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For I Doubt His Music Will Not Have That Majestic Greatness and Distinctiveness That Are Necessary to Let the Words Be Understood

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For I Doubt His Music Will Not Have That Majestic Greatness and Distinctiveness That Are Necessary to Let the Words Be Understood To MASON 24 JANUARY 1778 347 with regret I own: for I doubt his music will not have that majestic greatness and distinctiveness that are necessary to let the words be understood. Add that our singers want more to be taught to articulate than to sing. All the women jabber, and bad as his taste was, Beard14 did more justice to sense than any of our performers, for though he laid a stress on every syllable, yet at least the audience, such as were capable, could suppose the right accents. In short, I wish your opera could be accompanied only by the lyre and the tibia. There is no new event. The Parliament has done little or nothing, as they wait for Lord George to lead up the Blues.131 have no time for details, and, in truth, I am thinking more of Sappho than of the na­ tion, and am happy when I can amuse myself with reading anything but politics, which I am sure nobody will ever read after the day they are published; but indeed who does write what is readable? I have got two more volumes of Shenstone's correspondence,16 and they are like all the rest, insipidity itself. Home's Alfred died three days old;17 The Battle of Hastings is to appear this evening;18 the child of as feeble a parent. Garrick has been reading plays at Althorpe10 a la Texier,20 and been adored as usual; yet I do not believe he succeeded half so well in the women. He goes on writing his wretched epilogues too,21 for he cannot sit down with the strulbruggism that he had the sense to take up. There is a Mr Potter22 too, I don't know who, that has published 14. John Beard (ca 1716-91), actor and Douglas, was first acted at Covent Garden singer. 21 Jan. 1778 (Public Advertiser). It was 15. 'Both Houses met, but little was performed three nights (Genest vi. 18). done, in the absence of Lord George Ger­ HW's copy of the second edition, 1778, is maine, who was not expected in town till now WSL. On the title-page HW has noted, the 26th' (Last Journals ii. 92). The Sec­ inaccurately, 'Acted but once.' retary's absence was occasioned by the 18. At Drury Lane (Public Advertiser). death of his wife 15 Jan. The expression It was acted twelve times (Genest vi. 7). 'to lead up the Blues' alludes to Germain's The author was Richard Cumberland. notorious refusal to advance with the HW's copy is now WSL. British cavalry ('the Blues') at Minden (ibid. 19. Althorp, the seat of Earl Spencer, ii. 88). near Northampton. Garrick's correspond­ 16. Select Letters between the Late Duch­ ence shows that he was visiting there in the ess of Somerset, Lady Luxborough, Miss previous December (Private Correspond­ Dolman, Mr Whistler, Mr R. Dodsley, Wil­ence of David Garrick, 1831-2, ii. 286). liam Shenstone, Esq., and Others, ed. 20. See ante 18 Feb. 1776. Thomas Hull, published 22 Jan. 1778 (Pub­ 21. He wrote the Epilogue to Alfred. lic Advertiser). More than half of the let­ 22. Rev. Robert Potter (1721-1804). His ters were written by Shenstone, and most jEschylus introduced him to the London of the remainder to him. HW's copy does world where he was patronized by Mrs not appear in the SH records. Montagu, attacked by Johnson, and ap­ 17. Alfred, by John Home, author of proved by HW. .
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