The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-27 00:00:00

PUBLIC SINGERS.

Mn. EDITOR-Every person of real taste, and
-who duly respects great musical Composersi
must be highly gratified in observing that you so
often enter your .protest against the liberties
which are taken by PunLic SIAGERS in presum-
ing to add their senseless flourishes to those com-
positions which are allowed to be perfect in their
kind, and have beet) universally admired by all
real judges. How often do we find that those
who sing the immortal strains of the great HANDEL,
and of our own admired ARNE, are not content to
give the productions of those great. masters with
the impressive simplicity -which the authors 'in-
tended, but fritter them into fantastic decora-
tions. Do these singers imagine that the com-
posers were incapable themselves of adding all
that could improve the effect of their composi-
tions,or do they suppose that they possess greater
talents than the composers, and from their own
superior taste can supply what was wanting ? 1
observe that you lately noticed the improvements
introduced in ARNE'S beautiful " Cuckoo'Song,"
so beautiful in itself that it may he deemed a
kind of musical profanation to give it otherwise
than as .originally composed. You alto noticed
recently the additions made to the pretty air of
" Pray, Goody," in Midas, and i -hope you will
keep a vigilant eye, or ear, upon all future in-
terpolations on compositions of established merit.
It is well known that at a rehearial of an Ora-
torio, when HANDEL presided, a female singer
took the liberty of flourishing one of his songs,
.upon which he took. off his wig and threw it at
her. Another time, When a similar freedom was
taken by a female singer, who added a very long
cadence, completely out of character with the
composition, he was heard at the close to say,
in the hearing of the audience, with a sar-
castic severity, " Madam, by G—, I am glad
you are come home again." I leave the singers
of the present day to reflect on these anecdotes,
and to conceive what living Composers must feel
when they hear their productions disfigured .by
the vanity which prompts the'Performers to sup.
pose that their senseless embellishments are more
agreeable to taste, judgment, and feeling.

SIMPLICILTS.

Hanover-square, July 26.

Marshal 'MACDONALD is for all the world a
Highlander in the outward man. In plain black
clothes of a morning one might easily pass him
off. for a Hibridean parson, or at least for a
comfortable tacksman of Clanronald; which we
believe was the status of his grandfather, one of
the " seven men of [list," as they are still call-
ed, who first - declared themselves for Prince
Charles, and etnigranted to France after Cullo-
den. Macdonald, though his father was born in
this country, and though he himself held a corn,
mission in the Irish brigade in the French ser-
vice prior to the Revolution, does not *speak one
word of :English. Macdonald, of an evening,
with three or four stars and his cordon bleu, looks
very much the soldier, but he has nothing what-
ever of the air noble. In conversation he is plain
and unaffected, and I was much entertertained
with the careless frankness of one or two expres-
sions; as, for example, "Ah,pour ca—mais c'etait
duns le terns de notre brigandage en Espagne."
We suppose this is now the accepted tone of those
who, having won their honours under Napoleon,
are lucky enough to retain them under the auspices
of the lilies. The Marshal went to mass at the Ca-
tholic chapel, and greatly edified the congregation
with the, unaffected devotion of his looks, and
the solemnity of his responses. He has lost his
magnificent domains in Italy and Germany, but
he had fortunately laid hands on a snug terre
in France, to the value of 12,0001. per annum ;
so the Marshal must, I suppose, be one of the
wealthiest, as .he certainly has well deserved to
be; of the set. lie is -in high favour with King
Charles, who gave him the St. Esprit in a private
audience a few days ago, but he excused his at-
tendance at Rheims on account of his domestic
afflictions.—(Edinburgh Observer.)

THE PLAGUE IN EGYPT.-A !PUP!' from Mar-
seilles says—" The two French brigs Les Cinq Scours and
L'Heureux Sabine, which arrived from Alexandria on the 28th
and 29th of June, having been placed under strict quarantine,
and deprived of all communication in the port of Pomeque,
where they closely superintended by guards posted on shore,
and by two boats placed at a small distance. The access to
the port of Pomeque, and to the isle of Rotarnreau has been
prohibited to all'persons who are not -called (hither by their
functions. The board of health at Marseilles has thought it
expedient to adopt these measures On this occasion, which it has
even judged serious enough to declare itself permanent, so as to
be able immediately to order other measures which events may
in the sequel render necessary."--:( Etoik of Monday. )