Did

remarked. About her twentieth year she is described as being somewhat above the middle height-possessing a graceful form and an open cheerful countenance. Such was the even tenor of her kindly nature that joy and happiness were diffused around her wherever she went. suffering or silent tears shroud the poor man's daily life? Then was she often found under the threshold of his humble roof; ever ready with sympathetic word and act to relieve the lorn and sorrowing heart, and happy only in creating happiness around her. Was there a "merrie neet" or social gathering held within moderate distance of Thackwood? There was her tall graceful figure to be seen, joining in the cheerful dance-the merriest of the merry— enjoying to the utmost the happiness of rustic farmservant and humble village lass, and "marking with keen eye the various shades of character around her." The anecdote recorded of the honest-hearted farmer shows how much she had endeared herself to all classes. "Well, well," exclaimed he to one of her relatives, soon after her death, "I could find neither rest nor comfort till I had some talk with you about her. The merrie-neets won't be worth going to since she is no more!"

In 1764 her eldest sister, Sarah, married Colonel Graham of Gartmore, after which period she spent some portion of her life in Scotland. One of the Grahams of Gartmore was the author of the song entitled, O tell me how to woo thee. In her biography

we also obtain passing glimpses of visits paid to London, Ireland, and Chillingham Castle; and learn, that while staying at the latter place, she wrote at the request of the Earl of Tankerville, her clever Cumberland song commencing, Wey, Ned, man! thou luiks sae down-hearted.

Many of Miss Blamire's songs were composed in woodland glades-her favorite resorts for study— while she played an air on the guitar, plaintive or mirthful as the subject might call forth. She has sometimes been known to stop a wandering musician on the highway, dismount from her pony, and request him to strike up a jig or hornpipe, whilst she, like bonnie Maggy Lauder,

"Did shake her foot wi' right good will
When he blew up his chanter."

Her friendship with Miss Gilpin, a descendant of Bernard Gilpin, the Apostle of the North, forms one of the most delightful chapters in her biography. They were kindred spirits. They lived together; visited together; wrote lyrics together; and in their deaths were not long divided. The Cumberland Scold and the Sailor Lad's Return, were their joint productions. We are thus pleasantly reminded of Beaumont and Fletcher working friendly together at their dramas; of Wordsworth and Coleridge issuing conjointly their lyrical ballads; of Sidney Cooper and Creswick touching in with skilful pencils sunny pictures of cattle grazing on the banks of quiet-gliding rivers.

Miss Blamire, after suffering much from infirm health, died at No. 14, Finkle Street, Carlisle, April, 1794, in the forty-seventh year of her age, and was buried in Raughton-head churchyard. It is stated that between eighty and ninety persons, who had not received formal invitations, attended her funeral, a distance of seven miles. This incident speaks much for the manner in which her memory was held by those among whom she had lived and moved.* A plain headstone marks her resting place. She lived contemporary with Robert Burns, being born exactly twelve years before the great peasant poet, and died some two years before he was cut off in the full flush of manhood.

Miss Blamire's poetical works were first collected by Dr. Lonsdale of Carlisle, and Mr. Patrick Maxwell of Edinburgh; and issued in 1842 with notes and a somewhat lumbering and egotistic memoir by Mr. Maxwell. Every Cumbrian, however, who values the literature of his county, must feel himself under great obligations to those gentlemen for what was then so carefully gathered together. Previously Miss Blamire's name had only been known in connexion with her Traveller's Return, What ails this

*Miss Blamire was aunt to William Blamire, Esq., M.P., of Thackwood, who for twenty-four years was chief Tithe Commissioner for England and Wales. He represented East Cumberland in parliament from 1831, and was in many respects a remarkable man. Blamire did much for his native county and the country at large, and will be long remembered for his manly qualites and courteous disposition. He died in 1862, aged 72 years.

heart o' mine, and some half-dozen others; and further delay in collecting her writings must have proved fatal to her fame. Certain it is that the authorship of one of the finest songs in our language, And ye shall walk in silk attire-hanging as it then did upon a single thread-could never afterwards have been satisfactorily traced.

Her songs may be found in all Scottish collections of any extent or merit; sometimes with her name attached, but oftener without. Many of her productions were distributed in MS. among her friends and relatives; but not a single one, printed during her life-time, was acknowledged by her signature. Her poems, one and all, contain a fine poetic vein ; they are true and sweet, but limited in their range as an inland river. Maxwell says: "Her poetry is characterized by ease, a happy gaiety, great earnestness, and often displays considerable imagination, vigour, and exuberance of thought. She was unquestionably the best female writer of the age." Nothing more need be added to this summary. It conveys in a few brief words, a just estimate of her poems. And now, what of her lyrical powers? "Many of her songs," he continues, "would have made the reputation of any writer of lyric poetry in her day; that however, is a species of composition which has been much and successfully cultivated since her time." Indeed, Mr. Patrick Maxwell, how so? Are you not caught tripping here? We can't for the life of us believe

that your own convictions were truthfully recorded when this unfortunate paragraph was penned. After almost every line of these songs had rooted themselves in your very being, and were treasured up in your thoughts as pearls of beauty, was this all the commendation you could mete out? Why, verily, only think for one moment of a reputation being gained in her day! If ever there has been a golden age of song-writing, this was the one. There were giants in those days. The age of Burns-for its lyrical literature-stands out in as bold relief, and rises as much above all others, as the Shaksperian age does in that of dramatic literature.

Song-writing was pre-eminently Miss Blamire's

forte. Nor is it too much to say that she takes her place but a few links in the chain below the best lyrical writers our sea-girt isle has produced. The genius of Scotland has been essentially of the lyrical order. The most gifted of her sons have put forth their greatest strength in that class of composition. The Scottish people undoubtedly possess a nobler collection of songs than any other country-songs which body forth the deepest feelings and emotions of all classes and conditions of men; yet we question if they can lay claim to a score of finer songs than some three or four left us by Miss Blamire. It may be urged that her powers of invention were not great or varied; that the rush and energy which characterize the writings of Burns are almost entirely absent; that she had little sarcasm and no tragic