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Historical Introduction
on inquiring whence arose this fearful tumult he was answered in Columbarian Greek (the dialect used to communicate with foreigners) that it came from an instrument named the θῶμας-θῶμας, which Bossius conjectures may be probably identified with that which we now call the "tom-tom."[1]
But a still greater discomfiture awaited our philosopher, and one which threatened to shatter and destroy the very citadel of his system—namely, the divine order and sequence of numbers both in matters terrestrial and celestial. For it happed that playing at astragaloi or dibs with one whom he describes as παιδαριωδέστατος καὶ εὐτραπελώτατος παντων—"of all men most bland and childlike,"[2] the cast of sea-
- ↑ But Trench (Fossarius Hibernesis) will not accept this interpretation, showing the mutation of θῶμας-θῶμας into tom-tom to be utterly at variance with the laws laid down in the "Fabellæ" or Fairy Tales of Grimm; and plainly demonstrates that the only musical instrument which will answer both the requirements of history and etymology is the hurdy-gurdy, which is as plainly connected with θῶμας-θῶμας as "tooth" with "dens" or "goose" with "χῆν."
- ↑ Cervus Californicus maintaineth that the name of the native was Παπᾶι, Ἁμαρτία, or Ah Sin.
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