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chestra playing are his chief employments.
He performed, however, most admira-
bly the famous Neapolitan air, which
the common people constantly play at
Christmas to the Virgin; this he plays
with a drone kind of bag-pipe base, in a
very humorous, though delicate manner.
But as a solo-player, though his tone is
very even and sweet, he is inferior to
Nardini, and, indeed, to several others
in Italy; but he seems to know music
well, and to have a good deal of fancy
in his compositions, with a tincture of
not disagreeable madness.
It was here that I had first the honour
of being presented to Lord Fortrose, from
whom I afterwards received many singu-
lar favours. I was likewise introduced
to the French Consul, M. D'Astier, who
is a real connoisseur in music; perfectly
well acquainted with the different stiles
of all the great composers of Europe,
past and present, and discriminates very
well in speaking of their several merits.
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