The application to the Duke for this purpose met with no opposition2 from his Grace; and the earnest wish of Mr. Burney was to learn, and to gratify, the taste of the exquisite3 poet whose verses he was musically to harmonize, with regard to the
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mode of composition that would best accord with the poet’s own lyrical ideas.
To this effect, he addressed himself both for counsel and assistance to his early friend, Mr. Mason; from whom he received a trusting and obliging, but not very comfortable answer.[36]
Not a second did Mr. Burney lose in forwarding every preparation for obviating4 any disgrace to his melodious5 muse6, Terpsichore, when the poetry of the enchanting7 bard8 should come in contact with her lyre. He formed upon a large scale a well chosen band, vocal9 and instrumental, for the performance; and he engaged, as leader of the orchestra, the celebrated10 Giardini, who was the acknowledged first violinist of Europe.
But, in the midst of these preliminary measures, he was called upon, by an agent of the Duke, to draw up an estimate of the expense.
This he did, and delivered, with the cheerfulest confidence that his selection fully11 deserved its appointed retribution, and was elegantly appropriate to the dignity of its purpose.
Such, however, was not the opinion of the advisers12 of the Duke; and Mr. Burney had the astonished
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chagrin13 of a note to inform him, that the estimate was so extravagant14 that it must be reduced to at least one half.
Cruelly disappointed, and, indeed, offended, the charge of every performer being merely what was customary for professors of eminence15, Mr. Burney was wholly overset. His own musical fame might be endangered, if his composition should be sung and played by such a band as would accept of terms so disadvantageous; and his sense of his reputation, whether professional or moral, always took place of his interest. He could not, therefore, hesitate to resist so humiliating a proposition; and he wrote, almost on the instant, a cold, though respectful resignation of the office of composer of the Installation Ode.
Not without extreme vexation did he take this decided16 measure; and he was the more annoyed, as it had been his intention to make use of so favourable17 an opportunity for taking his degree of Doctor of Music, at the University of Cambridge, for which purpose he had composed an exercise. And, when his disturbance18 at so unlooked for an extinction19 of his original project was abated20, he still resolved to fulfil that part of his design.
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He could not, however, while under the infliction21 of so recent a rebuff, visit, in this secondary manner, the spot he had thought destined22 for his greatest professional elevation23. He repaired, therefore, to Oxford24, where his academic exercise was performed with singular applause, and where he took his degree as Doctor in Music, in the year 1769.
And he then formed many connexions amongst the professors and the learned belonging to that University, that led him to revisit it with pleasure, from new views and pursuits, in after-times.
So warmly was this academic exercise approved, that it was called for at three successive annual choral meetings at Oxford; at the second of which the principal soprano part was sung by the celebrated and most lovely Miss Linley, afterwards the St. Cecilia of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and the wife of the famous Mr. Sheridan; and sung with a sweetness and pathos25 of voice and expression that, joined to the beauty of her nearly celestial26 face, almost maddened with admiring enthusiasm, not only the susceptible27 young students, then in the first glow of the dominion28 of the passions, but even the gravest and most profound among the learned professors of the University, in whom the “hey-day of the
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blood” might be presumed, long since, to have been cooled.
From this period, in which the composer and the songstress, in reflecting new credit, raised new plaudits for each other, there arose between them a reciprocation29 of goodwill30 and favour, that lasted unbroken, till the retirement31 of that fairest of syrens from the world.
The Oxonian new lay-dignitary, recruited in health and spirits, from the flattering personal consideration with which his academical degree had been taken, gaily32 returned to town with his new title of Doctor.
The following little paragraph is copied from a memorandum33 book of that year.
“I did not, for some time after the honour that had been conferred on me at Oxford, display my title by altering the plate on my street door; for which omission34 I was attacked by Mr. Steel, author of an essay on the melody of speech. ‘Burney,’ says he, ‘why don’t you tip us the Doctor upon your door?’ I replied, in provincial35 dialect, ‘I wants dacity!—’ ‘I’m ashaeemed!’ ‘Pho, pho,’ says he, ‘you had better brazen36 it.’”
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1 chancellor | |
n.(英)大臣;法官;(德、奥)总理;大学校长 | |
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2 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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3 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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4 obviating | |
v.避免,消除(贫困、不方便等)( obviate的现在分词 ) | |
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5 melodious | |
adj.旋律美妙的,调子优美的,音乐性的 | |
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6 muse | |
n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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7 enchanting | |
a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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8 bard | |
n.吟游诗人 | |
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9 vocal | |
adj.直言不讳的;嗓音的;n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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10 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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11 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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12 advisers | |
顾问,劝告者( adviser的名词复数 ); (指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授 | |
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13 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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14 extravagant | |
adj.奢侈的;过分的;(言行等)放肆的 | |
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15 eminence | |
n.卓越,显赫;高地,高处;名家 | |
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16 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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17 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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18 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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19 extinction | |
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种 | |
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20 abated | |
减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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21 infliction | |
n.(强加于人身的)痛苦,刑罚 | |
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22 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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23 elevation | |
n.高度;海拔;高地;上升;提高 | |
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24 Oxford | |
n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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25 pathos | |
n.哀婉,悲怆 | |
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26 celestial | |
adj.天体的;天上的 | |
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27 susceptible | |
adj.过敏的,敏感的;易动感情的,易受感动的 | |
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28 dominion | |
n.统治,管辖,支配权;领土,版图 | |
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29 reciprocation | |
n.互换 | |
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30 goodwill | |
n.善意,亲善,信誉,声誉 | |
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31 retirement | |
n.退休,退职 | |
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32 gaily | |
adv.欢乐地,高兴地 | |
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33 memorandum | |
n.备忘录,便笺 | |
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34 omission | |
n.省略,删节;遗漏或省略的事物,冗长 | |
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35 provincial | |
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 | |
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36 brazen | |
adj.厚脸皮的,无耻的,坚硬的 | |
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