And says "Hermitt poore" and
"Chiny Chese" was all the musique we had; and yet no ordinary
fiddlers get so much money as ours do here, which speaks our
rudeness still. That he hath gathered our Italians from several
Courts in Christendome, to come to make a concert for the King,
which he do give 200l. a-year a-piece to; but badly paid, and do
come in the room of keeping four ridiculous Gundilows, he having
got the King to put them away, and lay out money this way. And
indeed I do commend him for it; for I think it is a very noble
undertaking. He do intend to have some times of the year these
operas to be performed at the two present theatres, since he is
defeated in what he intended in Moorefields on purpose for it.
And he tells me plainly that the City audience was as good as the
Court; but now they are most gone. Baptista tells me that
Giacomo Charissimi [Giacomo Chiarissimi, Maestro di Cappella of
the Church of St. Apollinare in the German College at Rome, an
excellent Italian musician. He lived to be 90.--BURNEY.] is
still alive at Rome, who was master to Vinnecotio, who is one of
the Italians that the King hath here, and the chief composer of
them.
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