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sichord which he has had painted inside
and out with as much delicacy as the
finest coach or even snuff-box I ever saw
at Paris. On the outside is the birth
of Venus; and on the inside of the
cover the story of Rameau's most fa-
mous opera, Castor and Pollux; earth,
hell, and elysium are there represented:
in elysium, sitting on a bank, with a lyre
in his hand, is that celebrated composer
himself; the portrait is very like, for I
saw Rameau in 1764. The tone of this
instrument is more delicate than power-
ful; one of the unisons is of buff, but
very sweet and agreeable; the touch very
light, owing to the quilling, which in
France is always weak.
M. Balbastre had in the same room a
very large organ, with pedals, which it
may be necessary for a French organist to
have for practice; it is too large and
coarse for a chamber, and the keys are
as noisy as those at St. Rocque. However
M. Balbastre did his best to entertain and
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