in_ was the word he used) to learn any more, or to
sing what he already knew: a man must have idle time on his hands to
acquire, or to repeat, and, said the poor fellow, "look at my clothes
and at me; I am starving." This speech was more affecting than his
performance, which habit alone can make attractive. The recitative was
shrill, screaming, and monotonous; and the gondolier behind assisted his
voice by holding his hand to one side of his mouth. The carpenter used a
quiet action, which he evidently endeavoured to restrain; but was too
much interested in his subject altogether to repress. From these men we
learnt that singing is not confined to the gondoliers, and that,
although the chant is seldom, if ever, voluntary, there are still
several amongst the lower classes who are acquainted with a few stanzas.

It does not appear that it is usual for the performers to row and sing
at the same time. Although the verses of the _Jerusalem_ are no longer
casually heard, there is yet much music upon the Venetian canals; and
upon holydays, those strangers who are not near or informed enough to
distinguish the words, may fancy that many of the gondolas still resound
with the strains of Tasso. The writer of some remarks which appeared in
the _Curiosities of Literature_ must excuse his being twice quoted; for,
with the exception of some phrases a little too ambitious and
extravagant, he has furnished a very exact, as well as agreeable
description:--

"In Venice the gondoliers know by heart long passages from Ariosto and
Tasso, and often chant them with a peculiar melody. But this talent
seems at present on the decline:--at least, after taking some pains, I
could find no more than two persons who delivered to me in this way a
passage from Tasso. I must add, that the late Mr. Berry once chanted to
me a passage in Tasso in the manner, as he assured me, of the
gondoliers.

"There are always two concerned, who alternately sing the strophes. We
know the melody eventually by Rousseau, to whose songs it is printed; it
has properly no melodious movement, and is a sort of medium between the
canto fermo and the canto figurato; it approaches to the former by
recitativical declamation, and to the latter by passages and course, by
which one syllable is detained and embellished.

"I entered a gondola by moonlight; one singer placed himself forwards
and the other aft, and thus proceeded to St. Georgio. One began the
song: when he had ended hi