At an anniversary dinner of the Royal Society of Musicians,
held on Thursday week, and presided over by the Duke of Connaught, at which Prince Leopold was also one of the speakers, the American Minister (Mr. James •Russell Lowell) paid a very happy compliment to the late Prince Consort, with- out any departure from the technical language of a Musical Society. "The illustrious father of their Royal Highnesses," said Mr. Lowell, "on one occasion which was vividly re- membered by all thoughtful Americans, interfered when he thought that too high a note was about to be struck. It was a moment when there was extreme tension, if a musical term might be used on this occasion, of the chords between two countries which he would not name ; too high, too sharp a note was about to be struck on one side, and he put his foot on the pedal. Perhaps he did more ; he drew out the vox humana stop, and by doing so prevented consequences which it would be better not to speak of there." Mr. Lowell forgot to add that all this was effected by the hand of a dying man, under the cruel weight of his last fatal illness. That von hmmana stop was drawn out opportunely enough, by one whose voice was just rising above all the discords of earth, and. about to join in the more spiritual music of a higher life.
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