Signor Baptista, who hath composed a play in Italian for the Opera, which T. Killigrew do intend to have up; and here he did sing one of the acts.  He himself is the poet as well as the musician; which is very much, and did sing the whole from the words without any musique prickt, and played all along upon a harpsicon most admirably, and the composition most excellent.  The words I did not understand, and so know not how they are fitted, but believe very well, and all in the recitativo very fine.  But I perceive there is a proper accent in every country’s discourse, and that do reach in their setting of notes to words, which, therefore, cannot be natural to any body else but them; so that I am not so much smitten with it as, it may be, I should be, if I were acquainted with their accent.  But the whole composition is certainly most excellent; and the poetry, T. Killigrew and Sir R. Murray, who understood the words, did say was excellent.  I confess I was mightily pleased with the musique.  He pretends not to voice, though it be good, but not excellent.  This done, T. Killigrew and I to talk:  and he tells me how the audience at his house is not above half so much as it used to be before the late fire.  That Knipp is like to make the best actor that ever come upon the stage, she understanding so well:  that they are going to give her L30 a-year more.  That the stage is now by his pains a thousand times better and more glorious than ever heretofore.  Now, wax-candles, and many of them; then, not above 3 lbs. of tallow:  now, all things civil, no rudeness anywhere; then, as in a bear-garden then, two or three fiddlers; now, nine or ten of the best then, nothing but rushes upon the ground, and every thing else mean; and now, all otherwise:  then, the Queen seldom and the King never would come; now, not the King only for state, but all civil people do think they may come as well as any.  He tells me that he hath gone several times, eight or ten times, he tells me, hence to Rome to hear good musique; so much he loves it, though he never did sing or play a note.  That he hath ever endeavoured in the late King’s time, and in this, to introduce good musique, but he never could do it, there never having been any musique here better than ballads.  Nay, says, “Hermitt poore” and “Chevy Chese”

["Like hermit poor in pensive place obscure” is found in “The Phoenix Nest,” 1593, and in Harl.  Ms. No. 6910, written soon after 1596.  It was set to music by Alfonso Ferrabosco, and published in his “Ayres,” 1609.  The song was a favourite with Izaak Walton, and is alluded to in “Hudibras” (Part I., canto ii., line 1169).  See Rimbault’s “Little Book of Songs and Ballads,” 1851, p. 98.  Both versions of the famous ballad of “Chevy Chase” are printed in Percy’s “Reliques.”]

was all the musique we had; and yet no ordinary fiddlers get so much money as ours do here, which speaks our rudenesse still.  That he hath gathered our Italians from several Courts in Christendome, to come to make a concert for the King, which he do give L200 a-year a-piece to:  but badly paid, and do come in the room of keeping four ridiculous gundilows,