BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 293
days, a macaroni of the fist water ; which, when translated, means “ a pretty
considerable puppy.’’ After taking his degree of M.D. he entered the army,
and served as assistant-surgeon in the 35th Regiment, with which he sojourned
for some time in Ireland. Having there lost his health, the Doctor resolved to
visit his native city, but died suddenly his passage between Belfast and
Glasgow.
The second (on the right) is a capital resemblance of an Italian musician,
named HIERONYMO STABILINI, who was a native of Rome, and came to
Edinburgh about the year 1778. The musical talents of Stabilini were much
admired; and although, unlike the modern Orpheus Paganini, he could not
‘‘ discourse sweet airs ” from a single piece of catgut, his performances on the
four pieces were generally admired. The musician met with an unlucky accident,
however, which materially injured his “bow arm,” while enjoying himself on
one occasion at Leith races. Stabilini, the better to participate in the sport, had
mounted a hackney charger-some ‘‘ red-wud Kilbirnie blastie ”-and not
being destined to “ witch the world with noble horsemanship,” felt considerable
difficulty in maintaining the proper bearing of a gentleman of the turf. At last,
while performing some awkward gambols on the sands, apparently less to his
own satisfaction than to the gratification of the spectators, he happened to come
in contact with another equally accomplished equestrian, when the musician was
unhorsed, and had his arm broken. It was said that after this accident he could
never play on the violin so correctly as formerly.
Stabilini was particularly intimate with Corri, a countryman of his own, a
composer and teacher of eminence, who built the music-rooms, called the Adelphi
Theatre, at the head of Broughton Street.’ The two friends sat down one
evening, after a tiresome exhibition of their musical talents, to regale themselves
over a glass of whisky-toddy, in preference to the less exhilarating wines of their
fatherland. While engaged in this pleasurable occupation, and their hearts
expanding in mutual pledges of friendship, they took no note of time. At
Corri was also some tie manager of the Theatre. In a theatrical critique for 1801, which
animadverta pretty freely on the public of Edinburgh for their inMerence to theatrical repreaentations,
it is said-“By the run of the School for Scandal, our Italian manager, Cod, was enabled for
a while to swim like boys on bladders ; but he n l t i i t e l y sunk under the weight of his debt.+ and
waa only released by the benignity of the British laws. Neither the universal abilities of Wilkinson,
his private worth, nor his full compan~, could draw the attention of the capital of the North, t i he
waa some hundred pounds out of pocket ; and though he was at last assisted, by the interference of
. certain public charactem, yet all his after success did little more than make up his lossea in the
beginning of the s e a o ~ ” Corri applied for and obtained the benefit of the Cessio B- ; and,
upon obtaining a decree freeing his person from imprisonment, he is said to have observed, “ dat he
had got de cessio, but de lawyers had got de bonorum.”
The second Corri (the son) w88, amidst all his difficulties, most regardleas of the intereats of his
creditors and of himself. At the time his sffaira w m at the worst, a friend, going into Weddel the
confectioner’s shop opposite the Tron Church, found Corri very comfortably seated, eating a pineapple-
a great extravagance in those ties. “ Are you not ashamed, Yr. Corri, of thii !” said he.
“What would your creditore think of this (1” s‘Oh, awe,’’ said Corri, “noting at all, noting at all
-what is aewa-and-idxpewx to be divided among my creditors I ”
