The _viola d’amore_ (Fig. 57) was often strung entirely with wire. It appears to have been a novelty to Evelyn, for he records in his Diary of November 20th, 1679, “I dined with Mr. Slingsby, Master of the Mint, with my wife, invited to hear music, which was exquisitely performed by four of the most renowned masters: Du Prue, a Frenchman, on the lute; Signor Bartholomeo, an Italian, on the harpsichord; Nicholao, on the violin; but above all, for its sweetness and novelty, the _viol d’amore_ of five wire strings played on with a bow, being but an ordinary violin played on lyre-way by a German.” Mattheson (“Das Neu-Eröffnete Orchestre,” Hamburg, 1713) describes the _viola d’amore_ as being mounted with four wire strings, and with one catgut string for the highest tone. [Illustration: FIG. 57.――VIOLA D’AMORE. Probably English. Late 17th century. L. 27½ in. No. 154-’82. Victoria and Albert Museum.] [Illustration: FIG. 58.――DOUBLE-BASS, WITH BOW. Known as “The Giant.” Italian. 17th century. L. 103 in., W. 42 in. No. 487-’72. Victoria and Albert Museum.] He praises its sweetness of sound, but does not mention the sympathetic strings. The transformation of the wire-strung _viola d’amore_ into the so-called psaltery or sultana, which has no sympathetic strings, is indicated in the following statement by Sir John Graham Dalyell (“Musical Memoirs of Scotland,” Edinburgh, 1849), “The instrument was first introduced in public in London during the year 1715, when it was heard between the acts of an opera. It was known in Scotland in the middle of the century, and a taste for it was probably encouraged by the performance of Passerini, an Italian resident in Edinburgh, in the year 1752, when it was said to be a new instrument called _viole d’amour_. Passerini was manager of the Gentleman’s and St. Cecilia Concert, where he and his wife had a permanent engagement as skilled musicians. He played solos and accompanied singing with the instrument. Perhaps the _viole d’amour_ underwent several modifications, as its name was changed to _psaltery_, in the belief of its being the ancient instrument so denominated, which is quite different according to most authorities, not belonging to the fidicinal tribe. In 1754 a concert for the new instrument called the _psaltery_ was announced for Signor Carusi’s benefit concert in Edinburgh, and performed by Pasquali, another Italian musician, also resident there. From its soft and simple nature it was eulogised in 1762 as unequalled for delicacy and sweetness. I knew a lady many years ago in Edinburgh who played melodies with great delicacy on this instrument, which was strung with wire, and had frets on the finger-board.” From these accounts it would appear that the _viola d’amore_ strung entirely with wire was not much used in England before the year 1700, although it evidently existed in this country in the seventeenth century.