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Returning now to the invention and origin of modern inftruments, I fay, that (on account of the agree. ment of the name, of the form, and of the number, difpofition and matter of the ftrings, although its profeffors in Italy fay, that they have invented it ;) from the Harp, most probably the Harpfichord had its origin, which inftrument is nothing but a horizontal Harp; and, from it, may be derived the key inftruments of touch 1."

We have likewise another proof that the Italians had not the Harp; Dionyfius of Halicarnaffeus, (a writer in the reign of Auguftus,) fpeaking of Evander and Carmenta, fays, that, among other inventions, they introduced into Italy the ufe of the Lyre, the Trigon, and the Lydian Pipes, when, before, paftoral Reeds formed the only mufical inftruments 2.

The most ancient Irish Harp now remaining is that which is faid to have belonged to Brian Boiromh, king of Ireland, who was flain in battle with the Danes at Clontarf, near Dublin, A. D. 1014. His fon Donagh, having murdered his brother Teige, in the year 1023, and being depofed by his nephew, retired to Rome, and carried with him the crown, Harp, and other regalia of his father, which he prefented to the Pope, in order to obtain abfolution. Adrian the IVth, furnamed Breakfpear, alledged this circumstance as one of the principal titles he claimed to this kingdom, in his bull transferring it to Henry II. These regalia were deposited in the Vatican, till the Pope fent the Harp to Henry VIII. with the title of Defender of the Faith; but kept the crown, which was of maffive gold. Henry gave the Harp to the first earl of Clanricard, in whose family it remained till the beginning of this century; when it came by a lady of the De Burgh family into that of Mac Mahon, of Clenagh, in the county of Clare, after whofe death it paffed into the poffeffion of commiffioner Mac Namara, of Limerick. In 1782 it was prefented to the right honourable William Conyngham, who depofited it in Trinity College Library, Dublin; where it ftill remains. This Harp had only one row of ftrings, is 32 inches high, and of extraordinary good workmanfhip; the found-board is of oak, the pillar and comb, of red fallow; the extremity of the uppermost bar, or comb, in part is capt with filver, extremely well wrought and chiffeled. It contains a large crystal fet in filver, and under it was another tone, now loft. The buttons, or ornamental knobs, at the fides of the bar, are of filver. On the front of the pillar are the arms, chafed in filver, of the O'Brien family; i.e. the bloody hand, fupported by lions. On the fides of the pillar, within two circles, are two Irifh wolf-dogs carved in the wood. The ftring-holes of the found-board are neatly ornamented with efcutcheons of brafs, carved and gilt; the founding-holes have been ornamented, probably with filver, as they have been the object of theft. This Harp has 28 ftring-fcrews, and the fame number of ftring-holes to answer them, confequently there were 28 ftrings 3. The bottom, where it refts upon, is a little broken, and the wood very rotten. The whole bears evidence of an expert artist 4.

I Galileo, p. 143, &c. Kircher likewife imagines that the Harp first furnished the idea of a Harpsichord.

2 Dionyfius, Lib. I. p. 26, edit. 1586.-Dion. Hal. Lib. II. Carmenta was a prophetets, and mother of Evander: fhe left Arcadia, and came into Italy, with her fon, about A. M. 2750. Polybius, Lib. IV. fpeaks at large concerning the delight of the Arcadians in Mufic: for he fays, "That fcience is uteful to all men, but even neceflary to the Arcadians, who are accustomed to great hardships. For, as their country is rough, their feafons inclement, and their paftoral way of life hard, they have this only way of rendering nature mild and tractable; therefore they train up their children, from their very infancy, till they are 30 years of age, in finging hymns in honour of Gods and Heroes. It is no difgrace among them to be unacquainted with other fciences, but to be ignorant of Mufic is a great reproach. From thefe manners of the Arcadians arofe the fiction of the Poets, that Pan, the god of the Arcadians, invented the pipe, and was in love with the nymph Echo. For, Arcadia, being mountainous and full of woods, abounds with echoes; whence not only the inhabitants of that country, but alfo the mountains, woods, and trees, are faid to fing." See the VIIIth Eclogue of Virgil, and the Xih, 25.

We learn from Tamblichus, that the found of the fmith's hammers taught Pythagoras to invent the Monochord, an inftrument for measuring the quantities and proportions of founds geometrically. This philofopher, obferving that the diverfity of found

was owing to the fize of the hammers, fufpended four equal ftrings, fuftaining weights of twelve, nine, eight, and fix pounds; then, itriking alternately the firings which fuftained the twelve and fix pounds, he found that the diapafon or octave was formed by the proportion of two to one. The twelve and eight pound weighs taught him, that the diapente, or fifth, was in the proportion of three to two; and the twelve and nine pounds, that the diate faron, or fourth, was as four to three. I muft refer the curious reader, for farther fatisfaction, to the twenty-fixth chapter of Iamblichus, de Vita Pithagorae.

3 The Harp of Mr. Jonathan Hehir, of Limerick, which was made by John Kelly, in the year 1726, contains thirty-three ftrings, is five-feet high, and feems to be made of red fallow. It does not appear that the Irish Harp had any more than one row of ftrings, until Robert Nugent, a Jefuit, introduced_the Harp with a double row of ftrings, in the 15th century. Grat. Lucius, p. 37. Though it is more probable that the Irish had it from the Welth; becaufe, the Bard, Davydd Berwyn, who flourished about the year 1589, mentions his Harp having 29 ftrings, or more; which probably were in two rows.-And Merfenne's Treatife on Mufic, published in the year 1632, describes a Harp with three rows of ftrings; and I never heard of any country's having a triple Harp but the Welth.

4 Collectanea de rebus Hibernicis, Number 13. Encyclopædia Britannica; printed at Edinburgh, 4to. Vol. Viil, Part 1.

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How the Harp originally came to be the armorial enfign of Ireland is a matter which has often been a subject of investigation among the curious. According to Tindal's Hiftory, all the ancient pennies that have the head in a triangle were Irish coins, which triangle is fuppofed to represent the Irish Harp. Others think the triangle alludes to the Trinity. King John, and his two next fucceffors, were the earliest monarchs who used the triangle conftantly on their money. From this triangle, perhaps, proceeded the arms of Ireland. There is a groat of king Henry the VIIIth, which has on one fide of it the arms of England, on the reverse a Harp crowned, and Franc. Dominus Hiber. which is the first time that the Harp appears diftinctly represented on the coins. It was ftruck about the year 15303.

According to a paper which was delivered to the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, the following account is given of the arms of Leinfter: "In the fuite of the first Milefian princes were a celebrated Bard and a Harper, both in great favour; on the partition of the country, Heber wanted to retain both; this was oppofed by his brother Heremon, equal in power: to avoid difputes the choice was to be determined by lot, which fell to Heber, who chose the mufician; and, as this conteft happened in Leinster, to commemorate the event, as well as their love of mufic, the Harp was affumed as the provincial arms." See farther in the preceding page.

There is a coin which feems to have relation to Ireland, where a crowned king is, or David playing on the Harp, over which is the crown of England and Floreat Rex; on the reverfe, a mitred Bishop (or St. Patrick, the Briton, who reformed the Irish,) holding a double cross, and standing between a church and a ferpent, which he feems to drive away. There is another of St. Patrick preaching to the people, with a trefoil in his right-hand.

It appears by Sir William Segar's MSS. in the Heralds Office, London 7, that he was prefent when it was debated before the privy-council, and the commiffioners for executing the office of earl-marfhal, on the acceffion of James the First to the throne of England, what would be the proper mode of quartering the Royal arms; and, it being determined that the Harp for Ireland fhould be in the third quarter; Henry Howard, earl of Northampton, one of the council, who (as Segar fays) fhewed no affection to fuffering the fame, rofe up, and faid, "that the best reafon he could obferve for the bearing was, that it resembled the country, in being fuch an inftrument, that it required more coft to keep it in tune than it was worth." Staniburft's Hiftory of Ireland relates, "that, whilft the Irish were at supper, a Harper ufually attended, who was often blind, and by no means fkilled in mufic, fo that he fometimes offended the accurate ears of a connoiffeur. Yet, by ftriking the ftrings, he uniformly delighted the commonalty with his rude harmony." Again, he says, "there lives in our age (viz. about the year 1584) a man of the name of Crufus, who, according to every one's opinion, is very eminent on the Harp. He very much abhors that confused found which is produced from unftretched ftrings, and are in themselves difcordant. On the other hand, he keeps fuch rules with regard to his measure, and agreement of melody, and obferves fo much concord in his mufic, that he wonderfully delights his auditors, infomuch that they do not hesitate to declare, that he is rather the only than the greatest Harper. Whence it may be deduced, that the Harp has not hitherto been wanting to Muficians, but Musicians to the Harp. The Irish alfo ufe the Bagpipes, which appears amongst them an incentive to warlike valour; for, as other foldiers with the found of Trumpets, fo thefe, with the found of the Pipes, are intpired with ardour for the fight."

1 Tindal's Hiftory of England, Vol. I. p. 281. 2 Ibid. p. 387.

3 Simon's Efay on Irish Coins, 4to. And Ware's Antiquities of Ireland, Vol. II. chap. 32. It feems probable that the Harp was borne in the arms of the Kings of England prior to Henry the VIIIth, becanfe, Cole. viicount Ennifkellen, traces his defcent from Henry the III. &c. (Sir John Cole was created lord Ranelagh, and the prefent defcendant is Charles Jones, viscount Ranelagh:) another reafon that favours this opinion is, they bore a golden Harp with filver ftrings in their coats of arms, which I believe is the only family that has it, except the Royal Family, and the motto is, "Worhip God-Serve the King" I have fome recollection of having fen the Harp in the armorial bearings of Henry the lid, or the IVth, though I cannot be certain, and I only mention this in hopes that fome judicious perfon will take the trouble to investigate farther in ancient and authentic Books of Heraldry. The city of Dorchefter affumes the Harp in its be rings, or arms of England. Likewife, the archbishop-fee of Derry, in Ireland, has the Harp for its enfign.

* A paper written by Mr. O'Halloran, on the arms of Ireland,

which was fent to the prefident of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, in the year 1786.

› Giraldus Cambrenfis's Topography Hiberniæ, Chap. 16: and the notes in p. 13 of this work.

6 Evelyn on Medals, p. 133. And Ware's Antiq. of Ireland, Vol. II. chap. 32.

7 Vol. III. 1132, in Coll. Armor. There is a most perfect Harp on the great-feal of king James the I. who was the happy uniter of three kingdoms under one head, and called it Great-Britain; and the first of our monarchs that quartered the arms of thofe three kingdoms in one fhield, by the addition thereto of the infignia of Scotland and Ireland, to which his motto of Tria in uno Juncta fee th to have refpect, which is alfo ftamped on his coins. Sanford's Genealogical Hiftory, P. 5:6. P.5

Richard Staniburfii, Dublinienfis, de rebus Hibernia Geflis, p. 38, &c. See more in Holinfhed's Hift. Book II. Chap. 8. And in Spenfer's View of the State of Ireland.

9 It does not appear that the Irish had the pipes in Giraldus's time; fee the preceding page 95.

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About the year 1400, the science of mufic had made fuch progrefs in Scotland, that one of its princes, James Stuart, the first of that name, (who was educated while a prifoner in England, at the command of Henry the Fourth,) is represented by the Scotch hiftorians as a prodigy of erudition. He civilized the Scotch nation. Among other accomplishments, he was an admirable mufician, and particularly skilled in playing on the Harp'. John Major mentions, that this Monarch's Cantilena were commonly fung by the Scotch as the most favourite compofition, and that he played better on the Harp than the most skilful Irish, or Highland Harper 2.

"The amusements of the Highlanders by their fire-fides were, the telling of tales, the wildest and most extravagant imaginable: mufic was another: in former times the Harp was the favourite inftrument, covered with leather, and ftrung with wire 3, but at present is quite loft *."

Buchanan, in his Hiftory of Scotland, speaking of the inhabitants of the Hebrides, fays, "Instead of a Trumpet, they ufe the Bag-pipe. They delight very much in mufic, efpecially in Harps of their own fort, fome of which are ftrung with wire, others with inteftines of animals; they play on them either with a plectrum, or with their long nails. Their only ambition feems to be to ornament their Harps with much filver and precious ftones. The poorer fort deck theirs with chryftal inftead of gems. They fing verses not unskilfully compofed, which almost always confift of the praises of their men of valour, nor do their Bards treat of hardly any other fubject ." Munro's Account of the Natives of the Western Islands of Scotland, fays, "They delight in mufic, efpecially in Harps or Clairfe'chau decked with filver, after the manner of the Britons"."

It appears the Bards were formerly in high estimation in Scotland, as well as in Wales and Ireland, and were retained in the family of every great lord. I find there is fome veftige of it ftill remaining, that of Tulli-bardin, in the county of Perth, whence the duke of Athol derives the title of marquis of Tulli-bardin. Likewife, the prefent earl of Eglingtoun informed me, that he has a portion of land amongst his eftate, near Eglingtoun-caftle, in Scotland, called the Harper's land, which ufed to be allotted by his ancestors to the Bard of the family'.

I am informed, that, about the clofe of the laft century, John Glafs and John Macdonald, Bards by profeffion, who refided, and were refpected as fuch, in the houfes of two Highland Chiefs, travelled fifty miles, and met by appointment in Lochaber, to vindicate their own honour, and that of their respective Chiefs, at a public meeting, in a poetic and mufical conteft.

I shall now quote a foreign author, as it tends to elucidate farther information refpecting the Harp, and one who, I should imagine, was no bad judge of fuch matters, both as a theorist and a practitioner. His name is Thom. de Pinedo, who wrote notes upon Stephanus de Urbibus, in the year 1678; where he has inferted a short Differtation on Mufic, in which are thefe words: "I was incited to give an account of mufical intervals, by the learned differtation of Joan. Albert. Bannus, in which he defires fome one will give a new conftitution of mufic, by placing hemitones between all the tones, fo that the art of mufic may be rendered complete, and fit to move the paffions. I will gratify his defire, which I am enabled to do by my skill on the Harp with two rows of ftrings, the queen of all mufical inftruments; in which, on account of the number of its ftrings, viz.. 39, may be feen, as in a glafs, all the mufical intervals; and by whose sweet harmony, arifing from the difcordant agreement of ftrings, ftruck with the fingers instead of a plectrum, I have long not only amufed myself, but have also relieved the mifery attending an undeferved banishment from my native country .".

For a confiderable length of time has the Harp contributed to keep alive the elegant pleasures of feveral polished nations, but more particularly the courts of Britain; and probably this inftrument was afterwards acquired by other nations, when the British tribes fpread themselves over the neighbouring ifles and countries,

1 Lefley, de Reb. Geft. Scot. Lib. VII, pp. 257, 266, 267. Edit. 1675, 4to.

Major, Geft. Scot. Lib. VI. cap. 14. fol. 135. Ed. 1521, 4to. 3 Strings of gold, or of filver wire in Harps, or Harpfichords, I think would yield a found almost twice as trong as thofe of brafs, and thofe of fteel; the latter produces a feebler found than thofe of brafs, as being both leis heavy and lefs ductile than gold.

Major. And Pennant's Tour in Scotland, p. 167; 8vo. edit. It will be neceffary to obferve here, that the Scotch have no fuch a thing as an Ancient and Authentic Manufcript, like what the Irish, or the Welsh have. Thoie, who with for a farther proof, I refer to Dr. Johnfon, Mr Pinkerton, and others,

5 Buchanan's Hiftory of Scotland, Book I. (Written about the year 1565.)

• Munro's Hiftory. And Lewis's Ancient Hiftory of Great-Britain, P. 234, fol.

7 Alfo, Gilbert le Harpour held lands in Chesterton, Warwick, fhire, of the king, by grand fergeantry,-Blount's Tenures, by Beckwith, p. 152.

The furname of Harper, without doubt, first originated from that profeffion. A Harp was formerly borne by the name of Harpham, and was confirmed to Robert Harpham, of Marfleet, in the county of York, by William Ryley, Efq. Norroy at Arms, about A. D. 1657. Guilim's Heraldry, fixth edition, p. 295.

Stephanus de Urbibus; Artic. Timoth. And Benjamin Stil lingfleet's Principles and Power of Harmony, Chap. V.

To confirm what I have faid before, that the Harp was the most noble and favourite inftrument of the Cymry, or Ancient Britons and Gauls, I will cite fome documents, which tend to elucidate its progreffive improvements, from the works of the old Bards, and from the best English and other writers; nor could authors express their opinions of it frongly enough, but by inculcating that it was used in Heaven. In the book of Revelation of St. John, it is called "the Harp of God."-" And I heard the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps: And they fang as it were a new fong before the throne 2.".

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"Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, fing praise upon the Harp unto our God."-Pfalm 147, V. 7. "Take the Pfalm, bring hither the Tabret, the merry Harp, with the Lute."— Pfalm 81, v. 2.

"Mi vum yngwynvryn, yn llŷs Cynvelyn; "Mi vum vardd Telyn i Leon Llychlyn."

Divregwawd Taliefin.

"Dimmai ni thalai 'r Telynorion;
"Neud llai y prydai y Prydyddion."

Dofbarth yr ymryfon, Taliefin.

"Telynior tal ei awenydd,
"Trwythaw beirdd mewn traethau bydd." G.Glyn, 1450.
Englyn i'r Ifgywair Vách.

"Per! per! Ifgywair oes cainc, mawr voliant

"Mor velus gan ievaine;

"Aml o ofgedd mêlus-gainc,

Aur bibau cerdd ar bób cainc.

I have been at the court of Cynvelyn, on Tower-hill,
I have been chief Bard of the Harp to Lêon of Lochlin.
The Serious Mufe, by Taliefin, A. D. 540.
The Harpers were not worth a halfpenny;
But never the worfe were the Poet's lays.
Criticism on the conteft, by Taliefin. See note 5, in page 26.
This Harper, bleft with lofty Mufe,
The Bards in briny floods imbrues.-Owen's Dictionary.

Stanza on the Igywer, or fmall Harp *.
How sweet, gywer, is thy charming found,
Which makes the youthful heart with transport bound!
Thy various notes, mellifluous and strong,
Flow tuneful as the golden pipes of fong!

*So called from the key which it was tuned in; or, perhaps, a little Harp, fuch as was formerly ufed to play on horfeback, the bottom of which had two cross feet, fomething like a camp ftool, to keep it iteady on the horse's shoulders.

My countryman, Sir John Gower, the father of English poetry, and preceptor to Chaucer, has the following paffage;

He taught hir till she was certayne

Of Harp, Citole, and of Riote,

With many a tewne, and many a note '.

Confeffio Amantis, wrote about the year 1380, fol. 178.

An elegant Couplet which was written on a Harp:

"Mae mil o leifiau melyfon,
"Mae mê! o hyd ym mola hon."

"His word is more than the miraculous Harp.".

Within the concave of its womb is found
The magic fcale of foul-enchanting found.
Shakespear's Tempeßt, A&t II. Scene 1.

"The office of a phyfician is to put the curious Harp of a man's body in tune.”—Bacon.

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Mafon's Caracacus.

Gray's Ode.

"Yon white-rob'd Bards, fweeping their folemn Harps,
"Shall lift their choral warblings to the skies."
"Hark, his hand the Harp explore!
Bright-eyed fancy hovering o'er.".

"A golden Harp with filver ftrings fhe bore."
"A bevy of fair women, richly gay

"In gems and wanton drefs; to th' Harp they fang "Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on.".

Englynion Molawd y Delyn.-

Telyn i bôb Dýn doniawl-divafwedd

Ydoedd Viwfig nevawl;

Telyn vwyn-gán ddiddanawl!

Llais Telyn a ddychryn Ddiawl!

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Cowley's Complaint.

Milton.

-Poetical Bloffoms in praife of the Harp.

Ni ddaw diawl i annedd dŷn,

At hael, lle byddo Telyn;

Velly Davydd i' herwydd byn, a ganodd

E giliodd y gelyn.

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In expreffion and variety the Harp has no rival, which will be acknowledged by all who know how the heart is foothed by its delicate and fofter founds, as well as animated by its more powerful and fprightly tones. This is elegantly expreffed by a Welsh Bard in the following stanza:

Divyrwch, didrwch, didrais, tawelaidd,

Yw Telyn byvrydlais ;

Cry' odlau cywir adlais,

Nevolaidd wiw lwyfaidd lais.

O Harp! within thy magic cells
Light, airy glee, and pleasure dwells,

And gentle rapture rings;

While clear-voic'd echo fends around

See more on the fame fubject in pp. 62, 72, and 77; and in the The heavenly gale of tuneful found,

note below '.

The following lift of poems were written by different Bards to folicit a Harp, or in its commendation, &c.

Cowydd i ovyn Telyn, a chyweirgorn Arian dros Mr. Siôn Trevor, o Drev-alun, gan Mr. Siêncyn Gwyn, o Lanidlos; o waith William Lleyn; written about A. D. •1550.

Cowydd a barodd Davydd ab Gwilym, bencerdd Telyn, (nid y
Bardd o'r Deheudir,) ei wneuthur i ovyn Telyn gan Edward
Sirk, pencerdd, o Delynior, o waith Hywel Reinallt; about 1480.
Cowydd i Delynior, o waith Tudur Aled; about 1490.
Awdl i Efgob Bangor am efgeulufo Prydydd, a mawrhau
Crwth trithant; o waith Iorwerth Beli; about 1340.

Cowydd i ovyn Telyn i Siôn Rhifiart o gevn Caer, dros Humphrey Wynn o Ynys y Maengwyn, a ganodd Sion Phylip; 1580.

Cowydd i ovyn Telyn Rawn gan Ivan ab Davydd, a ganodd Gwervyl, verch Guttyn, Tavarnwraig Tal-y-farn; 1560.— Cowydd Davydd Benwyn, i erchi Telyn Rawn; 1584.Cowydd i ovyn Gordderch a Thelyn i Syr William Gruffydd, Siambrlen Gwynedd, o waith Syr Davydd Trevor, o Lanallgo, ym Môn ; 148%.

Cowydd i ovyn Telyn gan Siôn Salfbri, o Leweni, o waith
Thomas Prys, o Blås Iolyn, Efq; 1580.-

Cowydd Rifart Cynwal, i erchi Telyn. 168c-
Cerdd Volawd i'r Delyn, o waith Davydd Jones.

Cerdd i ovyn Telyn i Siôn Prys, gan un ai enw William
Llwyd, Llangedwyn, o waith Cadwaladyr Roberts.

From all th' according ftrings.

Cyffelybiad rhwyng Morvudd a'r Delyn, o waith Davydd ab Gwilym. See page 206 of his works.

Cowydd yn dangos pa gyvarwyddyd a ddylu vôd mewn Bardd, o waith Ievan ab Ll". Vychan, 1470.

Cowyddau Edmund Prys, where he mentions the primitive Bards, &c.; N° 26, the 7th and 8th poems of this Bard's works, in the Welsh school: 1600

"A Deuddeg o Brydyddion, yn dalais dêg dilys Dôn.”-
Awdl Glera, o waith Rhobin Clidro.-

Marwnad Rydderch Dauwaedd, Delynior, o waith Lewis
Morganwg; about A. D. 1520.

Mi glywais lawer iawn o fôn,

Am Robert Sion, o Namffach *;
Mi adwen hwn pe'dai ym Mon,
Wrth lais ei ebillion bellach.

* Namffach is near Cerrigy Drudion, in Denbighshire.

An Epitaph intended for the late blind Parry, the Harper, who died
October the 7th, 1782. See alfo page 50.

Gwel vedd, a diwedd ar dôn, fain peraidd

Sion Parry, Rhiwabon!

Blaenor y Telynorion,

Carai 'r iaith, a geiriau'r Iôn.

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