a musical instrument, of the wind kind, chiefly used in Scotland and Ireland. The peculiarity of the bag-pipe, and from which it takes its name, is, that the air which blows it is collected into a leathern bag, from whence it is pressed out by the arm into the pipes. These pipes consist of a bass, and tenor or rather treble; and are different according to the species of the pipe. The bass part is called the drones, and the tenor or treble part the chanter. In all the species, the bass never varies from its uniform note, and therefore very deservedly gets the name of drone; and the compass of the chanter is likewise very limited. There is a considerable difference between the Highland and Lowland bag-pipe of Scotland; the former being blown with the mouth, and the latter with a small bellows; though this difference is not essential, every species of bag-pipe being capable, by a proper construction of the reeds, of producing music either with the mouth or bellows. The following are the species of bag-pipes most commonly known in this country.

1. The Irish Pipe. This is the softest, and in some respects the most melodious of any, so that music-books have been published with directions how to play on it. The chanter, like that of all the rest, has eight holes like the English flute, and is played on by opening and shutting the holes as occasion requires; the bass consists of two short drones, and a long one. The lowest note of the chanter is D on the German flute, being the open note on the counter string of a violin; the small drone (one of them commonly being stopped up) is tuned in unison with the note above this, and the large one to an octave below, so that a great length is required in order to produce such a low note, on which account the drone hath sometimes two or three turns. The instrument is tuned by lengthening or shortening the drone till it finds the note desired.

2. The Highland Bag-Pipe. This consists of a chanter and two short drones, which found in unison the lowest note of the chanter except one. This is exceedingly loud, and almost deafening if played in a room; and is therefore mostly used in the fields, for marches, &c. It requires a prodigious blast to sound it; so that those unaccustomed to it cannot imagine how Highland pipers can continue to play for hours together, as they are often known to do. For the same reason, those who use the instrument are obliged either to stand on their feet, or walk, when they play. This instrument hath but nine notes; its scale, however, hath not yet been reduced to a regular standard by comparing it with that of other instruments, so that we can say nothing about its compass.

3. The Scots Lowland Pipe. This is likewise a very loud instrument, though less so than the former. It is blown with bellows, and hath a bass like the Irish pipe. This species is different from all the rest; as it cannot play the natural notes, but hath F and C sharp. The lowest note of a good bag-pipe of this kind is unison with C sharp on the tenor of a violin tuned concert-pitch; and as it hath but nine notes, the highest is D in alt. From this peculiar construction, the Highland and Lowland bag-pipes play two species of music essentially different from one another, as each of them also is from every other species of music in the world. Hence these two species of bag-pipes deserve notice as curiosities; for the music which they play is accompanied with such peculiar ornaments, or what are intended as such, as neither violin, nor even organ, can imitate, but in a very imperfect manner.

4. The Small Pipe. This is remarkable for its smallness, the chanter not exceeding eight inches in length; for which reason, the holes are so near each other, that it is with difficulty they can be closed. This hath only eight notes, the lower end of the chanter being commonly stopped. The reason of this is, to prevent the flurring of all the notes, which is unavoidable in the other species, so that in the hands of a bad player they become the most shocking and unintelligible instruments imaginable; but this, by having the lower hole closed, and also by the peculiar way in which the notes are expressed, plays all its tunes in the way called by the Italians staccato, and cannot flurr at all. It hath no species of of music peculiar to itself; and can play nothing which cannot be much better done upon other instruments; though it is surprising what volubility some performers on this instrument will display, and how much they will overcome the natural disadvantages of it. Some of this species, instead of having drones like the others, have their bass parts consisting of a winding cavity in a kind of short case, and are tuned by opening these to a certain degree by means of sliding covers; from which contrivance they are called shuttle-pipes.—Besides these, there are a variety of others, called Italian, German, Organ, &c. bag-pipes, which have nothing different in their construction from those above described, nor any good quality to recommend them.

As to the origin of bagpipe music, some are of opinion, that it is to be derived from the Danes; but Mr Pennant thinks differently, and gives the following reasons for deriving it from Italy.

Neither of these instruments (the Highland and Lowland bag-pipes above described) were the invention of the Danes, or, as is commonly supposed, of any of the northern nations; for their ancient writers prove them to have been animated by the clangor tubarum. Notwithstanding they have had their fock-pipe long amongst them, as their old songs prove, yet we cannot allow them the honour of inventing this melodious instrument; but must assert, that they borrowed it from the invaded Caledonians. We must still go farther, and deprive even that ancient race of the credit; and derive its origin from the mild climate of Italy, perhaps from Greece.

There is now in Rome a most beautiful bas relievo, a Grecian sculpture of the highest antiquity, of a bagpiper playing on his instrument, exactly like a modern highlander. The Greeks had their Arxaios, or instrument composed of a pipe and blown-up skin: the Romans in all probability borrowed it from them, and introduced it among their swains, who still use it under the names of pira and cornu-musa.

That matter of music, Nero, used one; and had not the empire been so suddenly deprived of that great artist, he would (as he graciously declared his intention) have treated the people with a concert; and, among other curious instruments, would have introduced the utricularius or bag-pipe. Nero perished; but the figure of the instrument is preserved on one of his coins, but highly improved by that great master: it has the bag, and two of the vulgar pipes; but was blown with a bellows, like an organ; and had on one side a row of nine unequal pipes, resembling the syrinx of the god Pan. The bag-pipe, in the unimproved state, is also represented in an ancient sculpture; and appears to have had two long pipes or drones, and a single short pipe for the fingers. Tradition says, that the kind played on by the mouth was introduced by the Danes: as theirs was wind-music, we will admit that they might have made improvement; but more we cannot allow: they were skilled in the use of the trumpet; the highlanders in the pipe, or bag-pipe.

Formerly there were in the Isle of Skye a kind of colleges where the Highland bag-pipe was taught; the teachers making use of pins stuck in the ground, instead of marks for musical notes. One of these colleges, George Mackie, the reformer of the Lowland bag-pipe, is said to have attended seven years. He had before been the best performer on that instrument in that part of the country where he lived; but, while attending the college at Skye, he adapted the graces of the Highland music to the Lowland pipe. Upon his return, he was heard with astonishment and admiration; but unluckily, not being able to commit his improvements to writing, and indeed the nature of the instrument scarce admitting of it, the knowledge of this kind of music hath continued to decay ever since, and will probably soon wear out altogether. What contributes much to this is, that bag-pipers, not content with the natural nine notes which their instrument can play easily, force it to play tunes requiring higher notes, which disorders the whole instrument in such a manner as to produce the most horrid discords; and this practice brings, though undeservedly, the instrument itself into contempt.