| Citation |
CG-NL.774.017
4 Mar 1774:23,31 (11/538)
Boston, February 28, 1774. Extract of a letter from a
bookseller in London to a gentleman of musical turn here,
dated Bagpipe-Alley Scotland Yard, Nov. 5. 1773.
We hear your chief governor is of late become passionately
fond of dancing ! and to tunes of your composing,
particularly well suited to our Scotch instrument: Will you
be so good as to send him one or two of my music books,
published for the current year ! Paxton's Alamande and
Hallowell's Cotillions that you write for, are quite old-
fashion'd and out of print; but new editions of them with
alterations, it is expected will appear the approaching
winter. The Hutchinson Opera, lately come out, called the
Foxes unkennel'd, or rascals discover'd; is in high vogue
with the great, at the west end of town! and in truth all
over the Kingdom. Oliver's Gigg, is also tho't much of, as
being very uncommon, airy and gay, and well adapted to the
name on both sides of the water; shall send one of each of
these to his honor and to his excellency without waiting for
orders, requesting them at the same time, to pay you the
value they may estimate the work at, and in whatever
currency they please ! tho' upon second thought I may not do
this without an introduction.
We hear much talk about a very great dancing master
somewhere in your country, a Mr. Duncan Moffatt Mac-Benhigh
! who teaches folk to move the Jemmy forestep in the true
Rome-an Harrisonian stile, and that he has in a very short
time taught Admiral MacMoody to move in the superlative
degree, to that famous old tune, the lamentations of
Ireland. Will you be so good as to recommend me to this
great Doctor of music, that I may have his custom in my way;
I publish 24 country dances every year, besides minuets and
reels, horn pipes and other tunes, and all perfectly well
suited to the Wend-Instrument that's getting so much in
fashion among you.
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