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 structure 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 arrangement in a cor responding triangular outline. One side of the triangle is formed into a large expanding sounding-board, on the con struction of which much of the intonation depends. The whole strings 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 of the piano forte, and the highest noteequi valent to double G, or 1= of the same instru naent : thus the compass which is arbitrary, is ble. However, most of the modern harps have seven or eight strings of the bass, to increase it still farther, which, in our opinion, is a very questionable expedient, rendering the total number 43. But this is considerably augmented by the operation of the pedals. These are usually seven in 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 changes natural into F sharp, and the G pedal changes G natural into G sharp. In some instruments, the change by simple pressure is to the extent of a semitone ; in others of the latest construction, by increasing the pressure on the pedal, the strings affected by it are sharpened another semitone. Three notes are thus obtained from a single string. The action of the pedals, as their name implies, is operat ed by the feet ; four being appropriated for the right foot, and three for the left. All the strings are of catgut, except seven or eight of the lowest, which consist of silk covered with silver wire, as the lowest strings of the vio lin and violoncello. In the harp the C's are coloured red, and every F is blue, in order that they may be more readily distinguished by the performer ; the others are of the or dinary yellowish white of catgut. 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 au thor of the life of St Dunstr,n, who is supposed to have been a cotemporary, observes, 66 Sumpsit secum rx more ci tharam suam, quam lingua paterna hearpam vocamus." (Acta Sanctorunt, tom. iv. p. 350.) Venantius Fortunatis, a continental author of the seventh century, uses this ex pression, Plaudat tibi, Barbarus harlta ;" which has been conjectured to apply to Britain. The harp is called Telyn in Welsh, and Clarsach in Irish.
We can scarcely ascertain, at the present day, under what form this instrument first appeared in these king doms; 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 in ches high, is reported to have belonged 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 harp and crown to the Pope, on purpose to obtain absolu tion for a murder he had committed ; and both remained in the Vatican, until the harp was sent by the reigning Pope to King Henry VIII. and, after passing through the hands
of various owners, it was, in 1732, deposited in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. That such an instrument was actually at Rome in the time of Adrian IV. between 1154 to 1159, seems established from record ; but the presump tion of this particular harp remounting to so very ancient a period of Irish history as 1014, rests only on a very slight foundation. Two harps of considerable antiquity have lately been seen in Scotland ; one of which, in size, appearance, and structure, narrowly resembles the Irish harp. Both are preserved in the family of Robertson of Lude ; and the history of the oldest cat, be traced to about the year 1460. It is 38 inches and a half in height, and has had 30 pins, originally of brass, with as many correspond ing string holes, all neatly ornamented. The other is as certained to have belonged to Queen Mary, and is altoge ther of a more modern fashion and smaller dimensions. It is 31 inches high ; the sounding board is only I I inches and a half broad at the base, w he. eas that of the former is 16 ; and there have been 28 strings, the shortest two in ches and a half long, while the second and third of the Cale donian harp 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 car reed 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 Lode. It was formerly or namented with the Queen's portrait, and the Scotish arms executed in gold, of which and other jewels it was despoil ed during the rebellion of 1745.
None of the harps we have named exhibit pedals, which are reported to have been invented by M. Simon at B:.us sels, between 1750 and 1760. The principal object of the pedals is to diminish the dumber of strings ; for although the most grateful music certainly does not consist in the greatest variety of notes, a considerable range becomes ne cessary to adapt an instrument to all compositions. Proba• bly the strings of the harp were originally very few ; indeed in this respect its structure is altogether arbitrary ; and the number has been different at different eras and in dif ferent countries, as is proved by the examples already given. In France, a harp is spoken of in the 14th centu ry with 25 strings : in England, one of the same century, or perhaps earlier, is represented with only and one of the 16th is described to have had 33. It will be observed, that we have hitherto spoken of the strings of a harp with a single row : and they have even been greatly augmented beyond these numbers; but some ingenious mechanics have adopted a second or third row, for the purpose of multiplying the notes. Galileo, in a work written about the year 1582, speaks of harps with 54, 56, or 60 strings, used in Ireland, from which island the harp of Italy was introduced ; and having obtained one from an Irish gentle man with two rows of strings, consisting in all of 58, he found they were disposed in the same manner as a harp of the same construction introduced a few years previously into his native country. Mersenne represents a harp with 75 strings, arranged in three rows. The Welsh are said to have had one similar ; and the number has sometimes been increased to 100. The introduction of pedals, how ever, has superseded the necessity of such a variety of sin gle notes.