^1,2 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE 



6tli 5tli 4th 3d 2d I ft 



I difcovered by chance an old man at Caernarvon, 

 uho had a crwth, and was able to play a few of the 

 old tunes upon it. The tone was far from agreeable, 

 being altogether exceedingly harfli. In the prefent 

 cafe this might however be in a great meafure owing 

 to the want of talent in the performer, and to an in- 

 ftrument in itfelf ill conftrucled. This old man was 

 perhaps the only perfon in the principality, then 

 living, who retained any practical knowledge of the 

 hiftrument. — ^We have no authentic information re- 

 fped:ing the crwth of more ancient date than the fif- 

 teenth century. There was however the figure of 

 an inflrument very much refembling it, among the 

 outfide ornaments of the abbey of Melrofs, in Scot- 

 land, built about the time of Edward II. The 

 crwth Is fuppofed by fome writers to have been the 

 original or prototype of the whole fidicinal fpecies 

 of mufical inflruments. It feems to be mentioned 

 as fuch in Hudibras : 



His fiddle Is your proper purchafe 

 Won in the ftrvice of tlie churclies ; 

 And by your doom muft be allow'd 

 To be, or be no more a croiiul. 



It feems, from a paffage in Spencer, to have been, at 

 leaft fometimes, played in concert with other mufical 

 inflruments : 



Hark 



