Lute

LUTE, a musical Instrument with Strings, formerly it had but six, at present it has eleven. It is composed of the Table, which is of Fir or Cedar; of the Body made up of nine or ten Splints; of the Handle which has nine Stops; and the Lead where the Pins are, which are of Use in raising the Strings to the Tone which any one would give them. They are fastened to a Bridge at the Bottom of the Table, and at the other Extremity rest upon a Piece of Ivory with little Notches in it at the End of the Handle. The Sound issues through a Rose in the Middle of the Table. The Strings are played upon with the right Hand, and with the left you rest upon the Stops. The Latin Cithara, Testudo or Chelys, is generally translated Lute. But it is certain that the ancient Lute called Kinnor in Hebrew¹ is very different from the Lute. See our Dissertation upon the musical Instruments of the old Hebrews, prefixed to our Comment on the Psalms.

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