hese flutes
we find the shepherd's pipe with a reed or strip of cane in the
mouthpiece, which may be found in the Tyrol at the present day. The
next step was probably the bagpipes. Here we find four of these pipes
attached to a bag. The melody or tune is played on one of the pipes
furnished with holes for the purpose, while the other three give a
drone, bass. The bag, being blown up, forms a wind reservoir and the
amount of tone can be regulated by the pressure of the arm. Here we
have the precursor of the organ bellows. Next comes the Irish
bagpipes, with a bellows worked by the arm furnishing the wind to the
bag, the reservoir, and producing a much sweeter tone. This is one
line of advance.

[Illustration: Pre-historic Double Flutes. From Assyrian and Egyptian
Tombs]

On the other hand we have the syrinx or Pan's-pipes. Stainer says this
was undoubtedly the precursor of the organ. "It was formed of seven,
eight or nine short hollow reeds, fixed together by wax, and cut in
graduated lengths so as to produce a musical scale. The lower ends of
the reeds were closed and the upper open and on a level, so that the
mouth could easily pass from one pipe to another." This is the
instrument used at the present day by the Punch and Judy man. He wears
it fastened around his throat, turning his head from side to side as he
blows, while with his hands he beats a drum.

The next step would be to combine a set of flutes or shepherd's pipes
with the wind reservoir of the bagpipes, placing a little slider under
the mouthpiece of each pipe which could be opened or closed at will, so
that they would not all speak at once. Then some genius steadied the
wind pressure by pumping air into a reservoir partly filled with water.
This was the so-called "hydraulic organ," which name has given rise to
the impression that the pipes were played by the water passing through
them--which is impossible.

And so we come down the ages to the Christian era. The Talmud mentions
an organ (magrepha) having ten pipes played by a keyboard as being in
existence in the Second Century. "Aldhelm (who died A. D. 709)
mentions an organ which had gilt pipes. An organ having leaden pipes
was placed in the Church of S. Corneille, at Compiegne, in the middle
of the Eighth Century." St. Dunstan had an organ with pipes made of
brass. Then we have the organ in Winchester Cathedral, England,
described by Wulfstan of Winchester in his "Life of Saint Sw