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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 137 Miss Burnett frequently accompanied her father on his visits to London, and it is supposed that too much exercise on horseback proved injurious to her health. She died of consumption at Braid farm, in the neighbourhood of E h - burgh, in 1790. After her funeral, Mr. Williamson (Lord Monboddo’s sonin- law) covered her portrait with a cloth, in order to save his lordship’s feelings. It is told, as illustrative of the old judge’s excessive fondness of ancient literature, that, on looking up and seeing the picture covered, he said--“Right, Williamson ; now let us turn up Herodotus.” This being immediately done, his grief apparently subsided. Much as his philosophy might teach him to bear such an event with fortitude, it was nevertheless evident that he was greatly affected by her death ; and his health and spirits, it is believed, never properly recovered t,he shock. No. CCXVIII. OLD GEORDIE SYME, A FAMOUS PIPER IN HIS TIME. THEE tching of OLD GEORDIES YNEp,i per, Dalkeith, appears to have been one of the earliest efforts of Kay’s pencil. The exact period of time when Geordie flourished at Dalkeith cannot be ascertained. He must have been far advanced in life when the likeness was taken ; for though he was a person who cannot by any means be said to have kept “ the noiseless tenor of his way” through life’s pilgrimage, little is known of him from tradition, and nothing in the recollection of the oldest persons now living in Dalkeith. The Piper of Dalkeith is a retainer of the noble house of Buccleuch ; and there is a small salary attached to the office, for which, in the days of old Geordie, he had to attend the family on all particular occasions, and make the round of the town twice daily, at eight o’clock evening, and five in the morning. Besides his salary, he had a suit of clothes allowed him annually. It consisted of a long yellow coat, lined with red j red plush breeches ; white stockings, and buckles in his shoes. Geordie was much taken notice of by the nobility and gentry of his time as well for his skill in bagpipe music as his powerful and peculiar execution of it ; and his presence was considered indispensable at all their entertainments. Among his particular patrons were Lord Drummore,’ and the Earl of Wemyss, 1 Hugh Dalrpmple of Drummore, a Lord of Session, elevated to the bench 29th December 1726, and died on the 18th June 1755. “When the Prince of Hesse wan in Scotland in 1745-6, his Highness and several of the nobility were elegantly entertained by Lord Drummore, then governor VOL. 11. T
Volume 9 Page 184
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