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Paris, Panting
A curious debut, & one of infinite interest, is that of
Mr. Bridge-Tower, young Negro from the Colonies . . .
—Le Mercure de France, 1789
At nine years, the youth astonishes
for his maturity of playing.
We at Le Mercure celebrate his arrival
to the Parisian concert stage.
They say leap-year babies
are out-of-time, moony. I’m really
just two, closer to the womb
than this world.
He was presented by his father, the Moor
Friedrich Augustus, to whom much praise is due.
Praise me. I am small. This hall looms
nearly as large and dark as he.
Issue: Spring 2009 / Volume 85/2
Published: March 31, 2009