_fifth_
year. He had a voice of wonderful purity, sweetness, and compass,
and was received as a choir-boy at St. Stephen's Church, Vienna.

Mozart's childhood is a household story. He was able to produce
chords on the harpsichord at the age of three, and wrote music with
correct harmonies at the age of six. Glueck had made a musical
reputation at the age of eighteen.

Mendelssohn was a brilliant pianist at six, and gave concerts at
nine. Verdi was appointed musical director at Milan in youth.
Rossini composed an opera at the age of sixteen, and ceased to
compose music at forty.

No other art exhibits such remarkable developments of youthful
genius; though many eminent poets like Pindar, Cowley, Pope, Mrs.
Hemans, L. E. L., have written well in early youth. Music is a
flower that blossoms early, and bears early fruit.

Music may justly be called the art of youth.

Beethoven was born at Bonn on the Rhine, 1770. He lived here
twenty-two years. His musical character was formed here.

Beethoven was put at the harpsichord at the age of four years. He
was able to play the most difficult music in every key at twelve
years; and was appointed one of the court organists when fifteen.

The boy received this appointment, which was in the chapel of the
Elector of Cologne, by the influence of Count Waldstein, who had
discovered his genius. Here he was the organ prince.

The following curious anecdote is told of his skill at the organ:--

"On the last three days of the passion week the Lamentations of the
Prophet Jeremiah were always chanted; these consisted of passages of
from four to six lines, and they were sung in no particular time. In
the middle of each sentence, agreeably to the old choral style, a
_rest_ was made upon one note, which rest the player on the piano
(for the organ was not used on those three days) had to fill up with
a voluntary flourish.

[Illustration: BEETHOVEN'S HOME AT BONN.]

"Beethoven told Heller, a singer at the chapel who was boasting of
his professional cleverness, that he would engage, that very day, to
put him out, at such a place, without his being aware of it, so that
he should not be able to proceed. He accepted the wager; and
Beethoven, when he came to a passage that suited his purpose, led
the singer, by an adroit modulation, out of the prevailing mode into
one having no affinity with it, still, however,