aht avocations, fome things may have happened without the participation or knowledge of the King. Henry the IV. of France is held up by hiftorians as a model for future Princes; and the French nation, even Upon the whole, it does not feem at this day, fpeak of him with tendercandid to fix upon a few examples of nefs and affection; and yet L'Etoile, particular acts of government, whereof a contemporary author, in his journal, the grounds cannot in the nature of mentions feveral harsh measures and things be underflood, and draw from particular inftances of feverity adopted them any conclufions with respect to by that great Prince, where individuals the charact of a Prince, unless we, fuffered, but which were juftified by at the fame time, are well acquainted the exigences of the ftate, and did with the ftate-neceffity that occafioned therefore no ways derogate from the thefe feeming inftances of cruelty. The acknowledged merits of Henry the benevolent and amiable character of Great. The following hiftorical account of the Caftle of Lochmaben, of which a view was given in our Magazine for Auguft laft, having been lately com municated by an ingenious Gentleman, well acquainted with the antiquit.cs of Scotland, we now lay the fame before our readers. two others much more ancient) was built by the Bruces after they became Lords of Annandale; the fift of them was Robert, fecond fon to Robert fon of Adelm. The firft Robert, who came into England with William, the Conqueror of that kingdom, married Agnes, daughter of Fulk de Paynel, by whom he had Adam, first of the Bruces of Skelton in England, now extinct, and the abovementioned Robert, who by Euphemia de Annan got the Lordship of Annandale in the reign of King Edgar; and in the time of King David first, with her confent gives a fishing at Torduff in Annandale, to the monks of Holmcultram, now Abbyholm, in Cumberland, fome time after 1150. Their fon was Robert, Lord of Annandale, called the Younger, who confirmed the grant of the above fishing, and gave to the See of Glafgow the churches of Moffat, Kilpatrick, Dryfdale, Hoddam, and Caftlemilk. He, by Ifobel, natural daughter to King William the Lyon, had William Lord of Annandale, and Robert, afterwards Lord of other charter to the above monks of the fishing of Torduff, referving to himself and heirs, fturgeon, grefpies, and fea-wreck. He alfo, about 1190, gives a charter to Adam, fon of Robert Carlisle of Kinmont. Annandale. This William gives an William's fon was Robert, Lord of Annandale, called Robert of Hertelpole, in the cartulary of Holmcultram ; this Robert confirms a donation made by his father William, and grandfa ther Robert Bruce, Lords of Annandale, of the churches of Annan, Kilpatrick, Lochmaben, &c. in Scotland, to the canons regular of St Mary's of Gyfburn. This Robert died without iffue, and was fucceeded by his uncle Robert, who married Ifobel, fecond daughter to David Earl of Huntington; their fon was another Robert, who married Ifobel, daughter to Gilbert Earl of Glocefter; this Robert died in 1295, leaving two fons, Robert and Bernard, and a daughter Chriftian, married to Patrick Dunbar Earl of March. The laft-mentioned Robert married Martha Countefs of Carrick, and in her right became Earl of Carrick; they left left a fon, Robert Earl of Carrick, who in 1282 married Chriftian, widow of Thomas de Lacells, and daughter of William de Irby in Cumberland; he is faid to have died in 1303. He had a houfe on the Bailliebrae, nigh the Mote of Annan, in the ruins of which a ftone was found, now to be feen in a fummer-house there, with Robert de Brus, Count de Carrick, Seigneur de Annan, 1300, upon it. He left Robert, afterwards King of of Scotland; Edward, King of Ireland: Niel, Thomas, and Alexander: Ifobel, married firft to Thomas Randolf, fecondly to the Earl of Athole, thirdly to Alexander Bruce: Mary, married first to Sir Neil Campbell of Lochow, fecondly to Sir Alexander Frafer, Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland. Chriftian, married firft Gratney, Earl of Mar, fecondly Sir Christopher Seton, thirdly Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell: Matilda, married to the Earl of Rofs: Margaret, married to Sir William Carlile of Torthorwald and Crunington: Eliza beth, married Sir William Difhington of Ardrofs: And married David, Lord Brichen. King Robert's fon was David II. who died in the Caftle of Edinburgh, in 1371: and the Caftle of Lochmaben and Lordfhip of Annandale, came to Thomas Randolf Earl of Murray, and went with his fifter Agnes to the Dunbars, Earls of March; after their forfeiture it went to the Douglaffes, who also loft it by the fame fate; and then hav. ing come to Alexander Duke of Albany, he, for rebelling against his bro ther King James III. and plundering the fair of Lochmaben in 1484, was alfo forfeit. Since which time it has continued in the hands of the King, and become the great key of the weft border; a garrifon of 100 horfe and 200 foot being kept in it, who for their maintenance had the King's four towns of Hitae, Hecks, Greenhill, and Smallholm: the fifhings of the lochs, four fishing-boats on the ri ver of Annan, a large deer park and rab bit-warren, a fat cow, called a lardner mart cow, from every parish in Annandale, amounting formerly to thirty, but fince the act of annexation in 1609, now reduced to twenty; fixty necding geefe, and the foreft of Woodcock-air for fummer forage for their horfes, 300l. per ann. to the keeper of the Caftle, with the pend, after paying the minister of Lochmaben, and all the efcheats he could be certain of before the Capt. of Annan. The Stewartry or District of Annandale, of which Lochmaben Caitle was the chief fortalice, is a fertile vale, 24 miles long, and about 14 miles broad: from, its vicinity to England, and the continual incurfions and predatory wars of the borderers, the greateft part of it was uncultivated and common; but fince the beginning of the prefent century, or rather within the laft thirty years, all thefe waftes and commons have been divided and brought into culture, and the country has affumed a new appearance; which may be afcribed not only to the divi fion of the commons, but likewise to the improvement made in the roads, and particularly in the great western road from Edinburgh to London by Moffat, Gratney, and Carlifle, running through this vale, and carried on by fome gentlemen of the country, after they had obtained an act of parliament for levying a toll to defray the expence of making and keeping it în repair. The fituation of the town of Annan, near the mouth of the river of that name, which here falls into the Solway Frith, is favourable for carrying on foreign trade, but it has as yet derived few advantages in that way from its fituation. A fabrick for carding and fpinning of cotton has lately been erected, and the town begins to increafe. In the church-yard of Ruthwell, a few miles weft from Annan', is the celebrated Runick monument, defcribed by Gordon in his Itinera num Septentrionale, and mentioned of the country. SIR*, The ruins of the houfe or caftle of Auchincafs, in the neighbourhood of Moffat, once the feat of that potent Baron, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Murray, Lord of Annandale, and Regent of Scotland, in the minority of David II. covers above an acre of ground, and even now conveys an idea of the plan and strength of the building. The ancient caftle of Conlongan formerly belonging to the Murrays, Earls of Annandale, and now to Lord Stormont, is ftill in a tolerable ftate of prefervation; but except this caftle and that of Hoddom, moft of the other old fortalices and towers are now taken down, or in ruins. To the Publisher. Feb. 1. "OU will oblige me by inferting, time I firft faw her, which was in No❤ following fhort account of an infant musician, Sophia Hoffman. This child, when only nine months old, difcover ed fo violent an attachment to musical founds, that, if taken out of a room where any perfon was playing on an inftrument, it was frequently impoffible to appeafe her, but by bringing her back. The nearer fhe was carried to the performer, the more delighted the appeared to be, and would often clap her little hands together in accurate time. Her father, who is a very in duftrious and ingenious musician, ap. plied himself to the cultivation of thefe favourable fymptoms. He taught her by a very fingular process the names of the notes, and their fituation on the harpfichord; and fo fuccefsful were his instructions, in aid of her natural genius, that in lefs than 12 months, being then not more than a year and three quarters old, fhe could, with to lerable correctnefs, play a march, a leffon, and two or three fongs, befides a few bars of many other tunes which the bad accidentally heard. At the four months old, and had been under her father's tuition about a year and a half. She played a leffon of Stamitz, a gavot, the air of Malbrouk, La Belte Catherine, a German march, and many other tunes, with furprifing correctnefs; and, confidering the weakness and diminutive fize of her fingers, it is really unaccountable how the contrived to manage very diftant intervals, and to fcramble through difficult paffages without interrupting the time, or deranging the connection of the harmo ny. I obferved, that if she struck a wrong note, fhe did not fuffer it to pafs, but immediately corrected her felf. When fhe had played for about ten minutes, fhe feemed inclined to quit the inftrument; but, on my defi ring her to play Malbrouk again, she readily complied, and, to my aftonish. ment, tranfpofed the whole, without the leaft hefitation or defect, into ano→ ther key than that in which the first played it. Her father told me, that he had often heard her do the fame by many other tunes when he has been * Addressed to the Editor of the Gent. Mag. Jeft left alone at the harpsichord. Of this I had a proof foon after; for, while I was converfing with Mr Hoffman at the other end of the room, fhe tranfpofed "God fave the King" from the key of G. into the key of E. 4. and then into the key of D. Her whole stock of tunes, I believe, confifted of about fixty or feventy, befides many which he could play by frag ments. It was with a good deal of trouble that he could be prevailed on to fing; but, having once begun, fhe continued voluntarily, at intervals, to accompany "How Sweet in the Woodlands," "Dans votre lit," and two or three other fongs, with her voice. When fhe touches a note which is very much out of tune, fhe fometimes ftops, and laughs; but, I have reafon to think, her ear is not fo infallibly fenfible of fuch defects as Crotch's is reported to be: for if the diffonant note be ftruck by itself, or indeed if it did not occur in one of her own tunes, fhe does not feem to be aware of it, or to be affected by it. A gentleman, I remember, told me, that having put his finger one day on an organ which was out of tune, in a room where Crotch was fitting, the boy, then only three years old, turned away with looks of great uneafinefs, and cried very vehemently when his brother attempted to bring him back to the inftrument. He added, that his car was fo exquifite as to enable him, when even an unfkilful perfon preffed down nine or ten of the keys together, to name every note which compofed the found with great rapidity and accuracy. It would be injuftice to neglected genius, were I to lofe this opportunity of reminding the public, of what they feem to be ignorant of, that William Crotch is ftill living, and at Cambridge; and that this extraordinary boy, after maintaining a mother and brother for more than nine years, out of a life of twelve, by the exhibition of talents which nature has, it is hoped, endowed him with for nobler puposes, is still left to rely on precarious bounty for his fup port. If we confider his origin, and his unfettled courfe of living, his pow ers must appear very wonderful. * At feven years of age he became his own inftructor in the mechanical part of mufic, and fo well has he fucceeded, that now, in his thirteenth year, he has almott finished an Oratorio, which is faid to contain fuch marks of inven tion, and fuch fublime combinations of harmony, as promifes one day to give us, what we want, an original English ftyle. Independent, indeed, of his favourite art, he poffefles an ac tive and vigorous mind, which, under proper cultivation, may hereafter difplay a combination of talents rarely, if ever, found in a musician. The news-papers have lately been boafting of a laudable propenfity, among the rich and noble of the prefent day, to mufical patronage; will none of these step forward to rescue the name of Crotch from our already too copious catalogue of deferted genius? But to refume the little heroine of my narrative-SOPHIA HOFFMAN is certainly more indebted to the perfevering ingenuity of her father, than to any effort of her own natural talents, for thofe extraordinary powers which the difplays at fo early an age; at the fame time it ought to be obferved, that, had nature afforded a lefs favourable foil, the feeds of inftruction could fcarcely yet have taken root, much lefs have produced fuch promifing fruits from an infant mind. She appears to be perfectly well acquainted with mufical notation, for, if you fhew her a ny tune which he can play, fhe knows it at the first glance, and will stop, her father tells me, at a wrongly pointed note. These remarks are haftily made, after a firft vifit. I mean, when I go to London, to study her more accurately; and will take an opportunity of giving you more particular information on a fubject well worthy not only of public attention, but of public patronage.. B. A Letter Letter from Lady Afgill to Col. Gordon, written immediately on the arrival › of her Son Capt. Afgill in London, whofe appearance first announced to his. Family his Releafe and Safety. long fince have addreffed myself to you, for whom my fenfe of gratitude makes all acknowledgment poor indeed. Nor is this the first attempt; but you was too near the dear object of my anguish to enter into the heartpiercing fubject. I earnestly prayed to Heaven that he might not add to his fufferings the knowledge of ours. He had too much to feel upon his own account; and I could not have concealed from him the direful effects of his misfortunes on his family, to whom he is as dear as he is worthy to be fo. Unfit as I am at this time, by joy almost as unfupportable as the agony before, yet accept this weak effort from a heart as deeply affected by your humanity and exalted conduct, as heaven knows it has been torn with affiction. Believe, Sir, that it will only cease to throb in the late moment of life with the moft grateful, affectionate, and respectful fentiment to you, But a fortnight fince, I was finking under a wretchedness I could no longer ftruggle with; hope, refignation had almoft forfaken me. I began to experience the greatest of all misfortunes, that of being no longer able to bear them. Judge, Sir, the tranfition the day after, the bleffed change takes place. My fon is releafed-relieved-returned-arrived at my gate-in my arms. I fee him un fubdued in fpirit-in health-unreproached by himfelf-approved by his and without any anxiety, but for the happiness of his friend; and without regret, but for his having left him behind. Your humane feelings, that have dictated your conduct to him, injured and innocent as he was, furely muft, participate every relief and joy that his fafety muft occafion. Be that pleasure yours, Sir, as well as every other reward that virtue, like yours, and heaven can beftow. This prayer is offered up for you in this hour of transport, as it has been in the bitterness of my anguifh; my gratitude is footh-, ed by the energy it has been offered with it has afcended the throne of mercy, and I truft is accepted. Unfit as I am, for nothing but fenfibility fo awakened as mine could enable me to write, exhausted by too long anxiety, my husband confined to a bed of fickness and languor, yet I could not fuffer another mail to go without this weak effort. Let it convey to you, Sir, the moft unfeigned efteem and gratitude of my husband and children. You have the esteem and refpect of all Europe, as an ho nour to your country and human nature, and the moft zealous friendfhip of, my very dear and worthy Colonel Gordon, Your ever affectionate S. ASGILL Of the true Nature and Ufe of Experience. IT is a very judicious faying of but at the fame time they are fo, we Lord Bacon, and indeed most of find them very far from being ufetefs, his fayings are fo, that "proverbs are even to the more judicious part of "the wildom of the common people;" mankind, as appears by the collections VOL. VII. No 38. L and |
