No. IV.

'INFORMATION TOUCHING THE CHAPPELL-ROYALL OF SCOTLAND."

"To the King's most excellent Majestie, the Information and Petition of your Majestie's humble Servant, Edward Kellie, touching your Majestie's Chapell-Royall of Scotland.

"When first your Majestie intended to goe into your kingdome of Scotland, I was employed by your Majestie, and such of your Councill of that kingdom as were then at courte; To provide psalmes, services, and anthymnes for your Majestie's said chappell-royall there, as in your chappell here. Thereupon I caused make twelve great books, gilded, and twelve small ones, with an organe-book wherein I caused write the said psalmes, services, and anthymnes, and attended the writing thereof fyve monetbes here in London. At that tyme, alsoe, I provided the same musick that was at your Majestie's coronation here, with one Bible for your Majestie, and two great Bibles for the Deane and for the Readers of the said chappell. Thereafter, I procured your Majestie's warrante for deposeing all insufficient persons that had places in your said chappell-royall, and for placing others more qualified, upon examination, in their roomes. Herevpon, I carryed home an organist and two men for playing on cornets and sakbuts, and two boyes for singing division in the versus, all which are most exquisite in their severall faculties. I caused the said organist examine all the aforesaid musick-books and organ-books; and

a Hawkins (Hist. vol. ii. p. 267) says, that "in the Statutes of Canterbury Cathedral, provision is made for players on sakbuts and cornets, which, on solemn occasions, might probably be joined to, and used in aid of the organ." The sakbut, or tuba tractilis, was a bass wind instrument of the trumpet kind, contrived so as to be drawn out to different lengths, according to the acuteness or gravity of the sound, similar to the trombone of modern times.

finding them right, convened all the musicians of your Majestie's said chappell, some whereof (being after triall found insufficient for such service) I deposed, and choosed some others in their roomes, whereby I made vpp the number of sixteen men beside the organist and six boyes; who all of them sung there psalmes, services, and anthymnes, sufficiently, at first sight, to the organe, versus, and chorus, soe being confident of their abilitie to discharge the service, I desired the lordes of your Majestie's honourable councell, and others of authoritie, skillfull in that facultie, to heare them; which lords, after their hearing, in token of their approbation, gave me a testificate under their hands, witnessing that I had fully performed my former vndertakings, and showing that the like service was never done there before by any soe well, or in soe good order. This testificate I have here to showe your Majestie. Then for my assurance in tyme comeing, I took bond of the said musicians, that they should be ready at all tymes to vndertake and discharge the seruice. This bond I have here alsoe to showe. Herafter your Majestie was gratiously pleased, by your letters vnder your highnes privie seall, with consent of the Deane of your said chappell-royall, to constitute mee collector and distributer of the rents pertayning to your said chappell, and to see such good orders established in the same, as the service therein might be well and faithfully done, and that none but persons sufficiently qualified should have any place there, and that they should be all keept at daily practise; and for that effect, your Majestie appointed mee ane chamber within your pallace of Halyrudehouse, wherein I have provided and sett vpp an organe, two flutes, two pandores with violls, and other instruments, with all sorts of English, French, Dutch, Spaynish, Latin, Italian, and old Scotch musick, vocall and instrumentall. In the said chamber, the said organist and the boyes doe remain, and the remanent musicians and vnder officers doe meet therein twice a-week to practise and to receive directions for the next service. For observance of these meetings, and many other good orders, I have likewise taken bond of the said musicians, which bond I have also here to showe. In tyme of service within the chappell, the organist and all the singingmen are in black gownes, the boyes are in sadd coloured coats, and the vsher and the sexten and vestrie-keeper are in browne gownes. The singingmen doe sit in seats, lately made, before the noblemen, and the boyes before them, with their books lay'd, as in your Majestie's chappell here. One of the great Bibles is placed in the midle of the chappell, for the reader, the other before the Deane. There is sung before sermon ane full anthymne, and after sermon ane anthymne alone in versus with the organe. And thus every one attendeth the charge in his place in a very grave and decent forme.

"At this tyme, for your Majestie's now intended journey into your said native

kingdome, and for your highnes coronation there, I have not as yet had any commandment. Nevertheless, I am alwayes in readinesse in manner aforesaide, with the said musick for your Majestie's coronation, and all other musick necessary, with cornets, sakbuts, and other instruments, with men to play thereon, ready vpon advertisement.

"If, therefore, it shall please your most sacred Majestie to ratifie these my former powers and warrantes, for ingathering of the rents and ordering your said chappell, as I have begunne, your Majestie's exchequer by that meanes will be disburdened: And I, your Majestie's servant, shall vndertake either to give your Majestie good assurance by a new testificate from your councell of my present abilitie for performance of the service with greater credite to your Majestie's native kingdome, then it can be done by strangearis, and with no greater charge vnto your Majestie then is allready due: Or else I shall give tymouse advertisement vnto your highnes that your musicians here may be carryed thither for the service; which, vndoubtedly, will be a great and needless charge, if your Majestie's servants at home can doe the same, all things being provided and ready for the purpose. These premisses I most humbly referr vnto your Majestie's princely consideration, and desire your Majestie's speedy resolution and answer herein. And because this information hath no man else to [be] answerable for what is in it but my selfe, whoe have formerly given good proofe of my care and affection to your highnes service; Therefore, that your Majestie may be assured that I attempt nothing but what is faire, and what I am confident to performe, as I shall be answerable for, according to my vndertaking, I have subscrived these presents with my hand, at Whitehall, 24th Januarii 1631, after the English account.

"E. KELLIE."

POSTSCRIPT.

SINCE closing the Preliminary Dissertation and Notes, we are enabled to present our readers with some additional information which augurs favourably for the farther success of the enquiries in which we have been engaged.

It appears that the MS. volume, mentioned pp. 84 and 147, Dissertation, is in the possession of Mr Chalmers of London. It is written in Lute Tablature, on a stave of six lines, and was presented to Dr Burney, in June 1781, by Dr George Skene, Professor of Humanity and Philosophy in Marischal College, Aberdeen. The title of the work is, " An Playing Booke for the Lute. Where in ar contained many cvrrents and other mvsical things. Musica mentis medicina mæstæ. At Aberdein. Notted and collected by Robert Gordon, (the well-known Sir Robert Gordon of Straloch.) In the year of our Lord 1627. In Februarie ;" and on the back of the title there is a drawing of a person playing on the lute. Its contents were inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine for February 1823; and, as we have not seen the original volume itself, we here transcribe the list of the tunes as given in that work, although we have neither time nor space to accompany them with any remarks. It should be premised, that, besides those here mentioned, there are others which are simply distinguished as "Ballets," or " Currants:"

"The Buffens.-Sleepe wayward thoughts.-Sannicola.-Sheepheard saw thou not. What if a day.-Give caire does cause men cry.-Canaries.-Finis, quod Ostend, (no title.)-Finis ballat, or Almon.-Hurries Current.-Queen's Current. -Frogge's Galzeart.-Lyke as the Dumbe.-When Daphne did.- The Prince Almon. The day dawes.-Cum sueit Love lett sorow ceasse.-Finis, Haddington's mask. Thir Gawens.-Finis, Queene's Almone, as it is played on a fourteen cord lute.-A Saraband.-Ther wer three Ravns.-In a gardeen so green.--Haddington's maske.-The barg of maske.-Begon sueit night.-Tell me Daphne.Lachrymy.-A stryng of the Spanish Pavin.-Finis, Darges Current.-Fantasie. -A passing sour.-Ballart's Current.-The quadro pavin.-The galziart of the pavin. In till a mirthful May Morning.-Orlio's Current.-Hebrun's Current.— A Port.-Port Priest.-Before the Greekes.-Brangle, simple.-The Old Man. -I long for the Wedding.—Gray steel.-Put on the Sark on Munday.-Brail de

Poyetu. Ostende.-God be with the Geordie.-A Pasmissour.-A Brangle with the braking of it.-A Braill: second, third, fourt, fift, sext braill.-Thoes rare and good in all.-Finis, Lilt Ladie: An. Gordone.-A daunce.-Green greus p rashes. -Com Love lets walk.-Finis. Cum lett us walk into yon springe.-Hunter's carrerre. Vpon a Sommer's time.-Its a wonder to see how p' world doos goe.An thou wer myn oun thing.-Finis port Jean Kinsay.--Cock-stouns hoggie.— Wo betyke thy waerie bodie.-Ladie Laudion's Lilt.-Have over the water.— From the fair Lavinian shore.--Keath keares not for thy kyndnes. Earlie in the Mornning.-Galua Tom.-The tript of Diram.Kist her while she blusht.-God be with my bonnie love.-Whip my toudie.Bon acord. My beelful breest.-Hench me malie Gray.—Thir gawens ar gey.— A preludium.-Finis huic libro impositus. Anno D. 1629. Ad finem. Decem. 6. In Stra-Loth."

The Editor has also seen a copy of the collection referred to in the Dissertation,a called "Flores Musicæ," and announced in the advertisement to have been "collected from a variety of old MSS. wherein the errors that have crept into the former editions of the Scots tunes are traced," &c.; but the expectations which such an announcement was calculated to raise have been greatly disappointed. The work had most probably been confined to the first number, and contains the following airs:-The Birks of Invermay-The Broom of Cowdenknows-The Blatherie o't-The Yellow-haired Laddie-The Braes of Ballendine-My Nanie, O-The Lass of Patie's Mill-Logan Water Killicrankie-The Mill, O-Bush aboon Traquair-Hey Jenny come down to Jock-Roslin Castle-Robin Cushie-The last time I came o'er the moor-To danton me-Tweedside—I'll never leave thee-I wish my love were in a mire-Woes my heart that we should sunder-My mother's ay glowering o'er me-Bonny Dundee.

Several of these airs are not ancient. "Roslin Castle," and "The Braes of Ballenden," are said to have been composed by Oswald, and "The Yellow-haired Laddie" is probably of an age little anterior to his. Neither does the music bear the least semblance of its having been taken from collections older, at all events, than the beginning of last century; and yet the Editor, in his preface, says that he has examined a variety of old manuscripts, and "endeavoured, with the utmost accuracy, to trace out the errors of former editions." The following passage of that preface, however, is worth quoting, as it contains some truth, though blended with a good deal of that random assertion so common at the time when the work was published.

a P. 3. This Collection was published in 1773; not in 1775, as there mentioned.