V.
Belgravia, Feb. 18, 1850.


_What are Depinges?_--In the orders made in 1574 for regulating the
fishery at Yarmouth, the Dutch settlers there are "To provide themselves
with twine and _depinges_ in foreign places." What are Depinges?

J.S.B.

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REPLIES

ORIGIN OF THE JEWS-HARP.

The "Jews-harp," or "Jews-trump," is said by several authors to derive
its name from the nation of the Jews, and is vulgarly believed to be one
of their instruments of music. Dr. Littleton renders Jews-trump by
_Sistrum Judaicum_. But no such musical intrument is spoken of by any of
the old authors that treat of the Jewish music. In fact, the Jews-harp
is a mere boy's plaything, and incapable of in itself of being joined
either with a voice or any other instrument; and its present orthography
is nothing more than a corruption of the French _Jeu-trompe_, literally,
a toy trumpet. It is called _jeu-trompe_ by Bacon, _Jew-trump_ by
Beaumont and Fletcher, and _Jews-harp_ by Hackluyt. In a rare
black-letter volume, entitled _Newes from Scotland_, 1591, there is a
curious story of one Geilles Duncan, a noted performer on the