In confequence of the remonftrances made by the merchants and inhabitants of Surat to the prefidency of Bombay in 1759, two fhips of the line were fent by Admiral Pocock, and eight hundred and fifty European foldiers with artillery, and fifteen hundred fepoys were appointed by the Company, under the command of Captain Maitland, in order to difpoffefs the Mogul's officer of the pow er he had affumed. The contest was obftinate, and for fome time doubtful; but at length the English became mafters of the place, and upon application being made to the emperor at Delhi, they obtained this appointment to the poft of admiral, and were conftituted receivers of the tanka, by which their authority became fupreme at Surat. Mufical Anecdotes of the late Earl of Mornington. HE late Earl of Mornington fur- the pleafing effects of a harmony to difpofition to mufick, as well as early attention to musical inftruments. His father played well (for a gentleman) on the violin, which always delighted the child whilft in his nurfe's arms, and long before he could speak. Nor did this proceed merely from a love, common to other children, of a sprightly noife; as may appear by the following proof. Dubourg, who was thirty-four years ago a diftinguished performer on that inftrument, happened to be at the family feat, but the child would not permit him to take the violin from his. father till his little hands were held; after having heard Dubourg, however, the cafe was altered, and there was then much more difficulty to perfuade him to let Dubourg give the inftrument back to his father. Nor would the infant ever afterwards permit the father to play whilft Dubourg was in the house. At the fame period he beat time to all measures of musick, however difficult; nor was it poffible to force him to do otherwife, the most rapid changes producing as rapid an alteration in the child's hands. Though paffionately found of mufick, from indolence he never attempted to play on any inftrument till he was nine years old. At that time an old portrait painter came to the family feat, who was a very indifferent performer on the violin, but perfuaded the child, that if he tried to play on that inftrument, he would foon be able to bear a part in a concert. With this inducement he foon learned the two old catches of "Chrift Church Bells;" and "Sing one, two, three, come follow me; "after which his father and the painter accompanying him with the two other parts, he experienced Soon after this he was able to play the fecond violin in Corelli's Sonatas, which gave him a fteadiness in time that never deferted him. For the next musical stage he commenced compofer, from cmulation of the applaufe given to a country dance made by a neighbouring clergyman. He accordingly fet to work, and by playing the treble on the violin, whilst he fung a bafe to it, he formed a minuet, the base of which he wrote in the treble cliff, and was very profufe of his fifths and octaves, being totally ignorant of the eftablished rules of compofition. This minuet was followed by a duet for two French horns, whilft the piece concluded by an Andante movement, thus confifting of three parts, all of which being tacked together, he ftyled à ferenata. At this time he had never heard any mufick, but from his father, fifters, and the old painter. He stuck to the violin till he was fourteen; but had always a strong inclination to the harpsichord; from which his fifter drove him continually, faying, that he fpoiled the inftrument, notwithstanding which he fometimes ftole intervals of practice. About this time the old Lord Morn ington declared his intention of having an organ for his chapel, telling his fon, that he fhould have been the organist, had he been able to play on the inftru ment. On this the fon undertook to be ready as foon as the organ could be finished; which being accomplished in lefs than a year and a half, he fat down at the maker's and played an extemporary fugue, to the aftonishment of the father, as well as others, who did not conceive that he could have executed a fingle bar of any tune. It It is well known that this inftrument is more likely to form a composer than any other; and his Lordfhip in procefs of time, both read and ftudied mufick, whilft he at the fame time, committed his ideas to writing. As he had however never received the leaft inftruction in this abftrufe, though pleafing fcience, he wifhed to confult both Rofengrave and Geminiani, who, on examining his compofitions, told him they could not be of the leaft fervice to him, as he had himself investigated all the established rules, with their proper exceptions. Though fimple melodies commonly pleafe moft in the earlier stage of life, he had always a ftrong predilection for church mufick, and full harmony, as alfo for the minor third, in which for that reafon he made his firft compofiti on. In process of time his Lordship was fo diftinguithed for his mufical abilities, that the Univerfity of Dublin conferred upon him the degree of Doctor and Profeffor of Mufick. A. T. Singular Account of Dr. Moyes, a blind Man. DR. Henry Moyes, who occafionally read Poffeffed of native genius, and ardent in his application, he made rapid advan ces in various departments of erudition; and not only acquired the fundamental principles of mechanics, mufic, and the languages, but, likewife, entered deeply into the investigation of the profounder fciences; and difplayed an acute and general knowledge of geometry, optics, algebra; of aftronomy, chemistry; and, in fhort, of most of the branches of the Newtonian philofophy. Mechanical exercifes were the favourite employments of his infant years. At a very early age, he made himfelf acquainted with the ufe of edged tools fo perfectly, that, notwithstanding his intire blindness, he was able to make little wind-mills; and he even conftructed a loom with his own hands, which still thew the cicatrices of wounds he received in the execution of thefe juvenile exploits. By a moft agreeable intimacy, and frequent intercourfe, which I enjoyed with this accomplished blind gentleman, whilft he refided in Manchefter, I had an opportunity of repeatedly obferving the peculiar manner in which he arranged his ideas, and acquired his information. Whenever he was introduced into com pany, I remarked, that he continued fome time filent. The found directed him to judge of the dimenfions of the room, and the different voices of the number of perfons that were prefent. His diftinction, in these refpects, was very accurate; and his memory fo retentive, that he feldom was mistaken. I have known him inftantly recognize a person, on first hearing him fpeak, though more than two years had elapfed fince the time of their laft meeting. He determined, pretty nearly, the ftature of those he was fpeaking with, by the direction of their voices; and he made tolerable conjectures refpecting their tempers and difpofitions, by the manner in which they conducted their converfation. It must be obferved, that this gentleman's eyes were not totally infenfible to intenfe light. The rays refracted through a prifm, when fufficiently vivid, produced certain diftinguishable effects on them. The red gave him a very difagreeable fenfation, which he compared to the touch of a faw. As the colours declined in violence, the harshness leffened, untill the green afforded a fenfation that was highly pleafing to him; and which he defcribed, as conveying an idea fimilar to what he felt in running his hand over smooth polished furfaces. Polifhed furfaces, meandering ftreams, and gentle declivities, were the figures by which he expreffed his ideas of beauty. Rugged rocks, irregular points, and boisterous elements, furnished him with expreffions for terror and difguft. He excelled in the charms of converfation; was happy in his allufions to vifual abjects: and difcourfed on the nature, compofition, and beauty of colours, with pertinence and precision. PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE S (Continued from Page 445, of Vol. IX.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. Friday, July 22. COMERCIAL ADJUSTMENT WITH IRELAND. (Debate Concluded } THE Clerk then read the ninth refolution, which after the third that had been postponed, was the next in which any alteration had been made it is by this that Ireland is to be reAricted from trading to any country beyond the Cape of Good Hope to the Straits of Magellan. Mr. Pitt moved, that the Houfe fhould agree with the Lords in the amendments made in the faid refolution. Mr. Pitt's motion for agreeing with the Lords in the amendments inale in it, it paffed in the affirmative without a divifion. The next refolution in which alterations had been made, were the eleventh and twelfth. -M1. Pitt, according to the notice he had alrea iy given, moved that the confideration of them be adjourned to this day three months. -The motion patted unanimoufly. The next and laft amended refolutions were the feventeenth and eighteenth, which provided fecurity to the owners of copy-right, engravings, prints, &c. and to patentees. Mr. Dampfer and Sir James Erskine endea-1 voured to prove that they were both in the fame predicament with the eleventh and twelfth, and ought to be difpofed in the fame manner; but the Houle was of a contrary opinion; and after a thort converfation, agreed to the amendments. The amendments having thus paffed, Mr. Pitt moved that the Houfe fhould refolve itfelf into a committee to take into confideration the fubject matter of the amendments contained in the three adjourned refolutions. The motion paffed without any debate; and the Speaker having left the chair of the Houte, Lord Mulgrave took that of the committee. Lord Beauchamp oppofed the motion. He faid, that this propofition was entirely new, not having been among the original eleven tranfmitted by Ireland to England; and thereFore it did not appear that the former had any defire or intention to treat upon the fubject. By an Irish act of Parliament Ireland had bound herself to the Eaft-India Company's monopoly, as long as the charter fhould laft. It was very improbable that this country would fuffer the charter to expire; but thould fhe refolve fo to do, the event would not take place thefe ten years; and therefore he faw no Mr. Put then propofed the third refolu' néceffity for preffing upon Ireland at this motion, as it had been altered by the Lords, exment a treaty on that head. In ten years time, cept only that not to ufe entirely the words of if the charter fhould expire, Ireland would their Lordships, inttead of," for a time to be then be in poffeffion of a great advantage in limited," he moved those," for a time to be making a treaty; and therefore it was not fixed." The refolution then paffed without probable, because it would not be wife in her, oppofition. that the would treat at prefent on a fubject on which fhe could treat with fo much greater advantage ten years bence. As the refolution now flood, there was little ground for prefum. ing that Ireland would in confequence of the boon held out to her in that refolution, confent to give up the vantage ground on which the might fand at the end of ten years; for he would be bound to say, that a greater delufion had never been put upon paper, than that which was held out to the Irith, in order to induce them to adopt the East India monopoly; the company's thips were to be permitted in forure to touch at the Irish ports, in order to furnish themselves with fuch things as they might stand in need of. But did any man in his fenfes think that these ships would go out of their way to touch at Irish ports, in order to fupply themfelves with articles which they could get fo much cheaper in England? if they wanted Irish linens, they could get them upon as good terms in London as in Ireland; and the proviñons might be had cheaper than if the thips were to go out of their track to purchase them in Ireland. For thefe reafons he was determined to oppofe the refolution in toto. This was all that was faid on this refolution; and the question having been pat ou Pos. MAG. Vol. X. JAN. 1785. The Eleventh and Twelfth were then face ceffively moved, and agreed to. Some converfation took place relative to the importation of Englith beer into Ireland, from which it appeared that the English brewer would not be on fo good a footing with respect to his trade with Ireland, as he would have been, had the propositions remained in the fate in which they had been fent up to the Lords; as the Irith legislature may lay an additional duty of about two thillings a barrel, on English mals liquor imported into Ireland: and in defence of this it was faid, that the advantages refulting from the whole of the fyftem must be confidered, and not merely whether fome hitle inconvenience or difadvantage might not be found in one part; that would be everbalanced by advantages gained in others. The three refolutions having paffed, the Houfe was refumed, and Lord Mulgrave inmediately brought up the repott, which was agreed to by the Houfe. Mr. Fox then obferved, that fome explanation was neceffary on one point that bad been mentioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had faid that an adjournment, and not a prorogation, would take place; now he could forefee many inconveniences that could be removed only by a prorogaton; for thould D |