seem suited to it, I should mention that they are neither of them in
earnest in what they say. Leoni takes it up seriously, and I want him to
show himself advantageously in the six lines beginning 'Gentle maid.' I
should tell you, that he sings nothing well but in a plaintive or
pastoral style; and his voice is such as appears to me always to be hurt
by much accompaniment. I have observed, too, that he never gets so much
applause as when he makes a cadence. Therefore my idea is, that he
should make a flourish at 'Shall I grieve thee?' and return to 'Gentle
maid,' and so sing that part of the tune again. [Footnote: It will be
perceived, by a reference to the music of the opera, that Mr. Linley
followed these instructions implicitly and successfully.] After that,
the two last lines, sung by the three, with the persons only varied, may
get them off with as much spirit as possible. The second act ends with a
_slow_ glee, therefore I should think the two last lines in
question had better be brisk, especially as Quick and Mrs. Mattocks are
concerned in it.

"The other is a song of Wilson's in the third act. I have written it to
your tune, which you put some words to, beginning, 'Prithee, prithee,
pretty man!' I think it will do vastly well for the words: Don Jerome
sings them when he is in particular spirits; therefore the tune is not
too light, though it might seem so by the last stanza--but he does not
mean to be grave there, and I like particularly the returning to 'O the
days when I was young!' We have mislaid the notes, but Tom remembers it.
If you don't like it for words, will you give us one? but it must go
back to 'O the days,' and be _funny_. I have not done troubling you
yet, but must wait till Monday."

A subsequent letter contains further particulars of their progress.