Star.
London, England, 1829-10-30 00:00:00

FOR THE STAR.

THE SHRINE OF ST. CHADD.
" And the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went
out of them."—Acrs xis. 12.
They say there's in Lichfield Cathedral a shrine
Long famous for miracles almost divine ;
'Ti. the shrine of a Saint there laid below,
It may be twelve centuries past, or so ;
And so potent its chains that sick, sore, and sad ,
Have all been healed at the Shrine of Sr. CHAD!).

A cure so strange by the Shrine was once wrought—
'Tis a marvel it has not by millions been viught—
For a lunatic lad from his keepers broke,
And slept on the Shrine—and at morn awoke
No more a maniac or lunatic lad,
For bis wits were restored by the Shrine of St. CHADD.

'Twere a blessing if Statesmen who own—like ins Guano—
That they must be mad to aspire to mace,
Would hie to the Shrine of the Saint, and lay
Themselves on his tomb from dusk 'till day,
And cured of ambition that drives men
How the People would worship the Shrine of Sr. Cilium!
PETER SCHLEM I Ht.

Oct. 29, 1829.

The unformed state of British Music, yet destitute of
any distinct original character; the barbarous and vitiated taste of
the multitude, and the indifference—nay, we may add the contempt
with which this exquisite science considered by people amongst
us who yet pretend to possess refined judgment and polite acquire-
ments,—are all subjects of real regret and homiliation for those who
love the arts, and wish devoutly to behold them flourish with us
as with the surrounding nations. As there are inatter.of-prose
folks who dislike poetry—Beings so unfortunate as to con-
template a painting by the first master with as little plea-
sure or feeling as they look upon the sign of a public-house ;
living stone-blocks, who can gaze stupidly unmoved upon the
finest morsels of sculpture or architecture—gross palates, that
prefer goose, and onions, to the ortolan and liochiemar—
vulgar noses, more delighted with the smell of mundungus than
the sweet odour of frankincense; so there are imperfect creatures,
whose ears, botched by nature, only serve the purpose of common
use, but convey no delightful inspiration to the sense. The num-
ber of these siesnished people is as abundattt in this island as the
Guolre is in Switzerland—and as much to be pitied;—for all are

to be pitied to whom nature, like a stepmother, has denied
the full enjoyment of any of the senses; the mere use of them re-
duces humanity to a thing of instinct ; and the man who has lost his
taste,—who has ceased to distinguish colours—or who is insensible to
smelling and to touch, may be considered as in a great part defunct
or nearer approaching to the brute than his more gifted fellows.—
What an infatuation is it not then, in those destitute of musical
faculties, to despise an art they can no more appreciate than
a blind man can judge of colours?—and this, instead of de-
ploring their own defective faculties, and admitting the excellence of
a thing so rapturously admired by the most elegant and intellectual
of society—the common argument of those enemies to music is
ever conveyed in trite questions, such as—" Of what we is it ?"
and so they mightlask, cf what we are delightful colours—fair
proportions—sweet essences--and exquisite gustos ? The use of
music is to enchant, to exalt, to cheer, to melt ; and, above all, to
console. In the temple of Goa it raises us from earth ;at the tomb
it soothes us in the dirge; it rouses us in the march, exhilerates at
our fire-sides ; and in the dance inspires pleasure and happiness.
If it effects all this, it is sacrilege to call it a frivolous art; or, if we
admit its importance, it is still more heinous that we permit
it to languish amongst us in neglected uncultured Infancy. It is a
fact " that bad music generates bad music." From corrupt custom
the Spaniards find melody in a prolonged nasal cadence ; the Ty.
rolean in a double intonation of voice; the Pules in a sudden
jerking whoop at the commencement of every bar; and the
Scotch and Irish delight in a certain lilt and drone to which no
other ears can be reconciled. Just so, the pedantic Alma has
left English music as monotonous as be found it; and the
" Cease rude Dorcas," * Richmond Hill," and all the family Of
fal-de-ral choruses, destitute of variety, smoothness, and
counter-point, still fascinate the English taste in spite of
the superiority of foreign science and example. With a dawn
of improving intelligence, however, the English Musicians—or
rather let us name them the English Musicals //—have discovered
the necessity of deviating from the insipid character of their old
boisterous wooden music. But destitute of genius, and shackled
by early perversion of taste, they—incapable of forming an original
national school—bave mixed up a kind of emnions gatheessas of
styles, by Italianising. Germanising, and Galicising native com-
position, till false finery more conspicuously exposes the wretched-
ness they would cover—like gaudy ornaments selected with bad taste
awkwardly to adorn the squslour of a ragged beggar. But all de-
fective and inferior as we are in this sublime art,wa must still be con-
strained to hear slip-slop music poured out to timber tympanums,until
a proper field of encouragement is opened to our native genius. The
effort, we are proud to say, is snaking ; and we, at last, may hope
ere long to assist at English opera without a feeling of humiliation
and disgust. The formation of a "British Musical Academy" was
the first step to be taken ; the taste of the young students being
there carefully directed—their minds made familiar with the high
walks of dramatic composition—their style formed on the bea
models, and accustomed to execute and emulate with each
other—all lead us to expect, that native talent will spring front
this hot-bed, equal to compete with all that is best in the Art
in Italy, Germany, and France ; that we also shall have our
Paesiellos, our Cimerosas, and Rossini's; our Mozarts, Haydona,—
our Clucks and Gretrys ; and, instead of the small-price physic of
our present Musicals, become familiar with a music of a higher
range--capable, classical, and pure. To exercise their pupils,
and inure them to the business of the Drama, the Directors
of the Academy, it would seem, intend to get up, for this
season, a succession of Operas at the Italian House. This
attempt is one of the greatest importance to British arts. If suc-
cessful, it will fix an epoch in our Musical and Literary History ;
for, with the establishment of a pure English Opera, the lyric
poet, the snusician,—nay, the painter and dancer, will find more
scope to exercise their talents, than that upon which they have
hitherto exerted themselves amongst us. If such now depends
on the incipient merits of the young Academy, much also will rest
upon the public—for the fullest encouragement will be required to
secure for posterity a music worthy of the nation, and an Opera
they can be proud to own. .

• • • • •

The following decree was issued at Bogota
Besot*, JUNI 3.
44 To THE PREFECTS.—A delay having occurred in
the receipt at the office under my charge of the decree
issued by the Liberator at Quito, on the Bth May last,
relative to the duties on importations, which was pub-
lished in the Gazette of Colombia, and its circulation
and, publication having from this cause been delayed, in
consequence of which the term within which its opera-*
lions was to commence, is too short, as regards produce
imported in vessels coming from the United States and
Europe, the Government has determined that the pro-
visions contained in the said decree, shall not take effect
with respect to the former, until the Ist Jan. 1830.
(Signed) " NICHOLAS TANEO."
Two Scotchmen, having occasion to go into a public-
boast, asked for a certain quantity of whisky, which was, of
course, readily granted. In the plenitude of her politeneu the
landlady inquired whether they should like a little water to mix
with it. " 'Deed, my good woman," replied one of them, after
whiskey, " I think they would be very ill to please that could as'
tak' it wt' what It has get."