some Gentlemen of the Universities to learn to sing,
in order to qualify themselves for the Stage; but
this Objection soon vanished, when the Projector informed
us that the Greeks were at present the only
Musicians in the Turkish Empire, and that it
would be very easy for our Factory at Smyrna
to furnish us every Year with a Colony of Musicians,
by the Opportunity of the Turkey Fleet; besides,
says he, if we want any single Voice for any lower
Part in the Opera, Lawrence can learn to speak
Greek, as well as he does Italian, in
a Fortnight’s time.
The Projector having thus settled Matters, to the
good liking of all that heard him, he left his Seat
at the Table, and planted himself before the Fire,
where I had unluckily taken my Stand for the Convenience
of over-hearing what he said. Whether he had observed
me to be more attentive than ordinary, I cannot tell,
but he had not stood by me above a Quarter of a Minute,
but he turned short upon me on a sudden, and catching
me by a Button of my Coat, attacked me very abruptly
after the following manner.
Besides, Sir, I have heard of a very extraordinary
Genius for Musick that lives in Switzerland,
who has so strong a Spring in his Fingers, that
he can make the Board of an Organ sound like a Drum,
and if I could but procure a Subscription of about
Ten Thousand Pound every Winter, I would undertake
to fetch him over, and oblige him by Articles to
set every thing that should be sung upon the English
Stage.
After this he looked full in my Face, expecting I
would make an Answer, when by good Luck, a Gentleman
that had entered the Coffee-house since the Projector
applied himself to me, hearing him talk of his Swiss
Compositions, cry’d out with a kind of Laugh,
Is our Musick then to receive further Improvements
from Switzerland! [8]
This alarmed the Projector, who immediately let go
my Button, and turned about to answer him. I
took the Opportunity of the Diversion, which seemed
to be made in favour of me, and laying down my Penny
upon the Bar, retired with some Precipitation.
[Footnote 1: An advertisement of Mrs. Salmon’s
wax-work in the ‘Tatler’ for Nov. 30,
1710, specifies among other attractions the Turkish
Seraglio in wax-work, the Fatal Sisters that spin,
reel, and cut the thread of man’s life, ’an
Old Woman flying from Time, who shakes his head and
hour-glass with sorrow at seeing age so unwilling to
die. Nothing but life can exceed the motions
of the heads, hands, eyes, &c., of these figures,
&c.’]
