Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 11.djvu/516

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Harmoniums and American organs are the results of many experiments to play upon free reeds by a key- board, initiated by the ‘ orgue expressif” of Grenic, a Frenchman. During nearly the first half of this century various t2ntative efforts in France-and Germany, and subse- quently in England, came to nothing more valuable than the Viennese “‘ physharmonica” of Hackel, the Parisian “melophone,” and our own “seraphine.” The inventor of the harmonium was indubitably Alexandre Debain, who took out a patent for it in Paris in 1840. He produce varied timbre registers by modifying reed chan- nels, and brought these registers on to one keyboard. Unfortunately he patented tuo much, for he secured even the name harmonium, obliging contemporary and future experimenters to shelter their improvements under other names, and the venerable name of organ becoming im- pressed into connexion with an inferior instrument, we have now to distinguish between reed and pipe organs. The compromise of rced organ for the harmonium class of instruments must therefore be accepted. Debain’s harmoniam was at first quite mechanical; it gained ex- pression by the expression-stop already described. The Alexandres, well-known French makers, by the ingenuity of one of their workmen, Martin, added the percussion and the prolongement. The melody attachment was the invention of an English engineer; the introductien of the double touch, now used in the harmoniums of Mustel, Bauer, and others—also in American organs—is due to Mr Tamplin, an English professor. Reference has already been made tv the improvements of M. Mustel, a maker imbued with true artistic devotion. The principle of the American organ originated with the Alexandres, whose earliest experiments are said to have been made with the view of constructing an instrument to ex- haust air. The realizition of the idea proving to be more in consonance with the genius of the American people, to whom what we may call the devotional tone of the instru- ment appealed, the introduction of it by Messrs Mason and Hamlin in 1851 was followed by remarkable success. They made it generally known in Europe by exhibiting it at Paris in 1867, and from that time instruments have been exported in large numbers by different makers. Har- moniums are not entirely, although chiefly, of French make. Mr Bauer, one of the best English makers, learned the trade in Paris, and employs chiefly French workmen. As keyed instruments, reed organs of either principle cannot be expected to compete musically with the older organ and pianoforte, yet the harmonium, studied for itself with something like the devotion that is given to the other keyed instrumeuts, might be made more important than it is at present. Excepting from a few isolated students who may be told upon the fingers, it has received no true cultivation. Whether it will ever get this is a ques- tion that remains to be answered. Commercially the har- monium and American organ have taken a much more important place, although of course one not equal to that of the pianoforte. For some -years the Alexandres were sending annually 7000 harmoniums to England. This afterwarJds, from various causes, diminished; the number, however, of their instruments made up to 1879 has reached 110,000. A general estimate of harmoniums made annually in France, Germany, and England is not forthcoming; but the yearly production of American organs in the United States has been stated at the large total of 40,000.  HARMONY. See and.  HARO, said to be the ancient Castrum Bilium, a town of Spain, is situated in the province of Logroie, and the bishopric of Calahorra, 12 miles S.E. of Miranda, and 58 miles N. of Madrid. It occupies a beautiful site near the Ebro, in a fertile plain, bounded by a range of mountains, The town contains a fine parish church, a theatre built in 1841, a hospital, and other public buildings. Various unimportant manufactures are carried on by the inhabitants; but the chief source of wealth is the red wine produced in great abundance from the vines of the surrounding plain. There are some copper-mines in the neighbourhood. Haro was the birthplace of Diego de Leyva, the celebrated punter, about. The population was estimated for 1870 at 6594.  HAROLD I., surnamed Fairhaired (Harald Haarfager), the founder of the old royal dynasty of Norway, succeeded his father, Halfdan the Black, as jar] about. His ambition to become king is said to have been awakened by the refusal of Gyda, daughter of Eric of Hadaland, to marry him until he had made himself ruler of all Norway, as Gorm had of Denmark, and Eric of Sweden; and he vowed that he would never clip nor comb his hair until he had fully achicved his task. After he had subdued all the jarls, he sent for Gyda and made her one of his wives, and had his hair cut at a feast in More by Jarl Rognwald, who then gave him the name of Haarfager. During the wars of Harold with the jarls many of the Norsemen left their country and settled in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and even in the Hebrides of Scotland, from whence they returned and committed many sea robberies in Norway. Harold therefore fitted out a great expedition, conquered and slew the vikings, and made himself ruler over all these Norse settlements. During his absence on another expedition against Jarl Einar of Orkney his sons made war on one another, and also committed many acts of violence against his jarls. Accordingly on his return, finding it difficult to keep them in check, Harold resolved to give them separate provinces to govern, and about  called together a great “thing,” at which he conferred on each the title of king, with a seat higher than that of the jarls, he himself retaining the sovereignty of the whole country. He also made Eric Bloodyaxe his heir, and took him to live with him; and about his eightieth year, when he found himself no longer able to discharge his kingly duties, he transferred the whole government to Eric and gave him the royal seat. Harold died three years afterwards about.  HAROLD II. surnamed Greyskin (Harald Graafel), son of Eric Bloodyaxe, succeeded Haco the Good in the government of Norway about, having bribed his other brothers to be satisfied with reigning as under kings in the other provinces. It would appear that Harold himself was disposed to govern peacefully and well, but his brothers now resolved to take vengeance on the friends of the late King Haco, and murdered among others Jarl Sigurd. They, however, failed of their purpose on Haco, his son, who after for some time resisting their attacks fled to Denmark, where he obtained the assistance of King Harold Bluetooth, with whose help he defeated and slew Harold Greyskin, upon which, under Harold Bluetooth, he became ruler of Norway with the title of jarl, according to some in, to others in , and to others in.  HAROLD III., surnamed Stern in Council (Harald Haardraade or Hardrada), son of Jarl Sigurd, half-brother of King Olaf the Holy, and descended by his father from Harold I., was one of the most distinguished warriors among the old Norse kings. About his fifteenth year he made his escape wounded from the battle of Stiklestad , where his half-brother Olaf was killed; and after staying till he was cured of his wounds with a “ bonde” in a