discouraging anything English, and overloading the town
with such heaps of foreign musicians.

An academy, rightly understood, is a place for the propagation of
science, by training up persons thereto from younger to riper years,
under the instruction and inspection of proper artists; how can the
Italian opera properly be called an academy, when none are admitted but
such as are, at least are thought, or ought to be, adepts in music? If
that be an academy, so are the theatres of Drury-lane, and Lincolns-inn
Fields; nay, Punch's opera may pass for a lower kind of academy. Would
it not be a glorious thing to have an opera of our own, in our own most
noble tongue, in which the composer, singers, and orchestra, should be
of our own growth? Not that we ought to disclaim all obligations to
Italy, the mother of music, the nurse of Corelli, Handel, Bononcini,
Geminiani; but then we ought not to be so stupidly partial to imagine
ourselves too brutal a part of mankind to make any progress in the
science? By the same reason that we love it, we may excel in it; love
begets application, and application perfection. We have already had a
Purcel, and no doubt there are now many latent geniuses, who only want
proper instruction, application, and encouragement, to become great
ornaments of the science, and make England emulate even Rome itself.

What a number of excellent performers on all instruments have sprung up
in England within these few years? That this is owing to the opera I
will not deny, and so far the opera is an academy, as it refines the
taste and inspires emulation.

But though we are happy in instrumental performers, we frequently send
to Italy for singers, and that at no small expense; to remedy which I
humbly propose that the governors of Christ's Hospital will show their
public spirit, by forming an academy of music on their foundation, after
this or the like manner.

That out of their great number of children, thirty boys be selected of
good ears and propensity to music.

That these boys be divided into three classes, viz., six for wind
instruments, such as the hautboy, bassoon, and German flute.

That sixteen others be selected for string instruments, or at least the
most useful, viz., the violin and bass-violin.

That the remaining eight be particularly chosen for voice, and organ, or
harpsichord. That all in due time be taught composition. The boys thus
chosen, three masters should be elected, each most exce