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AN ACCOUNT OF THE IRISH HARP, &c,

"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'd inftruments of touch .".

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

The most ancient Irish Harp now remaining, is that which is said to have belonged to Brian Boiromb, 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 deposed by his nephew, retired to Rome, and carried with him the crown, the Harp, and other regalia of his father, which he presented to the Pope, in order to obtain absolution. 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. Thefe regalia were depofited 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 whofe family it remained till the beginning of this century; when it came by a lady of the De Burgh family into that of Mac Mahôn, of Clenagh, in the county of Clare, after whose death it paffed into the poffeffion of commissioner Mac Namara, of Limerick. In 1782 it was presented to the right honourable William Conyngham, who deposited it in Trinity College Library, Dublin; where it still remains. This Harp had only one row of strings; is 32 inches high, and of extraordinary good workmanship; 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 set in filver, and under it was another stone, 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, chased 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 Irish wolf-dogs carved in the wood. The ftring-holes of the found-board are neatly ornamented with efcutcheons of brass, 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 string-holes to answer them, confequently there were 28 ftrings. The bottom, where it refts upon, is a little broken, and the wood very rotten. The whole bears evidence of an expert artist.

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Dionyfius, Lib. I. p. 26, edit. 1586.-Dion. Hal. Lib. II. Carmenta was a prophetefs, and mother of Evander: fhe left Arcadia, and came into Italy, with her fon, about A.M. 2760. Polybius, Lib. IV. fpeaks at large concerning the delight of the Arcadians in Mufic: for he fays, That fcience is ufeful to all men, but even neceffary to the Arcadians, who are accuftomed to great hardthips. For, as their country is 1ough, 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 30years of age, in finging hymns in honour of Gods and Heroes. It is no difgrace among them to be unacquaintd with other sciences, but to be ignorant of Mufic is a great re proach. From thefe manners of the Arcadians arofe the fiction of the Poet, 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 alio the mountains, woods, and trees, are faid to fing.' See the VIIIth Eclogue of Virgil, and the Xth, 25.

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We learn from Iamblichus, that the found of the fmith's hammers, taught Pythagoras to invent the Monochord, an inftrument for meafuring 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, ftriking alternately the ftrings which sustained the twelve, and fix pounds, he found that the diapafon or octave was formed by the proportion of two to one. Thetwelve and eight pound weights taught him, that the diapente, or fifth, was in the proportion of three to two; and the twelve and nine pounds, that the diatefaron, or fourth, was as four to three. I must refer the curious reader, for further fatisfaction, to the twenty-fixth chapter of Iamblichus, de Vita Pithagorae.

The Harp of Mr. Jonathan Hehir, of Limerick, which was made by John Kelly, in the year 1726, contains thirtythree strings, 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 itrings, in the 15th century. Grat. Lucius, p. 37. Though it was more probable that the Irish had it from the Welth; because, the Bard, Davydd Benwyn, who flourished about the year 1580, mentions his Harp having 29 ftrings, or more; which probably were in two rows. And Merfenne's Treatise on Music, published in the year 1632, defcribes a Harp with three rows of ftrings; and I never heard of any country's having a triple Harp but the Welfh.

Collectanea de rebus Hibernicis, Number 13. Encyclopedia Britannica; printed at Edinburgh, 4to. Vel. VIII, Part I. 8

How the Harp, originally came to be the armorial enfign of Ireland is a matter which has often been a fubject 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 supposed to represent the Irish Harp. Others think the triangle alludes to the Trinity. King John, and his two fucceffors, were the earliest monarch's who used the triangle conftantly on their money. From this triangle, 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 diftin&tly reprefented on the coins. It was ftruck about the year 1530 3.. According to a paper which was delivered to the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, the following account is given of the arms of Leinster + "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 opposed by his brother Heremon, equal in power: to avoid disputes the choice was to be determined by lot, which fell to Heber, who chose the musician; and, as this contest 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.

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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 reverse, a mitred Bifhop, (or St. Patrick, the Briton, who reformed the Irish ',) holding a double cross, and standing between a church and a serpent, which he seems to drive away. There is another of St. Patrick preaching to the people, with a trefoil in his right-hand ".

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It appears by Sir William Segar's MSS. in the Herald's Office, London', that he was prefent when it was debated before the privy-council, and the commiffioners for executing the office of earl-marshal, 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) shewed no affection to suffering the fame, rofe up, and faid, "that the best reason he could obferve for the bearing was, that it resembled the country, in being fuch an instrument, that it required more cost to keep it in tune than it was worth." Staniburst's Hiftory of Ireland relates, "that, whilft the Irish were at fupper, a Harper ufually attended, who was often blind, and by no means fkilled in mufic, so that he fometimes offended the accurate ears of a connoiffeur. Yet, by striking the ftrings, he uniformly delighted the commonalty with his rude harmony." Again he fays, 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 strings, and are in themselves discordant. On the other hand, he keeps fuch rules with regard to his measure, and agreement of melody, and obferves so much concord in his music, 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 Musicians, but Muficians to the Harp. The Irish also use the Bagpipes, which appear amongst them an incentive to warlike valour; for, as other foldiers with the found of Trumpets, fo thefe, with the found of Pipes, are inspired with ardour for the fight '.'

• Tindal's Hiftory of England, Vol. I. Ibid. p. 387.

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P. 281.

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, because Cole, viscount 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 reason 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, "Worship God-Serve the King." I have fome recollection of having feen the Harp in the armorial bearings of Henry the III, 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 bearings, 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 Ire.

land, which was fent to the prefident of the Royal Irish Aca-
demy, Dublin, in the year 1786.

5 Giraldus Cambrenfis Topographia Hibernia, Chap. 16: and
the notes in p. 13 of this work.

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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 moft 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 Junta feemeth
to have refpect, which is also stamped on his coins. Sanford's
Genealogical Hiftory, p. 546.

Richard Staniburfli, Dublinienfis, de Rebus Hibernia Geftis, p.
38, &c. See more in Holinfbed'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'
time fee the preceding page 95.
Cc

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AN ACCOUNT OF THE HARP AMONG THE SCOTS, &c.

About the year 1400, the science of mufic had made fuch progress 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 he Scotch nation. Among other accomplishments, he was an admirable mufician, and particularly fkilled in playing on the Harp'. John Major mentions, that this Monarch's Cantilena were commonly fung by the Scotch as the most favourite compositions, 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 wire3, but at prefent, is quite loft there *."

Buchanan, in his Hiftory of Scotland, speaking of the inhabitants of the Hebrides, fays, " Instead of a Trumpet, they use the Bag-pipe. They delight very much in mufic, especially in Harps of their own fort, fome of which are strung with wire, others with intestines 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 chrystal, instead of gems. They fing verfes not unfkilfully 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, especially in Harps or Claire' chau decked with filver, after the manner of the Britons "."

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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 still remaining, that of Tulli-bardin, in the county of Perth, whence the duke of Athol derives the title of marquis of Tulli-bardin. Likewise, the late earl of Eglingtoun, informed me, that he had a portion of land amongst his eftate, near Eglingtoun-castle, in Scotland, called the Harper's land, which used to be allotted by his ancestors to the Bard of the family".

I am informed, that, about the close of the last century, John Glafs, and John Macdonald, Bards by profeffion, who refided, and were respected as such, in the houses of two Highland Chiefs, travelled fifty miles, and met by appointment at Lochaber, to vindicate their own honour, and that of their respective Chiefs, at a public meeting, in a poetic and mufical contest.

I fhall now quote a foreign author, as it tends to furnish farther information respecting the Harp, and one who, I should imagine, was no bad judge of such 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 fhort Differtation on Mufie, in which are these words: "I was incited to give an account of musical intervals, by the learned differtation of Joan. Albert. Bannus; in which he defires fome one will give a new constitution 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 strings, the queen of all mufical inftruments; in which, on account of the number of its ftrings, viz. 39, may be seen, as in a glass, all the musical intervals; and by whose sweet harmony, arifing from the discordant agreement of strings, ftruck with the fingers, instead of a plectrum, I have long not only amufed myself, but have also relieved the mifery attending an undeserved 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 byother nations, when the Btitish tribes spread themselves over the neighbouring ifles, and countries. Lefley. de Reb. Geft. Scot. Lib. VII. pp. 257, 266, 267. " Buchanan's Hiflory of Scotland, Book I. (Written about the Edit. 1675, 4to. year 1505.)

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Major, Geft, Scot. Lib. VI. cap. 14. fol. 135. Ed. 1521, 4to. Strings of gold, or of filver wire in Harps, or Harpfichords, I think would yield a found almoft twice as ftrong as thofe of brafs, and those of steel; the latter produces a feebler found than those of brass, as being both lefs heavy and lefs dutile than gold.

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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 Autheutic Manufcript, like what the Irish, or the Welth are poffeffed of. Thofe who wifh for a further proof, I refer to Dr. Johnfon, Mr. Pinkerton, and

others.

Munro's Hiflory. And Lewis's Ancient Hiftory of Great-Britain, p. 234, fol.

"Alfo, Gilbert le Harpour held lands in Chesterton, Warwickshire, 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 Stillingfleet's Principles and Power of Harmony, Chap. V..

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To confirm what I have said 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 strongly 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?.?

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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 vumy ngwynvryn, yn llys Cynvelyn;
Mi vum vardd Telyn i Léon Llychlyn.'

Divregawd Taliefin.

"Dimmai ni thalai 'r Telynorion, Nid llai y prydai y Prydyddion."

"Telynior tal ei awenydd,

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Dosbarth yr ymryfon, Taliefin

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

Trwythaw beirdd mewn traethau bydd." G, Glyn, 1450 The Bards in briny floods imbrues.-Owen's Dictionary.

Englyn i'r gywair Vách.

"Per! per! Igywair oes cainc, mawr voliant

"Mor velus gan ievainc;

"Aml o ofgedd mêlus-gainc,

"Aur bibau cerdd ar bôb cainc.

Stanza on the Igywer, or small Harp

How sweet, gywer, is thy charming found,
Which makes the youthful heart with transport bound!
Thy various notes, mellifluous and strong,

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Flow tuneful as the golden pipes of song 3 !

*So called from the key which it was tuned in; or, perhaps, a little Harp, fuch as was formerly used to play on horfeback, the bottom of which had two cross feet, fomething like a camp ftool, to keep it steady 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 her till the was certayne

Of Harp, Citole 4, and of Riote,

With many a tewne, and many a notes. Confeffio Amantis, wrote about the year 1380, fol. 178.

«Mae o leifiau melylion,

" Mil o hŷd ym mola hon.”

An elegant Couplet which was written on a Harp :

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

Within the concave of its womb is found The magic scale of foul-enchanting found. ---Shakespeare's Tempeft, AB II. fcene 1.

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

Revelation, Chap. XV. verse 2.

2 Revelation, Chap. XIV. verfes 2 and 3; and Chap. V. verfes 8 and 9.

We know not what they do above,

Save, that they fing, and that they love.

3 D. Samwell.

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Query, Whether Citole is the fame with Cittern, or Guit tar; or derived from Ciftella, a little cheft, meaning the dulcimer; a performer upon it was called Cyteller, or Cyfteller. ! See more in page 90, and 92. ❝ For

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For 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 :

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

in the note below.

The following is a lift of poems which 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 Wiliam 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 Sión 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 Mòn; 1480.

Cowydd iovyn Telyn gan Siôn Salfori, o Leweni, o waith
Thomas Prys, o Blâs Iolyn, Efq; 1580.-

Cowydd Rifiart Cynwal, i erchi Telyn. 1680.
Cerdd Volawd i'r Delyn, o waith Davydd Jones.

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

From all th' accordant 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 Lln. Vychan, 1470.

Cowyddau Edmund Prys, where he mentions the primitive Bards, &c.; No. 26, the 7th and 8th poems of this Bard's works, in the Welfh fchool: 1600.

A Deuddeg o Brydyddion, yn dalais dég dilys Dôn.” —→
Awdl Glera, o waith Rhobin Clidro.
Marwnad Rydderch Dauwaedd, Delynior, o waith Lewis
Morganwg; about A. D. 1520.mm

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Odober the 7th, 1782. See alfo page 50.
An Epitaph intended for the late Mr. Parry, the Harper, who djed

Gwel vedd, a diwedd ar dôn, fain peraidd
Sion Parry, Rhiwabon;

Blaenor y Telynorion,

Carai 'r iaith, a geiriau'r lôn

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