"I do think, now, if I was to have a person to play over a thing
to me again and again, and then let me sing it, and stop me every
time I was wrong, I do think I should be able to sing 'God save
the king' as well as some ladies do, that have always people to
show them."

"You have a good chance then here," cried I, "of singing some
pieces of Handel, for I am sure you hear them again and again!"

"Yes, but that is not the thing for though I hear them do it' so
often over, they don't stop for me to sing it after them, and
then to set me right. Now I'll try if you'll know what this is."

He then began humming aloud, "My soul praise," etc., so very
horribly, that I really found all decorum at an end, and laughed,
with Miss Port, `a qui mieux mieux. Too much engaged to mind
this, he very innocently, when he had done, applied to us all
round for our opinions.

Miss Port begged him to sing another, and asked for that he had
spouted the other day, "Care, thou bane of love and joy."

He instantly complied; and went on, in such shocking, discordant
and unmeaning sounds, that nothing in a farce could be more
risible: in defiance however of all interruptions, he Continued
till he had finished one stanza; when Colonel Goldsworthy loudly
called out,--"There,--there's enough!--have mercy!"

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