letters written to him,, and to write answers to them, though not elegantly, yet so as to be understood, and in the presence of foreigners he pronounced the most difficult words of their language that could be proposed to him." VI. The Romansh Language. * We have a curious paper by Mr. Planta on the Romansh language, which, he informs us, is still used with little or no alteration by the inhabitants of the Grisons. About 400 years before the commencement of the Christian era, the Gauls overran the north of Italy, and treated the nobility of the country with such harshness, that they thought proper to emigrate with the best part of their effects, and their dependants; and making their way into the mountains of the Alps, settled in the vallies of the Grisons, where they were well received by the aborigines of the country. At subsequent periods other inhabitants of Italy emigrated to the same country, during the civil wars and other convulsions into which Italy was repeatedly thrown. This occasioned the two dialects, which still continue in the country, namely the Cialover, and the Ladin. Mr. Planta gives strong reasons for concluding that the inhabitants of the Grisons, called Rhætia by the Romans, from Rhætus the leader of the original emigrants, were never conquered, or intermingled with any foreign power. Though the Princes of the Merovingian race, and the Emperors of Germany, held them under a nominal subjection, they were in fact governed by native bishops and dukes, who were merely nominated by these foreign princes, and who at last treated their subjects with so much cruelty, that a league was formed. by a number of old men, clad in the grey cloth of their country (hence the name Grisons) to resist and throw off their tyranny. The league was successful, and was soon after followed by two others of a similar nature and effect. The language used all over France was of the same nature with that of the Grisons, and known by the same name. It made its way into England, and inconsequence of the conquest of William I, became the prevailing language. It would seem also that it made its way equally into Italy and Spain, and that it was the real parent of the French, Italian, and Spanish languages, which were gradually formed out of it by the refinements and the writings of the various countries. While in the country of the Grisons, no such refinements having taken place, the language still retains the very same state that it was in nine centuries ago. Mr. Planta thinks that the Romansh was likewise the origin of the Lingua Franca, or language used in the intercourse between the Europeans and Eastern nations.t * Phil, Trans. 1670. Vol. V. p. 1087; and 1698. Vol. XX. p. 353. VII. Of Mozart, a remarkable Infant Musician. Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was born at Saltzburg, in Bavaria, on the 17th of January, 1756. At the age of four he was not only capable of executing lessons on his favourite instrument, the harpsichord, but composed some in an easy style and taste, which were very much admired. His extraordinary musical talents soon reached the ears of the Empress Dowager, who used to place him on her knees, while he played on the harpsichord. At seven years of age his father carried him to Paris, where he was so much admired, that a drawing was made of him. From Paris he came to London, and continued in England about a year. During this time Mr. Barrington got acquainted with him, and made several trials of his musical powers. He carried to him a manuscript duet, which was composed by an English gentleman to some favourite words in Metastasio's opera of Demopoonte. The whole score was in five parts; namely, accompaniments for a first and second violin, the two vocal parts, and a base. The score was no sooner put upon his desk than he began to play the symphony in a most masterly manner, as well as in the time and style which corresponded with the intention of the composer. The symphony ended, he took the upper part, leaving the under one to his father. His voice, in the tone of it, was thin and infantine, but nothing could exceed the masterly manner in which he sang. His father was once or twice out, on which occasions the son looked back upon him with some anger, pointing out to him his mistakes, and setting him right. He not only did complete justice to the duet by singing his own part in the truest taste, and with the greatest precision; but he also threw in the accompaniments of the two violins wherever they were most necessary. It is well known that none but the most capital musicians are capable of accompanying in this superior style. Mr. Barrington hearing that he was often visited with musical ideas, to which even in the middle of the night he would give utterance on his harpsichord, requested the boy to give him an extempore love song. Mozart looked back with much archness, continuing to sit at his harpsichord, and immediately began five or six lines of a jargon recitative, proper to introduce a love song. He then played a symphony which might correspond with an air composed to the single word Assetto. It had a first and a second part, and together with the symphonies was of the length that opera songs generally last. If this extempore composition was not amazingly capital, yet it was really above mediocrity, and showed most extraordinary readiness of invention. Mr. Barrington next requested an extempore song of rage, which was also complied with, and in the middle of it the boy had worked himself up to such a pitch, that he beat the harpsichord like a person possessed, rising sometimes in his chair. The word he pitched upon for this second extempore composition, was perfido. In the year 1769, Mozart was at Saltzburg. The Prince of Saltzburg not crediting that such masterly compositions, as several oratorios that went by his name, were really those of a child, shut him up for a week, during which he was not permitted to see any one, and was left only with music paper, and the words of an oratorio. During this short time he composed a very capital oratorio, which was most highly approved on being performed.* VIII. Of Crotch, another Infant Musician. William Crotch was born at Norwich, in 1775. His father, by trade a carpenter, having a passion for music, of which however he had no knowledge, undertook to build an organ, on which he learned to play two or three common tunes, with which and such chords as were pleasing to his ear, he used to try the perfection of his instrument. About Christmas, 1776, when the child was only a year and a half old, he discovered a great inclination for music, by leaying even his food to attend to it, when the organ was playing; and about midsummer, 1777, he would touch the key note of his particular favourite tunes in order to persuade his father to play them. Soon after this, as he was unable to name the tunes, he would play the two or three first notes of them when he thought the key note did not sufficiently explain which he wished to have played. It seems to have been owing to his having heard the superior performance of Mrs. Lulman, a musical lady who came to try his father's organ, and who not only played on it, but sang to her own accompaniment, that he first attempted to play a tune himself. That evening in passing through the dining room he screamed and struggled violently to go to the organ, in which when he was indulged, he eagerly beat down the keys with his little fists. Next day being left with his brother, a youth of 14, in the dining room, he would not let him rest till he blew the bellows of the organ, while he sat on his knees and beat down the keys at first promiscuously; but presently with one hand he played enough of God Save the King to awaken the curiosity of his father; who being in a garret, which was his workshop, hastened down stairs to inform himself who was playing this tune on the organ. When he found it was the child, he could hardly believe what he heard and saw. At this time he was exactly two years and three weeks old. Next day he made himself master of the treble of the second part, and the day after he attempted the base. In the beginning of November, 1777, he played both the treble and base of " Hope, thou nurse of young desire." On the parents relating this extraordinary circumstance to some of their neighbours, they were laughed at, and advised by no means to repeat such * Phil. Trans. 1770. Vol. LX. p. 54.. marvellous stories, as they would only expose them to ridicule. However, a few days after, Mr. Crotch being ill and unable to go out to work, Mr. Paul, a master weaver, by whom he was employed, passing accidentally by the door, and hearing the organ, fancied that he had been deceived, and that Mr. Crotch had staid at home in order to divert himself on his favourite instrument. Fully prepossessed with this idea, he entered the house, and suddenly opening the dining room door, saw the child playing on the organ while his brother was blowing the bellows. Mr. Paul thought the performance so extraordinary, that he immediately brought two or three of the neighbours to hear it, who propagating the news, a crowd of near 100 people came the next day to hear the young performer, and on the following days a still greater number flocked to the house from all quarters of the city. Till at length the child's parents were forced to limit his exhibition to certain days and hours, in order to lessen his fatigue, and exempt themselves from the inconvenience of constant attendance on the curious multitude. Dr. Burney, to whom we are indebted for the preceding account, enters into particulars relative to the performance of this infant musician, and accounts for the defects which he displayed by the bad models from which he had copied.* CONCLUSION. We have now taken a view of the contents of the Philosophical Transactions down to the end of the year 1800. The following short recapitulation will give the reader some idea of the relative space occupied by the departments of science in this voluminous and important work. The papers in the Philosophical Transactions amount to 4166. They are distributed as follows. From this table it appears, that Medicine, Astronomy, and Chemistry, are the sciences which furnish the greatest number of papers; though Electricity is the science which is most completely developed. * Phil. Trans. 1779. Vol. LXIX, p. 189. 2 APPENDIX. APPENDIX. e No. I. Charter of the Royal Society. CAROLUS secundus, Dei gratia Angliæ, Scotia, Franciæ, & Hiberniæ, rex, fidei defensor, &c. om"nibus, ad quos hæ literæ nostræ patentes pervenerint, salutem. Diu multumque apud nos statuimus, "ut imperii fines, sic etiam artes atque scientias ipsas promovere. Favemus itaque omnibus disciplinis, particulari autem gratia indulgemus philosophicis studiis, præsertim iis, quæ solidis experimentis co"nantur aut novam extundere philosophiam, aut expolire veterem. Ut igitur inclarescant apud nostros hujus❝modi studia, quæ nusquam terrarum adhuc satis emicuerunt; utque nos tandem universus literarum orbis "non solum fidei defensorem, sed etiam veritatis omnimodæ & cultorem ubique & patronum semper ag"noscat: Sciatis, quod nos de gratia nostra speciali ac ex certa scientia & mero motu nostris ordinavi"mus constituimus & concessimus, ac per præsentes pro nobis heredibus & successoribus nostris ordina"vimus constituimus & concedimus, quod de cætero in perpetuum erit societatis de præside concilio " & sodalibus consistens, qui vocabuntur & nuncupabuntur Præses Concilium & Sodales Regalis Socie"tatis Londini pro scientia naturali promovenda (cujus quidem societatis nos ipsos fundatorem & patro"num per præsentes declaramus) & eandem societatem, per nomen Presidis Concilii & Sodalium Rega"lis Societatis Londini pro scientia naturali promovenda, unum corpus corporatum & politicum in re "facto & nomine realiter & ad plenum pro nobis heredibus & successoribus nostris facimus ordinamus. "creamus & constituimus per præscntcs, & quod per idem nomen habeant successionem perpetuam: Et quod ipsi & corum successores (quorum studia ad rerum naturalium artiumque utilium scientias expe"rimentorum fide ulterius promovendas in Dei Creatoris gloriam, & generis humani commodum appli"canda sunt) per idem nome Præsidis Concilii & Sodalium Regalis Societatis Londini pro scientia "naturali promovenda, sint & erunt perpetuis futuris temporibus personæ habiles & in lege capaces ad "habendum perquirendum percipiendum & possidendum terras tenementa prata pascua pasturas libertates "privilegia franchesias jurisdictiones & hereditamenta quæcunque sibi & successoribus suis in feodo & "perpetuitate, vel pro termino vitæ vitarum vel annorum, seu aliter quocunque modo, ac etiam bona & "catalla ac omnes alias res cujuscunque fuerint generis naturæ speciei sive qualitatis (statuto De aliena❝tione in manum mortuam non obstante) necnon ad dandum concedendum & assignandum eadem terras "tenementa & hereditamenta bona & catalla, & omnia facta et res necessarias faciendum & exequendum "de & concernentia eadem, per nomen prædictum : Et quod per nomen Præsidis Concilii & Sodalium "Regalis Societatis Londini pro scientia naturali promovenda prædictum placitare & implacitari, respon❝dere & respondcri, defendere & defendi, de cætero in perpetuum valeant & possint, in quibuscunque curiis "placeis & locis, & coram quibuscunque judicibus & justiciariis & aliis personis & officiaris nostris heredum " & successorum nostrorum, in omnibus & singulis actionibus, tum realibus tum personalibus, placitis "sectis querelis causis materiis rebus & demandis quibuscunque, cujuscunque sint aut erunt generis na a |