Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 25 - Latrobe
Latrobe. — In noting the connection of the Latrobe family with literature, we begin with Rev. Benjamin La Trobe, a Moravian minister of London, and a very powerful preacher, in whose society Dr. Samuel Johnson felt pleasure. He translated Bishop Spangenburg’s Idea Fidei Fratrum (“Exposition of the Doctrine of the United Brethren”), London, 1784; Translation of Crantz’s “History of the Brethren’s Church,” London, 1780; Translation of Crantz’s “History of Greenland,” containing a description of the country and its inhabitants, and particularly a relation of the Mission, carried on for above these thirty years by the Unitas Fratrum at New Herrnhut and Lichtenfels in that country, London, 1767. As to the last mentioned book Dr. Johnson said, “The style of the translation is quaint and rugged, yet the man who cannot relish the first part is no philosopher, and he who cannot enjoy the second is no Christian.” A conversation is recorded between Johnson and Latrobe, the subject being the beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Johnson attempted a definition of poverty of spirit, to which Latrobe partly demurred as implying some self-complacency. Johnson was silent for a short time, and then exclaimed, “You are right, sir, you are right; and if an angel in heaven were to indulge in self-complacency, he would be a devil.”
The Rev. Christian Ignatius La Trobe, son of Benjamin, edited in 1812 some “Letters on the Nicobar Islands,” from Rev. John Gottfried Haensel, the only surviving minister of the Moravian Missionary Station there (which was abandoned in 1787, owing to the impossibility of obtaining supplies of provisions). Mr. Latrobe was appointed by the Moravian Missionary Board to visit the stations of Gnadenthal and Groenekhoof in South Africa, and to confer with the Government of Cape Colony regarding the security of such settlements, that government having previously expressed a wish that the Directors should establish a third settlement. The result was the publication of a handsome quarto volume with several maps and coloured engravings, entitled “Journal of a Visit to South Africa in 1815 and 1816, with some account of the Missionary Settlements of the United Brethren near the Cape of Good Hope,” London, 1818. But Christian Ignatius La Trobe is best known from his contributions to music. He was a student in the University of Barby, and one of several students who, in rotation, were volunteer organists in the chapel. In that capacity Bishop Spangenberg convinced him of the evils of the common style of performance of sacred music, characterised by “flourishes and ill-placed decorations,” “long straggling interludes,” and indifference as to agreement between music and words. When he returned to England in 1784 Latrobe composed sacred music in the truly grand and devotional style. I cannot, however, enter upon his original compositions. He was long well known for his “Selection of Sacred Music,” and I abridge an account of it by one of his sons:—
In the year 1806 he published by subscription his first volume, which he had projected through the encouragement of Dr. Jowett of Cambridge, and which he entitled, “A Selection of Sacred Music from the Works of the most eminent composers of Germany and Italy.” He compressed the instrumental parts, as much as possible, into a full adaptation for the pianoforte, and confined his choice to such pieces as might be easily understood and decently performed by amateurs, who had acquired a moderate degree of skill and taste. The success of this volume more than answered his expectation; yet Mr. Latrobe hesitated as to proceeding farther, when a message from the Princess Charlotte of Wale, through her music-master, expressing gratification with the work, and a wish for its continuance, determined him to persevere. The two next volumes proceeded under her patronage, and in the preface to the fourth he makes a feeling allusion to her loss. The whole six volumes cover a space of twenty years, embracing examples, more or less extended, from the works of upwards of fifty composers. It forms a treasury of the richest music, and is peculiarly adapted to meet a want often experienced — how to fill up the hours of social recreation.
The son (from whom I quote) was Canon La Trobe (see chapter xxiii.). lie edited his father’s “Letters to my Children.” He published a didactic volume of essays on the “Music of the Church” in 1831, with this dedication:—
To my Father this Volume is dedicated,
in gratitude for the care with which
he elicited and directed heavenward
the musical taste of his children;
and in adoration of that Blessed Lord
who has enabled him from earliest youth, even to hoar hairs,
to devote the musical talent wherewith he has been endowed,
exclusively to advance the Divine Glory
in the active promotion of the music of the Church.
[The old minister was born at Fulneck in 1758, and died at Fairfield on 6th May 1836, in his seventy-ninth year.]
Another son was (I think) Charles Joseph Latrobe, author of travels. I cannot think that he was American, for the motto of his books on the new world was —
Caelum non animam mutant qui trans mare currunt.
His works were (1) “The Alpenstock; or, Sketches of Swiss Scenery and Manners, 1825-6,” Lond., 1829. (2) “The Pedestrian — a Summer’s Ramble in the Tyrol and some of the adjacent Provinces, 1830,” Lond., 1832. (3) “The Rambler in North America, 1832-3,” “dedicated to Washington Irving, Esq.,” 2 vols., Lond., 1835. (4) “The Rambler in Mexico, 1834,” London., 1836.
| John Henry Boneval de La Trobe, refugee in Holland and England. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| James La Trobe, of Dublin | = | Miss Thornton. | |||||||||||||||||||
| [Rev.] Benjamin La Trobe, Mission Secretary of the Moravian Church, born in Dublin 1728, died in London 1786. |
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Anna Margaret, daughter of Colonel John Henry Antes. |
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| [Rev.] Christian Ignatius La Trobe, born 1758, died 1836, Mission Secretary of the Moravian Church, Author of “Voyage to S. Africa,” “Voyage of Brethren to Ungava Bay,” Editor of “Letters on Nicobar Islands,” Translator of “Loskiel’s History of the Missions among the Indians of N. American.” Most eminent for sacred musical compositions and harmonies. |
Benjamin-Henry, architect and civil-engineer, settled in America, died 1822. He left two sons — |
John Frederic, M.D., of Jena, physician at Dorpat in Livonia; emiment as a composer of sacred music; died 1846. |
Mary Agnes, wife of John Bateman, Esq. (See chap, xx.) | ||||||||||||||||||
| [Among other public works executed by Mr. B.-H La Trobe were the Philadelphia Waterworks and the Bank of the United States in that city, the Cathedral of Baltimore, the American President’s House, and the Capitol at Washington.] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rev. Peter La Trobe, Mission Secretary in London, born 15th February 1795, died at Berthelsdorf, when on a visit, 24th September 1864, and was buried at Herrnhut. |
Charlotte. | Agnes. | John. [Rev. John Antes La Trobe, Canon of Carlisle.] (See chap, xxiii.) |
Joseph, [Query, Charles Joseph.] |
Frederic. | ||||||||||||||||
