PAGANINIANA.

and 1817. He lived then, in a wild, eccentric artist fashion, in an attic, in a gloomy

It will not be uninteresting to give house, in one of the most gloomy streets of an account of the posthumous adventures of Genoa, constituting the delight of his fellow Paganini, the particulars of which were eitizens, and bearing a name already celegathered, during a recent visit to Nice, from brated throughout the land of music and the lips of one of the famous violinist's prin- song. He was poor and lived a reckless, cipal friends. We propose to give in the passionate life; love and the dice-box dispresent paper a few anecdotes of his early puting his time and heart with the goddess life, which were gathered at the same time of music. He was not then so chary of the from the same source, and have never exercise of his brilliant talents as he became hitherto we believe found their way into afterwards, but was always ready to make print. They are not numerous, but they are use of any opportunity for their display, characteristic; and what is perhaps more to vastly to the delight of his fellow-townsmen. our present purpose, are intrinsically inte- He played at every public concert and priresting. vate party, and often, according to the old The genius of the eccentric artist, like Italian custom, in the streets. His closest that of many another man of mark, made a friend and companion was one Paliari Lea, revelation of itself early. Whilst quite a a musician of great merit then residing in child, he was sent to be taught to play upon the same city, but born at Nice. Paganini his favourite instrument to Rolla, a violinst, estimated his talents very highly, and highly reputed throughout Italy. But by never liked to have any other accomthe time he had received a few elementary panyist. Often did the two friends ramble, instructions, the progress he had made was in the night-time, through the narrow streets so extraordinary, that Rolla refused to give and lanes of the old city, the one "discourshim any more lessons, saying that he was ing most eloquent music," on his violin, already a better musician than his master. and the other accompanying him deliciously The tales which have become so univer- on the guitar, or violoncello. In this way sally current respecting his reasons for they would patrol the midnight streets, learning to play upon one string only, have improvising ravishing duets under the winabsolutely no foundation in fact. He never dows of fair marchionesses, and waking the shed a drop of human blood, or spent an good citizens from their dreams to make hour in a prison, in his life; nor did he them sensible of realities still more charmever engage in clandestine commerce with ing. From time to time, when become too the powers of darkness, being all through worn through incessant walking and playing, life too good a Catholic. It was no contract they would enter the first still open tavern entered into with Mephistophiles, that was they met with, and there refresh themselves the cause of his ostracising the three first after the manner of the artist contemporaries strings of his instrument. It was his fever-of Benvenuto Cellini. One evening, a ish desire to accomplish marvels, his restless wealthy signor prayed them to serenade a longing after extraordinary novelties. Nor lady. At the time agreed upon, they did he play from the first upon only the repaired to the appointed spot, accompanied by fourth string, as reported. In the first in- a Neapolitan violoncellist, Zepherino. Before stance he played upon the violin as you or I drawing his first bow, Paganini was observed would; with the single exception that he by his companions to place in his right played upon it better,-thanks to the posses- hand an open knife. "What could he mean sion of what is denominated genius. by this?" they asked, but obtained no

When he made his first appearance in answer. All at once, in the midst of a London and Paris, he was already tainted brilliant prelude, a string of his violin was with the malady which eventually ended his heard to break and by the tone of the report The period of his greatest brillancy it could be told that it was the first string.was comprised within the years 1815, 1816, Paganini said something about the damp

life.

ness of the night air, but instead of stop- incarnated his passion, it was as though ping to replace the broken string, went on music had been made statuary !" playing so ably upon the other three, that This was in reality the occasion upon no listener could have perceived its loss. In which Paganini first played only on one the course of a few minutes the second string string. Of course, it was the knife that cut broke also, and the third, a moment after-the other three. Its use was an artifice terwards, followed its example. Paganini dictated by his vanity, with the purpose of repeated his allusion to the dampness of the leading to the supposition that the feat which night air, but that was certainly insufficient it preluded was unpremeditated. to account for the phenomenon. The gallant He now renounced forever all but the who, for the nonce, was the employer of the fourth string of his instrument, and to the three artists, trembled for the end of his se- novelty of playing upon it only he shortly renade. And even Lea and Zepherino looked added many others. Not content with astonished, and afraid that their idol would imitating upon it the tones of all musical for once get into disgrace. But their aston-instruments, he imitated also the notes ishment was fated to last longer than their of all kinds of birds, and the cries fears. A moment sufficed to dissipate the of all almost every animal: and on one oclatter, but the former doubled itself at every casion, at the close of a concert, he said, note Paganini produced, with such wond-"Good night!" on it so plainly, that the rous skill did he continue playing upon the whole audience understood him, and replied, only string remaing to his instrument.

He

-"Buona Sera!"

made it serve all purposes of the other three, His idea of his own importance was greater as well as those legitimately its own; he than is usual even with artists, and sometimes imitated with it the tones of every kind of led him to commit rather ludicrous actions. musical instrument, from the solemn surges Before he had been three weeks in Paris, he of the organ and the shrill blast of the became persuaded that some fellow musicians trumpet, to the light twang of the guitar, intended to assassinate him out of jealousy, and and the melodious tinkling of a lady's lute;would have not stayed there another hour and he drew from it such a flood of delicious but for the prospect he had of thereby adding melody as even he, the prince of violinsts, so much to his fortune,—already large. had never drawn from violin before. The Even in this country he also had his fears, consciousness that he was achieving a mar--so impossible was it for him to believe vellous triumph, that he was doing that that he was not the envy of all the world,— which was a new thing under the sun, filled and the strength of them and his courage him with an enthusiasm which knew no may be judged from the following story :-bounds, and under the influence of which One evening, during the "interval of ten he became like one inspired. And a minutes" allowed between the first and veritable inspiration it must have been, too, second parts of a brilliant concert, a worthy that possessed him; for if the accounts of London citizen got up and asked the those who alone heard it can be credited, audience, very indignantly, if they thought there is nothing in the written works of the there could be found no better use for their greatest composers superior to the serenade money,-admission to the concert was a thus wondrously played and improvised. guinea for each person,-than that of spend"Listening to it," said Zepherino to using it upon a "paltry fiddler," whilst so "you could have believed in the fable of old many thousands of their humbler brethren Orpheus fascinated and spell-bound, you were wanting bread, together with several could have haunted the spot for ever! Now other questions of a somewhat similar nature. gentle as a maiden's whispers, now impetu- Scarcely was the first sentence of the indig ous as the rush of a torrent; now solemn nant orator's speech concluded, ere as a funeral march, now lively as a bridal Paganini, seized with the utmost terror, and strain: it expressed all the sentiments fully imagining that a crowd of assassins which alternately sway the soul of a lover, it were at his heels, had darted out of the

hall and was on his way to Manchester! most to his knees; breeches of white satin, On another occasion, whilst staying at Liver- as much too small for him as his waistcoat pool, he had imagined that he had discovered was too large; a pair of white silk stockings, a conspiracy against his life, whereupon he three times too wide and loose for him, and at once disguised himself as a countryman, appearing even wider and looser than they and fled from twenty to thirty miles on really were, by contrast with the straight foot! breeches just above them; and a pair of exChancing to be in that capital on the day ceedingly heavy leather boots, so thick and that the Grand Duchess Maria Louisa, clumsy, as to contrast strikingly with the widow of Napoleon gave a fête, he wrote to delicate texture of the silk stockings. At the Grand Chamberlain, offering his services the sight of so ridiculous a costume, the for the concert announced for the evening of laugh was general; nor was it at all dethe same day. But hardly had he despatched creased when it was perceived that the his letter, ere a sudden whim caused him to wearer had ornamented his breast with declare that he would not play, but that he decorations bestowed on him by members of would instead take a ramble in the environs royal familes, to the number of no less than of the city. The Chamberlain summoned several scores. Amongst them were crosses, him into his presence, and demanded an ex- emblems of all forms and all dimensions, planation, telling him that an engagement stars, rings, pins, buckles, clasps, birds, entered into with a prince should certainly beasts, fishes, insects, swords, anchors, be as binding as one entered into with a violins, harps, flutes, and a vast multitude private individual. The maestro insisted, of other things, all in either gold, sil however, upon an instant departure, pre- ver or precious stones, and all jingling tending that no end of urgent business and tinkling together on the slightest required his immediate presence at Milan. movement of the wearer. No gravity There was nothing for it, therefore, but a could withstand a sight like this, so no recourse to threats,-argument which never wonder that the brilliant audience almost failed to produce their effect on Paganini. convulsed itself with laughter. Its mirth, The Chamberlain's cause was gained by however, grew less violent by degrees. them; the artist agreed to play. Order was restored at last, and Paganini bePrecisely at the moment appointed the gan to play. As usual he enchanted his concert commenced, and the time shortly listeners. He moved them alternately to arrived for the appearance of Paganini. In smiles and tears; he played with their the Court of the Grand Duchess, if any two emotions as with the strings of a great harp; sins were considered greater than any he roused every sentiment their souls held others, they were want of punctuality and by turns; swayed their passions as the want of strict attention to the niceties of winds sway the boughs of the forest; and Court costume. In the present instance, a made them manifest at his pleasure whichparticular dress had been appointed for all ever he would. Kings and queens, princes who attended the concert, and every one and princesses, lords and ladies, all listened knew that they could not more deeply offend spell-bound. At last their enthusiasm the Grand Duchess than by wearing one became impossible of restraint: they waved which differed from it in even the minutest their handkerchiefs and clapped their hands, particulars. Paganini kept the illustrious and filled the magnificent hall with tuaudience waiting more than a quarter of an multuous plaudits. Ladies pulled off their hour, and then presumed to appear before rings, and threw them at the feet of the it in a costume as widely different as the matchless artist; dukes and princes hailed poles are far asunder. It consisted of a sky him with enthusiastic vivas. The Grand blue blouse, ornamented (?) with large steel Duchess had meditated a punishment for his buttons, and, like all the rest of his garments, studied contempt of the laws of Court etievidently borrowed from an old clothes'quette. But now it could not be any longer shop near at hand; a waistcoat of flowered thought of. Who could punish a man who velvet, so immoderately long as to reach al-'could triumph thus?

THE CAVE OF EIGG-A LEGEND OF certainly far superior to their savage neigh

THE HEBRIDES.

BY MRS. CAROLINE H. BUTLER.

"A tale of the times of old! The deeds of days of other years." OSSIAN.

PART I.

bours of Eigg, Mull, Rum, etc.

The isle of Skye, one of the richest and most romantic of the Hebrides, was ruled at that time by the proud chieftain Alaster McLeod, who, in his sea-girt castle of Dunvegan, towering from the topmost crag of a

EIGG, forming one of the Hebrides on the precipitous mass of rocks which overhung western coast of Scotland, presents a rocky the boiling sea, bid defiance alike to the power precipitous shore, seeming in some places to of his foes and the fury of the elements. be inaccessible, except to the clanging sea- Between McLeod and Donald McDonald, fowl, screaming and clambering around the the chieftain of Eigg, the most inveterate almost perpendicular sheets of naked rock, hatred existed. With McDonald this hatred against which the sea rushes and roars with raged with all the fury of the ocean tempest, terrific grandeur. There are also many vast and was as immoveable and deep-seated as caverns opening wide their gloomy jaws as the rocks which girded his dominions. Many if to swallow up the heavy unbroken seas as times had the vengeance of the chief of Skye they come sweeping on, and huge fragments worked dreadful havoc upon the followers of granite, bathed by the booming waves, of McDonald for their aggressions; but so are heaped around in wild sublimity. far from subduing, it only roused a new

The chief of Eigg had one daughter. Fair

This island, in feudal time, was the scene spirit of malice, venting itself in various of a most fearful tragedy-of a vengeance wicked deeds upon the inhabitants of Skye, almost too horrible to be accredited to human though sure of a direful return from the outagency. It is perhaps a melancholy proof raged chieftain. that, when goaded on by revenge and hatred, men sometimes lose their humanity and and beautiful was Ulla as the flower we become demons. The precise date of this sometimes see lifting its timid head within event has not come down to us, although it the deep fissures of the rocks, exciting our is supposed to have occurred as early as the thirteenth century, when these islands were under the dominion of the kings of Scotland and governed each by their own petty chieftains.

wonder how so frail a thing could there unfold its delicate petals. In an evil hour this fair maiden of Eigg won the love of Malcolm, the only son of the haughty chieftian McLeod.

The inhabitants of Eigg were a wild, lawCradled like a young eaglet in his rocky less race, consorting with hordes of pirates eyrie, the ceaseless dirge of the ocean his infesting the neighbouring countries; and lullaby, and his sweetest music the wild although the narrow sounds which separate clamour of the sea-gulls sweeping around the these rocky isles abounded with the finest towers upon the wings of the tempest, Malsalmon, and some sections in the interior colm sprang from his nurse's arms a hero.presented rich tracts for cultivation, yet Danger was to him a pastime. Among all these rude men, preferring rapine to peaceful the daring sons of the isle none could equal industry, subsisted by petty depredations Malcolm. He loved to scale the giddy crag, upon their neighbours of the adjacent isles. wreathed in the spray of the wind-tossed True, many of these neighbours were no less billows, in search of the sea-mew's nest; to rapacious than the men of Eigg, and fully steer his fearless bark through perilous indemnified themselves for any grievances straits with the foam of the breakers surging suffered at their hands. But there were around him, and to launch within the dark others whose chiefs, themselves of a more cavern's mouth upon the blackening waves, noble race, maintained a higher standard of on whose surface perhaps no other boat had government, and however barbarous and dared to bend the pliant oar. rude their highest attainments might appear

The isle of Eigg presented a bolder scope to us of the nineteenth century, they were for his adventurous spirit than almost any

VOL. V-BB

other of these western islands; and heedless opened the view into various holms, some of of the feud existing between his father and a deep green verdure, others covered with its chief, and as reckless of danger from the purple heather, here and there diversified pirates or revengeful islanders, Malcolm, by small copses of underwood. Through one manning his light craft with a few of his of these inviting openings Malcolm pursued faithful clansmen, would boldly steer along his way, when suddenly his ear caught the the inhospitable coast, where

"All is rocks at random thrown,

Black waves, bare crags, and banks of stone."

sound of music, mingled with the cheerful and happy laughter of female voices. Here then, was something to arouse the curiosity

Sometimes anchoring beneath a frowning of our young adventurer-music and the precipice, he would spring upon some jutting voice of woman.

crag, and leaping from rock to rock and

Pursuing the sound, he soon came in view

over deep chasms, plant his foot at length of a party of young girls dancing on the soft upon the stunted heather.

heather to the music of a small clairshach or It was upon one of these hazardous expe- Scottish harp, lightly touched by another of ditions that Malcolm, steering his boat within these mirthful maidens. Malcolm was not a narrow inlet or loch which suddenly pre- one to turn away without reaping some adsented itself, found he had unawares ap- vantage from a scene at once so charming proached that part of Eigg which might be and so unexpected; therefore lifting his bonconsidered the only habitable section of the net from his dark clustering locks, the young island on the eastern slope of the Scuir-Eigg, chieftain with a smile in his eye, and a a remarkable ridge of high rocks, like a merry but courteous salutation on his lip, camel's back, running through the centre of gracefully advanced towards the mirthful the island. The rocks here became less pre- circle. The music ceased as the song of a cipitous, shelving gradually down to a beach frightened bird. Like startled fawns, the of fine white glittering sand, and down their timid lasses gazed for a moment upon the craggy sides beautiful cascades came leaping youthful stranger, and then, turning, would and tumbling in snowy forms to lose them- have swiftly fled the spot. But the gallant selves in the waters of the loch. A few of Malcolm was not to be so defeated. What the rude boats of the islanders were moored arguments he made use of to detain them it at a little distance along the shore, and fur- matters not, since they were irresistible.ther in their miserable dwellings were seen The maidens paused, blushed, laughed, and scattered over the bright green holms, while then suffered themselves to be seated upon propped as it were upon the camel's shoul- the soft heather, where, at the feet of Ulla der stood a rude stone structure called the McDonald, and gazing up into her deep blue Castle of Duntulm, the residence of the chief eyes, Malcolm related how, landing from his Donald McDonald. No living soul was to little galley, he had wandered from the be seen; the boats were idly rocking in the shore, and guided by the ravishing meledy surf, and but for the thin blue smoke curling of their voices, bent his fortunate steps from these cabins, one might have deemed thither. the island deserted.

The chief of Eigg with his followers, proMalcolm now resolved to land and view the bably less than a hundred men, as the entire strength of an enemy who, however inferior population of the island did not at that time to the proud chieftain of Skye, still had the exceed two hundred souls, left that morning power to annoy him as a guat may harass on one of their predatory or piratical expedi the lordly lion. Springing to the shore, tions, which were often extended along the herefore, and clearing with little difficulty coast of England and Wales, leaving, meanthe loose fragments of rock scattered upon while, upon the island a few old men, the the beach, he soon found himself within a women and children, as its sole inhabitants. little glen of surpassing beauty, through McDonald was a hard, stern man, one which a bright stream ran murmuring. The who delighted not in innocent sports or rocks gradually receding from the shore, pastimes. These midnight orgies, when the