While my heart a thousand times called on hers to participate in the sweet but melancholy pleasure it experienced, as I listened to and gazed on this venerable being.

The following account of the Bard of the Magilligans was
taken from his own lips, July 3, 1805, by the Rev. Mr.
Sampson, of Magilligan, and forwarded to the author,
(through the medium of Dr. Patterson of Derry,) previous to
her visit to that part of the north, which took place a few
weeks after.
Umbro, July 3, 1805.
Magilligan.
“I made the survey of the ‘man with the two heads,’
according to your desire; but not till yesterday, on
account of various impossibilities.
“Here is my report.—
“Dennis Hampson, or the ‘man with the two heads,’ is a
native of Craigmore, near Garvah, county Derry; his father,
Brian Dorrogher Hampson, held the whole town-land of
Tyrcrevan; his mother’s relations were in possession of the
Wood-town (both considerable farms in Magilligan.) He lost
his sight at the age of three years by the smallpox; at
twelve years he began to learn the harp under Bridget
O’Cahan: ‘For,’ he said, ‘in those times, women as well
as men were taught the Irish harp in the best families; and
every old Irish family had harps in plenty.’
“His next master was John C. Gairagher, a blind travelling
harper, whom he followed to Buncranagh, where his master
used to play for Colonel Vaughan; he had afterwards
Laughlan Hanning and Patrick Connor in succession as
masters.
“‘All these were from Connaught, which was,’ he added, ‘the
best part of the kingdom for Irish music and for harpers.’
At eighteen years of age he began to play for himself, and
was taken into the house of Counseller Canning, at Garvah,
for half a year; his host, with Squire Gage and Doctor
Bacon, bought him a harp. He travelled nine or ten years
through Ireland and Scotland, and tells facetious stories of
gentlemen in both countries: among others, that in passing
near the place of Sir J. Campbell, at Aghanbrack, he learn-
ed that this gentleman had spent a great deal, and was
living on so much per week of allowance. Hampson through
delicacy would not call, but some of the domestics were sent
after him; on coming into the castle, Sir J. asked him why
he had not called, adding, ‘Sir, there was never a harper
but yourself that passed the door of my father’s house to
which Hampson answered that ‘he had heard in the
nighbourhood that his honor was not often at home.’ with
which delicate evasion Sir J. was satisfied. He adds, ‘that
this was the highest bred and stateliest man he ever knew;
if he were putting on a new pair of gloves, and one of them
dropped on the floor, (though ever so clean) he would order
the servant to bring him another pair.’ He says that in that
time he never met with but one laird that had a harp, and
that was a very small one, played on formerly by the laird’s
father; that when he had tuned it with new strings, the
laird and his lady both were so pleased with his music that
they invited him back in these words: ‘Hampson, as soon as
you think this child of ours (a boy of three years of age)
is fit to learn on his grandfather’s harp, come back to
teach him, and you shall not repent it:’—but this he never
accomplished.
“He told me a story of the laird of Strone with a great deal
of comic relish. When he was playing at the house, a message
came that a large party of gentlemen were coming to grouse,
and would spend some days with him (the laird;) the lady
being in great distress turned to her husband, saying ‘what
shall we do, my dear, for so many in the way of beds?’ ‘Give
yourself no vexation,’ replied the laird, ‘give us enough to
eat, and I will supply the rest; and as to beds, believe
me, every man shall find one for himself;’ (meaning that
his guests would fall under the table.) In his second trip
to Scotland, in the year 1745, being at Edinburgh when
Charley the Pretender, was there, he was called into the
great hall to play; at first he was alone, afterwards four
fiddlers joined: the tune called for was, ‘The king shall
enjoy his own again;’—he sung here part of the words
following:—=

‘I hope to see the day

When the whigs shall run away,

And the king shall enjoy his own again.’

“I asked him if he heard the Pretender speak; he replied—
‘I only heard him ask, Is Sylvan there? on which some one
answered, he is not here, please your royal highness, but he
shall be sent for.’ ‘He meant to say Sullivan,’ continued
Hampson, ‘but that was the way he called the name.’ He says
that Captain Mac Donnell, when in Ireland, came to see him,
and that he told the captain that Charley’s cockade was in
his father’s house.
“Hampson was brought into the Pretender’s presence by
Colonel Kelly, of Roscommon, and Sir Thomas Sheridan, and
that he, (Hampson) was then about fifty years old. He played
in many Irish houses, among others, those of Lord de
Courcey, Mr. Fortesque, Sir P. Belew, Squire Roche, and in
the great towns, Dublin, Cork, &c., &c. Respecting all which
he interspersed pleasant anecdotes with surprising gaiety
and correctness; he mentioned many anecdotes of my
grandfather and grand-aunt, at whose houses he used to be
frequently. In fact, in this identical harper, whom you sent
me to survey, I recognized an acquaintance, who, as soon
as he found me out, seemed exhilarated at having an old
friend of (what he called) ‘the old stock,’ in his poor
cabin. He even mentioned many anecdotes of my own boyhood,
which, though by me long forgotten, were accurately true.
These things show the surprising power of his recollection
at the age of one hundred and eight years. Since I saw him
last, which was in 1787, the wen on the back of his head is
greatly increased; it is now hanging over his neck and
shoulders, nearly as large as his head, from which
circumstance he derives his appellative, ‘the man with two
heads.’ General Hart, who is an admirer of music, sent a
limner lately to take a drawing of him, which cannot fail to
be interesting, if it were only for the venerable expression
of his meagre, blind countenance, and the symmetry of his
tall, thin, but not debilitated person. I found him lying on
his back in bed near the fire of his cabin; his family
employed in the usual way; his harp under the bed-clothes,
by which his face was covered also. When he heard my name he
started up (being already dressed) and seemed rejoiced to
hear the sound of my voice, which, he said, he began to
recollect. He asked for my children, whom I brought to see
him, and he felt them over and over;—then, with tones of
great affection, he blessed God that he had seen four
generations of the name, and ended by giving the children
his blessing. He then tuned his old time-beaten harp, his
solace and bed-fellow, and played with astonishing justness
and good taste.
“The tunes which he played were his favourites; and he,
with an elegance of manner, said at the same time, ‘I
remember you have a fondness for music, and the tunes you
used to ask for I have not forgotten, which were Cualin, The
Dawning of the Day, Elleen-a-roon, Ceandubhdilis, &c.
These, except the third, were the first tunes, which,
according to regulation, he played at the famous meeting of
harpers at Belfast, under the patronage of some amateurs of
Irish music. Mr. Bunton, the celebrated musician of that
town, was here the year before, at Hampson’s, noting his
tunes and his manner of playing, which is in the best old
style. He said with the hottest feeling of self-love, ‘When
I played the old tunes not another of the harpers would play
after me.’ He came to Magilligan many years ago, and at the
age of eighty-six, married a woman of Innishowen, whom he
found living in the house of a friend. ‘I can’t tell,’ quoth
Hampson, ‘if it was not the devil buckled us together; she
being lame and I blind.’ By this wife he has one daughter,
married to a cooper, who has several children, and maintains
them all, though Hampson (in this alone seeming to doat)
says that his son-in-law is a spendthrift and that he
maintains them; the family humour his whim, and the old man
is quieted. He is pleased when they tell him, as he thinks
is the case, that several people of character, for musical
taste, send letters to invite him; and he, though incapable
now of leaving the house, is planning expeditions never to
be attempted, much less realized; these are the only traces
of mental debility; as to his body, he has no inconvenience
but that arising from a chronic disorder: his habits have
ever been sober; his favourite drink, once beer, now milk
and water; his diet chiefly potatoes. I asked him to teach
my daughter, but he declined: adding, however, that it was
too hard for a young girl, but that nothing would give him
greater pleasure if he thought it could be done.
“Lord Bristol, while lodging at the bathing house of Mount
Salut, near Magilligan, gave three guineas and ground rent
free, to build the house where Hampson now lives. At the
house-warming, his lordship with his lady and family came,
and the children danced to his harp; the bishop gave three
crowns to the family, and in the dear year, his lordship
called in his coach and six, stopped at the door, and gave a
guinea to buy meal.
“Would it not be well to get up a subscription for poor old
Hampson? It might be sent to various towns where he is
known.
“Ever yours,
“C. V. SAMPSON.”

ADDENDA.

“In the time of Noah I was green,

After his flood I have not been seen,

Until seventeen hundred and two. I was found