Books › the history of the violin, 1864 › scan 224
Scan 224
the history of the violin, 1864
9 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 202. See the scan on archive.org.
1tional information beyond what has already appeared in print; and Mons. Fetis appears to have made similar inquiries with like want of success. The following is the most accurate account we can give of the Amati family, which we believe to be substantially correct. It may be observed here, that the genuineness of tickets cannot always be depended on, as sometimes these are imitated, and a genuine ticket may also be found on a spurious instrument. It would be a good speculation to buy some of these instruments for what they are really worth, and sell them for what their owners profess them to be worth, like Laharpe—
3 "Si vous voudrez faire bientôt,
4 Une fortune immense autant que légitime,
5 Il vous faut acheter Laharpe ce qu'il vaut,
6 Et le vendre ce qu'il s'estime."
8The first maker of this name was Andreas, born at Cremona about 1520; he made as early as 1546, Fetis mentioning a rebec, or violin with three strings, bearing his name with this date. The Baron de Bagge had a viola with his name and the date 1551. He made twenty-four violins, twelve of large, and twelve of small pattern; six violas, and eight basses for Charles IX. of France. These, it is said, were kept in the Chapel Royal at Versailles, until October, 1790, when they disappeared; but M. Cartier recovered two of them many years afterwards. Nothing, it is said, could surpass the beauty of the workmanship, the varnish being of golden amber colour, reflecting a reddish brown. On the backs were painted the arms of France, and other devices, with the motto "Pietate et Justitia," not very appropriate for Charles IX. The heads were decorated with a sort of arabesque of much taste. In the sale of the instruments of the late Sir Wm. Curtis, on 3rd of May, 1827, Lot 9 was a violon-
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