ring of the feelings of others. Every circle was charmed by her
presence; by her condescension she inspired the diffident; and she
banished dulness by the brilliancy of her humour. Her countenance, it
should be added, wore a pleasant and animated expression, and her
figure was modelled with the utmost elegance of symmetry and grace. Her
sister, Lady Margaret Fordyce, was eminently beautiful.

The popularity obtained by the ballad of "Auld Robin Gray" has seldom
been exceeded in the history of any other metrical composition. It was
sung in every fashionable circle, as well as by the ballad-singers, from
Land's-end to John o' Groat's; was printed in every collection of
national songs, and drew tears from our military countrymen both in
America and India. With the exception of Pinkerton, every writer on
Scottish poetry and song has awarded it a tribute of commendation. "The
elegant and accomplished authoress," says Ritson, "has, in this
beautiful production, to all that tenderness and simplicity for which
the Scottish song has been so much celebrated, united a delicacy of
expression which it never before attained." "'Auld Robin Gray,'" says
Sir Walter Scott, "is that real pastoral which is worth all the
dialogues which Corydon and Phillis have had together, from the days of
Theocritus downwards."

During a long lifetime, till within two years of her death, Lady Anne
Barnard resisted every temptation to declare herself the author of the
popular ballad, thus evincing her determination not to have the secret
wrested from her till she chose to divulge it. Some of those inducements
may be enumerated. The extreme popularity of the ballad might have
proved sufficient in itself to justify the disclosure; but, apart from
this consideration, a very fine tune had been put to it by a doctor of
music;[9] a romance had been founded upon it by a man of eminence; it
was made the subject of a play, of an opera, and of a pantomime; it had
been claimed by others; a sequel had been written to it by some
scribbler, who professed to have composed the whole ballad; it had been
assigned an antiquity far beyond the author's time; the Society of
Antiquaries had made it the subject of investigation; and the author had
been advertised for in the public prints, a reward being offered for the
discovery. Never before had such general interest been exhibited
respecting any composition in Scottish verse.

In the "Pirate," published in 1823, the author o