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7
high spirits whether they are produced by music or any
other cause (unless it be Adagios) The means of pursuing
my present plan occupied almost the whole of my attention and
I have thought of some promising expedients. During this
same hour & ½ which I have been walking up & down my
room in this state of mind, I have also added a line
or two to "Œconomy" and as also to "Experimenting".
I am now come to my sober sense again and therefore
I will continue from where I left off yesterday.
Tuesday continued.
It was not necessary that I should tell the D & Dss the
effect the music had on me for Baron Medem to whom
I had during the intervals expressed my extacy, told
them of it immediately they seemed much pleased at it
as it was a Compliment to their Musician. I told
them I hoped there was to be no more Adagios,
however in consequence I believe of these my hopes which were not
supposed to be real, orders were given for another to be
played soon after. The second was not quite so
touchant as the first but yet was too much so unless
I had been alone or in a private company to have
enjoyed it. You I know wont laugh at this
our great sensibility nor will you doubt the truth
of it, first because I dont much think you will
doubt the truth of any thing I tell you however extraordinary
it may appear and secondly because you
have already seen often seen me very much affected
by Music.
A Card table was introduced about
the middle of the Concert and I was the Duke asked
me if I never played at any kind of game having
understood as much from Klopman. My answer
was as it always has been and ever will be that
I absolutely cannot play at any game whatever.
He told me that they played very low which I found
to be really the case however I repeated the same
swer only lamenting at the same time that I could
not profit of the honour he intended me. at perhaps
¼ after 7 the D & Dss retired and we moved off.
In the course of The D told me that Ofenberg had
wrote to him so much about the fleet Ships at Portsmouth
and with such expressions of pleasure at what he
had seen that He in answer desired him to
go out as a Volunteer for a cruize and sent him
100 guineas to defray the expences that might attend
it: but that his letter did not get to England or
at least to his hands till he had left England,
however he got the 100 guineas. His 800 500 £ a year
---page break---
that he allows Ofenberg. O's father told me so.
When the Concert was over Klopman took me to his
house to supper. The house d Th Judge and an englishman
or rather a Dutchman of English parents born in
Amsterdam his name is he is a merchant and has
spent a year & half in Courland & Shign but is
now returning. His name is Bull. He was of
the company there were 4 or 5 of us only altogether.
I cant remember that any part of our conversation was
worth the trouble of telling it you. Another Anecdote
I must tell you.
The D asked me if I had seen one
of the harpsichords which pricked down the notes
as they were played. I had not: but he had. He told
me the name of the Inventor which as usual I have
forgotten. He is at Berlin. D said he had sent
for him at Mittau and offered him a good Salary,
as he was a man of a very extraordinary Mechanical
genius, but the King of Prussia understanding that
he (the D) had sent for him gave him in charge
of the Academy to get him instructed in the Theory
of Mechanics which he wanted had not knowledge of and told him
he would take care of him. On account of this
promise of the King's the man could not except of
the D's offer. The care that the King has taken
of him is to give him a Salary of 18 £ odd shillings
English, upon which he is now starving at Berlin.
Wednesday.
In the Baron Klopman promised
to go with me to the Academy &c but some business
at the Court prevented him. In the morning came
a man in his carriage to be sure, but it was but
a Shabby equipage all together. He spoke only German
and that so ind very indistinctly so that I could scarcely
understand a single word. However by the interpretation
of Mr Birkil I understood that he offered me his
carriage such as it was whenever I ha should have
occasion for it: also if I wanted money or any
thing else Mr Simpson of Memel had desired
him to shew him me all civilities and he was at my
commands. The mention of the word money made
me entirely neglect his offers of civilities and I
considered him in the same light as the pe kind
of Pedlars that are perpetually thrusting themselves
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Identifier: | JB/538/419/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
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1779-12-18 |
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538 |
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419 |
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001 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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