Charles Burney

The Present State of Music in France and Italy (2nd, corrected edition)

London: T. Becket and Co., 1773

Naples

ters; he is librarian to the king, and
keeper of his majesty's cabinet of rari-
ties at the foot of Capo di Monte. I
never saw a person of a more chearfully [sic]
obliging character. He cannot be less
than 70 years of age, and yet he is as
lively and even sportive, as a young man
of 20. He and his assistant had been
hunting with great diligence in the king's
library, which formerly belonged to the
Farnese family, and was brought hi-
ther from Parma, for materials relative
to music. He shewed me, among several
books and MSS. which I already knew,
some curious inedited tracts which are no
where else to be found*.

After this, he shewed me his micro-
scopes and telescopes, which are famous
all over Italy; this father being said to
have made great improvements in both,