Page:Rolland - A musical tour through the land of the past.djvu/53

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But these airs must be strictly, purely English. He does not approve even of the Scottish airs:

We see that for Pepys music is restricted to a narrow province. It is curious to find such a passion for music combined with this poverty of task! His taste has but one great quality; its frankness. Pepys is at least unassuming; he does not seek to be otherwise; he says sincerely what he feels; his is the British commonsense which mistrusts unreasonable infatuations. The reader will take especial note of the instinctive distrust which he displays in respect of Italian music, which was then beginning its invasion of England. When he hears it at the house of Lord Brouncker, one of the patrons of the Italian musicians then in London, he observes, amid the general enthusiasm:

The women sang 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