blished its form; and few changes were introduced into it till Timotheus of Miletus*, who flourished about the year 400 в. c., added four to the previous seven chords. How far, then, do we find the Egyptians surpassed the Greeks, at this early period, in the science of music! Indeed, long before the lyre was known in Greece, the Egyptians had attained the highest degree of perfection in the form of their stringed instruments; on which no improvement was found necessary, even at a time when their skill was so great that Greek sages visited Egypt to study music, among the other sciences, for which it was renowned. And harps of fourteen, and lyres of seventeen strings, are found to have been used by the ordinary Egyptian musicians, at the remote period of the reign of Amosis, the first king of the 18th dynasty, who lived about 1570 B. c. †, nine hundred years before the time of Terpander. The strings of the Egyptian harp were of catgut; and some of those discovered at Thebes, in 1823, were so well preserved, that they emitted a sound on being touched, as I shall presently have occasion to observe. Some harps stood upon the ground, having an even broad base; others were placed upon a stool ‡, or raised upon a stand or limb attached to the lower part §; and from the ap * Pausan. Græc. lib. iii. Some harps of the time of Osirtasen I., B. c. 1700, have seven chords. Instances of this are also found at Herculaneum. Vide wood-cut, No. 208. § Vide wood-cut, No. 207. No. 207. pearance of that given in the wood-cut, we may suppose they intended to show that the harp, like many Greek lyres, was occasionally made of tortoise-shell. In many instances the minstrel stood to the instrument*; and it was customary for the harps they used in this manner to be flat at the base, like those in Bruce's tomb, represented in the accompanying platet: but many which were squared for this purpose were inclined towards the performer, who supported the harp as she played; for this kind of instrument seems to have been more generally appropriated to women than of men seated to the harp, though instances occur of their kneeling and standing, and of women sitting, as they struck the chords. to women. A light species of four-stringed instrument, which I shall presently have occasion to mention, was supported upon the shoulder, and played with both hands; but this manner of holding it, and perhaps its use, may have been confined There was also a small four-stringed harp usually played by men, which stood upon the ground like others of more ordinary form, and served as an accompaniment to one of larger dimensions. Many of the harps were covered with bulls' hides ‡, or with leather, which was sometimes of a green § or of a red || colour, frequently painted with various devices, vestiges of which may be traced in that of the Paris collection.¶ It may be questioned whether the four-stringed instrument above mentioned ought to bear the name of harp; for certainly the difference in its form from that used as an accompaniment to the large harp** suffices to show that these two are not the same, and this is further confirmed by the appearance of two of the very same portable instruments in the Paris and British Museums.tt It may also be observed, that though the small harp has only four strings, it has six pegs, which would in * Vide wood-cut, No. 209. + Vide wood-cut, No. 186. As that of wood-cut, No.'186. One found at Thebes by Mr. Salt. One seen by Mr. Madox at Thebes. ** In wood-cut, No. 186. ++ Vide wood-cut, No. 215. figs. 2. and 2 a. dicate the occasional use of two more chords; and it is not impossible that the absence of those strings may be attributed to some neglect of the artist.* The representation of the other instrument agrees exactly with those of the London and Paris collections, having four pegs, and the same number of chords, fastened at the lower end to a bar extending down the centre of its concave body, which was covered with leather, strained over it, and perforated here and there with small holes to allow the sound to escape. It was always played with the hands, and never, like the guitar and some lyres, with a plectrum. Another of very similar form, and with the same number of chords, was found at Thebes; and from the copy I have seen of it, made by Mr. Madox, it appears to have been furnished with a peg at the lower end, whose use it is not easy to determine, but which probably served to secure the strings. It does not appear that the Egyptians had any mode of shortening the strings during the performance, either in this instrument or the harp, or had invented any substitute for our modern pedals; nor is there any instance of a double set of chords, as in the old Welsh harp. They could, therefore, only play in one key, until they tuned it afresh, which was done by turning the pegs. There is, however, reason to believe that the want of pedals was partially supplied by the intro * I have seen a harp with six strings and nine pegs, probably an oversight of the draughtsman; unless those additional pegs were used for some purpose. One of the lyres of Herculaneum has cleven strings and seven pegs. |