ply instruments of music', which probably were steel triangles, such as are used by our street musicians, with or without the addition of rings, to assist the tinkling, Some critics, however, chuse to render this word, by the same rule of interpretation with the preceding, an instrument of three strings. Of the third class of instruments we have the toph, timbrel, or tabret. This appears to have been exactly the same instrument as the Syrian diff, or modern tambourine, which has lately been introduced among us as a companion to the barrel organ. This also was the usual accompaniment of dancing, whether secular or sacred. Their cymbals appear to have been of two kinds, the tzilzell shamagh and tzilzell temgah, the loud-sounding and the bigb-sounding cymbal2, which were probably distinguished by the size ; the former, being the larger, and that used on the grandest occasions, having been also lately introduced into our military bands, as a part of the Turkish music, needs no description; every person who has heard it, must be sensible of its solemn and peculiar effects, as an accompaniment to other instruments. This enumeration of the Hebrew instruments may be sufficient to shew their powers; and when great numbers of them were united, and accompanied with hundreds, or thousands of human voices, which would greatly cover their imperfection, their chorus must have been highly anima 1 Sam. xviii. 6. 2 Psal. cl. 3. ting, whether in the temple or in the camp. We may, also, in a great measure infer the probable excellency of the Hebrew music from the euphony of their language, and the sublimity of their poetry. On the former, some learned men have pronounced very warm eulogiums', and if we might be allowed to form a judgment from the few words, such as Amen, Hallelujah, &c. which have been adopted into our own and many other languages, nothing can be better adapted for musical expression. It is, however, very difficult to judge of the pronunciation of a language that must have undergone so many changes; and has been, in a manner, a dead language for so many ceuturies. As to the Hebrew, poetry, Mr. ADDISON, a critic of the first rank in literature, has pronounced the Hebrew hymns and odes to excel those that are delivered down to us by the ancient Greeks and Romans in the poetry, as much as in the subject to which it was consecrated. This may be made obvious, even to an English reader: let the Bible version of the psalms and prophecies, under all the disadvantages of its being literal, and sometimes inaccurate, be compared with the highly finished versions of Virgil and Homer, by Dryden and Pope, and that person must have either very strong prejudices, or a very weak judgment, who does not immediately perceive the superiority of the former2. 1 Univ. Hist. vol. III. 201, and note N. Nor must this be imputed solely to the inspiration of the writers, since there is as much difference in their style as between that of men uninspired. Moses, David, and Amos, differ nearly as Milton, Watts, and Bunyan. So, in the New Testament, there is a manifest difference between Peter, Luke, and Paul. The Spirit of inspiration, doubtless, raised and improved their intellectual powers, but did not annihilate them. One was sublime and nervous; a second, sententious and concise; a third, elegant and diffuse; all beautiful, though various. Thus, There is one glory of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars.' The excellence of the Hebrew poetry may be urged in favour of the language, and both in favour of their music. Sublime and beautiful compositions are seldom produced in rude and inharmonious languages, and poetry is rarely cultivated where music is greatly neglected. This remark has greater force in reference to former times, when the professions were united, than to the present, when they are distinct. It is very difficult to suppose, that the most poetic nation in the world should be unmusical; or that the inimitable odes of Moses, David, and Isaiah should be composed to very barbarous' music. The investigation of the Jewish musical theory would be foreign to our present purpose. If the diatonic scale be that of Nature, as Lord BACON says', it is natural to suppose it the most ancient, Natural Hist. page 30. not only in the world, but in every country; and this notion very well agrees with the few fragments of ancient music still remaining. From the construction of the syrinx or Hebrew organ, of a regular series of pipes, it should seem that they used the whole octave, without omitting the natural semi-tones, as in the old Greek enharmonic, the Chinese and ancient Scottish scales'; and this idea is rendered more probable from the number of strings on some of their instruments, which we know to have been at least ten in David's time, when scarcely half that number was used in Greece. As to the length of their notes, it is certain that formerly the duration of sounds was always regulated by the length of the syllables to which they were adapted. These among the Greeks were of two sorts, long and short. The modern Jews, however, have vowels of four different lengths; and Mr. Bedford supposes, that the ancient Hebrews had as great a variety in their musical notes2. It is generally believed, and not without reason, that the most ancient method of singing was a species of chant, or recitative; yet in the only text in which our translators have used the word chant (in the margin quaver) it seems to intend an arti ficial running of divisions'. 1 Burney's Hist. of Music, vol. I. p. 37, 38, and 497; compare also p. 226.* 2 Temple Music, p. 29. • Amos, vi. 5. See Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon, p. 542. That harmony, in the modern sense of the term, as implying music in different parts was known to the ancient Hebrews, there appears to me little reason to suppose, since we are informed that the great number of voices and instruments employed at the dedication of Solomon's temple made but ' one sound'.' This, however, must be supposed to include octaves (as it may with strict propriety) for the treble and bass voices, as well as instruments, would certainly be in diapason. The musical notation of the Hebrews is another very curious subject of enquiry. Neither the ancient 'Jews, nor the modern (says Dr. BURNEY) have ' ever had characters peculiar to music; so that 'the melodies used in their religious ceremonies have at all times been traditional, and at the mercy of the singers. The Canonica Cavalca is however of opinion, that the points of the • Hebrew language were at first musical characters; and this conjecture has been confirmed to me (adds the doctor) by a learned Jew, whom I • have consulted on that subject, who says, that the points still serve two purposes; in reading the prophets they merely mark accentuation; in singing them they regulate the melody, not only as to long and short, but high and low. notes2.' This is a common opinion among the Jews, and is perhaps not totally without foundation. The opinion however, which now prevails among the learned is, that the ancient Hebrews were not * Hist. of Music, vol. I. 251. 2 Chron. v. 13. |