GLEANINGS.
SYMPTOMS OF a REFORM IN MUSICAL TASTE,—Shall we go on, .requiring stronger and stronger stimuli, or shall we return to a taste for simplicity ? The latter will probably be the ease. Rossini's orchestras have carried the stimulus of loud and piercing sounds as far as it can well be carried ; singers have been compelled to strain their throats to the utmost possible extent; learned harmony and modulation have been lavished upon every sort of sub- ject, till all gradations of musical colouring have disappeared. In this situa- tion we cannot long remain stationary ; and if we cannot go forward, we must go back. Weber's Oberon, as compared with some of his own earlier works, is a return to simplicity. Within this very short time, the monopoly gained by Rossini has become less exclusive, and the Italians have taken front the shelf a few of their favourites of former days. Some of Cimarosa's operas (in particular) have been revived ; and the audiences of Milan and Florence, who had not heard them for many years, have hailed them with ac- clamations of delight. The works of Mozart are beginning to be more fre- quently performed in Germany. Handel, who formerly was hardly known out of England, is now becoming popular in the same country, where his oratorios are frequently produced on a magnificent scale. They are even making their way in France, where, in the course of sonic dozen of years, it is probable that his best compositions will be well known. All these are strong symptoms of a tendency to return to the love of chaste and simple music ; and if that love is once revived, how absurd will the present taste appear ! As absurd as the taste for hoops and toupees, since our ladies have accustomed us to the natural elegance of the Grecian costume.—Currespon- deat in the Harmonicon.
NORWEGIAN Beacans.—At Bykle, I disposed of the surplus contents of mv portmanteau, reserving'only the articles which I have just mentioned as indispensable to the pedestrian. I let it be known in the village, that I would give a coat, waistcoat, trousers, stockings, and shirt, to those who most needed them, and naturally expected to have many ragged applicants ; but the difficulty I found to be not who needed my gifts the most, but who needed them the least. be, came to me, but all with whole coats, and seine with better coats than I had to give. In England, such an announce- ment as mine would have collected a crowd of ragged suitors, because each would have put on his worst coat : but the villagers of Norway would not appear before a stranger in a garb that should disgrace their country ; they left their ragged coats at home, and came to me in their holiday clothes.- Conway's Journey through Norway, in Constable's Miscellany.
Teessixo'ro PROVIDENCE,—Another time, in harvest, it came a rainy day, and the Ettriek began to look very big in the evening. Willie Candlem, per- ceiving his crop in danger, yoked the white mare in the sledge, and was pro- ceeding to lead his corn out of watermark ; but out came Meggie, and began expostulating with him on the sinfulness of the act. " Put in your beast again, like a good Christian man, Willie," said she, "and dinna be setting an ill example to a' the parish. Ye ken, that this vera day the minister bade Its lippen to Providence in our straits, and we wad never rue't. He'll take it very ill off your hand, the setting of sic an example on the Lord's day ; therefore, Willie, my man, take his advice and mine, and lippen to Provi- dence this dime." Willie Candlem was obliged to comply ; for who can withstand the artillery of a woman's tongue ? So he put up his white mare, and went to bed with a heavy heart; and the next morn- ing, by break of day, when he arose and looked out, behold the greater part of his crop was gone. "Ye may take up your Providence now. Meggie ! Where's your Providence now? A'down the water with my corn Ala ! wad trust mair to my gude white mare than to you and Providence baith ! " Meggie answered him meekly, as her duty and custom. was—" 0 Willie ! Jima rail at Providence, but down to the meadow head and claim first."
Candlem took tile hint, galloped on his white mare down to the littrick meadows, over which the river spread, and they were covered with floating sheaves; so Willie began and hauled out, and carried out, till he had at least six times as much corn as he had lost. At length une inm came, and another, but Willie relused all partition of the spoil. " Ay, 3 on may take up your corn now where you can find it, lads," said Willie; " I keppit cane but my sin. Yours is gane farther down. Had ye come when I came, ye might have keppit it a'." So Willie drove and drove, till the stockyard was I think the crop has turned tio that ill out after a'," said Meggie : "you've been hae the waur o' trusting to Providence:7—Eoyis Sitephetd's Calrodur.
HOW To OET am OF A TROUBLESOME A MD A SSADOR.—When Pope Sixtus V. authorized an ha Mil translation of the Bible, to enable his subjects to read the Scriptures in their 00 11 language, it caused a great consternation among the Cardinals, who wrote to Philip King of Spain, entre:M[1;r him to interpose, and to think of some remedy for this drealul evil. Philip being a fudous bigot, ordered his Ambassador to use his utmost endea‘ours with the Pope to suppress this edition ; and to represent that if he did not, his Majesty be obliged to make use of such int-ans to prevent its being read in his kingdoms, as In is zeal for true religion suggested, and the Almighty had put into his hands. Olivarez, the Ambassador, obtained an audience of the Pope, and represented to him, witn much warmth, how disagreeable this new version was to his master, and what ,candal it gave to his whule court. Sixtus sutlered him to harangue with great vehemence for above an hour; and When he was conic to the end, made no answer. Upon which the Count said, " Won't your Holiness be pleased to let me know your thoughts upon this matter:. ' "1 ant thinking," says Sixtus, "to have you thrown out of the window, to teach other people how to behave when they address themselves to the Pont If;" and immediately made haste out of the apartment. The Incur Atn1;assadur, m ho was sufficiently, acquainted w ith the character of Sixtus, made haste out of the Vatican, and when he got home, and had Covered his spirits a little, said, " Thank God, I have had a great escape to- day." •
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