e always carries in his Pocket; of
one, who bribes the Composer to give him an _Air_ that was intended for
another; of one, who takes Pains about Trifles, and neglects Things of
Importance; of one, who, by procuring undeserved Recommendations, makes
himself and his Patron ridiculous; of one, who does not sustain his
Voice, out of Aversion to the _Pathetick_; of one, who gallops to follow
the _Mode_; and of all the bad Singers, who, not knowing what's good,
court the _Mode_ to learn its Defects.

Sec. 72. To sum up all, he will call none a Singer of Merit, but him who is
correct; and who executes with a Variety of Graces of his own, which his
Skill inspires him with unpremeditately; knowing, that a Professor of
Eminence cannot, if he would, continually repeat an _Air_ with the
self-same _Passages_ and _Graces_. He who sings premeditately, shews he
has learn'd his Lesson at Home.

Sec. 73. After having corrected several other Abuses and Defects, to the
Advantage of the Singer, he will return with stronger Reasons to
persuade him to have Recourse to the fundamental Rules, which will
teach him to proceed on the Bass from one Interval to another, with sure
Steps, and without Danger of erring. If then the Singer should say, Sir,
you trouble yourself in vain; for the bare Knowledge of the Errors is
not sufficient; I have need of other Help than Words, and I know not
where to find it, since it seems that there is at present such a
Scarcity of good Examples in _Italy_: Then, shrugging his Shoulders, he
will answer him, rather with Sighs than Words; that he must endeavour to
learn of the best Singers that there are; particularly by observing two
of the fair Sex,[108] of a Merit superior to all Praise; who with equal
Force, in a different Stile, help to keep up the tottering Profession
from immediately falling into Ruin. The one is inimitable for a
privileg'd Gift of Singing, and for enchanting the World with a
prodigious Felicity in executing, and with a singular Brilliant (I know
not whether from Nature or Art) which pleases to Excess. The delightful,
soothing _Cantabile_ of the other, joined with the Sweetness of a fine
Voice, a perfect Intonation, Strictness of Time, and the rarest
Productions of a Genius, are Qualifications as particular and uncommon,
as they are difficult to be imitated. The _Pathetick_ of the one, and
the _Allegro_ of the other, are the Qualities the most to be admired
respectively in each of them. What a