Westminster to pass away time till anon, and here I went to Mrs. Martin's
to thank her for her oysters . . . . Thence away to my Lord
Bruncker's, and there was Sir Robert Murray, whom I never understood so
well as now by this opportunity of discourse with him, a most excellent
man of reason and learning, and understands the doctrine of musique, and
everything else I could discourse of, very finely. Here come Mr. Hooke,
Sir George Ent, Dr. Wren, and many others; and by and by the musique, that
is to say, Signor Vincentio, who is the master-composer, and six more,
whereof two eunuches, so tall, that Sir T. Harvey said well that he
believes they do grow large by being gelt as our oxen do, and one woman
very well dressed and handsome enough, but would not be kissed, as Mr.
Killigrew, who brought the company in, did acquaint us. They sent two
harpsicons before; and by and by, after tuning them, they begun; and, I
confess, very good musique they made; that is, the composition exceeding
good, but yet not at all more pleasing to me than what I have heard in
English by Mrs. Knipp, Captain Cooke, and others. Nor do I dote on the
eunuches; they sing, indeed, pretty high, and have a mellow kind of sound,
but yet I have been as well satisfied with several women's voices and men
also, as Crispe of the Wardrobe. The women sung well, but that which
distinguishes all is this, that in singing, the words are to be
considered, and how they are fitted with notes, and then the common accent
of the country is to be known and understood by the hearer, or he will
never be a good judge of the vocal musique of another country. So that I
was not taken with this at all, neither understanding the first, nor by
practice reconciled to the latter, so that their motions, and risings and
fallings, though it may be pleasing to an Italian, or one that understands
the tongue, yet to me it did not, but do from my heart believe that I
could set words in English, and make musique of them more agreeable to any
Englishman's eare (the most judicious) than any Italian musique set for
the voice, and performed before the same man, unless he be acquainted with