[39] 'Universal-Lexicon der Tonkunst. Stuttgardt, 1835.' [40] Rochlitz wrote this in the year 1828. See 'Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung,' Jahrgang XXX, P. 489. [41] 'Louis Spohr's Selbstbiographie. Cassel, 1861.' Vol. II., P. 404. [42] A Midsummer-Night's Dream, Act I., Scene 2. [43] The Tenor (Italian, _Viola di braccio_) is called in German _Bratsche_, corrupted here into _Pr‰tschel_. [44] A groschen is about an English penny. [Illustration] THE ENGLISH INSTRUMENTALISTS. Towards the end of the sixteenth century, and in the beginning of the seventeenth, companies of English actors visited Germany to perform at the courts of princes, and at public festivities. The Germans called these actors 'Die englischen Comˆdianten' (The English Comedians); and the musicians accompanying them they called 'Die englischen Instrumentisten' (The English Instrumentalists.) Respecting the English Comedians much has already been written by Shakespearean scholars. The musical accomplishments of these strolling troupes have, however, not received sufficient attention to satisfy musicians. Although they appear not to have been remarkable, they are interesting inasmuch as they were associated with the performances of Shakespeare's dramas, and also because the English Instrumentalists have been, with few exceptions, the only English musicians who ever visited Germany with the object of gaining a livelihood in that country by displaying their skill. Some notices of them are to be found in the historical records of the German theatres, which have been published during the present century. What induced these actors and musicians to leave their native country?--Want of support at home. There were too many of them in England. During the sixteenth century many were in the service of English noblemen. It was a usual custom with the nobility to keep a company of instrumentalists as well as actors; and to these were not unfrequently added skilful tumblers, or acrobats, who seem to have enjoyed great popularity. Strolling troupes of the latter visited the provincial towns. W. Kelly, in his 'Notices illustrative of the Drama, and other popular amusements in Leicester, during the 16th and 17th centuries,' says: "The earliest notice we have of the visits of companies of tumblers to the town is in 1590." These personages undoubtedly also played on musical instruments. In the German records alluded to, they are called _Springer_ (_i.e._ "Jumpers" or "Dancers"), and it would appear that not all the English Instrumentalists, but only the lowest class of them, combined the art of dancing and tumbling with that of music. The majority were musical actors rather than professional musicians; while others occupied themselves almost exclusively with playing on musical instruments, such as the lute, treble-viol, viola da gamba, recorder, cornet, trumpet, etc.