tified by the prefent emprefs with the title of counfellor of itate; and died that year on the 4th of April, in the 54th year of his age. ANECDOTES of Mr. PHILLIDOR. (Communicated by Himjelf.) A Ndré Danican Phillidor, was born at Dreux, near Paris, in 1726. His grandfather was a hautboy-player at the court of Lewis XIII. An Italian mufician named Phillidor, was admired at that court for his performance on the fame inftrument; and after his departure, the king gave Mr. Danican the fobriquet, or nick name of Phillidor, which has ftill remained in the family. His father, and feveral of his brothers, belonged to the band of Lewis XIV. and XV. At fix years of age he was admitted among the children of the Chapel-Royal of Verfailles, where, being obliged to attend daily, he had an opportunity of learning chefs from the musicians in waiting, of whom there were about eighty. Cards not being allowed fo near the Chapel, they had a long table with fix chefs-boards inlaid. At the age of eleven, a motet, or pfalm with choruffes, of his compofition, was performed, which pleafed Lewis XV. fo much, that he gave the compofer five louis: this encouraged the lad to compofe four more. When he had attained his fourteenth year, he left the Chapel, and was then reputed the moft kilful chefs-player of the band. This was in 1740, when feveral motets of his compofition were performed at Paris at the Concert Spirituel, which were favourably received by the public as the productions of a child, who was already a mafter and teacher of mufic. At this time chefs was played at in almost every coffec-houfe in Paris, and he applied fo clofely to the game that he neglected his fcholars, and they confequently took another mafter. This induced him rather to pursue the study of chefs than of mufic. Mr. de Kermur, Sire de Legalle, who is ftill living, and was then near forty years of age, was esteemed the best, chefsplayer in France, and young Phillidor fought every opportunity of receiving his inftructions, by which he improved fo effentially, that three years after, Mr. de Legalle, though fill his mafter, was not able to allow him any advantage. Mr. de Legalle once asked him, Whether he had never tried to play by memory, without feeing the board? Phillidor replied, That as he had calculated moves, and even whole games at night in bed, he thought he could do it, and immediately glayed a game with the Abbé Chenard, which he won without feeing the board, and without hefitating upon any of the moves; this was a circumftance much fpoken of in Paris, and, in confequence, he often repeated this method of play ing. Phillidor then finding he could readily play a fingle game, offered to play two games at the fame time, which he did at a coffee-houfe; and of this party, the following account is given in the French Encyclopedie: "We had at Paris, a young man of eighteen, who played at the fame time, two games at chefs, without feeing the boards, beating two antagonifts, to either of whom, he, though a first-rate player, could only give the advantage of a Knight, when, feeing the board. We hall add to this account a circumftauce of which we were eye-witnelles : In the middle of one of his games, a falfe move was defignedly made, which, after a great number of moves, he difcovered, and placed the piece where it ought to have been been at first. This young man is named Mr. Philidor, the fon of a mufician of repute; he himself is a great musician, and perhaps the bett player of Polish draughts there ever was, or ever will be. This is among the most extraordinary examples of ftrength of memory, and of imagi nation." Forty years after this, he played two different times in London, three games at once. Of one of thefe exertions, the following account appeared in the London Newspapers in May 1783: came acquainted with an Italian named Lanza, whofe daughter was looked on as a prodigy for her talents on the harpfichord, though but thirteen years of age. This man engaged Philidor to go with him to Holland, to meet Geminiani, who had promifed his affistance in giving twelve fubfcription concerts, at which the girl was to perform. She being indifpofed, was left with her mother at Paris, and at Rotter dam her father received the news of her death. Thus Philidor found himself in a foreign country, pennylefs, and bereft of all his hopes of advantage from the propofed concerts. His fkill at draughts was now a great refource to him at Rotterdam and Amfterdam: he remained a twelve at the Hague, where he became acquainted with colonel la Deves, a relation of the late lord Ligonier, and with the prince of Waldeck, who then commanded the Dutch army, both chefs-players; the former was fo fkilful that Philidor could only give him a knight: the prince rewarded him nobly for his inftructions. "Yefterday, at the chefs-club in St. James's-itreet, Mr. Philidor performed one of those wonderful exhibitions for which he is fo much celebrated. He played at the fame time three different games, without feeing either of the tables. His op-month in Holland, refiding chiefly ponents were, count Bruhl, Mr. Bowdler (the two beft players in London), and Mr. Maferes. He defeated count Bruhl in an hour and twenty minutes, and Mr. Maferes in two hours. Mr. Bowdler reduced his game to a drawn battle in an hour and three quarters. To thofe who understand chefs, this exertion of Mr. Philidor's abilities, muft appear one of the greatest of which the human memory is fufceptible. He goes through it with aftonishing accuracy, and often corrects mitakes in those who have the board before them. Mr. Philidor fets with his back to the tables, and fome gentleman prefent who takes his part, informs him of the move of his antagonist, and then by his direction, plays his pieces as he dic tates," The other match was with count Brahl, Mr. Jennings, and Mr. Erskine, to the laft of whom he gave a pawn and the move; the count made a drawn game, and both the other gentlemen loft their games. But to return: In 1745, he be In 1747, he vifited England, where fir Abraham Janffen introduced him to all the celebrated players of the time. Sir Abraham was not only the beft chefs-player in England, but likewife the beft player he ever met with, after his mafter Mr. de Legalle, as the baronet was able to win one game in four of him even and Mr. de Legalle, with whom fir Abraham afterwards played in Paris, was of the fame opinion with regard to his kill. : Sir Abraham, befides the common game, delighted in playing at a more complicated one, invented by the late duke of Rutland. this game, the board is 14 fquares in breadth, and 10 in height, which make E e At he fet off for Berlin in 1751. The king faw him play feveral times at Potsdam, but did not play with him himself there was a marquis de Varennes, and a certain Jew, who played even with the king, and to each of thefe Philidor gave a knight, and beat them.. The following year he left Ber On the other fide of the king,lin, ftaid eight months at the prince was a concubine, whofe move was of Waldeck's at Arolfen, and three that of the cattle and the knight weeks at the court of the landgrave united, two bifhops, a fingle knight, of Heffe-Caffel, and then returned a crowned cattle, and a common to England, where he remained till one. The best players at this game, 1755. His paflion for chefs did not after fir Abraham, were Stamma, make him neglect his mufical taDr. Cowper, and Mr. Salvador. lent; for in 1753, he fet Dryden's Philidor, in lefs than two months, Ode to St. Cecilia to mufic, which was able to give a knight to each was performed at the Little Theatre of thefe gentlemen at this game. in the Haymarket. Handel comIt may be obferved, that the pawns mended it." are here of very little ufe; and that by the extent of the board, the knights lofe much of their value, which, of course, renders the game more defective, and lefs interefting than the common one; and fince the death of fir Abraham in 1763, it is forgotten, or at leaft, difufed. In 1748, Philidor returned to Holland, where he compofed his Treatife on Chefs. At Aix la Chapelle, he was advised by lord Sandwich to go to Eyndhoven, a village between Bois-le-Duc and Maeftricht, where the English army was encamp ed. He had there the honour of playing with the late duke of Cumberland, who fubfcribed liberally himfelf, and procured a great number of other fubfcribers to his work on Chefs, which was published in London in 1749. In 1750, he frequented the houfe of the French ambaffador, the duke of Mirepoix, who gave a weekly dinner to the lovers of chefs, at which game he was himself very expert. Philidor remained another year in England, and learning that the king of Pruffia was fond of Chefs, He returned to France in 1755, with a ferious intention of devoting himself to mufic: and foon after, he folicited the appointment of mai ter of the Chapel Royal, where two new motets of his compofition were performed; but as the late queen, and the whole court were used to ancient mufic, he was unfuccessful in his application; he confoled him felf, however, with the compliments he received from the amateurs of the fcience. In 1759, his first musical drama, entitled Blaife le Savetier, was performed at the theatre of the Comic Opera, which had fuch a run, that he abandoned church-mufic, and applied himfelf wholly to the Rage; and in the fame year, he composed ' Huitre & le Plaideurs; in 1760, le Soldat Magicien, and the Qui pro quo; and in 1761, le Jardinier & fon Seigneur, and le Marechal Ferrant. In confequence of the fuccefs of thefe pieces, the Italian opera was deferted; and in 1762, the two theatres were united, and till form the present Italian comedy. This feafon (1762), he produced Sanco Pança; in 1763, |