In the fecond Part, the Author treats of the tune of the organ, and other inftruments of the fame kind; which, he obferves, will be found capable of being freed from the two great defects to which the ordinary fiddle, unreformed, muft ftill be liable. In the first place, the organ can be freed from the irregularity in the connection of the keys :-because, being under no neceffity to attend to the tune of four fixed notes (the open ftrings), which govern the whole tune of the fiddle; in tuning the organ, we have it in our power, after deriving a variety of notes from one fixed tone affumed as the ground of the whole, to fix all these several notes, and derive others from them. Secondly, it is not liable to the uncertainty of finding the true tune of any note in performance; becaufe, in tuning the organ, every degree of tune being deliberately adjusted, and fubjected to a great variety of check-examinations, may be fixed, and ftand ready for the performer.' Here the Author fhews, that, inftead of 12 degrees of tune, in the common computation of the octave, there must be no lefs than 44 furnished for putting the organ in perfect diatonic tune. Although, fays he, it probably will feem amazing to fuch as are [con] verfant in the fubject, that this should be accomplished by fo fmall a number of degrees; there is no doubt mere performers will be alarmed because it is fo great. Indeed, if no other method could be devised than furnishing a finger key to each tone of the inftrument, we might give ourselves up to despair; notwithstanding the affertion of thofe violin performers who, pretending to draw true tune from that inftrument, really undertake a task of much greater difficulty. For they must not only take all thofe precife given intervals, varying according to the change of the keys, but also find them in an immenfe variety of proportions; for, in every different fituation of the hand upon the finger-board, the proportional distance of the ftop alters.' According to this fyftem of the Author's, never lefs than three, but much more frequently four degrees of tune, or notes, belong to each of the prefent finger-kevs of the organ and the whole number conftitutes a series or fyftem of notes, all in perfect diatonic tune. The Author next gives the general plan of an organ, in which every found, compared with the key note, is in true diatonic tune in all the keys; and fome hints are given relative to the manner in which this improvement may be reduced to practice. It is true, however, that a few falfe intervals, when compared with each other, still appear among these degrees of tune; which have been confidered as internal defects inherent in the very nature of tune, and which it is impoffible to remove; though numerous attempts have been made to palliate them. The The Author undertakes the folution of this difficulty with feeming fuccefs; and afterwards indicates fome curious properties of tune, which cannot with propriety be explained here, or indeed be understood, without having recourfe to the work itfelf, and ftudying it very attentively. In one of his chapters, the Author confiders the doctrine of · the late Mr. Harrifon, concerning the connection between mu-' fical ratios, and the properties of the circle. According to this fanciful theory, the elements of mufic are all reduced to equal tones and femitones; each femitone being the exa& half of the He fhews that this theory is founded only on a fancied analogy, which is contradicted by the moft decifive experiments, and the uncontrovertible doctrine of numbers. In an Appendix, the Author offers fome further hints respecting the practicability of realifing his fyftem, and of giving perfect tune to fixed inftruments; by employing a piece of mechanifm, confifting of a cylinder or barrel; by the turning of which, any of the pipes affigned to each finger-key may be occafionally opened or fhut; when, in confequence of the modulation into a new key, a change of any of the degrees of tune becomes neceflary. He fhews, that an organ may be conftructed upon this plan, that fhall have no more pipes than the prefent inftruments; which, fays he, are furnished with more than triplet the number of pipes to each finger-key that this refined fyltem of tune requires; and this, too, for the fole purpose of obtaining variety of noife; for pure and diftinct tone being the true Materia Mufica, all other differences of found, in contradiftinction to this, deferve no better epithet' [appellation] :— if it has been thought worth while to labour for variety of found, true tune is certainly a nobler object to excite ingenuity.' and After this account of the prefent performance, we scarce need to add, that it is the work of a perfon well acquainted with the fubject, and the produce of much labour and ingenuity. The Author appears to have accomplished his principal object-the fhewing how the organ may be put into perfect tune, in all the keys; provided that no infuperable difficulties attend the mechanical, or, what we may call, the executive part of his scheme. With regard to the violin, we apprehend that the ear must be the performer's principal guide, and that few, as we have already hinted, will be found who will fubmit to the task of perfecting themselves in his rules respecting that inftrument; and fewer still who will be able strictly to execute by these rules. The complaifance of the car, as we may call it, undoubtedly fcreens the fmaller defects of the common diatonic scale, in fixed inftruments, from the notice both of the performer and the hearer; fo that pleasure, and even rapture, are produced by mufic formed on that fcale: and with refpect to the performers on the violin, violoncello, &c. there can be little doubt that they continually, we may almoft fay inftinctively, ufe a temperament, when the modulation requires it, by which all fenfible or offenfive difcordance is avoided; or play in perfect tune, in the judgment of the ear, according to circumstances. The Author's labours, however, more particularly with respect to the organ, highly merit the attention of those who are inclined to favour improvements in fcience, or who afpire after the luxury of perfect tune; and we hope they will incite fome good mechanifts to exercise their ingenuity on the subject. B...y. ART. XII. Biographical Anecdotes of William Hogarth; and a Cata- J. Nichols. 1781. TH HE unrivalled merit of Hogarth, in that original walk to which his genius pointed him, hath been long determined by that general voice of the Public, from which there lies no appeal. The warmest encomiums have been beftowed on him by the beft writers, in their beft works: but, independent of their applaufe, his own performances would have fecured his reputation with the prefent age, and tranfmitted it to a more diftant period. When a man hath diftinguifhed himself by any extraordinary efforts of genius, and gained the fummit of popular fame, we naturally wish to be acquainted with the most interesting circumstances of his life and character: and even thofe circumstances, which may be trifling in themselves, and which by no means would bear to be recorded, did they refer to perfons of little fame, yet, when connected with a character that hath excited our admiration, or with works that we have contemplated with delight, they derive a kind of adventitious confequence from their relation, and are fought after with infinitely more avidity than greater matters of leffer men. No writer feems more defirous (and we know few more capable) of gratifying the curiofity of the Public in this line of enquiry, than the ingenious and induftrious Author of these Biographical Anecdotes.' He may be thought to be too minute in his relations and many of the relations themselves may be deemed either dull or trifling. But Mr. Nichols accommodates himself to various claffes of readers; and there are many who are entertained with what affords no amufement to others; and who would think the Author deficient in his plan, by omitting what thofe, who confult nothing but their own particular tafte, would pronounce tedious and redundant. The The prefent performance is acknowledged by the Author to be fo incompact and disjointed as to need fome apology. His numerous engagements would not afford him leifure to arrange his materials by that regular method which was neceffary to make his work a complete and finished narrative. But, confcious (fays he) that these sheets, rude and imperfect as they are, may ferve to promote a publication lefs unworthy of its fubject, he difmiffes his prefent work without any laboured apology for the errors or repetitions that may be detected in it; claiming, indeed, fome merit on account of intelligence, but not the jeaft on the fcore of arrangement, or compofition.' Notwithstanding this modeft conceffion of the Author, this little work is by no means fo deficient in point of arrangement and compofition as he himself hath reprefented it: though if it were more fo, the very curious particulars, and judicious as well as entertaining remarks communicated by it, would amply recompenfe for the defect. From the prefent narrative we fhall felect thofe Anecdotes' which are most calculated to afford entertainment to the general clafs of our Readers, and to ferve as a fupplement to the Account of this eminent Artift, given, from Mr. Walpole, in our Review for March laft: and fhall infert a few of Mr. Nichols's obfervations as a fpecimen of his judgment and tafte. Hogarth is faid, by Dr. Burn, to have been the defcendant of a family originally from Kirby Thore in Weftmoreland: and I am affared that his grandfather was a plain yeoman, who poffeffed a fmall tenement in the vale of Bampton, a village about 15 miles north of Kendal, in that county. He had three fons. The eldest affifted his father in farming, and fucceeded to his little freehold. The fecond fettled in Troutbeck, a village eight miles north-west of Kendal, and was remarkable for his talents at provincial poetry t. The third, who had been a fchoolmaster in the fame county, went early to London, where he was employed as a corrector of the prefs, and appears to have been a man of no inconfiderable learning. A Dictionary in Latin and English, which he compofed for the use of schools, still exifts in MS. He married in London; and our hero and his fifters, Mary and Anne, are believed to have been the only product of the marriage. • William Hogarth was born in 1698, in the parish of St. Bartholomew, London, to which he was afterwards, as far as lay in his power, a benefactor. The outfet of his life was, however, unpro Hogart was the family name; probably a corruption of Hogherd. + A curious account of this provincial poet, and particularly of a remarkable dramatic exhibition of his on the banks of Windermere, called "The Deftruction of Troy," is inferted in this narrative. The account was given to Mr. Nichols by the ingenious Mr. Walker, the Lecturer on Natural Philofophy. miling. mifing. "He was bound, fays Mr. Walpole, to a mean engraver of arms on plate." His mafter, it fince appears, was Mr. Gamble, a filver-fmith of eminence, who refided on or near Snowhill †...“ His apprenticeship was no fooner expired, fays Mr. Walpole, than he entered into the Academy in St. Martin's Lane, and fludied drawing from the life, in which he never attained to great excellence. It was character, the paffions, the foul, that his genius was given him to copy." To a man, who, by indefatigable induftry, and uncommon ftrength of genius, has been the artificer of his own fame and fortune, it can be no reproach to have it faid, that at one period he was not rich. It hath been afferted, and we believe with good foundation, that the skill and affiduity of Hogarth were, even in his fervitude, a fingular affiftance to his own family and that of his matter. It happened, however, that when he came on his own hands, he certainly was not rich. The ambition of indigence is ever productive of diftrefs: fo it was with Hogarth, who, while he was furnishing himfelf with materials for fubfequent excellence, felt all the contempt. which penury could produce. Being one day diftreffed to raife fo trilling a fum as twenty fhillings, in order to be revenged of hist landlady, who ftrove to compel him to payment, he drew her as ugly as poffible, and in that fingle portrait gave marks of the dawn of fuperior genius.'-This, we are well informed, is all apocryphal. Hogarth was never in fuch diftrefs as he is here faid to have experienced.' In the earlier part of his life, he was happy in the kind regard of his relations, and wanted for nothing. How long he continued in obfcurity, we cannot exactly learn ; but the first piece in which he diftinguished himself as a painter, is fuppofed to have been a reprefentation of an affembly at Wanftead, the feat of Lord Tylney, in Effex [where the picture is ftill preferved]. From the date of the earliest plate that can be afcertained to be the work of Hogarth, it may be prefumed that he began bufinefs, on his own account at least, as early as the year 1720. His first employment feems to have been the engraving of arms and fhop-bills. The next step was to defign and engrave for Bookfellers, and here we are fortunately fupplied with dates. Twelve folio prints, with his name to each, appeared in "Aubry de la Motraye's Travels," in 1723; feven fmall prints (two of them characteriftically bis own) for "Apuleius's Golden Afs," in 1724; thirteen head-pieces to "Beaver's Military Punishments of the Ancients," and five fmall prints for the tranflation of Caffandra, in 1725; feventeen for the 12mo edition of Hudibras (with Butler's head) in 1726; and a variety of prints and frontifpieces between 1726 and 1733 "No fymptom of genius, Mr. Walpole fays, dawned in thefe plates. His Hudibras was the first of his works that marked him as a man above the commen; yet, what made him then noticed, now furprifes us to find fo little humour in an undertaking fo congenial to his own talents." ↑ He lived in Cranborn Alley, Leicester-fields. R. |