelmas 1777, 
when he fucceeded Mr. Richard Langdon, 
as fub-chanter, organift, lay-vicar, and 
mafter of the chorifters, in the cathedra 
of Exeter. 
In the year 1755 Mr. Jackfon’s fine 
talents in mufical compofition firft be- 
came known to the public—Abeut that 
time, after amufing his friends with 
a variety of ingenious literary produc- 
tions in profe and verfe; and giving 
proofs, by many excellent fpecimens in 
landfcape-painting of a real genius for 
that art ; he printed @ book of twelve 
fongs, of which ‘* The Heavy Hours are 
almoft paft,"="* Ah why muft Words 
my Flame reveal,”"— “Iwas when the 
Seas were rearing,”’—and—“ Tanthe the 
lovely, the Joy of her Swain,’’—were fo 
fimple, yet elegant, and fo original and 
firiking as to {peedily become popular, 
and at once give him a ftation among 
the firft Englith compofers of that day. 
Thefe were followed by fix accompanied fo- 
_natas for the harpfichord, in which perhaps 
his genius did not difplay itfelf with equal 
advantage ; but his third work, confiiting 
of fix three-part elegies, preceded by an Iz- 
vocation, gave fuch evidence of tafte, 
feeling, and judgment, as to eftablifh his 
reputation as a vocal compoier. His next 
publication was a fecond collection of 12 
fongs of which ** Go gentle -Gales,’— _ 
<< Let me approach my fleeping- Love,” — 
and ‘With Delia ever could I ftray,”* long 
delighted every cultivated ear; and juftly 
added to the fame he had already fo well 
earned. Mr. Jackfon’s fourth appeal to 
the public opinion was in an Anthem fe- 
lected from the Pialms, and Pope's cele- 
brated Ode of adying Chrittian to his Soul ; 
the Preface to which he concludes by fay- 
ing, that both in the Anthem andOde,he has 
aimed more at /2y/e than compofition : and 
that ‘* there is intended to be contrivance 
enough to exgage without perplexing the 
attention.””> The faét, however, is, that 
the tyle is poor, the cenirivance ftiff, if 
not baid, and the expreflion, efpecially 
in the ede, cold and weak. This work 
was fucceeded by a bock of twelve 
hymns in three parts, with adaptations 
for a fingle voice, in the preface to whieh 
are fome very judicious and ufeful hints 
relpecting the proper ftyle of this fpécies 
of church compofition ; but it is eafier to 
point out than to perform, to judge than 
to execute; and Mr. Jackfon, we muft 
fay, after allowing much praife to his 
work, has not uniformly given} to his 
hymns 
‘ 
Se Pe Ae ing: en ee ae 
