HARP, is a stringed musical instrument, which has gained much celebrity from the estimation in which it was held among the ancients. Though the harp be of eastern origin, it has been the subject of animated controversies, whether the instrument was actually known to the Greeks and Romans in any shape analogous to its present form. It appears most probable, however, that they were not ig norant of it, and that some of the instruments passing un der different names, whose elementary parts and princi ciples are the same, should be considered only as modifi cations of each other. But the researches of late travel lers have brought more interesting objects to view than those exciting dry disputations. Mr Bruce, in visiting the catacombs of the Theban kings, who arc supposed to have been cotemporaries with David, king of the Jews, 1000 years before Christ, discovered two paintings of the harp in fresco, each played by an old man standing, clothed in a wide tunic, and having his head shaven. One has thirteen strings, but wants the upright, or that piece of the frame next to the longest ; and the sounding board is of a conical form, enlarging below in proportion to the length of the string. The other has eighteen strings, and seems to be a harp formed of similar materials ; but the distribution of the parts is different, and the lower strings are united to the bass, not to the sounding board. Both are represented as being played in the same manner, and by men in the same position. After describing the ornamental parts, Mr Bruce affirms, that " it would be even now impossible either to construct or finish a harp of any form with more taste and elegance." However, while preparing to make further researches, he could not prevail on his conductors to wait any longer in the catacombs ; " with great clamour and marks of discontent, they dashed their Torches against the largest harp, and made the best of their way out of the cave, leaving me and my people in the dark ; and all the way they went, they made dreadful denunciations of tragi cal events that were to follow their departure." It is to be inferred from the figures, that each harp is above six feet high. The purport of Mr Bruce's description, which is much more copious than quoted here, has been strange ly misunderstood, though it must be admitted that this wac partly owing to his own imperfect communications to Dr Berney. 'Whence it has been asked by Air Jones, " Whe
ther the Theban harp originated in a phantasm ?" and even Mr Browne, the African traveller, says, while visiting the catacombs of Thebes, " I particularly observed the MO harpers described by Bruce, but his engraved figures seem to be from memory." We cannot entirely solve these difficulties ; but had those who have spoke most po sitively on the subject, referred to the first volume of Mr Bi uce's Travels, instead of Dr Burney's History of Music, they would have obtained more distinct ideas of it. How ever, during the late expedition of the French, the sepul chres of the kings of Thebes were again visited ; and M. Denon acquaints us, that in a " fourth chamber, there is a figure clothed in white, playing on a harp with eleven strings ; the harp sculptured with ornaments of the same tint, and consisting of the same wood as ours are now made." On recurring to Plate CXXXV, of the large edi tion published by the French government, we observe two figures playing on harps, one represented with 27 strings, the other with 33 ; and also a third, apparently in mi niature, touching a harp with only 9. The first of these is a person standing, clothed in a robe tucked up between the legs ; the second is a naked woman on her knees. Both harps are of elegant workmanship, ornamented with sphinxes: and, instead of being triangular, the upright is bent into a curve along with the base. Neither of them bears any resemblance to the first or triangular 13-stringed harp of Mr Bruce, hut his second is formed after the same fashion. From all this it is to he inferred, that the harps represented 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 so irrecon cileable an error as to mistake a naked woman sitting on her knees, for a man standing, and clothed after a particu lar manner. Farther, it is likely that Denon was in more sepulchral 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 perfection among the Egyptians, while Greece was yet in its infancy.