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much more sensible and marked, by be-
ing less charged with harmony. In these
hospitals many of the girls sing in the
counter-tenor as low as A and G, which
enables them always to keep below the
soprano and mezzo soprano, to which they
sing the base; and this seems to have
been long practised in Italy, as may be
seen in the examples of composition
given in the old writers, such as Zarlino,
Glariano, Kircher, and others, where the
lowest part of three is often written in
the counter-tenor clef.
From hence I went to the Ospedaletto,
of which Signor Sacchini is the master,
and was indeed very much pleased by the
composition of part of the famous hymn
Salve Regina, which was singing when I
entered the church; it was new, spirited,
and full of ingenious contrivances for the
instruments, which always said something
interesting without disturbing the voice.
Upon the whole, there seemed to be as
much genius in this composition as in
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