In particular I am indebted to Sir George Donaldson for permission to reproduce his Duiffoproucart Viol; to Dr William H. Cummings for the use of his interesting old engraving of Benjamin Hallet; to Mr W. E. Whitehouse for notes concerning Signor Piatti; to Mr Edward Heron Allen for courteous admittance to his valuable library, and for permission to reproduce the handsome carved violoncello by Galli; to Mr John Bridges for his photographs of “The King” Amati, and for supplying me with many points relating to its history; and to Miss Gertrude Roberts for helpful research at the British Museum. Also I waft hearty acknowledgments to that great host of musical historians--my predecessors--to whose various records from century to century we owe our present knowledge. OLGA RACSTER. CONTENTS CHAT THE FIRST PAGE Fog--The South Kensington Museum--The Ravanastron--Arabia--The Kemangeh à Gouze--Egypt and the Rabab 1 CHAT THE SECOND Lunch, and the Emperor Albinus--The Crwth--The immature Bow Instruments which preceded the Fifteenth-century Viol--M. Coutagne and Gaspard Duiffoproucart 43 CHAT THE THIRD The Renaissance--The Influence of the Netherlands School--A brief Outline of the growing Use of the Viol in Germany, Italy, England, France 81 CHAT THE FOURTH Andrea Amati--“The King” and its History--Gasparo da Salo--Woods employed by Ancient _Luthiers_--Paolo Maggini and the “Dumas” Bass--Monsieur Savart’s Experiments--Freaks--Stradivarius Violoncellos--Signor Piatti’s Violoncellos--The Bass of Spain--Davidoff’s Violoncello--Herr Klengel’s Amati--A neat Swindle--Stradivarius’ Contemporaries--Owners of Rugger Violoncellos--George IV.’s pseudo Stradivarius--The earliest Treatise on the Violoncello as a Solo Instrument--Mr Andrew Forster’s Gamba--The Prince Consort’s “Ancient Instruments” Concert--Development of the Technique of Violoncello Playing 109 CHAT THE FIFTH Two Eighteenth-century Women Players of the Viola da Gamba 185 CHAT THE SIXTH An Eighteenth-century Violoncello Prodigy 211 ILLUSTRATIONS The Artist’s Wife. A Van Dyck _Frontispiece_ Sir George Donaldson’s Duiffoproucart Viola da Gamba, sketched by D. Freeborn Roberts _To face page_ 74 “The King” Violoncello by Andreas Amati ” 110 “The King,” Side View ” 114 Back of the “Vaslin” Violoncello ” 124 Back of Carved Violoncello by Galli ” 174