THE GREAT MUSICIANS
PURCELL
The Great Musicians
Edited by Francis Hueffer
PURCELL
By WILLIAM H. CUMMINGS
LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON
CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET
1881
[All Rights Reserved]
London:
R. Clay, Sons, and Taylor.
BREAD STREET HILL.
PREFACE.
PURCELL.
PURCELL'S FAMILY.
ORGANISTS OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
CHRONOLOGICAL MEMORANDA.
INDEX.
FOOTNOTES.
PREFACE.
The attempt to write a Life of Henry Purcell hasbeen beset with many difficulties. So much informationwhich might have been preserved for theinstruction of after times has been lost, eitherthrough the indifference or culpable neglect of thosewho had it in their power to have placed on recorddetails which would have been interesting. Sir JohnHawkins and Dr. Burney are particularly open tocensure on this head. They possessed many opportunitiesfor gaining authentic knowledge of facts andcircumstances now lost for ever. In reading theirhistories of music we cannot but feel regret thatthey neglected to gather and garner the stores ofPurcellian lore which were so accessible to them, andwhich they could so easily have rescued fromoblivion.
Both Hawkins and Burney had a personal acquaintancewith Leveridge, the celebrated bassvocalist and actor, who had been on friendly termswith Purcell, and could have solved many doubtswhich now perplex the musical student. Leveridgecould have supplied very interesting details, whichwould have enriched the meagre narrations handeddown to us respecting the great English musician.
Hawkins was on most intimate terms with theRev. William Gostling, a minor canon of CanterburyCathedral, and son of the "wondrous" bass ofPurcell's day. The Rev. William Gostling possesseda very extensive library, rich in musical manuscripts,particularly those of Purcell. Miss Hawkinssays of him: "Adding his father's recollections tohis own, his knowledge of facts in the musical worldreached back to the time of King William andQueen Mary, and he talked of Purcell as we doof Arne."
Hawkins not only corresponded with Gostling, butalso frequently visited him at Canterbury; and athis decease prepared the catalogue for the sale by[Pg vii]auction, in 1777, of his library. There can be littledoubt that Dr. Burney had also a personal acquaintancewith the Rev. W. Gostling. I possess a copyof the catalogue before mentioned, which belongedto Burney, and in it he has noted the prices thevarious lots fetched, himself being the purchaserof several.
Both Hawkins and Burney were well acquaintedwith Mr. Henry Needler, an eminent musician