MEMOIR OF SIR J. G. DALYELL. xxxv 



recovered by the operation of the power by which it was once achieved. Already, in the 

 facts that I have quoted from Sir John Graham Dalyell, we seem to have the foreshadowing 

 of the facts through which the discovery may be made." 



The " Musical Memoirs of Scotland, with Historical Annotations and 

 numerous Illustrative Plates," a work for which Sir John had long been 

 collecting material, issued from the press in 1849. A misunderstanding 

 having occurred, however, between him and his publisher, Mr Thomas 

 Stevenson, 87 Princes Street, Edinburgh, considerable delay in the print- 

 ing ensued, and some deviation from the original plan.'" He himself al- 

 ludes to this in the preface : " I deem it necessary to explain, that while 

 advancing with additional embellishments, a rude interruption compelled 

 me not only to infringe my original plan, but to leave certain parts of it 

 unfinished." He hoped, however, at an early period to " restore the pro- 

 jected integrity" of the " work in some acceptable form." The author 

 did not live to fulfil his intention. He meant to have followed it up by 

 another volume, entitled " Musical Practice," which is in manuscript, 

 ready for the printer, and which we yet trust to see published. Sir John 

 drew his facts from the most unquestionable sources — chiefly ancient re- 

 cords, and rarely hazards a conjecture, unless supported by the most co- 

 gent reasons. The bagpipe, as being the national instrument of Scotland, 

 is treated of first, and numerous engravings of it given from the sculpture 

 of Melrose Abbey, Roslyn Chapel, &c. It was a very simple contrivance 

 originally — consisting of only a bag and chanter. It can be traced to 

 ancient times, even on Roman sculpture, and on several religious houses 

 in England, as well as on the Cathedral of Upsal, in Sweden. It was, and 

 still is, common to the peasantry' of Italy and Germany ; and was one of 

 the courtly instruments of France in the fifteenth century. In Ireland, 

 it was, of course, common. From a print of "Irish Insurgents" in 1581, 

 headed by a piper, the instrument, with a drone and chanter, is of un- 

 wieldy dimensions. But nowhere has the bagpipe been cultivated, as per- 



* The law- plea which followed, was not concluded till after Sir John's death. The real 

 point at issue in this absurd dispute was, whether an author should be allowed to retain hia 

 manuscript, and see his own work through the press. 



