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was somewhat better, though, in any way, it was difficult to get such incongruous materials, as the company was composed of, to hang together; but, then, they were more at liberty to follow their own devices, and if music has not always charms to soothe a savage breast, it has, at least, the merit of keeping civilized beings sometimes in order. Although Lady Rossville had little expectation of deriving any pleasure from an exhibition of Mrs Waddell's musical powers, yet she was too polite to pass her over.

"Pray, sing me a Scotch song," said she, seeing her preparing to execute an Italian one; "I have taken quite a fancy for Scotch songs.'

"Scotch songs!" repeated Mrs Waddell, with astonishment and contempt;"I hope, cousin, you don't think me quite so vulgar as to sing Scotch songs. I assure you, they are quite exploded from the drawing-room now: they are called kitchen songs," with an affected giggle.

"Call them what they will," said Lady Rossville," I shall certainly learn to sing the songs of my own country, and to sing them, too, in my own way, con amore.

"If so, you will sing them better than any mere taught singer will do,” said Mr Lyndsay.

"But, I assure you, cousin, nobody sings them now," said Mrs Major vehemently.

"The more shame, then, to every body,” said Gertrude.

"To every body who can sing them," said Lyndsay; "but I believe it is much more difficult to sing one's national music well in their native land, than it is to discourse most eloquent music' in a foreign tongue; the first speaks to every one's heart and feelings, the other merely addresses itself to the ear or the taste, or, it may be, the ignorance of the audience. To sing Scotch songs well requires great compass of voice, a clear articulation, and the very soul of feeling."

"Pray, Mr Lyndsay, were you ever abroad ?” demanded Mrs Waddell, abruptly.

"I spent two years on the Continent; one of them in Rome."

"Indeed!" in a manner as if she doubted the fact, and rather displeased to think that any body should have been where the Major had not been. "Well, I must say, I am rather surprised at any

body who has ever been abroad being able to tolerate Scotch music. I think you say, Major, you have had little relish for it since you were in India."

"Oh! surely," said the Major, who just knew a drum from a fife.

"I like every thing that is good of its kind," said Lyndsay.

"Some of the Scotch airs are rather pretty," said Colonel Delmour, who, but for his abhorrence of Mrs Waddell, would have uttered an anathema against them.

"And I hope you admire the words?" said Mrs Waddell with an ironical air.

"Indeed I do many of them," said Lady Rossville. "Here, for instance, is such a pretty sentiment prettily expressed," and, as she leant against her harp, she touched its chords, and sung with taste and feeling,—

"Wilt thou be my dearie,

When sorrow wrings thy gentle heart,
O, wilt thou let me cheer thee?

By the treasure of my soul,

And that's the love I bear thee."

"Well, I suppose it's my want of taste, for I

can't say I can discover any thing very beautiful there," said Mrs Major, with a disdainful toss. "My dearie! what a vulgar expression! how should I look, Major, if you were to call me your dearie??? "Ha! ha!-very good; but that is a charming thing you sing, my dear, Rosina mia caro,' said the Major, who was half asleep.

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"Some of the Scotch songs are undoubtedly coarse, vulgar, and silly," said Lyndsay;" and most of them sung from beginning to end would certainly be somewhat of a penance; but many of them are charming, and a verse here and a verse there, in almost all of them, will be found to possess infinite beauty and

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"I thought people who were really musical cared little for the words of a song," interrupted Mrs Major, triumphantly.

"Milton thought otherwise, and few will dispute his ear for music; but if words are not fit to be heard, they ought not to be sung. It by no means follows, that because words are Scotch, they must needs be vulgar; on the contrary, I have heard good musicians say,that, from the frequent termination of the Scotch words in vowels, there is a softness in the language, which renders it

much better adapted to music than any other, the Italian excepted, and then, what a superiority in the poetry of our songs! How little nature, feeling, or variety, is there in the greater part of the Italian ariettas and Venetian canzonettes."

"Did you ever hear 'Dee tentee pellpeetee?' asked Mrs Waddell, with a consequential air.

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Mr Lyndsay could scarcely restrain a smile at the question, "De tenti palpete” being scarcely less hackneyed than "The Flower of Dumblane," or "From the white blossom'd sloe," &c.

But, without waiting an answer, the lady forthwith squared her elbows, rounded her arms, spread out her fingers, and commenced, waving her head, and rolling her eyes from side to side, in the manner usually practised by vulgar affected singers, who try to make up by their bodily gestures for the want of all taste, feeling, and expression.

Colonel Delmour had been talking to Lady Rossville, in a low voice, during the greater part of this colloquy, which otherwise he never would have suffered to proceed, as he seemed to look upon the Major and his lady as quite beneath his notice; and although he might have deigned to contradict, he never would have stooped to reason

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