The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-16 00:00:00

AN OLD IRISH HARPER.

Denis A. Hampsey, or Hempson, was another interest-
ing model of the old school of Irish harpists. He was
born shorely after Carolan, in 1695. His antiquarian
taste led him to prefer those venerable strains of Ireland,
which had long survived the memory of their composers.
Bunting informs us that he had an admirable method of
playing legato (bound or smooth), and the staccato
(divided or marked), in which he could run through rapid
divisions in an astonishing style. Hempson's system of
harp-playing, which may be regarded as the model of
the antique style of the Irish harpist, comprised as ex-
tensive a range of effects "as has ever been devised by
the most modern improvers." The following notice of
this bard is taken from a letter of the Rev. G. Sampson
(historian of Londonderry), and published by Miss
Owenson, now Lady Morgan, in her admired novel,
" The Wild Irish Girl." His father possessed the
whole townland of Tyrcrevan. The bard was born in
Craigmore, Londonderry ; and at the age of three years
he lost his sight by the small pox. At twelve he was
taught the harp by Bridget O'Cahan, for, as he said,
in these old times, women as well as men were taught
the Irish harp in the best families, and every old Irish
family had harps in plenty." Afterwards, he had lessons
from Garragher, L. Fanning, and Patrick Connor, from
Connaught, which was, he said, " the best part of the
kingdom for Irish harpers and for music." He travelled
through Ireland and Scotland for about ten years.
During these peregrinations, many amusing incidents
lighted up his path. He was about fifty years of age
when he made a second tour to Scotland, in 1745. At
Edinburgh, he performed before Charles the Pretender:
the tune called for was " The king shall enjoy his owe
again." _ . .

" I hope to see the day
When the Whigs shall run run away.
And the king shall enjoy his own again."

Hempson was introduced to the Pretender's presence
by Sir Thomas Sheridan and Colonel Kelly, of Ros-
common. Hempson was kindly and considerately re-
ceived by most of the principal families in Ireland. These
and other interesting anecdotes were related to the nar-
rator when the venerable bard had attained the age of
108 years ; and having known him when he himself was
a boy, he called to see him in 1806, two years before the
minstrel's death. The wen at the back of his head was
much increased,. so that he was called "the man with
two heads." " General Hart, who is an admirer of
music, sent a painter 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 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 had brought to see him,
and he felt them over and over; then with tones of great
affection, he blessed his God that he had seen four
generations of the name, and ended by giving the
children his blessing. He turned to the old time-beaten
harp, his solace and bedfellow, and played with astonish-
ing 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 The coolin,' • The dawning of
the day,' Ellen a Boon,' Cean Dubh Dilis,' &c. These,
except the third, were the first tunes which, according to
the regulation, he played at the famous meeting of
harpers at Belfast, under the patronage of some amateurs
of Irish music. Mr. Bunting, the celebrated musician
of that town, was here in 1793 (the year after the
meeting), at Hempson's noting his tunes and his manner
of playing, which is in the best old style. He
said with the honest feeling of self-love, ' When I
played the old tunes, not another of the harpers would
play after me.'" Having learned that his friend and
benefactor, the Rev. Sir H. Harvey Bruce, lad come to
visit him, he desired to be raised up in bed, and the
harp placed in his hands. Having struck some notes of
a favourite strain, he sunk back, unable to proceed,
taking his last adieu of an instrument which had been
his companion and hourly solace during a long life, He
died in 1807, aged 112 years. " The last of our bards
now sleeps cold in the grave," was the cry which arose
when his death was announced.—Mr. M. Conran's Na-
tional Music of Ireland.

PROSE FROM THE SOUTH.—Of this original and
striking work, a first edition is already nearly sold, so power
ful a sensation has it excited. A recent critical authority
says, "In noticing, the other day, Mr. Dickens's book on
Italy, we could not help feeling its entire want of all know-
ledge of the subject. It was a sort of quaint version of a
road-book, with here and there fine passages. To Mr.
Reade's Prose from the South,' this objection cannot be
made ; he displays considerable reading, and of the right
sort. He has cultivated his own taste so as to be able to
speak with some confidence of sculpture, painting, and archi-
tecture. All who traverse the Alps should carry these vo-
lumes along with them, as we feel assured they will better
relish the scenes, pictures, palaces, and people among whom
they move, than they would ever be likely to do without
them."--Sunday Times.
SALE OF THE LATE SIGNOR DRAGONETTI'S BIJOU-
TERIE, &c.—Yesterday the extraordinary assemblage of
bzjouterie and articles of taste of the late Signor Dragonetti,
including diamond rings, brooches, gold and silver watches,
&c., was sold at Mr. G. Robins's rooms, in Covent-garden.
The sale yesterday consisted principally of the disposal of
upwards of 200 snuff-boxes, of all descriptions and sizes, in
goad, tortoise-shell, papier macho, &c., among which a cir-
cular wooden one, formerly belonging to Paganini, sold for
21., and another, in ivory, presented to the late signor by F.
Perkins, Esq., and engraved "Il Drago," sold for two
guineas. The silvei tea-urn, presented by the late Duke of
York to Dragonetti, which was highly prized by this distin-
giskedm
date usicialn7,23 wassLsoilsd. for 7s. per ounce. A five-guinea
piece of George 11. fetched 51. 95., and a Spanish gold
doubloon,u
LORD JOHN RUSSELL—The Noble Lord was elected
an Elder Brother of the Trinity Corporation on Tul'oday