nd adorned
with artificial melody. What is the difference between natural
and artificial melody? Natural melody is the appropriate melody
with which a piece is sung which has true melody inherent in
itself, and artificial melody is that with which a piece is
sung that is destitute of real melody. In the former case the
mind is influenced by what is sung, the music giving additional
force and power to it; but in the latter case the mind is more
influenced by the sound of the music than by what is sung. I
may explain this by two young females; the one has, I do not
call it a bonny face, but a very agreeable expression of
countenance; the other has not. Were the former to be neatly
and plainly dressed, her dress would give additional charms to
her, but in looking at her you would not think of the dress at
all, but of the charms of the young woman. But although the
other were adorned in the highest style of fashion, with
flowers and brocades, and chains of gold, and glittering
jewels, in looking at her you would not think of the charms of
the young woman, for charms she had none, your mind would be
altogether occupied with what was artificial about her, with
what did not belong to her, and not with what she was in
herself. Both the natural and artificial melody elevate the
mind, the one by what is sung, and the other by the grand sound
of the music. There is real melody in "Scots wha hae," which is
natural and appropriate, which gives additional power and force
to the sentiment of the piece. In singing it the mind is not
occupied with the sound, but with proud Edward, his chains and
slavery--Scotia's King and law--the horrors of slavery--the
blessing of liberty, and a fixed determination to act.

Dr Masson's description of "Tho Gael in the Far West" is a very readable
paper, and gives an interesting account of his tour among the Canadian
Gael, where he says, "the very names of places were redolent of the
heather--in the land where, alas! the tenderest care has never yet been
able to make the heather grow--Fingal, Glencoe, Lochiel, Glengarry,
Inverness, Tobermory, St Kilda, Iona, Lochaber, and the rest!" We part
with this paper perfectly satisfied that whether or not the Gael and his
language are to be extirpated among his own native hills neither the
race nor the language will yet become extinct in our British Co