Thebes. In the most considerable of these "mountains" there is one cave which contains a large granitic sarcophagus, quite perfect, except that the lid is broken. At the end of the passage leading to the chamber in which the sarcophagus is placed, there is the figure of a man playing on the harp, painted on the wall in fresco. This figure attracted the attention of Bruce, and the account he has given is peculiarly interesting, not only as affording evidence that the harp was probably known at a very early age, but also that it is quite impossible ever to know the extent of information among a people who do not possess the art of printing.

The figure is dressed in a costume similar to that still worn by the men of Nubia. The body is covered by a shirt reaching to the ancles, and apparently formed of white muslin with narrow strips of red; the feet are uncovered. The dress is gathered above the elbow, so that the neck and arms are left bare. The figure is in a stooping posture, the right hand being at the bottom of the instrument, as though the performer were about to strike all the notes upwards with great rapidity. Taking the stature of the man at about five feet ten inches, the harp was estimated at something less than six feet and a half. The instrument, according to Burney's description, wants "the fore-piece, or stay of the frame, opposite to the longest string, which certainly must have improved the tone, and that deficiency must have rendered it very subject to go out of tune. The back part is the sounding-board, composed of four thin pieces of wood joined together in the form of a cone, that is, growing wider towards the bottom, so that as the length of the string increases, the square of the correspondent space in the sounding board, in which the

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sound is to undulate, always increases in proportion." The harp has thirteen strings, and therefore the addition of two more would have formed two complete octaves. Whether we are to consider the omission of these as an error committed by the painter, or whether the instrument was in this respect defective, cannot at present be determined. Taking into consideration the fact, that the painting was evidently done by one who was not a master of his art, that the instrument is constructed on scientific principles, and decorated in an ingenious and even elegant manner,—we are not unwilling to believe that the want of two strings may be traced to the negligence or ignorance of the painter. This view of the question is not, however, that proposed by Burney; for he says that if the harp be painted in accurate proportion, it could not bear more than the thirteen strings; but to this he adds-and the remark in some degree destroys the first objection-that if the four longer strings were made of the same size and density as the strings of the modern harp, and tuned to the same pitch, they would of themselves break the crossbar. But however this question may be settled by any discovery that may be hereafter made, it is quite evident, that the harp must have been known in Egypt at an early age.

Before we pass on to consider the manner in which other stringed instruments are constructed, and to give a brief history of their invention and introduction into various countries, it may be necessary to refer again to the action of vibrating cords. In some of the musical instruments already described, the strings are formed of the same material, and differ only in thickness, while in others different substances are used. In the violin, for instance, we have a four-stringed instrument,

and all the strings are formed of cat-gut; in the violoncello, a metallic string is introduced; and in the harp we have not only strings formed of different substances, but also of various lengths. The sounds produced from musical strings are, as already proved, more and more grave, as their lengths and diameters are increased, and as their tension is decreased. In every attempt to produce musical sounds from vibrating strings, regard must be paid to the intensity and perfection of the tones, that they may be sufficiently full for a certain length of time. When the diameter of a string is too large, the sound will not last; and when too small, its intensity will be less than is desired. These facts will immediately suggest to the reader, that the same material cannot be employed with equal advantage in all instances. We must sometimes add to the weight or density of a string, instead of increasing the diameter as much as would otherwise be necessary. This is frequently done (as in the harp and other strings) by wrapping thin wires round them.

Cat-gut, an animal fibre, is more commonly used than any other substance for musical strings, and is the best that can be employed. The principal objection to it is, a great liability to be affected by hygrometrical changes. The moisture or dryness of the atmosphere causes it to contract or expand, and to this must be chiefly attributed the great difficulty of keeping a stringed instrument in tune. The strings of the harp are broken from the same action. An attempt was made, many years since, to use silk instead of cat-gut. A sufficient number of the single threads of the silkworm were taken to form a cord of the required thickness; these were smeared over with the white of eggs, which was rendered

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consistent by passing the threads through heated oil. The string was exceedingly uniform in its thickness, but produced a tone which the performer called tubby. We are not aware that an effort has been since made to introduce any other substances for musical strings.

The next and most important stringed instrument demanding our attention is the harpsichord. All the instruments hitherto spoken of are either played with the fingers or with a bow, but this with keys, which are made to act on a mechanical arrangement called a jack. The jack is usually constructed of pear wood, and has a tongue and quill. It rests on the end of the key, and when thrown up by pressing the key downwards, the quill strikes the string, and returns to its place when the pressure is removed. The tongue moves on a swivel, and being thrown back by passing the string, is forced into its perpendicular position by a spring behind it. A double spinet or virginal is in fact the same as a harpsichord of two unisons and one set of keys. The double harpsichord has two sets of keys. The instrument was at first defective in tone, but at the commencement of the eighteenth century the hammer harpsichord was invented at Florence, and notwithstanding the imperfection of its mechanism, the instrument was greatly admired. The first pianoforte (for such is the name now given to the instrument) that was brought into England, was made by Father Wood, an English monk at Rome, for Mr. Crisp, and was afterwards purchased by Mr. Greville for one hundred guineas, being then unique in this country. For some time the instrument excited but little public attention, for no effort was made to introduce it,

H

until Plenius, the maker of the lyrichord, constructed one in imitation of that in the possession of Mr. Greville.

A very full description and history of the pianoforte is given in the " Giornale d' Italia," but we cannot follow the author through all his details. It is said to have been invented by Bartolommeo Cristofali, a harpsichord maker in the service of the grand duke of Tuscany. Backers was the first person who constructed any number of pianofortes in England, and although he improved the mechanism of the parts in several particulars, his instruments wanted the spirit of the harpsichord, and their tones were little if at all superior. Many attempts were afterwards made by various persons, with no better success, and at last it almost became a matter of doubt whether an improvement could be introduced to supersede the harpsichord. The instrument makers, however, were not discouraged, in spite of their failures, but were put in the right course, though for them too late, by Zumpé, a German, who commenced the manufacture of small pianofortes, of the size and shape of the virginal. The tone and execution of these were much admired, and the demand was so great that he could not possibly supply a sufficient number to meet the demand. This was in some respects a public disadvantage, for there were many manufacturers, imperfectly acquainted with the method of construction, who were from this cause able to dispose of their imperfect instruments to those whom Zumpé could not supply.

At different times the pianoforte received great improvements in the construction and tone; we may especially notice *Tomo v. p. 144.