Of this brother Sebastian had music lessons, and he improved so rapidly that he used to beg to be allowed to play the pieces in a big book in the library. But the brother refused him this pleasure. However, little Sebastian was eager to learn all the music he could find, so he used to sit up on moonlight nights and copy these pages while his brother was asleep. But what do you think happened when he had copied everything in that big book? His brother found out what he had done and took all his precious music away from him. [Illustration: BACH COPYING MUSIC BY MOONLIGHT.] If you know any boy who is about twenty years old you may say to him, Bach was as old as you are when Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston. And although there was this difference of twenty years or so in their ages, we may think of them at work in the world at the same time. You must remember that all men like Franklin and Bach who became famous did so by working very hard. [Illustration: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.] Franklin, too, was born very poor. Once he walked the streets of Philadelphia with a loaf of bread under each arm. But by being faithful in all he did he became the friend of all his countrymen and of Kings and Queens besides. Benjamin Franklin was quite a little younger than Sebastian Bach. But there was a famous man who was almost exactly Sebastian's age. This man composed an Oratorio that is loved by everybody. It is sung in cities and towns all over the world, particularly at Christmas time. Do you happen to know the name of this Oratorio? If not, you can surely learn it by asking someone or by looking it up in a book. Write in the name of the composer of this Oratorio below the picture, and write on this line the name of the Oratorio itself. ............................................... [Illustration] The composer's name is ............................................... The Oratorio, the name of which you have just written, was first sung in the Irish city of Dublin, 1742. At that time Sebastian Bach was living in Leipsic and had been for many years at the head of the Thomas School. He was known as its Cantor. Bach worked very hard here to supply music for several of the Leipsic churches, and he worked so well that his fame spread until it reached the ears of the Emperor. Frederick the Great was also a musician and composer. So he invited Sebastian Bach to visit him at his castle. There were many people present, but Sebastian Bach was the principal guest. He played on many of the Emperor's fine pianos. When he reached home again he composed a musical work and dedicated it to the Emperor. [Illustration: BACH PLAYING BEFORE FREDERICK THE GREAT.] The kind of a piano that Sebastian Bach played on was not called a piano in his day. It was called a Clavier or Clavichord.