D Y Cymmrodor. PART II-APRIL 1877. NOTICE TO MEMBERS. He Owing to the extraordinary difficulties the Editor has met with in the collation of the Poems of Iolo Goch, he is compelled to postpone the issuing of the remaining sheets until the supplement is ready for delivery in October. deems it preferable that members should be kept waiting than that the work should be hastily and incorrectly executed. The closing portion of the History of the Cymmrodorion,' reaching down to the present day, will be given at the same time. All Saints' Vicarage, Rotherhithe, June 1877. one compineu subjects or nationality and music; and we preface our paper with remarking it to be somewhat curious, that while strenuous efforts are being made to uphold the national instrument of Scotland, such little interest should be shown in preserving the Harp of Wales. Considered simply H the rich colouring of her crimson western skies; all that is wanting is the daring spirit to grapple with Cymric subjects. But, if we mistake not, the concluding poem of one of his later volumes seems to denote a fulfilment of all that we have deemed him wanting in :— "Dear motherland, forgive me, if too long I hold the halting tribute of my song; Hir. We are sure, from what we know of Mr. Hancock, that the volume will be a credit to the Principality. The price to subscribers is not expected to exceed ten shillings. We shall duly notice the work as soon as it is published. It is to be dedicated to the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph. D Cymmrodor. PART II-APRIL 1877. THE HARP. BY BRINLEY RICHARDS, Esq. AMONG national instruments of music, the place of honour must undoubtedly be assigned to the Harp; and, although its tones have long since died away in Scotland and Ireland, they are still heard in the country with which its name has been associated from the earliest records of its history. But even in Wales its use has been gradually declining; and had it not been for the patriotic efforts of Lady Llanover, it is probable that "the distinctive instrument of an old and haughty nation, proud in arms", would long since have disappeared. But while compelled to say, in the words of Walter Scott:- "Receding now the dying numbers ring, Fainter and fainter down the rugged dell;" we trust we shall not have to add with him, "And now 'tis silent all :-Enchantress, fare thee well." In writing on the Harp, it is clear we have to deal with the combined subjects of nationality and music; and we preface our paper with remarking it to be somewhat curious, that while strenuous efforts are being made to uphold the national instrument of Scotland, such little interest should be shown in preserving the Harp of Wales. Considered simply H as a question of sound, the bag-pipes have claims which, if not musical, are assuredly boisterous. But even in Scotland the pipes were not always in favour, In 1630 the Magistrates of Aberdeen "discharged the common piper going through the town, it being an uncivill forme to be usit within sic a famous burghe". Nor can we wonder at this, if we are to accept a statement in Sir John Dalyell's memoirs of Scotland, "that a bag-pipe in possession of the Duke of Sutherland, during the Rebellion of 1775, was so loud as to be heard eight miles". Compared with modern instruments, the harp is placed at a disadvantage, in consequence of the expense of stringing and tuning-strings being so easily affected by atmospheric influences. In a debate before the Privy Council on the accession of James I, about quartering the Royal arms, it was decided that the harp of Ireland should be in the third quarter. The Earl of Northampton, who had little affection for the Irish, remarked "that the best reason for the bearing was, that it resembled the country in being such an instrument that it required more cost to keep it in tune than it was worth". The purpose of this paper, however, is to attempt a sketch of the harp in its national and historical aspect, rather than in reference to its music; for it is probable that all stringed instruments which have not the means of sustaining sounds like a violin, must in time give place to others more in accordance with the requirements of modern art; and, considering the immense changes that have taken place in the construction of instruments, it is not altogether improbable that even the pianoforte and the harp will at some future period be considered of little value except as curiosities of ancient art. Harps of some kind appear to have been known to most nations, even to the Saxons and the Danes, as well as to the Irish, the Scotch, and the Welsh. There are ample proofs of the popularity of the harp; and that the art of playing it was cultivated by persons of the highest rank. This is placed beyond doubt by many historical facts. When King Alfred reconnoitered the Danish encampments in 875, he was disguised as a minstrel; and the same thing occurred many years later when the Danish King, Aulaff, explored the camp of Athelstan. It is related that he took his harp among the Saxons, and played with such skill, that he was at once admitted to the Royal pavilion. From this, it is evident that the harp at that time was small and of light weight, as it was so easily carried about by the player. In attempting to sketch the history of such an ancient instrument, it is difficult to discover what was meant by the term "harp", since it was used to describe all kinds of instruments, however unlike they may have been to our own, except that the sounds were produced by means of strings formed of sinews, silk, hair, or wire. It is evident that the ancient Gauls and Britons were familiar with the harp; but whether this was the identical instrument which has since been recognised under the appellation of the 'harp', it is impossible to say. Diodorus Siculus (who lived in the time of the Cæsars, Julius and Augustus) informs us "that the Gauls had amongst them composers of melodies whom they called bards, and that they sung to instruments like lyres". Vague as is the expression "instruments like lyres", yet, when in conjunction with it a few hundred years afterwards, we find the harp in the hands of their Celtic successors, the bards of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, we see that the harp, rude in construction and with few strings, was probably the instrument spoken of by Diodorus. If it be true, that the Welsh, Irish, and Scotch people all descend from one Celtic origin, it may account for the fact that the harp was familiar to each nation. It is equally clear, notwithstanding the assertions of some historians, to which I shall again refer, that the Britons were acquainted with music and its instruments at a very remote |