(_For the Mirror_.)
A rare and beautiful relic of the olden time was lately presented to the
museum of the Northern Institution, by William Mackintosh, Esq. of
Milbank--an ancient virginal, which was in use among our ancestors prior
to the invention of the spinnet and harpsichord. Mary, Queen of Scots,
who delighted in music, in her moments of "joyeusitie" as John Knox
phrases it, used to play finely on the virginal; and her more fortunate
rival, Queen Elizabeth, was so exquisite a performer on the same
instrument, that Melville says, on hearing her once play in her chamber,
he was irresistibly drawn into the room. The virginal now deposited in
the museum formerly belonged to a noble family in Inverness, and is
considered to be the only one remaining in Scotland. It is made of oak,
inlaid with cedar, and richly ornamented with gold. The cover and sides
are beautifully painted with figures of birds, flowers, and leaves, the
colours of which are still comparatively fresh and undecayed. On one part
of the lid is a grand procession of warriors, whom a bevy of fair dames
are propitiating by presents or offerings of wine and fruits. Altogether,
the virginal may be regarded as a fine specimen of art, and is doubly
interesting as a memorial of times long gone by.