siderable knowledge in music and poetry. Mr. Martin, speaking of the inhabitants of Lewis, says, "several of both sexes have a

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gift of poetry, and are able to form a "satire or panegyric, without the assistance of any stronger liquor than water, to "raise their fancy." Their genius this way manifested itself in short, but natural and simple strains of grief and joy. Some rivalled the bards themselves in repeating ancient poems; and whenever circumstances allowed, a portion of their hours, especially during the long winter nights, were devoted to the song and the tale. The Rev. Mr. Smith, who has published translations of many Gaelic poems, accompanied by the originals, assures us; that near himself, in the parish of Klimnver, lived a person named M'Pheal, whom he has heard for weeks together, from five till ten o'clock at night, rehearse ancient poems, and many of them Ossian's. Two others, called M'Dugal and M'Neil, could entertain their hearers in the same manner, for a whole winter season. It was from persons of this description, undoubtedly, that McPherson

recovered

recovered a great part of the works of Ossian.

The music of the Highlanders has been as much, if not more, admired than their poetry. Some of these tunes are very old, being originally composed for the harp, they have a soft, tender, elegiac cast, and are wonderfully expressive of love and grief. Yet, there are not wanting some of a sprightly and cheerful vein, the offspring of mirth, and the sport of fancy in the season of festivity. Others are of the choral kind, and sung when employed in rowing, reaping, fulling, &c. The time is adapted to the particular work going on, and is supposed to animate exertion, and alleviate labour. All are acquainted with the favourite airs played to reels that go by the name of Strathspey.

Martin, speaking of the natives of Sky, informs us, that there were several among them, who invented tunes, very taking in the south of Scotland and elsewhere. Some musicians have endeavoured to pass them

for

for their own; but the style of them was so national, that they soon proved their own origin. Scotch tunes are frequently introduced on the English theatre.*

Giraldus, who flourished in the twelfth century, speaking of the Welsh music, says: “in "in musical modulations they sing “not (as every where else) uniformly, but "diversly, by modes and measures; so "that in a large company of singers, such "as is customary among these people, as many heads as you see, so many verses “and variation of voices do you hear. All "variations

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* Dr. Armstrong, in his essays on various subjects; says of the Italian opera, "we run foolishly mad after this imported “music, while perhaps we have much better of our own. Most "of the modern Italian compositions only trifle with the ear. "The Welsh, the Scotch, and the Irish music reaches the heart. "The productions of our present Italian masters are thrummed "over for a season, because they are new, and forgotten for ever "afterwards, because, when you have heard them twenty times, 66 you find them still as insipid as at first. The music which "charmed these islands, perhaps long before the boasted revival "of this art in Italy, or rather Flanders, is as established as the "ancient classics; and those compositions, short and simple as "they are, never become threadbare, but give delight and rap"ture every time they are heard."

variations finally coming under the sweet "blandishment of B soft, into one union of "voices and one agreement of instruments. In "the northern parts indeed of the greater "Britain, beyond the Humber, and within "the vicinity of York, the English, inhabiting those parts, use in the same sort of

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singing an harmonic symphony; with only "two diversities of tones, and two variations of voices in modulation, one in a humble key below the other, but this other in a higher, soothing and delighting at once.

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Nor

"has this nation or that made the pecu

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liarity for itself alone; but by ancient

usage, and is converted now by length "of time into nature itself. The mode "has accordingly prevailed, and taken such

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deep root with both, that nothing is

played with simplicity, but with a multiplicity of parts, or with a couple of "parts, as has been the usage of either. "And what is very remarkable, the very

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boys, I might almost say infants, as soon "as they pass from crying to singing, observe "the same manner. Yet, as the English in general, but those of the northern parts

06

only use this method, I believe they have "contracted this peculiarity, as they have "their similarity of speaking, from the "Danes and Norwegians, who frequently "seized, and long possessed those parts of "the island."*

4

This account of Giraldus is curious, as it gives the state of music in his time, which seems to have arrived at a high degree of perfection. But though he admired the Irish much, yet he finishes his encomiums by confessing, that in the opinion of many, Scotland, even at that time, had not only equalled, but surpassed Ireland in musical skill. "Therefore," adds he, "those who would come at the fountain of "the art, must seek for it there."

The Welsh music has been for some years back on the decline. Jones tells us,+ that the greatest part of the tunes which he has published, were taken down from hear

ing

* See his Cambria, p. 739.

+ See his Bardic Museum, vol. ii.