In the midst of this energetic life of professional exertion, family
avocations, worldly prosperity, and fashionable distinction, Dr. Burney
lost not one moment that he could purloin either from its pleasures or
its toils, to dedicate to what had long become the principal object of
his cares,—his musical work.
Music, as yet, whether considered as a science or as an art, had been
written upon only in partial details, to elucidate particular points of
theory or of practice; but no general plan, or history of its powers,
including its rise, progress, uses, and changes, in all the known
nations of the world, had ever been attempted: though, at the time
Dr. Burney set out upon his tours, to procure or to enlarge materials
for such a work, it singularly chanced that there started up two
fellow-labourers in the same vineyard, one English, the other Italian,
who were working in their studies upon the same idea—namely, Sir John
Hawkins, and Padre Martini. A French musical historian, also, M. de La
Borde, took in hand the same subject, by a striking coincidence, nearly
at the same period.
Each of their labours has now been long before the public; and each, as
usual, has received the mede of pre-eminence, according to the sympathy
of its readers with the several views of the subject given by the
several authors.
The impediments to all progressive expedition that stood in the way
of this undertaking with Dr. Burney, were so completely beyond his
control, that, with his utmost efforts and skill, it was not till the
year 1776, which was six years after the publication of his plan, that
he was able to bring forth his