The "Jews-harp," or "Jews-trump," is said by several authors to derive
its name from the nation of the Jews, and is vulgarly believed to be one
of their instruments of music. Dr. Littleton renders Jews-trump by
_Sistrum Judaicum_. But no such musical intrument is spoken of by any of
the old authors that treat of the Jewish music. In fact, the Jews-harp
is a mere boy's plaything, and incapable of in itself of being joined
either with a voice or any other instrument; and its present orthography
is nothing more than a corruption of the French _Jeu-trompe_, literally,
a toy trumpet. It is called _jeu-trompe_ by Bacon, _Jew-trump_ by
Beaumont and Fletcher, and _Jews-harp_ by Hackluyt. In a rare
black-letter volume, entitled _Newes from Scotland_, 1591, there is a
curious story of one Geilles Duncan, a noted performer on the
"Jews-harp," whose performance seems not only to have met with the
approval of a numerous audience of witches, but to have been repeated in
the presence of royalty, and by command of no less a personage than the
"Scottish Solomon," king James VI. Agnes Sampson being brought before
the king's majesty and his council, confessed that
"Upon the night of All-hallow-even last, shee was accompanied as
well with the persons aforesaid, as also with a great many other
witches, to the number of two-hundredth; and that all they
together went to sea, each one in a riddle or sive, and went
into the same very substantially, with flaggons of wine, making
merrie, and drinking by the way, in the same riddle or sives, to
the Kirk of North Barrick in Lowthian; and that after {278} they
had landed, tooke handes on the lande and daunced this reill or
short daunce, singing all with one voice,
"'Commer goe ye before, commer goe ye:
Gif ye will not goe before, commer let me.'
"At which time, she confessed that this Geilles Duncan (a
servant girl) did goe before them, playing this reill or daunce
uppon a small _trumpe_ called a _Jews-trumpe_, until they entred
into the Kirk of North Barrick. These confessions made the King
in a wonderfull admiration, and sent for the said Geilles
Duncan, who upon the like _trumpe_ did play the saide daunce
before the Kinge's Majestie; who in respect of the strangenes of
these matters tooke great delight to be present at their
examinations."
It may be as well to mention that in the Belgic or Low Dutch, from
whence come many of our toys, a _tromp_ is a rattle for children.
Another etymon for _Jews-harp_ is _Jaws-harp_, because the place where
it is played upon is between the jaws. To those who wish to learn more
upon the subject, I beg to refer them to Pegge's _Anonymiana_; Dauncy's
_Ancient Scottish Melodies_; and to my edition of Chettle's _Kind-Harts
Dream_ printed by the Percy Society.
Edward F. Rimbault.
[We are indebted also to Trebor, E.W.D., J.F.M., and F.P. for
replies to this Query. They will perceive that Dr. Rimbault had
anticipated the substance of their several communications.]
* * * * *