in Assyria, Egypt and Greece; throughout the Middle Ages they were known in manifold shapes and sizes, among the most interesting being those of the Kelts; and from these has come the modern orchestral harp, whose perfecting as a chromatic and transposing instrument was not achieved until the early 19th century. Lyres were characteristic in Egyptian and Greek music; they continued in the Middle Ages as variants among the more common harps; in modern times they have generally been discarded. Zithers were known in ancient times, though not prominent; in mediæval usage they were common because of their relatively great sonority in proportion to size; and as highly artistic instruments their advance was then delayed till the 19th century. Dulcimers were known to the Assyrians and the Greeks; and they persisted into the Middle Ages in varied forms. With a keyboard added, the zither type passed over into the harpsichord, and the dulcimer type into the pianoforte. The clavichord, the other stringed instrument with a keyboard, was derived from the 'monochord' (uniting features from both zither and dulcimer), from which also the curious 'nun's-fiddle' or 'marine trumpet' was descended (see Fig. 52). Lutes were certainly used in ancient Egypt and probably by many Oriental nations; thence, especially through Mohammedan channels, they came into great prominence in mediæval Europe; in the 16th century they were chief among portable instruments in artistic valuation, but have since lost place, being now represented only by the guitar and mandolin. Viols, which seem not to have been known to the ancients, began to compete with other types sometime in the Middle Ages, were more and more considered in the 16th century, and in the 17th assumed an artistic leadership among solo instruments that has since not been questioned. Experiments have often been made with keyboard viols, like the hurdy-gurdy (see Fig. 51) and many complicated forms, but none of these has had success.
110. The Genesis of the Violin.—Infinite discussion has been had regarding the remote ancestry of the violin, but without satisfactory results. It is likely that several early forms yielded suggestions which were gradually combined. Among these probably were varieties of the 'crwth,' some of which were lyres or lutes, though one has a striking likeness to the viol proper,
