As Nature goes on in the same old way, never changing her laws or her behaviour, we can hear from these models the same tones as were heard by the Greeks, centuries ago; the flutes are faithful even to the pitch, for a pipe preserves its interior diameter, and is a true record which age does not imperil. In this respect, the wind instruments have the advantage over the stringed kind. The shapes of the Greek lyres we know from the vases, and from the paintings and sculpture; but of the nature of the strings and their tension, and the amount of sound elicited from the sounding-board, we remain in ignorance, and our best surmises fail to explain or account for the effects attributed to the skill of the players on these instruments.
Whether by some peculiar skill the flute players were able to produce a series of harmonics, is a puzzling problem. There is no reason to suppose that they could control the reed, unless they used a reed with reversed cut of tongue, like that of the old Chalumeau, or some other kind of reed, or a double reed as just now suggested; not the Arghool reed. To obtain harmonics merely by hard blowing would be a hazardous affair, especially in public performance before an audience professedly merciless to failure. The only harmonics to instruments of this class are twelfths and possibly fifths. Yet on the other hand, in the contests between ancient flute players, the especial aim of the rivals was to outdo each other in producing the highest notes.
Our players on oboi and clarionets only obtain harmonics with certainty by pressing the reed with the lip, so as to shorten the reed’s active portion. On the Egyptian flutes, as stated in a previous chapter, fifths were obtained in series, and after that octaves. A fine straw reed tongue was used in this case, and may account for results so different from modern custom.
One of these four Pompeian flutes produces three notes beyond the compass of the others, and there was doubtless some intent in the distinction; possibly the player who handled it had the dignity of first flautist.
There is yet one other example in existence of this type of flute. It was discovered at Salamis, in the the island of Cyprus, by Cesnola, and is, I believe, included in that portion of his wonderful collection which was sent to New York. It is described in his book, “Salaminia,” and is illustrated. Although in decayed condition, its structure is apparent. It is of bronze, with sliding cylinders; is about twenty inches long, and is perforated with fourteen finger holes, three of which it would seem were closed off. Careful measurements were taken, and an exact copy made by Messrs. Carte, and they were thus able to ascertain the original notes of the time worn instrument. The notes are nearly those of the modern chromatic scale, the lowest note being C in the bass clef, and the highest G (an octave and a fifth above). These notes,
C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, G, A, B♭, C, E, G,
were obtained by using an Arghool reed, and—as they vary from the scale obtained by M. Mahillon, on the Pompeian flutes—there is some reason to infer that a stiffer reed was used, as anyone who has had experience with these reeds knows how greatly pitch may differ on the same pipe when two different reeds are tried; in fact, resultant pitch is the effect of the combination of pitch of reed with pitch of tube. Both F♯ and G♯ are missing from this Cyprus specimen. The age of this flute is not indicated; but the Pompeian flutes are fixed to a year, almost to a day, in the memorable year 79 of our era, when the gay city was overwhelmed in the lava of Vesuvius. Thus we may say that these flutes have been held in safe keeping through that stretch of years between our own time and the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, an association of thoughts which will come home to many readers more clearly.
Pompeii was originally founded by the Oscan people, who had nothing in common with the Romans, and did not lose their independence until about 90 B.C. The city was the last in the Campania, which was reduced to submission by the army of Rome.