The Doctor wrote, also, a song upon the naval victories, of which
the battle of the Nile was the climax. It was designed to stir the
feelings of the multitude; and the language was familiar, and suited to
that purpose. He set it to music himself; and the air was of the most
popular, and what he called hallaballoo species, that he could compose;
his only wish being to adapt it for a street-singing ballad. The
following is his own account of it, written to the Hermitage:—
1799.
* * * “Pray take note, that I have made a song on the
five naval British heroes of the present war, to an easy
popular tune, which any one with a good ear may sing by
memory, after twice hearing. To this I was provoked by
Lady Spencer’s complaining to me, that though several
pretty poems, and a few good songs had been produced by
our late victories, yet there were no good new tunes. I
have gotten Lady Harrington to send a copy of this naval
ditty, both words and music, to the Queen at Windsor: and
I have sent another copy to Lady Spencer herself, who has
bestowed upon me the following flattering answer:
“‘Dear Sir,
“‘I should have returned you my best thanks for your
excellent song, and popular air, as soon as I received
them; but I have been severely ill: * * * however, I am
now somewhat recovered, and able to thank you; which I do
most sincerely. I wish you would get it sung at Covent
Garden theatre: that is always the progress of these kind
of songs; they begin on the stage, and come thence into
the street; and this last step is the highest honour such
music can look to. I declare that whoever composed ‘Rule
Britannia,’ is next to Handel in my list of composers.
That your song may have the same honour, and have it
long, my dear Sir, I most heartily hope. I am sure your
talents and your excellent intentions, deserve such fame.
“‘I am, dear Sir, &c. “‘LAV. SPENCER.’
“Mrs. Crewe, and two or three more, to whom I have
communicated this patriotic hallaballoo, join in the
opinion of Lady Spencer, that it should be sung at the
theatres. That, however, should it be thought worth
while, must be negociated by some one else—not by me.
“Lord and Lady Spencer are charming people: _he_, now
first Lord of the Admiralty, is everything one could wish
a man, in his high station, to be; active, accessible,
and well-bred. In private life, a lover of literature and
talents; manly at once, and elegant in his pursuits; and
a model for husbands, for fathers, and for masters. _She_
has a natural cheerfulness and sport about her, joined to
considerable acquirement; designs and paints well; is a
good musician; and has a keenness in reading characters
which I have but lately found out; with great eagerness
for knowledge of whatever is the subject of conversation.
“_7th Nov._—Well, Lady Harrington has received the most
gracious of requests relative to my ballad; and it is
written by Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth:
“‘Mamma has just commanded me to beg you to return Dr.
Burney her thanks for the song he has sent her, which she
has already sung; and she thinks it has so much merit,
that she wishes Dr. Burney would give her leave to send
it to Covent Garden theatre, to be performed there; for
she thinks the tune so pretty and simple, that it will
become popular.’”
Highly gratified was the Doctor by this gracious command,
which he eagerly obeyed; and the song was performed when
their Majesties next indulged the public with their
presence at the theatre.
1799.
In the Doctor’s memorandums of this year, are the following paragraphs
upon the Duke of Leeds and Lord Palmerston:
“In 1799 our Literary Club lost one of its noble members
in the Duke of Leeds, to whom I had become known from
the time of his marriage with Lady Emily d’Arcy, the
daughter of my first patron, the Earl of Holdernesse.
I had had the honour, also, of frequently meeting him,
while Marquis of Carmarthen, in Italy; where he acquired
a taste for good modern music, and whence he remembered
fragments of Italian operas, and particularly of the
opera _L’Artigiano felice_, to his last hours. He kindly
visited Farinelli when at Bologna, and was cordially
embraced by him, as the son of his great patron while
in England. When he became acquainted with the Miss
Anguishes, four young ladies of great accomplishments,
and of extraordinary musical powers, he grew fond of
the old, or Handelian school of music: and the eldest
of these young ladies, whom he afterwards, in second
espousals, married, made him a perfectly happy domestic
man. He desired Boswell to set him up at our club,
which he was fond of visiting; and where his remarkable
good breeding and courteous demeanour could not but be
appreciated; though he escaped not, from those members
who thought themselves more learned, or better informed
than himself, the common club-censure of being fonder of
talking than listening.
* * * * *
“This year I had much pleasure at the Assemblies of Lady
Palmerston, whose exhilarating character rendered them
peculiarly lively. The elegant mansion of her well-known
lord, the Viscount, in Hanover Square, was fitted up
and furnished with exquisite taste; and its walls were
covered with pictures of the first masters; the chief
of which had been collected by his great ancestor,
Sir William Temple; to which he had added some _chef
d’oeuvres_ of modern artists; particularly of Sir Joshua
Reynolds, of whom he was still more a friend and admirer
than a patron.”