who principally flourished from
the year 1000 to the year 1300. Saint Louis was a great patron of
music, so much so that in 1235 he granted permission to the Paris
minstrels, who had formed themselves into a company, to pass free
through the barriers of the city, provided they entertained the
toll-keepers with a song and made their monkies dance. At that period
they had as many as thirty instruments in use; the form of some of them
are now totally lost. Rameau is the only French composer whose name and
compositions may be said to have had any permanent reputation, which
does not now stand particularly high out of his own country; Lulli,
Gluck, and Gretry were not born in France, although it was their
principal theatre of action. It remains to be proved whether the works
of Boieldieu will stand the test of time, as also of those composers who
are still living and are the most esteemed.

Much may be said of the French musical performers, who certainly may be
considered to excel upon several different instruments, particularly on
the harp, which all can testify who have ever heard Liebart. There are
also a number of ladies to be met with in private society who play
extremely well; the same may be said with regard to the piano-forte, but
although there are many professors who astonish by their execution, yet
they have not produced any equal to a Liszt or Thalberg; I have even
amongst amateurs known some young ladies develop a lightness and
rapidity of finger quite surprising, and far surpassing what I have
generally met with in England (except with the most accomplished
professors), but I do not consider that they play with so much feeling
and expression as I have often found even with female performers in my
own country, and which affords me a much higher gratification, as
fingering is after all but mechanical, which may astonish, but will
never enchant. On the violin they have produced some very fine players,
as also upon other instruments, and the bands at their operas can hardly
be too highly praised. But their music which has afforded me the most
delight has been the performances of their first masters on some of
their magnificent organs; on those occasions I heard the most exquisite
feeling and expression displayed, and have known the most powerful
sensations excited; this most superlative enjoyment I have experienced
at the churches of Notre-Dame, St. Sulpice, St. Eustache, and St. Roch,
but it happens only on parti