New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-21
GAINSBOROUGHS MUSICAL CRAZE

From BiIt,dm JQcksOn'S Autobiography
In the early part OF my lie became acquainted
win Thomas GansbOrOugh, the painter, aud rs
his character was perhaps better hnow TO me thal
TO any other person. VIII enueaVor To diVtSt my
sell of every partial ty, and speak OF nm as ne
really was | AIN the rather induced TO thls ny
seeing accounts of him and his works, gwen by
people who were unacQualnted win elther anu COLI
seouentIy have been mistaken III OOtn.
trainshoroug5s profession was painting. and
music was has amusement. Yet there were tilhes
when music seemed TO be his employment anu
nniutinp mis- diversion. AS his skill III music has
been celebrated, WILL before speat % hiih a. a
painter mention what degree oil merlG he possessed
When fist knew him he lived at Bath, whore
Giardlui had been exhibiting his then unIlValled
poweIs OH the VIOLIN HIS excellent performance
made GaiusbOTOugh enamOfed oil thal Instrument
and COucelylug like the servant-maId III the
HSpectatur" tuat the music lay IN the hddle' he
was frantic TIL he possessed tue very lustrunent
which had given hIn 80 much pleasure, Dut seemed
surprised thai the music OF IL remained DENIM WIN
GIawlni! 49,, -. 49,
n great one 10 hlni-when lie heard Abel on the VOL
a 2amoa. The violin was hung on the WILLOW,
Abefs viol Oh gambia was putcnaseu, ana tne n0uSo
Tesounded with meiodiOus thirds and hlths from
I. morn to dewy eve.' Many an adagl0 ana many
q minuet begun, but none completed. lhlS
was wonderful, 1t was Abeis own instrument
md therefore ought TO have produced Abel own
music! :, -, ., - ,.,,
ohirct-FiscGeT's hautboy-but | do not recOllect
that ne dprIved Fischer of his instrument Ana
though he procured hautboy, never heard
him make the least attempt on IT, 1IobaDlS MS
ear was too delicate to bear the dlsdgreeabe
sonnds which necessarily attend the hrst begin
nings ON wind instrument. lie seemed TO con
tent himself with what heard IN pubic, ana
getting Fischer to play to hun in prIvate-nO: ON
tine hautUoy, but the violin But tins was pro
found secret, for Fischer knew that his reputation
was IN danger If he pretended to excel on two IN
Tie newt time I saw Cainsborough it was in
another character lie had heard harper at
Bath. The performer was soon lett haipess:
Fischer, Abel. and Giardlni were all forgotten,
there nothing ike chords aud arpeggios
lie really stuck 10 the harp long enough 10 play
several airs with variations and III a little time
would nearly have exhausted all the pieces usually
performed on an lnstrument lncapaOIe OF mouuIa-
t,ou-this was not "A pedal harp-when another
visit from Abel brought him back % the VOL d.
gamDa. r o,,,,,o, .o,,,.,a
that instantly die away. II you wanted staccato
il was To be had by proper management OF ne
bow and You might also have noteS as I"nS as you
please The viOl Oh gamOa Is the only Instrument
and AbeI the prince OF musicians III, A.
THIS and occasionally little Irritation WIN INC
fiddle, continued scn9 years, when nc HeaIu CIoS-
dill but by some irreguatty OF conduct Tor wlhch
cannot account he neither took up nor bought Tue
viooncelO. All his passion for the bass was Vcntea
in descriptions Of CrOsdill tone and lowing winch
was rapturous ana enthusiastic TO the Iaat degree
More wears now passed away, when, upon seeing
q theOrbo IN picture of V ndykes, ne concluded-
perhaps because il finely painted-that the the
orho must be "A fine instrument. lie recOllected to
have heard OF German Professor Straub. As
oended per rGriOs gddaS To LIS gaTfet' where ne
s%oHiue a pipe. @StrAub" says he " an come to
bny your ldte" "To pay my ludcp Yes;
Come. name your price and here is your money"
81 ntnnnt shell my lude" "No-not for guinea
nv two i~but Won must sell it" May lude ish vert
much monnay it ish writ TN guinea p That 1t
is! See here is the money" Well II 1 musht-
INIT YOU viii not take il away yourshelf r Yes
W.. good by Alter lie had gone down, he came
up again. have done but half ny e ndo u
sWba Soog Maisther GuinsDoroughP "Why,
the book OF airs you have composed lor the Lutte y
sAhI can never part wit my pOog p "Poh you
osn mako another at auy time. Ills Is the pooK