Read the book: «The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 394, October 17, 1829», page 7

Various

Font:

The young artist, in his eighth year, began to show a manly intellect. It was in the third tour through Germany to Paris, London. &c. that the fame of Mozart extended throughout Europe; but as many particulars of this period of his life are already known, from the account published by Daines Barrington in the Philosophical Transactions, the Letters of Baron Grimm, and other sources, we shall only notice the newest and most interesting incidents of this part of the Biography. From Wasserburg, Leopold Mozart writes, "We went up to the organ to amuse ourselves, where I explained the pedals to Wolfgang. He began instantly to make an attempt with them, pushed back the stool and preluded standing, treading the bass to his harmonies as if he had practised for months." The violin-playing of Nardini, whom the party heard at Ludwigsberg, is much praised by Leopold Mozart for the neatness of the execution, and the beauty and equality of the tone. At Frankfort, Wolfgang one morning on waking began to cry. His father asked him the reason. He said he was so sorry at not being able to see his friends Hagenaur, Wenzl, Spitzeder, and Reibl. Though the children performed before all the persons of distinction they met on their route, yet as they were often rewarded with costly presents, swords, snuff-boxes, trinkets, &c. instead of money, the father had much anxiety on this account. He says, in a letter from Brussels, "At Aix we saw the Princess Amelia, sister to the King of Prussia, but she has no money. If the kisses which she gave my children, especially to Master Wolfgang, had been louis d'ors, we might have rejoiced." In Paris, little Mozart performed feats which would have done honour to an experienced Kapellmeister, transposing at sight, into any key whatever, any airs which were placed before him, writing the melody to a bass, or the bass to a melody, with the utmost facility and without premeditation. His deep acquaintance with harmony and modulation surprised every one, and his organ-playing was particularly admired. A very pleasant picture of the musical family was painted in Paris, of which an engraving is given in the Biography. Mozart's sister relates, that when they were at Versailles, Madame de Pompadour had her brother placed upon a table, and that as he approached to salute her, she turned away from him; upon which he said indignantly, "I wonder who she is, that she will not kiss me—the empress has kissed me!" At Versailles the whole court was present to hear the little boy of eight years play upon the organ, and he was moreover treated by the royal family with great distinction, particularly by the queen. When she dined in public, young Mozart had the honour to stand near her, to converse with her constantly, and now and then to receive some delicacy from her hand. The father writes, "the queen speaks as good German as we do. As, however, the king understands nothing of it, the queen interprets all that our heroic Wolfgang says."

(To be concluded in our next.)

THE GATHERER

A snapper up of unconsidered trifles.

SHAKSPEARE.

AN ATTACHMENT

Mr. Best, in his Memorials, says, I told my friend, Sir J., that Mr. – said, that among other fishes good for food, he was particularly attached to a smelt. "– him;" said Sir J., "I wish a smelt was attached to him—to his nose for a week, till it stank, and cured him of his attachment."

WINE

Some people are very proud of their wine, and court your approbation by incessant questions. One of a party being invited by Sir Thomas Grouts to a second glass of his "old East India," he said that one was a dose—had rather not double the Cape; and at the first glass of champagne, he inquired whether there had been a plentiful supply of gooseberries that year.

GEORGE III

Was known to make no secret of his own plans or notions. "Have you ever been in Parliament, Mr. Law?" asked the King, when Law was attending at the levee on his appointment as Attorney-General. The answer was in the negative. "That is right; my Attorney-General ought not to have been in Parliament; for then, you know, he is not obliged to eat his own words." On the esplanade at Weymouth, he used to stop and speak to some children. "Well, little boy, what will you be? Will you be a soldier?" Then turning to one of his attendants, "I know the children by the nursemaids."

INGENIOUS DEFENCE

At a celebrated watering-place a man was fined five shillings and costs for being found in a state of inebriation, when he made an elaborate appeal to their Worships (the Bench) in mitigation of damages, founded upon the extreme hardship he had undergone in being fined four several times for the same offence!