; and with his music Amphion summoned rocks to
Thebes. Jephtha's daughter danced to her death before the Ark of the
Covenant, praising the Lord God of Israel. Behind her leered unabashed
the rhythmic Herodias; while were heard the praiseful songs of Deborah
and Barak, as Caecilia smote her keys. Miriam with her timbrel sang songs
of triumph. Abyssinian girls swayed alluringly before the Persian Satrap
in his purple litter; the air was filled with the crisp tinklings of
tiny bells at wrist and anklet as the Kabaros drummed; and hard by, in
the brake, brown nymphs, their little breasts pointing to the zenith,
moved in languorous rhythms, droning hoarse sacrificial chaunts. The
colossus Memnon hymned; priests of Baal screamed as they lacerated
themselves with knives; Druid priestesses crooned sybillic incantations.
And over this pageant of woman and music the proud sun of old Egypt
scattered splendid burning rays....

From distant strands and hillsides came the noise of strange and unholy
instruments with sweet-sounding and clashing names. Nofres from the
Nile, Ravanastrons of Ceylon, Javanese gongs, Pavilions from China,
Tambourahs, Sackbuts, Shawms, Psalteries, Dulcimers, Salpinxes, Keras,
Timbrels, Sistras, Crotalas, double flutes, twenty-two stringed harps,
Kerrenas, the Indian flute called Yo and the quaint Yamato-Koto. Then
followed the Biwa, the Gekkin and its cousin the Genkwan; the Ku, named
after the hideous god; the Shunga and its cluttering strings; the
Samasien, the Kokyu, the Yamato Fuye--which breathed moon-eyed
melodies--the Hichi-Riki and the Shaku-Hachi. The Sho was mouthed by
slant-haired yellow boys; while the sharp roll of drums covered with
goat-skins never ceased. From this bedlam there occasionally emerged a
splinter of tune, like a plank thrown up by the sea. Stannum could
discern no melody, though he grasped its beginnings; double flutes gave
him the modes, Dorian, Phrygian, AEolian, Lydian and Ionian; after Sappho
and her Mixolydian mode, he longed for a modern accord....

The choir went whirling by with Citharas, Rebecs, Citoles, Domras,
Goules, Serpents, Crwths, Pentachords, Rebabs, Pantalons, Conches,
Flageolets made of Pelicon bones, Tam-Tams, Carillons, Xylophones,
Crescents of beating bells, Mandoras, Whistling Vases of Clay,
Zampognas, Zithers, Bugles, Octochords, Naccaras or Turkish castanets
and Quinternas. He heard blare the two hundred thousand curved trumpets
which Solomon had made f