ition of the French, the se- 
of the kings of Thebes were again visited ; 
M. Denon acquaints us, that in a “ fourth cham. 
, there is a figure clothed in white, playing on a 
with eleven strings: the sculptured with orna- 
‘ments of the same tint, and consisting of the same wood 
‘as ours are now made” On recurring to Plate CXX XV. 
‘of the large edition ‘published by the French govern- 
‘ment, we observe two figures playing on harps, one 
represented with 27 strings, the other with 33; and 
also a third, apparently in miniature, touching a harp 
with only 9. ‘The first of these is a n standing, 
‘clothed in a robe tucked up between legs; the se- 
sas a naked woman on her knees. rps are 
and, instead of being triangular, the upright is bent in- 
‘toa curve along with the base. Neither of them bears 
‘any resemblance to the first or triangular 13-stringed 
of Mr Bruce, but his second is formed after the 
same fashion. From all this it is to be inferred, that the 
harps re ted by Denon were seen in a chamber 
different from that visited by Bruce, and most probably 
‘the same remark will apply to what is said by Mr Browne. 
‘We can scarcely suppose it possible that there could be 
‘soirreconcileable an error as to mistake a naked woman 
‘sitting on her knees for a man standing, and clothed 
after a particular manner. Farther, it is likely that 
Denon was in more 'sepulehral chambers than one, or 
in different recesses of the same apartments: and it 
has never been said that these paintings were confined 
to a single excavation only. The harp, therefore, 
' «was an instrument evidently brought to a degree of 
ection among the Egyptians, while Greece was yet 
in its infancy. 
- In order to facilitate the understanding of illustrations 
which may be given of the more ancient construction 
of the harp, we shall briefly describe its present struc- 
ture and compass. This instrument is now, as it has 
always been, of a triangular shape; and the gradual 
elongation of the strings also produces their general ar- 
ment in a corresponding triangular outline. One 
side of the triangle is formed into a large expanding 
sounding-board, on the construction of which much of 
the intonation depends. The whole — are united 
to it. A base whereon the harp rests solidly is formed 
at the lower angle; and here are placed several pedals, 
which, by an ingenious mechanism, produce flats and 
sharps. It is commonly, but not always strung, 
with 35 strings, the lowest equivalent to double A or 
—_— 
ditevdasing the awe 
of the piano forte, and the highest note equi- 
= 
t 
ae 
__— 
valent to double G or of the same. instru- 
| 
- wi 
ent; thus the compass, which is arbitrary, is consider- 
able. However, most of the modern harps have seven 
ak strings of the ba8s, to increase it still farther, 
which, in our opinion, is a very questionable ex o 
rendering the total number a on ned is yo 
augmented by the operation of the s. ese are 
iivall saved tl number, and are designed according to 
the ‘effect they produce: the E pedal changes E flat, in 
which the harp is now invariably tuned, into E natural; 
the F pedal chariges F natural into F , and the G 
e G natural into G sharp. In some in- 
struments, the change by simple is to the ex- 
tent of a semitone ; in others of the latest construction, 
t workmanship, ornamented with sphinxes; | 
6438 
by increasing the ‘on the pedal, the strings af- 
fected by it are. sharpened another: semitone 
notes are thus obtained from a single string. The ac- 
pea ebyar wer wr hentperadienrwor y “cayy an by 
; four being appropriated for the f 
and three for the left, All the strings are of catgut, 
except seven or eight of the lowest, which consist 
silk covered with silver wire, as the lowest strings A 
the violin and violoncello. In the harp the C’s are co- 
loured red, and every F is blue, in order that they may 
be more readily distinguished by the ‘ormer: the 
others are of the ordinary yellowish white of 
The whole instrument of the largest size is nearly six 
feet high, and in Britain costs 100 guineas, 
The name of the harp is said to be of Saxon origin ; 
and we can probably trace it to the tenth century; for 
the author of the life of St Dunstan, who is supposed to 
have been a cotemporary, observes, “ Sumpsit secum 
eX more citharam suam, quam lingua hearpam 
vocamus.” (Acta Sanctorum, tom. iv. $50.) Ve- 
nantius Fortunatus, a continental author of the seventh 
century, uses this expression, ‘“ Plaudat tibi, Barbarus 
harpa ;” which has been conjectured to apply to Bri- 
seco ag is called Telyn in Welsh, and Clarsach 
in 
We can scarcely ascertain, at the present day, under 
what form this instrument first ap in \ these 
kingdoms; but it was undoubtedly well known in 
Wales and Ireland. Nor were the English and Scotch 
strangers to it; though its music was less cultivated 
among them, An ancient Irish harp which has had 28 
strings, and is 32 inches high, is reported to have be- 
longed to a certain king, Brian Boromh, who was killed 
in battle in the year 1014. His son having retired to 
Rome, presented his father’s and crown to the Pope, 
on purpose to obtain absolution for a murder he had com- 
mitted; —— remained in the Vatican until the =f 
was sent by the reigning Pope to King Henry VIII. an 
after passing through the hands of wn bn wraan, it was, 
in 1732, deposited in the library of Trinity College, Dub- 
lin. That such an instrument was actually at in 
the time of Adrian IV. between 1154 to 1159, seems 
established from record; but the presumption of this 
particular harp remounting to so very ancient a period 
of Irish history as 1014, rests only on a very slight foun- 
dation. Two harps of considerable antiqui ve late- 
ly been seen in Scotland ; one of which, i size, appear- 
ance, and structure, narrowly resembles the Irish 
Both are ved in the family of Robertson of Lude; 
and the history of the oldest can be traced to about the 
1460. It is 38 inches and a ‘half in height, and 
as had 80 pins, originally of brass, with as many cor- 
responding string holes, all neatly ornamented. The 
other is ascertained to have belonged to Queen Mary, 
and is altogether of a more modern fashion and smaller 
dimensions. It is $1 inches high; the sounding board 
is only 11 inches and a half broad at the base, whereas that 
of the former is 16; and there have been 28 strings, the 
shortest two inches and a half long, while the second 
and third ef the Caledonian have not exceeded two 
inches. The longest string of the latter is only 21 
inches and a half in length ; that of Queen Mary's 24. 
It is said that Mary having carried this instrument 
along with her in an excursion to the Highlands, in the 
year 1563, presented it to a lady who was married into 
the family of Lude. It was formerly ornamented with 
the Queen's portrait, and the Scotish arms executed in 
gold, of which’ and other jewels it was despoiled during 
the rebellion of 1745. 
None of the harps we have named exhibit pedals, 
rc 
