Streatham thus gone, though the intercourse with Mrs. Thrale, who now
resided in Argyle-street, London, was as fondly, if not as happily,
sustained as ever, Dr. Burney had again his first amanuensis and
librarian wholly under his roof; and the pleasure of his parental
feelings doubled those of his renown; for the new author was included,
with the most flattering distinction, in almost every invitation that
he received, or acquaintance that he made, where a female presided in
the society.
Never was practical proof more conspicuous of the power of surmounting
every difficulty that rises against our progress to an appointed end,
when Inclination and Business take each other by the hand in its
pursuit, than was now evinced by the conduct and success of Dr. Burney
in his musical enterprize.
He vigilantly visited both the Universities, leaving nothing
uninvestigated that assiduity or address could ferret out to his
purpose. The following account of these visits is copied from his own
memorials:
“I went three several years to the Bodleian and other
libraries in that most admirable seminary of learning and
science, the Oxford University. I had previously spent a week
at Cambridge; and, at both those Universities, I had, in my
researches, discovered curious and rare manuscript tracts on
Music of the middle ages, before the invention of the press,
not mentioned in any of the printed or manuscript catalogues;
and which the most learned librarians did not know were in
existence, from the several different Treatises in Latin,
French, and obsolete English, being bound up in odd volumes,
and only the first of them mentioned in the lettering, or
title of the volume. At Christ Church, to which Dr. Aldrich
had bequeathed his musical library, I met with innumerable
compositions by the best Masters of Italy, as well as of our
own country, that were then extant; such as Carissimi, Luigi,
Cesti, Stradella, Tye, Tallis, Bird, Morley, and Purcel. I
made a catalogue of this admirable collection, including the
tracts and musical compositions of the learned and ingenious
Dean, its founder; a copy of which I had the honour to present
to the college.”
The British Museum Library he ransacked, pen in hand, repeatedly:
that of Sir Joseph Bankes was as open to him as his own: Mr. Garrick
conducted him, by appointment, to that of the Earl of Shelburne,
afterwards Marquis of Lansdowne; which was personally shewn to him,
with distinguished consideration, by that literary nobleman. To name
every other to which he had access would be prolixity; but to omit that
of his Majesty, George the Third, would be insensibility. Dr. Burney
was permitted to make a full examination of its noble contents; and
to take thence whatever extracts he thought conducive to his design,
by his Majesty’s own gracious orders, delivered through the then
librarian, Mr. Barnard.
But for bringing these accumulating materials into play, time still,
with all the vigilance of his grasp upon its fragments, was wanting;
and to counteract the relentless calls of his professional business,
he was forced to superadd an unsparing requisition upon his sleep—the
only creditor that he never paid.