The harp was the favourite musical instrument, not only of the Irish, but
of the Britons and other northern nations, during the middle ages, as is
evident from their laws, and from every passage in their history in which
there is the least allusion to music. By the laws of Wales, the
possession of a harp was one of the three things that were necessary to
constitute a gentleman, that is, a freeman; and no person could pretend
to that title, unless he had one of those favourite instruments, and
could play upon it.
In the same laws, to prevent slaves from pretending to be gentlemen, it
was expressly forbidden to teach or to permit them to play upon the harp;
and none but the king, the king's musicians, and gentlemen, were allowed
to have harps in their possession. A gentleman's harp was not liable to
be seized for debt, because the want of it would have degraded him from
his rank, and reduced him to a slave.
The harp was in no less estimation and universal use among the Saxons and
Danes; those who played upon this instrument were declared gentlemen by
law; their persons were esteemed inviolable, and secured from injuries by
very severe penalties; they were readily admitted into the highest
company, and treated with distinguished marks of respect wherever they
appeared.
* * * * *
ANECDOTE OF JEROME DUIGENAN, A HARPER.--Some curious tales are told of
Jerome Duigenan, a Leitrim harper, born in the year 1710. One is of so
extraordinary a character, that, were it not for the particularity of the
details, which savour strongly of an origin in fact, the editor would
hesitate to give it publicity. He is, however, persuaded that he has it
as it was communicated to O'Neill, between whose time and that of
Duigenan there was scarcely room for the invention of a story not
substantially true. It is as follows:--"There was a harper," says
O'Neill, "before my time, named Jerome Duigenan, not blind, an excellent
Greek and Latin scholar, and a charming performer. I have heard numerous
anecdotes of him. The one that pleased me most was this. He lived with a
Colonel Jones, of Drumshambo, who was one of the representatives in
parliament for the county of Leitrim. The colonel, being in Dublin, at
the meeting of parliament, met with an English nobleman who had brought
over a Welsh harper. When the Welshman had played some tunes before the
colonel, which he did very well, the nobleman asked him, had he ever
heard so sweet a finger? 'Yes,' replied Jones, 'and that by a man who
never wears either linen or woollen.' 'I bet you a hundred guineas,' says
the nobleman, 'you can't produce any one to excel my Welshman.' The bet
was accordingly made, and Duigenan was written to, to come immediately to
Dublin, and bring his harp and dress of _Cauthack_ with him; that is, a
dress made of beaten rushes, with something like a caddy or plaid of the
same stuff. On Duigenan's arrival in Dublin, the colonel acquainted the
members with the nature of his bet, and they requested that it might be
decided in the House of Commons, before business commenced. The two
harpers performed before all the members accordingly, and it was
unanimously decided in favour of Duigenan, who wore his full _Cauthack_
dress, and a cap of the same stuff, shaped like a sugar loaf, with many
tassels; he was a tall, handsome man, and looked very well in
it."--_Bunting's Ancient Music of Ireland._