Scan 281
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1875
6 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. Printed page 13. See the scan on archive.org.
1SECTION XIII.
3The Violin and its Dotaries.
5THE leading instrument is singularly favoured. It may be said to have a double existence. In addition to its manifold capabilities, it has its life of activity on the one hand, and inactivity on the other. At one time it is cherished for its power of giving pleasure to the ear, at another for the gratification it affords to the eye. Sometimes it is happily called upon to perform its double part—giving delight to both senses. When this is so, its existence is indeed a happy one. The Violin thus occupies a different position to all other musical instruments. Far more than any other musical instrument it enters into the life of the player. It may almost be said to live and move about with him; the treasure-house of his tenderest and deepest emotions, the symbol of his own better self. Moreover, the Violin is a curiosity as well as a mechanical contrivance. Thus, it is cherished, perhaps, for its old associations—it may have been the companion of a valued friend, or it may be prized as a piece of artistic work, or it may be valued, independently of other associations, for the simple purpose for which it was made. viz., to answer the will of the player when touched
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.