Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-04-08

took umbrage at the little check when
the queen thought it her duty on sever
al occasions to give them. An oppor-
tunity to resent these supposed affronts
soon occurred, and by a circumstance
which brought Sebastian Erard most
unexpectedly within the pale Of the
court patronage.
Marie Antoniette, though surround
ed by all the allurements of the French
court, could not forget the land of her
birth. "The Austrian" as she was
currently called, would often retire to
the solitude Of her chamber, to call up
from the depths Of her memory scenes
of childhood and of home. She gather
ed about her a host of objects, which
served to remind her Of Austria. The
books, pictures, and sculptures, which
adorned her private apartments, were
all from Germany. But one article
was wanting to make the collection
complete. The young queen Of France
was proficient musician, and loved the
melodies of her native land; but how
could she give effect to them with the
inharmonious spinet then in her cham
Der? She resolved, therefore,to have
harpsichord from Vienna, and soon
magnificent instrument of improved
tone and elegant form, we'll worthy Of
a royal residence, replaced the old spi-
net. That it should be displayed to
the best advantage, the young queen
determined to give concert, at which
she commanded her instructor and coun-
tryman, Gluck, the celebrated compo-
ser to assist.
The new harpsichord was construct
cd by Silberman, with his latest i'm
provements, and won the admiration
Of all present. Amongst the guests
were the Duke Of Lauzun and the mar
charioness of Millcroy. The praises
bestowed upon the instrument made
the latter cnvious of its possessor, des-
pite the difference in their position and
rank; and she demanded Of the Duke
de Lauzun a harpsichord Of equal ex-
cellence and external beauty to that of
the queen. The age of chivalry had
not even then passed away, and the
lover was bound TO obey the wishes Of
his intended, be they ever so extrava-
CANT. But another and perhaps strong
err motive prompted him. He saw, by
complying with this request, a means
Of Notifying her majesty-of, in fact,
lessen;ns bsr popularity. Ifo took
care on every opportunity to point gen.
cral attention to the readiness with
which Antoinct,c preferred the pro-
! ductions Of her native to those OF her
, adopted country. And he undertook
! to prove, in the present instance, that
this preference was not guided by mer-
: it. .In a short time," he boosted, 81
, will produce an instrument Of French
! manufacture superior in tone and in
magnifcence ofappearance to thevaunt-
ed importation Of the queen" He
possessed wealth, ingenuity, and per-
, severance; his boast was therefore not
an idle one.
The Duke made the tour Of all the
! eminent manufactures in Paris, but
) found no one who had enough of cour-
age to undertake the seemingly impos-
! sible task he proposed, for all had heard
: ofthe marvellous harpsichord oil Sllbcr-
! mann. After nearly giving up the
pursuit in despair, he determined to
visit the manufactures of an humber
grade. In one Of these, young and
intelligent journeyman happened TO
overhear the offer made by the duke to
his master, by whom it was declined.
He started from his seat, and with a
confident brow, declared he would I'M
dertake the commission.
The duke at first took little notice OF
! the young artizan; but won at length
! by his earnestness and enthusiasm,
consented to listen to a detail of the i'm
provements in the making of horpsi-
chords, which, in addition TO those OF
, Snbermann, the new candidate for his
patronage proposed. With the leave
of his employer, Sebastian Erard (for
J il was he) fastened to his lodgings for
the drawings and notes he had made OF
. his new invention. An hour after
: wards, he was closcted with the duke
q, the residence OF the latter. His ex-
: PLANTATION were so satisfactory, his plans
! SO manilestly practicable, that Lauzun
Immediately gagged him to make the
! required instrument A workshop
was fitted up with an expensive collec-