The memoirs of Madame de Genlis first made known the astonishing powers
of a poor German soldier on the Jew's harp. This musician was in the
service of Frederick the Great, and finding himself one night on duty
under the windows of the King, playing the Jew's harp with so much
skill, that Frederick, who was a great amateur of music, thought he
heard a distinct orchestra. Surprised on learning that such an effect
could be produced by a single man with two Jew's harps, he ordered him
into his presence; the soldier refused, alleging, that he could only be
relieved by his colonel; and that if he obeyed, the king would punish
him the next day, for having failed to do his duty. Being presented the
following morning to Frederick, he was heard with admiration, and
received his discharge and fifty dollars. This artist, whose name Madame
de Genlis does not mention, is called Koch; he has not any knowledge of
music, but owes his success entirely to a natural taste. He has made his
fortune by travelling about, and performing in public and private, and
is now living retired at Vienna, at the advanced age of more than eighty
years. He used two Jew's harps at once, in the same manner as the
peasants of the Tyrol, and produced, without doubt, the harmony of two
notes struck at the same moment, which was considered by the
musically-curious as somewhat extraordinary, when the limited powers of
the instrument were remembered. It was Koch's custom to require that all
the lights should be extinguished, in order that the illusion produced
by his playing might be increased.
It was reserved, however, for Mr. Eulenstein to acquire a musical
reputation from the Jew's harp. After ten years of close application and
study, this young artist has attained a perfect mastery over this
untractable instrument. In giving some account of the Jew's harp,
considered as a medium for musical sounds, we shall only present the
result of his discoveries. This little instrument, taken singly, gives
whatever grave sound you may wish to produce, as a _third_, a _fifth_,
or an _octave_. If the grave tonic is not heard in the bass Jew's harp,
it must be attributed, not to the defectiveness of the instrument, but
to the player. In examining this result, you cannot help remarking the
order and unity established by nature in harmonical bodies, which places
music in the rank of exact sciences. The Jew's harp has three different
tones; the bass tones of the first octave bear some resemblance to those
of the flute and clarionet; those of the middle and high, to the _vox
humana_ of some organs; lastly, the harmonical sounds are exactly like
those of the _harmonica_. It is conceived, that this diversity of tones
affords already a great variety in the execution, which is always looked
upon as being feeble and trifling, on account of the smallness of the
instrument. It was not thought possible to derive much pleasure from any
attempt which could be made to conquer the difficulties of so limited an
instrument; because, in the extent of these octaves, there were a number
of spaces which could not be filled up by the talent of the player;
besides, the most simple modulation became impossible. Mr. Eulenstein
has remedied that inconvenience, by joining sixteen Jew's harps, which
he tunes by placing smaller or greater quantities of sealing-wax at the
extremity of the tongue. Each harp then sounds one of the notes of the
gamut, diatonic or chromatic, and the performer can fill all the
intervals, and pass all the tones, by changing the harp. That these
mutations may not interrupt the measure, one harp must always be kept in
advance, in the same manner as a good reader advances the eye, not upon
the word which he pronounces, but upon that which follows.--_Philosophy
in Sport._
* * * * *
FORM OF ANCIENT BOOKS, THEIR ILLUMINATIONS, &c.
The mode of compacting the sheets of their books remained the same among
the Greeks during a long course of time. The sheets were folded three or
four together, and separately stitched: these parcels were then
connected nearly in the same mode as is at present practised. Books were
covered with linen, silk, or leather.
The page was sometimes undivided; sometimes it contained two, and in a
few instances of very ancient MSS., three columns. A peculiarity which
attracts the eye in many Greek manuscripts, consists in the occurrence
of capitals on the margin, some way in advance of the line to which they
belong; and this capital sometimes happens to be the middle letter of a
word. For when a sentence finishes in the middle of a line, the initial
of the next is not distinguished, that honour being conferred upon the
incipient letter of the next line; thus--
THEGREEKSENTERING
THEREGIONOFTHEMA
CRONESFORMEDANAL
LIANCEWITHTHEM.AS
T HEPLEDGEOFTHEIR
FAITHTHEBARBARIANS
GAVEASPEAR.
The Greeks, especially in the earliest times, divided their compositions
into verses, or such short portions of sentences as we mark by a comma,
each verse occupying a line; and the number of these verses is often set
down at the beginning or end of a book. The numbers of the verses were
sometimes placed in the margin.
Much intricacy and difficulty attends the subject of ancient
punctuation; nor could any satisfactory account of the rules and
exceptions that have been gathered from existing MSS. be given, which
should subserve the intention of this work. Generally speaking, though
with frequent exceptions, the most ancient books have no separation of
words, or punctuation of any kind; others have a separation of words,
but no punctuation; in some, every word is separated from the following
one by a point. In manuscripts of later date are found a regular
punctuation, and marks of accentuation. These circumstances enter into
the estimate when the antiquity of a book is under inquiry; but the
rules to be observed in considering them cannot be otherwise than
recondite and intricate.
Few ancient books are altogether destitute of decorations; and many are
splendidly adorned with pictorial ornaments. These consist either of
flowery initials, grotesque cyphers, portraits, or even historical
compositions. Sometimes diagrams, explanatory of the subjects mentioned
by the author, are placed on the margin. Books written for the use of
royal persons, or dignified ecclesiastics, usually contain the effigies
of the proprietor, often attended by his family, and by some allegorical
or celestial minister; while the humble scribe, in monkish attire,
kneels and presents the book to his patron.
These illuminations, as they are called, almost always exhibit some
costume of the times, or some peculiarity, which serves to mark the age
of the manuscript. Indeed a fund of antiquarian information relative to
the middle ages has been collected from this source. Many of these
pictured books exhibit a high degree of executive talent in the artist,
yet labouring under the restraints of a barbarous taste.--_Taylor's
History of the Transmission of Ancient Books to Modern Times_.
* * * * *