Within the walls, which inclose the school and the dwelling-rooms of the boys and masters, are also the church, to which two preachers are appointed, and which serves as a parish church for the village and salt-works of Koesen, the residence of the school-physician and surgeon, the farm-buildings, brewery, flour-mills, bakehouse, and paper-mill.

The number of scholars in Pforta may not exceed one hundred and eighty, all, or the greater part of which, are free scholarships; one hundred in the gift of the Prussian ministers of state, for religious, scholastic, and medicinal affairs; and eighty in the gift of the cities of the Prussian Duchy of Saxony, the chapter of the Cathedral of Naumburg, of the rector, and of some noble families: but all the scholars must be natives of Prussia. The masters are allowed to take twenty boarders, who likewise receive gratuitous instruction. The different expenses of the school are defrayed by the revenues of the many estates belonging to the foundation, and are estimated at about six thousand pounds a year. The Prussian government uses every exertion to carry out the original intentions of the founders of this splendid scholastic establishment. A considerable quantity of very valuable patronage still remains in the gift of the head-master.

The environs of Schulpforte (which lies near the city of Naumburg, on the high road from Francfort on the Main and Leipzig) are very pleasing, and the adjacent salt-works of Koesen enjoy an increasing celebrity as a salubrious and retired watering-place.

WEBER.

KARL MARIA VON WEBER was born at Eutin, in Holstein, December 18th, 1786. His parents educated him with great care, and he displayed considerable talents at a very early age. At first he divided his attention between music and painting with equal success, until, unconsciously, he gradually abandoned the latter art, in which he would likewise, doubtless, have distinguished himself. His father, Major von Weber, seldom resided long in one place; and this frequent change of residence was naturally unfavourable to the systematic progress of the education of his young son, although it may have been attended with beneficial results in the development of his character. When he was ten years of age he studied with great advantage under Heuschkel, in Hildburghausen. As soon as his father recognised the germ

of his future excellence, he made every sacrifice to procure him the best instructors, and placed him for some time under Michael Haydn, in Salzburg. But the character of this composer was too serious, and he did not possess the qualities which win the affections of youth. Weber learned very little from him, and that, too, but with the greatest exertions. In 1793 his father, to encourage him, published six little fugues of his composition: this, his first work, was favourably mentioned by the critics. At the end of 1798 Weber came to Munich, and was instructed in singing by Valesi, and in composition by the organist, Kalcher. To the careful, perspicuous, and gradual instructions of the latter, Weber was principally indebted for his mastery in the art, more particularly for the skilful application of compositions for four voices, in which his operas are so rich. The youthful composer pursued his studies with unwearied diligence. Here he first displayed his preference for the drama, and composed under this master an opera, "The Power of Love and Wine," a mass, and several other pieces, all of which were subsequently devoted to the flames. His active mind, however, still roved in different departments of art; he had occupied himself with lithography, and believed himself to be the inventor of this new art. He therefore determined to follow up his discovery with zeal, and persuaded his father to remove to Freiberg in Saxony, where he could most easily procure the materials for carrying on his operations on a larger scale. But he soon grew weary of the mechanical nature of his new occupation, and returned to his musical studies with redoubled zeal. He published in Munich six variations for the pianoforte. When fourteen years of age he composed the opera of "The Wood Girl," which was produced in November, 1800, and was performed with great success at Vienna, Prague, and Petersburg. At a later period of his life Weber regretted the success of this work, which he considered not quite devoid of invention, but as an unripe, youthful composition. An article in one of the musical journals excited in him a desire to write in a new style, and to re-introduce several instruments which had become obsolete in the progress of the art. He accordingly wrote, in Salzburg, which city he had visited on family affairs, his opera, "Peter Schmoll and his Neighbours," 1801, which was performed in Augsburg without much success. 1802 he made with his father a musical tour to Leipzig, Hamburg, and Holstein, where he continued his studies, and collected theoretical works on music with the zeal of a bibliomaniac.

In

He was induced by many doubts to study harmony anew, and profoundly constructed for himself a new musical system, in which he worked up the noble rules of the old masters. His wish to study in Vienna was now gratified; and here he became acquainted with the great Haydn and the Abbé Vogler. The latter soon became affectionately attached to his genial pupil, and communicated to him unre

servedly from the rich stores of his scientific knowledge. By the advice of the Abbé, Weber, although not without a severe struggle, gave up for the present the composition of any greater work, and devoted himself for two years exclusively to the study of the most varied works of the great masters. These, with Vogler's assistance, he analyzed in their structure, in the expression of the leading ideas, and in their application of the different means which were at the disposal of their authors. During this period he published only two works, Variations, and an arrangement for the piano of Vogler's opera "Samori." A wider sphere of action soon opened: he was appointed music-director at Breslau. He here formed a new chorus and orchestra, worked out many earlier compositions, and composed the greater part of the opera "Ruebezahl." He was, however, too much occupied in his new position to be able to devote much time to composition.

In 1806, Duke Eúgene, of Wurtemberg, invited him to Karlsruhe, in Silesia. The duke was a great lover of music, and in this pleasing retirement Weber wrote two symphonies and several concertos. But war soon dispersed the theatre and band at Karlsruhe. He then made a musical tour, from which he soon returned to Stuttgart to the house of the duke. Here he wrote his opera "Sylvana,” an alteration of "The Wood Girl;" composed anew his cantata "The First Tone," with several symphonies, overtures, and works for the pianoforte. Under the Abbé Vogler he had attained considerable excellence as a pianoforte player, and in 1810 he went on a longer musical tour. His operas were performed in France, Munich, Berlin, and other places; his concerts too were well attended. He returned to Vienna, and with a more enlarged experience resumed his studies under the Abbé Vogler: Meyerbeer and Gânsbacher were his companions. He now composed his opera "Abou Hassan." From 1813 to 1816 he directed the opera at Prague, and here he composed his great cantata "War and Victory." This work exhibits much grandeur and fulness of ideas, a splended instrumentation, but no fixed style. Entirely devoted to his art, he gave up his office as soon as he had accomplished the objects for which he had accepted it. In 1816 he lived for some time at Dresden, and wrote there some of his finest works for the pianoforte. He received many splendid offers, and at length accepted the commission to form a German opera at Dresden, and to this object he devoted all his powers from the year 1817. It was here that he wrote most of his works, of which we can only mention "The Cantata for the Jubilee of the King of Saxony," "The Jubilee Overture," several marriage cantatas, the fine mass and offertory for the name-day of the king, and his opera " Der Freischuetz," too well known to need any further description. This opera was first performed at Berlin in 1821, and soon afterwards went the round of the civilized world. He here likewise composed the original music to "Preciosa," which was

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