The National Register. — London, England, 1812-02-02 00:00:00

I FEB. 2. PRISON MEMOIRS of LIVING GENIUS. No. 3. ripm- Mr. NIUGNIE. Continued _from our Lust. Mr. Muctur had fresh difficulties to encounter before he could effect Lis escape beyond the reach of pursuit. Compassion had opened the prison gates, but suspicion watched at those of the city which were closed to all persons who could not give a satisfactory account of them selves and of the business which called them into the country. It is probable that he would have found this unexpected obstacle iniur :mountable, had not the ingenuity of a BASQUE, who had attended him during his confinement, come to his assistance. This man, who was perfectly acquainted with every bye path, possessed a rich fund of na tive cunning and confidence, which a present of a few Louis d'ors in duced him to exert in behalf of Mr. MUGNIE. He represented that Gentleman as a father desirous of seeing his child, whom he stated to be nursed by his own wife, at a few miles distance from Bayonne. and having thus imposed on the credulity of the guards, skilfully avoided the wandering parties of Republicans who infested the roads and vil lages, and reached the borders of Spain in safety with his charge. In a few hours Mr. Mugnie arrived at the Spanish posts, and was received tly General Caro, the same who was lately taken by the French at the battle of Saguntum. This Officer, on learning what si tuation the refugee held under Count Fernando Nunes, replenished his purse, and appointed a soldier to escort him to the next town, e be was fortunate enough to meet the Count De Moira, whom he had known at Paris, and who now took him in his carriaz.e to Madrid. — There lie was soon introluced as a man of talent to the Grandees of the Court, who vied with each other in their attentions towards him. The King, himself, wi.hed to hear him, and Nit - . Mugnie per formed before his Majesty at the Royal Chapel. Such distin guished favour and patronage could not f:dl to excite envy. Ills country had awakened a popular prejudice against him, for the Spliniards al ways entertained a natural dislike to the French, almost pi - uphill.: of the future calamities which Gallic machery was to inflict on their country. On account of the dangers to which such a disposition on the part of the people exposed him, Mr. Mugnie resolved to leave Spain. Through the recommendation of the Duke of Alva, under whose roof he had spent nearly a year, and who furnished him with a sufficient sum to defray the expenses of the voyage, he obtained a pass port from Lord St. Helen's, then our Ambassador in Spain, and em barked for England. At his arrival in our metropolis, Mr. MUGNIE was kindly received by the fugitive nobility of France, who welcomed in him both genius and loyalty. Adverse fortune had left, however, but little in their power. Yet the patronage which they could not yield themselves, they obtained from others. Their recommendation ushered him into notice, and his abilities and good conduct secured the favour of the distin guished families to whom he was introduced, and where he now taught the piano with success. Out of gratitude for his countrymen, who had lately opened the Catholic Chapel of St. Patrick, he volunteered his ser vices, and during ten years performed gratuitously on the organ belong ing to that establishment. The comparative diminutiveness of this Instrument, whilst it prevented the full expansion of his powers, still allowed a sufficient display of talent to win this praise from the un willing lips of modern artists, 4 ' that Mr. Mugnie certainly was the first orgauist in Europe." When the excellence of his compositions for the piano began to attract the attention of the public, and to enlarge the sphere of his practical instructions, be was deemed by some of our com posers and professors too dangerous a rival to be suffered to proceed un checked. Hence, whilst his superior abilities as an organist were p:ditically extolled, he was artfully represented as only ft fur that in strument. In order to demonstrate openly the injustice of this opinion, and to disarm envy of one of her most powerful weapons, he resolved tO abandon the organ altogether, and for the last eight years has dedi cated all the forvour of his genius to compositions for, and all his execution and skill to, exercise on the piano : so that whilst in the former he sur passes, in the latter he equals, the most renowned masters of the present day. If the statement of an anonymous writer be deemed too weak an au thority to obtain imrlicit belief, let it be remembered that he has no other c*.jsc: in vir kin to do c,; , ”1.7:14 ;u4:ce to his li.liow-creattires lii 77 . confinement, and therefore cannot be led astray by any motive of undue partiality. Surely the labours of a man, who at an in mense distance follows the example of the greatest friend to humanity which this world has ever produced, and brings to light the secret gems hid in the gloom of prisons, cannot fail to prove both interesting and useful, and to deserve a small portion of credit. He is neither credulous nor inatten tive. What he publicly expresses, he privately ascertains and maturely examines. He greets merit with warmth in whatever state he finds lt. But when he meets with genius and virtue united, victim to their native modesty, and contending with envy, or suffering unmerited evils, he cannot refrain from espousing their cause with enthusiasm, and endea vouring to awaken in their behalf the kindred sympathies of the human heart. Shortly after his arrival in this country, the powers of Mr. Mug,ni4 were called into action in the most honourable manner, and on a most important occasion. The fatal expedition to Quiberon was preparing, and the French Princes, although relying on the promised assistance of the Vendeans, wished to adopt every possible mode of exciting the loyalty of the people. The Marsellots Hymn was considered as one of the causes of the triumphs gained by the republicans, whom it inspired with a wild and almost unconquerable enthusiasm. To counteract its effects, a Loyal March was required, calculated to awaken the remem brance of the past, and to fire the popular mind with mania ardour in the cause of its youthful King; for the unfortunane son of Louis XVI. still dragged at that period his miserable existence in captivity and suffering. His present lawful successor, Count De Lille, seloated Mr. Mugnie as the only person whose abilities were equal to such a task. I have now before me the 66 Marche des Royalistes," which this Gentlein. n produced in obedience to the Royal command, and which led on the emigrants to battle at Quiberon. I have had the additional advantage of hearing it played by him with all the skill which he possesses, and all the glowing energy of patriotic and loyal feeling which, even at this di tance of time, he is unalle . to repress. It di , plays not only a great master, but a man deeply ac'piainted with the human hears. It is not only a musical, it is a poli tical composition. The air itself, full of animation and grandeur, would kindle any mind with warlike ardour : but the introduction of the most meting parts of three other French national airs, as popular, in the time of the Moeetel.y, as our 66 God save the King" is with us, and therefore so well calculated to revive early impressions of loyalty, at a moment too when the sour, powerfully agitated by hope and rev • approaching contest, is less able to reject them, was a stroke of policy only surpassed by the manner in which it is executed. These introduc does consist of the celebrated " 0 Richard, 0 Mon Roi !" " Vive Henry Quatre," and " Vive le Roi." They are brought in most skil fully, and produce a very noble ( - fleet. This grand march epen, N . vith all the inspiring energy of war, as suits men who are rushing to con quest or to death ; when suddenly the tumultuous call to battle ceases, and A softened melody seems, with melancholy cadence, to check the spirit of revenge and devastation, and to invite to clemency and forgive. nem' A pathetic strain next addresses the young and captive Sovereign, I i as the descendant of 66 Henri Quatre," which introduces the beginning of that air: his appearance and restoration are anticipated, and the whole concludes with triumphant shouts of " Long live the King," " Vive le Roi." To create such meaning, to comprise it in a piece of this nature, and to reconcile those widely different expressions with the dine of march, were difficulties which genius and a profound knowledge of the science of harmony could alone conquer. They stein to ha' e vanished before Mr. Mugnie. The expressiJn of the various sentiments which I have described is so strongly marked, that it was ably trenstated into elegant language, without any other guide than the music, to which the words have since been joined. It would be difficult to find among the other composers of our days, many passages which could produce any corresponding idea in the mind, save that of modulated sound. Their compositions in general vie with the poetry of our moiern bards. Both may sometimes attain prettiness, but are always equttYy unmeaning. Mr. Mugnie's " Marche des Royalistas," dedicated to the unforne. , nate Louis XVII. established his fame as a first rate composer, iy this country. It was engraved under the direction and at the expense of tl:e Count de Lille, with a beautiful title-page, representing at the top, the arms of France half shadowed by a cloud ; in the middle the scene of war in Britanny where the march was played, and on the s!des me i'reecli standards, with the escutcheons et the Vandean pee. - inces, stir. rounded with broken iostronentl of war. 'lbis royal tribute to the ; merits of a man of genius, is as borouralile to the soeerei,:,ll as to ~ is pui)jact. SC.II; THE NATIONAL. REGISTER. I ~~ -.-- - WMAISI