68.—HOW TO MAKE A SINGER SING.
There are various ways of making a stubborn singer exhibit his abilities. John Abell, a celebrated tenor of the time of Charles the Second, experienced one of these methods. Being a spendthrift by nature, he once took a journey through Europe to restore his depleted finances. On arrival at Warsaw, his fame having preceded him, he was ordered to appear before the king and sing for the enjoyment of his majesty and the court. Abell, blind to his own interests, refused.
The king then ordered him to appear the next day, under pain of imprisonment. The singer made a virtue of necessity and at the appointed time went to the Palace and was shown to a chair in the center of a large hall. By some mechanical contrivance, and without warning to Abell, the chair was drawn up quite a distance from the floor. In a short time the king and some of his courtiers came out into a gallery and simultaneously several bears were let loose in the room below. Our tenor was then given his choice; it was either sing or be lowered among the beasts. It is needless to add that Abell chose to sing, and to sing in a way that would have made his fortune had he a more kindly disposed audience.