'Te Deum and Jubilate in D,' with orchestral accompaniments—the first of the kind produced in this country. Queen Mary dying on Dec. 28 in this year, Purcell, immediately afterwards, composed for her funeral the passage from the Burial Service, 'Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts,' in a manner so solemn, pathetic, and devout, that Croft, when setting the Burial Service, abstained from resetting the passage, and adopted Purcell's setting. Purcell also composed for the funeral an anthem, 'Blessed is the man.' Early in 1695 he composed two Elegies upon the queen's death, which were published with one by Dr. Blow. He composed an Ode for the birthday of the young Duke of Gloucester, son of the Princess Anne, July 24, 'Who can from joy refrain?' and also the music for Powell's adaptation of Beaumont and Fletcher's tragedy 'Bonduca,'[1] including the famous war-song 'Britons, strike home'; and songs for Scott's comedy 'The Mock Marriage,' Gould's tragedy 'The Rival Sisters,' Southerne's tragedy 'Oroonoko,' Ravenscroft's comedy 'The Canterbury Guests,' Beaumont and Fletcher's play 'The Knight of Malta,' and Part III. of D'Urfey's 'Don Quixote.' In the latter is contained 'the last Song that Mr. Purcell sett, it being in his sickness.' This was none other than the fine cantata 'From rosy bowers,' one of the greatest compositions he ever produced, and a most striking proof that, however the composer's frame might be enfeebled by disease, his mental powers remained vigorous and unimpaired to the last.
Purcell died at his house in Dean's Yard, Westminster, Nov. 21, 1695. On the day of his death he made his will, whereby he bequeathed the whole of his property to his 'loveing wife, Frances Purcell,' absolutely, and appointed her sole executrix. It was said that he contracted the disorder of which he died through his wife having purposely caused him to be kept waiting outside his own door because he did not return home until a late hour. But this seems inconsistent with the fact of his having made her his sole legatee, and with her expressions respecting him in the dedication of the 'Orpheus Britannicus.' Sir John Hawkins's conjecture that he died of a lingering, rather than an acute disease, probably consumption, is much more likely to be correct, and more in accordance with the recorded fact of Purcell's ability to continue to compose during his mortal sickness. He was buried Nov. 26 in the north aisle of Westminster Abbey, under the organ. A tablet to his memory, attached to a pillar, and placed there by his pupil, Lady Howard, wife of Sir Robert Howard, bears this inscription, attributed, but upon insufficient grounds, to Dryden 'Here lyes Henry Purcell, Esq.; who left this life, and is gone to that blessed place where only his harmony can be exceeded. Obiit 21mo die Noveinbris, Anno Ætatis suae 37mo, Anno q: Domini, 1695.'[2] On a flat stone over his grave was inscribed the following epitaph:
Plaudite, felices superi, tanto hospite, nostris
Præfuerat, vestris addite ille choris:
Invida nec vobis Purcellum terra reposcat,
Questa decus sêcli, deliciasque breves.
Tam cito decessisse, modo cui singula debet
Musa, prophana suos religiosa suos.
Vivit Io et vivat, dum vicina organa spirant,
Dumque colet numeris turba canora Deûm.[3]
This having long become totally effaced was, a few years ago, renewed in a more durable manner by a subscription originated by Mr. James Turle, the present organist of the Abbey. Purcell had six children, three of whom predeceased him, viz. John Baptist, baptized Aug. 9, 1682, buried Oct. 17, following; Thomas, buried Aug. 3, 1686; and Henry, baptized June 9, 1687, buried Sept. 23, following. His other children are mentioned hereafter. His widow survived him until Feb. 1706. She died at Richmond, Surrey, and was buried on Feb. 14, in the north aisle of Westminster Abbey, near her husband.
The compositions of Purcell not before mentioned, and irrespective of his sacred music, were 'Ten Sonatas in four parts,' published by his widow in 1697, the ninth of which, called, for its excellence, the Golden Sonata, is given in score in Hawkins's History (Novello's edit. 755); Lessons for the Harpsichord or Spinnet, published in 1696; numerous catches included in 'The Catch Club, or Merry Companions,' and other collections; and many single songs which are to be found in all the collections of songs of the period. In 1697 his widow published, under the title of 'A Collection of Ayres composed for the Theatre and upon other occasions,' the instrumental music in the plays of 'Abdelazor,' 'The Virtuous Wife,' 'The Indian Queen,' 'Dioclesian,' 'King Arthur,' 'Amphitryon,' 'The Gordian Knot unty'd,' 'Distressed Innocence,' 'The Fairy Queen,' 'The Old Bachelor,' 'The Married Beau,' 'The Double Dealer,' and 'Bonduca.' In 1698 she published, under the title of 'Orpheus Britannicus,' a collection of Purcell's songs for one, two, and three voices, chiefly selected from his odes and dramatic pieces, but including also several single songs, amongst them the famous 'Bess of Bedlam.' A second book was published in 1702. A second edition of the first book, with large additions and some omissions, appeared in 1706, and a second edition of the second book, with six additional songs, in 1711. A third edition of both books, now very rare, was issued in 1721. There is another composition, which is now pretty generally admitted to be the work of Purcell, viz. the music for the first act of Charles Davenant's tragedy 'Circe.' MS. scores are in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge, the Sacred Har-
- ↑ This was printed by the Musical Antiquarian Society.
- ↑ Other eminent composers have died about the same age as Purcell, e.g. Pergolesi, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Weber.
- ↑ Which has been thus rendered in English:—
"Applaud so great a guest, celestial pow'rs.
Who now resides with you, but once was ours;
Yet let invidious earth no more reclaim
Her short-liv'd fav'rite and her chiefest fame;
Complaining that so prematurely died
Good-nature's pleasure and devotion's pride.
Died? no, he lives while yonder organs sound,
And sacred echoes to the choir rebound.'
