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Scan 203
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
2 lines. Read by computer on 30 September 2026. Printed page 189. See the scan on archive.org.
1ment, apparently quite oblivious of the circumstance that he is committing a similar offence, he says: "Such things as these are too frequent at this day, as I shall make appear, and because I have begun to speak of the sprightly, generous, and heroic viol, which instrument I love and highly value; and indeed is an instrument of such excellent and admirable use, that it deservedly takes the next place (i.e., to the lute); and, therefore, for its sake and the lovers thereof, I shall take a little more than ordinary pains to illustrate and give that brave instrument its due." Unfortunately he gives us no information at all, to speak of, about its manufacture, but continues his, perhaps at that time, well-founded complaint of the undue predominance of some parts over others in the "new fashion:" "What injury must it be to have such things played upon instruments unequally suited or unevenly numbered, viz., one small, weak-sounding bass viol and two or three violins, whereas one in reason would think that one violin would bear up sufficiently against two or three common-sounding basses." Further: "Or suppose a theorboe lute, the disproportion is still the same. The scoulding violins will outtop them all." He is very bitter indeed about these interlopers, the violins, and rates the young ladies and young gentlemen—somewhat ungallantly mentioning the latter first—for neglecting the old-fashioned music, which consisted, when grave in kind, of "Fancies of 3, 4, 5, and 6 parts to the organ, interposed now and then with some Pavins (Paduan airs), Allmaines (German ditto), solemn and sweet delightful ayres, which have been to myself and many others as divine raptures, powerfully captivating all our unruly
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