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honour of their host, undertook to comply with their request, and on retiring to his apartment took his harp with him, and, under the inspira-tion of copious libations of his favourite liquor not only produced the melody, now known as 1 Bumper, Squire Jones,1 but also very indifferent English words to it. While the bard was thus employed, however, the judge was not idle. Being possessed of a fine musical ear, as well as of considerable poetical talents, he not only fixed the melody in his memory, but actually wrote the noble song now incorporated writh it before he retired to rest. The result may be anticipated. At breakfast on the following morning when O'Carolan sang and played his composition, Baron Dawson, to the astonish-ment of all present, and of the bard in particular, stoutly denied the claim of O'Carolan to the melody, charged him with audacious privacy, both musical and poetical, and, to prove the fact, sang the melody to his own words amidst the joyous shouts of approbation of all his hearers—the enraged bard excepted, who vented his execrations in curses on the judge both loud
and deep.0
The trick was exposed later, but it was long ere the ruffled bard was mollified.
" Maggy Laidir" (pronounced Lauder),
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