Part 6 (1/2)

-- 36. If the Complaisance, which is due to the fair s.e.x, does not excuse the Abuse of copying when it proves prejudicial to the Profession, what ought one then to say of those Men, who, instead of inventing, not only copy others of their own s.e.x, but also Women. Foolish and shameful!----Supposing an Impossibility, _viz._ that a Singer has arrived at copying in such a Manner as not to be distinguished from the Original, should he attribute to himself a Merit which does not belong to him, and dress himself out in the Habits of another without being afraid of being stripp'd of them?

-- 37. He, that rightly knows how to copy in Musick, takes nothing but the Design; because that Ornament, which we admire when _natural_, immediately loses its Beauty when _artificial_.

--38. The most admired Graces of a Professor ought only to be imitated, and not copied; on Condition also, that it does not bear not even so much as a Shadow of Resemblance of the Original; otherwise, instead of a beautiful Imitation, it will become a despicable Copy.

-- 39. I cannot decide, which of the two deserves most to be despised, one who cannot imitate a good Singer without _Caricatura's_, or He that cannot imitate any well but bad ones.

-- 40. If many Singers knew, that a bad Imitation is a contagious Evil, to which one who studies is not liable, the World would not be reduc'd to the Misfortune of seeing in a _Carnaval_ but one Theatre provided with eminent Performers, without Hopes of[98] an approaching Remedy.

Let them take it for their Pains. Let the World learn to applaud Merit; and (not to use a more harsh Expression) be less complaisant to Faults.

-- 41. Whoever does not know how to steal the Time in Singing, knows not how to Compose, nor to Accompany himself, and is dest.i.tute of the best Taste and greatest Knowledge.[99]

-- 42. The stealing of Time, in the _Pathetick_, is an honourable Theft in one that sings better than others, provided he makes a Rest.i.tution with Ingenuity.

-- 43. An Exercise, no less necessary than this, is That of agreeably _putting forth_ of the Voice, without which all Application is vain.

Whosoever pretends to obtain it, must hearken more to the Dictates of the Heart, than to those of Art.

-- 44. Oh! how great a Master is the Heart! Confess it, my beloved Singers, and gratefully own, that you would not have arrived at the highest Rank of the Profession if you had not been its Scholars; own, that in a few Lessons from it, you learned the most beautiful Expressions, the most refin'd Taste, the most n.o.ble Action, and the most exquisite Graces: Own, (though it be hardly credible) that the Heart corrects the Defects of Nature, since it softens a Voice that's harsh, betters an indifferent one, and perfects a good one: Own, when the Heart sings you cannot dissemble, nor has Truth a greater Power of persuading: And, lastly, do you convince the World, (what is not in my Power to do) that from the Heart alone you have learn'd that _Je ne scai quoy_, that pleasing Charm, that so subtily pa.s.ses from Vein to Vein, and makes its way to the very Soul.

-- 45. Though the way to the Heart is long and rugged, and known but to few, a studious Application will, notwithstanding, master all Obstacles.

-- 46. The best Singer in the World continues to study, and persists in it as much to maintain his Reputation, as he did to acquire it.

-- 47. To arrive at that glorious End, every body knows that there is no other Means than Study; but That does not suffice; it is also necessary to know in what Manner, and with whose a.s.sistance, we must pursue our Studies.

-- 48.[100] There are now-a-days as many Masters as there are Professors of Musick in any Kind; every one of them teaches, I don't mean the first Rudiments only, (That would be an Affront to them;) I am now speaking of those who take upon them the part of a Legislator in the most finished part in Singing; and should we then wonder that the good Taste is near lost, and that the Profession is going to Ruin? So mischievous a Pretension prevails not only among those, who can barely be said to sing, but among the meanest instrumental Performers; who, though they never sung, nor know how to sing, pretend not only to teach, but to perfect, and find some that are weak enough to be imposed on. But, what is more, the instrumental Performers of some Ability imagine that the beautiful Graces and Flourishes, with their nimble Fingers, will have the same Effect when executed with the Voice; but it will not do[101]. I should be the first to condemn the magisterial Liberty I take, were it meant to give Offence to such Singers and instrumental Performers of Worth, who know how to sing, perform, and instruct; but my Correction aims no farther than to the Petulancy of those that have no Capacity, with these few Words, _Age quod agis_; which (for those who do not understand _Latin_) is as much as to say,-----Do You mind your _Sol-fa_; and You, your Instrument.

-- 49. If sometimes it does happen, that an indifferent Master should make an excellent Disciple, it is then incontestable, that the Gift of Nature in the Student is superior to the Sufficiency of the Instructor: and it is not to be wonder'd at, for, if from time to time, even great Masters were not outdone, most of the finest Arts would have sunk before now.

-- 50. It may seem to many, that every perfect Singer must also be a perfect Instructor, but it is not so; for his Qualifications (though ever so great) are insufficient, if he cannot communicate his Sentiments with Ease, and in a Method adapted to the Ability of the Scholar; if he has not some Notion of Composition, and a manner of instructing, which may seem rather an Entertainment than a Lesson; with the happy Talent to shew the Ability of the Singer to Advantage, and conceal his Imperfections; which are the princ.i.p.al and most necessary Instructions.

-- 51. A Master, that is possessed of the abovementioned Qualifications, is capable of Teaching; with them he will raise a Desire to study; will correct Errors with a Reason; and by Examples incite a Taste to imitate him.

-- 52. He knows, that a Deficiency of Ornaments displeases as much as the too great Abundance of them; that a Singer makes one languid and dull with too little, and cloys one with too much; but, of the two, he will dislike the former most, though it gives less Offence, the latter being easier to be amended.

-- 53. He will have no Manner of Esteem for those who have no other Graces than gradual _Divisions_[102]; and will tell you, Embellishments of this Sort are only fit for Beginners.

-- 54. He will have as little Esteem for those who think to make their Auditors faint away, with their Transition from the sharp Third to the Flat.

-- 55. He'll tell you, that a Singer is lazy, who on the Stage, from Night to Night, teaches the Audience all his Songs; who, by hearing them always without the least Variation, have no Difficulty to learn them by Heart.

-- 56. He will be affrighted at the Rashness of one that launches out, with little Practice, and less Study; lest venturing too far, he should be in great Danger of losing himself.

-- 57. He will not praise one that presumes to sing two Parts in three of an Opera, promising himself never to be tiresome, as if that divine Privilege of always pleasing were allowed him here below. Such a one does not know the first Principle of musical Politicks; but Time will teach it him. He, that sings little and well, sings very well.

-- 58. He will laugh at those who imagine to satisfy the Publick with the Magnificence of their Habits, without reflecting, that Merit and Ignorance are equally aggrandized by Pomp. The Singers, that have nothing but the outward Appearance, pay that Debt to the Eyes, which they owe to the Ears.