as it has been months, the work could not fail to have been chargeable with errors and imperfections. Nor is it any affectation of modesty, on his part, to make this avowal-not only from the difficulty of obtaining authentic information in regard to topics where history and tradition are too frequently silent, or, what is worse, furnish data upon which no reliance can be placed, but because the complete illustration of these relics would have demanded a combination of acquirements which are rarely, if ever, united in one and the same individual. To accomplish that object satisfactorily, little less would have been requisite than the musical learning and critical skill of a Burney, the minute and accurate antiquarian knowledge of a Ritson, and that thorough acquaintance with the ancient manners and customs of Scotland, and particularly what may be termed the unwritten history of its inhabitants, with which the mind of Scott was so deeply imbued. The Skene Manuscript has indeed revealed itself at an unhappy moment. Had it been made known during the lifetime of these distinguished writers, the world would doubtless have been enabled to reap the full benefit of the discovery. There was even a period anterior to that of Scott and Ritson, when its appearance would have been hailed with greater enthusiasm, and would most probably have given occasion to greater discussion than is likely now to arise. Scotish music was a subject which much more frequently engaged the attention of the learned and the ingenious during the last century than at present; much was written upon its character, construction, and history, by Mr Tytler, the grandfather of our historian, Dr Beattie, Dr Gregory, Dr Campbell, Lord Kames, Dr Franklin, and others; and not a little is it to be regretted that the enquiries of these gentlemen into this branch of our national antiquities had not taken the same happy turn with those of their illustrious contemporary Lord Hailes. Had they been as diligent investigators of facts, and as cautious commentators upon them, as his Lordship, there can be little doubt that we should, ere now, have been in possession of information, touching this topic, infinitely more distinct and authentic than any thing that can be gathered from their writings. Neither is it likely that it would have been left to the present

a

generation to have awakened from its slumbers a Manuscript, which, per se, and without comment, throws more light upon the history of Scotish melody, than all the disquisitions of those learned and accomplished men. It is now nearly sixty years since Mr Tytler's Dissertation on Scotish Music was published, and, in the natural course of things, it may be presumed, that, at that time, more documents of the nature of the Skene Manuscript might have been elicited, had the attention of the public been sufficiently roused to the importance of these relics; yet, strange to say, although a great deal of historical research was bestowed by Mr Tytler on his Essay, which reflects the highest honour on his talents, as a scholar and a man of taste, he makes no allusion whatever, either to the existence or to the supposed non-existence of any ancient collections of Scotish music, nor does he say one word as to musical MSS., or even the oldest printed versions of the Scotish melodies; a circumstance the more unaccountable, as his Dissertation consists chiefly of an attempt to ascertain their individual antiquity by an analysis of their leading features, and the changes which have been wrought upon them in the course of time. In this way, the very line of investigation, which, if steadily followed out, would have conducted Mr Tytler's labours to a safe and satisfactory conclusion, was entirely overlooked.

If we except Mr Ritson, whose writings contain many general recommendations to that effect, there appears to have been only one individual in the last century, who, in turning his attention to this subject, felt the necessity of commencing by a well-founded and rational sys

* It first appeared in 1779, in the appendix to Arnot's History of Edinburgh; and it is the more singular that the importance of these manuscripts should have entirely escaped Mr Tytler, as, in 1775, on the cover of the Scots Magazine, we find the following advertisement: "This day is published, to be had at the shop of John Clark, engraver, first fore stair before the head of Forester's Wynd, the First Number of Flores Musica, or the Scots Musician, being a general collection of the most celebrated Scots tunes, reels, minuets, and marches, adapted for the violin, hautboy, or German flute, with a bass for the violincello or harpsichord, collected from a variety of old MSS., wherein the errors that have crept into the former editions of the Scots tunes are traced, and new variations added to many of them," &c. From the above announcement, we presume that this first number of the work was actually published, but what was its nature, or whether it ever reached a second number, the Editor has never heard, nor has he ever seen this Collection mentioned by any one who has written on this subject.

tem of analysis. This was Ramsay of Ochtertyre, who concludes a paper on Old Scotish Songs (published in Dr Anderson's periodical, The Bee, in 1791a) with the following judicious and sensible queries:-" What is the oldest book of Lowland vocal airs in Scots, either in public or private collections? What is the most ancient MS. or printed book in which the songs that carry intrinsic marks of antiquity are inserted?" And yet, at that time, so hopeless was the prospect of recovering any of our ancient melodies, that we find Mr Ritson, in a letter to our Scotish antiquary Mr George Paton, dated 19th May 1795, rejoicing, with no ordinary feeling of triumph, at the recovery of a solitary tune, which, however interesting from its frequent association with the songs and poems of the olden time, possesses little intrinsic excellence. "I have at last (says he) recovered the tune, to which The Banks of Helicon,' and The Cherry and the Slae,' were originally sung. Though lost in Scotland, and never perhaps known in England, it has been preserved in Wales by the name of Glyn Helicon.' Lord Hailes and Mr Tytler would have been glad of this discovery."b Well may the Editor in his turn exclaim, how would Mr Ritson and his collaborateurs have rejoiced in the recovery of so rich and varied a collection of ancient Scotish and English melodies as that which is now submitted to the public!

The Editor naturally felt that so valuable and interesting a production as this might almost be left to speak for itself; so that, when the alternative offered of giving immediate publicity to the collection, accompanied only with such observations and notes as might occur upon a brief though attentive examination of the subject, or of withholding, probably for years, a document essentially the property of the public, and which, as vindicating the antiquity, and perhaps it is not too much to say, elevating the character, of the justly celebrated melodies of Scotland, may be regarded as little short of a national boon, he admits that he did not hesitate long as to the course which it would be most proper for him to pursue; and in adopting the former of these alternatives, and leaving it to the public to deduce for themselves the more remote and consequential

• Vol. ii. p. 209.

Correspondence of G. Paton, p. 21.

results, which cannot fail to arise from a careful and deliberate analysis of the MS., he willingly resigns all higher ambition than that of rendering himself in some degree useful, by opening up the way, and excavating a few of the principal materials out of which others may be enabled, at a future period, to erect (it is to be hoped) a complete and well-digested history of Scotish Music.

THE Collection of Ancient Music, now submitted to the public, is the property of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh. It was bequeathed to that learned body, about twenty years ago, by the late Miss Elizabeth Skene, the last surviving member, in a direct line, of the family of Skene of Curriehill and Hallyards in Mid-Lothian, along with a charter-chest containing a variety of documents relating to that family, of which that lady had become the depository, as their representative, and great-greatgrand-daughter of John Skene of Hallyards, who was the son of Sir John Skene, the author of the treatise De Verborum Significatione,' and Clerk Register during great part of the reign of King James VI.a

When the MS. came into the possession of the Faculty, it consisted of seven detached portions or fasciculi; which, as they obviously belonged to the same set, were, by order of the Curators, bound up together so as to form one volume. Their contents in the order in which they stand are as follows:

1. Male Simme.

2. Doun in yon banke.

3. O sillie soul alace.

4. Long er onie old man.

PART I.

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Memoir and Genealogy of the Skene Family, penes James Skene, Esq. of Rubislaw.

5. The Spanishe Ladie.

6. My dearest sueate is fardest fra me.

7.

8. Hutchesoun's Galziard.

9.

10. A French Volt.

11. Ladye Elizabeth's Maske.

12. Kette Bairdie.

13. Trumpeter's Currand.

14. Joy to the persone.

15. Comedians Maske.

16. Aderneis Lilt.

17. Sommersets Maske.

18. Johne Devisonns pint of wine. 19. Horreis Galziard.

20. Froggis Galziard.

21. I cannot liue and want thee.

22. I mett her in the medowe.

23. Prettie weil begann man.

24. Prince Henreis Maske.

PART II.

25. Lady, wilt thou love me.

26. The Lass o Glasgowe.

27. Shoe looks as shoe wold lett me.

28. Alace yat I came owr the moor and left my love behind me.

29. Bonnie Jean makis meikle of me.

30. My love shoe winns not her away. 31. Jennet drinks no water.