THE RIGHT HON. ELIZABETH-JEMIMA, DOWAGER COUNTESS OF ERROL.

THE lady at the head of this article, was the daughter of Joseph Blake, Esq., of Ardfrey, in the county of Galway, and sister of the first Lord Wallscourt. She married, first, George Hay, fourteenth EARL OF ERROL (uncle of the present Lord), who died in 1798, without issue. Her Ladyship espoused, secondly, on the 12th of September, 1816, the Right Honourable JOHNHOOKHAM FRERE, and died on the 17th January, 1831.

The Blakes, of British extraction, and traditionally descended from Ap Lake, whose name appears as one of the knights of King Arthur's round table, are of ancient and honourable standing in Ireland. Their founder there, Richard Blake, a soldier of fortune, accompanied Prince (afterwards King) John, in the year 1185; and obtained for his military services, large grants of land in the counties of Galway, Mayo, Clare, and in the county of the town of Galway. From this gallant person descended John Blake, of Athenry, who had three sons:-1, Nicholas, ancestor of John Blake, Esq., M.P. for Athenry, in 1639;-2, Valentine, ancestor of the Blakes of Ardfrey, and of Sir Valentine Blake, created a Baronet in 1622; and 3, Walter, Bishop of Clonmacnois, in 1487.

The Right Honourable Sir Richard Blake, of Ardfrey (son of Robert Blake, by his wife, Anne, daughter of Richard Drury, Esq.), was Knight of the shire for Galway, in 1639, a Privy-Councillor to Charles I., and,

in 1648, Speaker of the Supreme Council of Kilkenny. From this eminent statesman lineally sprang

Joseph Blake, of Ardfrey, Esq., born in 1739, who married, in 1764, Honoria, only daughter of Dermot Daly, Esq. He died in 1806. By his lady, who died in 1794, he had the following issue:

1, JOSEPH-HENRY, first Baron Wallscourt ;-2, Robert, died young;-3, Ignatius-Charles, born in 1773, Captain in the 18th regiment of Dragoons; married, in 1794, Helena, eldest daughter of William Cashell, Esq., of Berwick-upon-Tweed; and, dying at Jamaica, a Major in the Army, in 1797, left issue a son, JOSEPH, who succeeded as second Baron Wallscourt; and a daughter, Louisa-Helena, born in 1796, and married, in 1816, to R. Bourne, of Lynberry, Esq., in the county of Westmeath;-4, Henry-James, born in 1774, Colonel of the Galway Militia, married, in 1796, Anne, second daughter of John French, of Galway, Esq., by whom he had a son, JOSEPH-HENRY, who inherited as third LORD WALLSCOURT, and seven other children; 5, Richard, died an infant;-6, Joanna-Harriet, married, first, in 1783, to Richard Burke, of Glinsk, in the county of Galway, Esq.; and, secondly, in 1792, to Dominick Daly, Esq.; -7, ELIZABETH-JEMIMA; -8, AgnesMaria, married, in 1807, to Charles Aldrich, Esq., fourth son of John Aldrich, of Stowmarket, in the county of Suffolk, Esq., and died in 1808; 9, Margaret;-10, Louisa-Honoria, married, in 1809, to the Honourable George Cadogan, C.B., Captain R.N., afterwards Lord Oakley, and now Earl Cadogan.

The second daughter and seventh child, ELIZABEthJEMIMA BLAKE, espoused, as stated above, first, George, EARL OF ERROL; and, secondly, the Right Honourable JOHN-HOOKHAM FRERE,

THE GARLAND OF MUSICIANS.

BY H. F. CHORLEY.

NO. II. JOSEPH HAYDN,

Born at Rohrau, in March, 1732. Died at Vienna, May 31st, 1810.

I.

A SECOND gem in Music's starry crown,

But not a less-what shall we call like thee,
Strong-cheerful-daring master?-Wilt thou be

A torch, whose flame, by passing winds unblown,
Sheds its broad beam through treasure-caves unknown?
Or the trim ship, wherein an ardent band
Seek, o'er the sea, some rich unrifled land?—

Or shall we, Haydn, more fantastic grown,
Liken thy spirit in her mighty mood,

And when she shows her keen and subtle skill,
Or with her sportive lightness deigns to charm,
To sturdy iron,-first, an engine rude,

Next, glistening in a blade of tempered steel,
Last, wrought to fairy chains for Beauty's polished arm?

11.

Wast thou admitted, in some blissful dream,

To Eden's happy garden ?-didst behold

Their plenteous orchards dropping fruits of gold,

And on the sky, at evening, mark the gleam

Of bright-robed angel armies,-while a stream

• In characterising Haydn as one who did much to enlarge the sphere of musical resources, I have the authority of all his biographers. "Haydn," says one of them, "entered upon his proper career, presenting himself in the lists as the composer of six trios. The singularity of the style, and the novelty of this description of music, gave these pieces an immediate celebrity; but the grave German musicians warmly attacked the dangerous innovations in them."

Of music fell from their ascending wings;

And caught'st thou this to tell the wondrous things

Of earth, created by a hand supreme?

Or didst thou hear, in dark remorseful mood,
The awful thrilling tones of Seraphs' woe,

When round the Cross †, upon the mount they stood,
And saw the blest Redeemer's life-blood flow?

O wond'rous change !—from earth, in beauty born,
To earth's expiring Lord 'mid agony and scorn!

III.

A blessed lot was thine-although the wheel

Of young life's chariot ran on rugged ways
Of unremitting toil, and scanty praise,

And homemade dark with strife-yet didst thou feel
One sovereign balm thy spirit's bruises heal,

In thy loved art. Thou didst not die unknown,
While fame was like a flower as yet unblown ;
Nor from a changed capricious world didst steal,
Stunned by the lauded noise of some new lyre.
To thee, in life's declining years was given,

The sum of many a burning hour's desire,

And while the heavens were with War's tempests riven,
Thou, all untroubled 'mid their thunders deep §,

Shrouded in calm renown, sank peacefully to sleep.

"The Creation" was performed for the first time in the Schwarzenburg palace at Vienna, during the Easter of 1798, at the expense of the Dilettanti Society.

"The Seven last Words," was composed for the use of a religious order at Madrid, and it is said to have been Haydn's own favourite work.

Haydn was unfortunate in his married life, as well as poor during his youth.

§ The French having reached Schönbrunn on the 10th of May, 1810, fired the next morning 1500 cannon shot at the ramparts of Vienna. They were

only a hundred yards from Haydn's house.

Four bombs fell close to it. It

is said that upon his servants bringing him the news, he rose from his arm chair to which he was confined, and with a dignified air said, "Know that where Haydn is, no evil can happen."