The National tribune., 1899-10-19

through a translation of a French book by
Theodore Bacon-tSome Breton Folk
Songs"-which appeared several years age
in the Atlantic Monthly.
''In September, 1853, an English force
effected descent upon the Breton coast at
Saint-Cast. A company of Lower Bretons,
from the neighborhood of Treguire and
Saint-PolGe-Leon, was marching against a
detachment Of Welsh mountaineers which
was coming briskly forward singing a
National air, when all at once the Bretons
OF the French army stopped short in amaze
ment. The air their enemies We're singing
was one which every day may be heard
sounding over the hearths of Brittany
Electrified says the historian, grandson
himself of an eyewitness, by accents which
spoke to their hearts, they gave way to a
sudden enthusiasm, and joined in the same
patriotic refrain. The Welsh, in their turn,
stood motionless in their ranks. On both
sides officers gave the command to fire; but
it was in the same language, and the SOL
diers stood as if petrified. This hesitation
continued, however, but moment; COM
mon emotion was too strong for discipline;
the weapons fell from their hands, and the
descendants from the ancient Celts renewed
upon the battlefield the fraternal ties which
had formerly united their fathers"
In the Phans of Siam we come upon an
exquisite little instrument. We follow it
through long, circuitous path and at the
end we find evolved the organ. A bagpipe
suggests the Highland laddie, and hurdy-
gurdy from Italy brings forward the mask
ers in the fetes at Rome, but their drones
and bourdouns point out to us the first steps
in harmony.
Recent Investigations have more and
more elected the fact that the music of
every nation holds some distinctive char
acteriSticS that have been helpful to the
musical masters of the world and naturally
their musical instruments have been sought
after, that the revelations they had to make
could be obtained, and it has been through
the study Of these that the nature of musical
intervals, scales, modulation, in fact every
thing worthy of note, has been revealed
When stringed instruments were evolved
the discovery was made that the voice was
no longer necessity in satisfying mans
desire for music. This road, like that of
the flute, was long and circuitous.
The first stringed instrument of which
there is record is here also-the scholar s
lutte" of one string, which was thrummed
as an accompaniment TO recitation. Next
to that hangs the poets lutte" with double
strings. Even the Bedouins chanted
verses to the monotone of a one-stringed
fiddle made of a gourd covered with sheep
skin. From the first rude lutte was de-
veloped the Tyre, and we are told that each
OF these instruments gave birth to a first
born; the lutte to the harp and the Tyre to the
dulcimer, and near to these instruments
We find the "yina" of Hindustan the kin
of China, and the harp.
1T twirls the brain TO search for a starting
point. Take the rude harp as we see it in
this collection, and we remember the Egyp
tian harp, elegant in form and decoration
that Bruce tells us WAS painted on the wal
Of the sepulcher at Thebes, supposed TO be
the tomb Of Rameses ILL There is a broad
contrast between that and the crude instrlI.
ment before us. Surely this could not be
the harp that decorated the old Kings tomb
much less could it be the one that "Once
through Tara's hall the soul of music shed >
A little farther on is a curiosity, the vina
of Hindustan, stringed instrument some
five feet long, with finger or keyboard for
1rets resting on two large gourds. The nut
OF ivory has an elephants head at one end
and peacock S al the other. The notes OF
the scale were named from animals: the