drama; and Bishop Hurd notices the songs with which their plays are interspersed, as affording rather a remarkable "coincidence between the Chinese and the Grecian models;" and as "somewhat resembling in character the ancient chorus.”* All their poetry, too, is recited in a kind of measured recitative. The Chinese do not, however, employ music in their dramas and theatrical representations merely as the means of amusement. It is only when the author has reached the paroxysm of passion, that he calls it in to his aid, in order that he may give force to his words, which, of themselves, would be inadequate to the expression intended to be conveyed. † Sir George Staunton says, that at Turon, in Cochin-China, the embassy attended the performance of " a kind of historical opera, in which were the recitative, the air, and the chorus, as regular as upon the Italian stage. Some of the female performers were by no means despicable singers."

As to the musical instruments in use among the Chinese, it may be observed, in addition to what has been already quoted from Father Semedo, and Dr Careri, that the most ancient instrument upon record is the Chinese bisen, in form of an egg, pierced with five holes, without reckoning the embouchure; three at the bottom, and two at the top. Père Amiot pretends to trace this instrument 3000 years before the Christian era. He speaks very highly of the kin and the chè. Of the latter he said, that we had no instrument in Europe which deserved to be

* Discourse on Poetical Imitation.

+"A Voyage to China," by TIMBOWSKI.

"preferred to it. They are both stringed instruments; the former having seven, and the latter twenty-five strings, made of silk.

a

Dr Burney mentions only one Chinese instrument, which he saw at Paris, in the possession of the Abbé Arnaud. It had no semi-tones; and was a kind of sticcado, consisting of bars of wood of different lengths, as sonorous as if they had been of metal. These were placed across hollow vessel, resembling the hull of a ship. The compass was two octaves. The Chinese have, however, a great variety of instruments. The women play generally upon wind instruments, such as pipes and flutes; the favourite instrument of the men is something like a guitar: kettle-drums and different sized bells constitute part of their sacred music. They have also an instrument called the kin, which consists of stones cut into the shape of a carpenter's square, each stone suspended by the corner in a wooden frame: it is played by being beat with a round mallet like a gong, which latter is also a Chinese instrument. They have several species of flutes, and also various stringed instruments of the lute and guitar kind; the bellies of some of these are formed of a gourd, or pumpkin. The Ching, however, appears to be the most pleasing to European ears. It is a beautiful instrument, which has a gourd or bamboo for its basis, and represents, in the arrangement of its reeds, or bamboo pipes, the column of an organ. It has from thirteen to nineteen pipes, which speak either by blowing or inhaling, so that a tone may be continued to any length. It never speaks till a hole is stopped, and as many ventages as are covered by the

fingers, so many sounds will be produced. Duets may, therefore, be played on a single instrument, or even chords, which, if harmonically proportioned, like the tones of our instruments, would greatly delight ears well organized. Its tone is more sweet and delicate than that of any of our wind instruments. It is not loud enough for a theatre or concert-room; but in a small apartment of a mansion, if cultivated by a musician of taste and science, it might be made the most exquisite and captivating of instruments.

55

CHAPTER VI.

ORIENTAL MUSIC.-THE MUSIC OF THE PERSIANS AND TURKS.

THERE are few or no materials now in existence for giving a history of the ancient state of the art in Persia, though there is great reason to think that it was more generally cultivated, and brought to a much higher state of perfection before the conquest of that country by the Mahometans, in the seventh century, than it has been since that era. * One consequence of that event was, the destruction of the arts and literature of the Persians. 66 Haji Khalfa informs us, that, when the Musselmans conquered Persia, Saad, the son of Abu-wakhas, wrote to Omar, (who was the second caliph after Mahomet,) to be allowed to send a number of books to him. Omar's answer was, to throw them into the water, as useless to the faith. They were all burned; and thus, says Ebu Khaldun, perished the sciences

* An Arabian treatise on music says, that "before the Islam, music flourished in many empires, and above all in that of Persia, where the Kosroes gave it encouragement."

A. D. 643.

of the ancient Persians."* This order was so completely executed, that the only work in which the subject of music is discussed now known to exist in the Persian language, is one entitled Heela Imaeli, mentioned in a catalogue of MSS. appended to Mr Fraser's History of Nadir Shah. The third part of this book treats of musical instruments. Being without date, we cannot, however, fix the time of its production; and we must follow other guides in our notices of music in Persia.

Music, vocal and instrumental, is said to have been introduced into Persia by Gjemshid, or Giamschid, the fifth sovereign of the first, or Pischdalian dynasty; and Nizami, a Persian writer, mentioned by Sir William Jones, celebrates the music of the ancient Persians. He describes, with great animation, the musical entertainments of Parviz, one of the Persian monarchs, who flourished about A. D. 590, as being in a style of great magnificence. Anim, a writer and musician of Hindostan, says, that the seven primary modes were in use before the reign of Parviz; and Sir William Jones says, the Persians have eighty-four modes, "which they distribute, according to an idea of locality, into twelve rooms, twenty-four recesses, and fortyeight angles, or corners."+ The principal modes, like those of the Greeks, are denominated by the

"On the Sacred Books and Religion of the Parsis," in a letter from William Erskine, Esq. to Sir John Malcolm; inserted in the Transactions of the Literary Society of Bombay, ii. 307.

+ On the Musical Modes of the Hindoos. Works, iv. 178.