_Plate 2_--Facing page 4. THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE CELEBRATED PAGANINI in the Passo di Gatto Moro, Genoa, Italy. The house is in a squalid neighbourhood--a dirty, narrow alley now occupied by the poorest of the city. Probably no worse than at the time of Paganini's birth. There is a tablet which reads as follows:-- Alta ventura sortita ad umile luogo in questa casa il giorno XXVII di Ottobre dell' anno MDCCLXXXII Nacque a decoro di Genova a delizia del mondo Nicolò Paganini nella divina arte dei suoni insuperato maestro. The date 1782 given here confirms the latest research that Paganini was born in that year and not in 1784 so usually quoted. _Plate 3_--Facing page 14. PAGANINI'S VIOLIN, BOW, CASE, ETC., in the Municipal Museum at Genoa. This is the celebrated Joseph Guarnerius on which the great virtuoso invariably performed. The instrument is under a glass shade, and with other relics of Paganini, preserved in a strong safe. It is stated that £5,000 has, in vain, been offered for the violin. _Plate 4_--Facing page 20. THIS IS ANOTHER CARICATURE--Paganini performing on a tight rope--under which is printed "Exercices sur une seule corde,"--in reference to his one string solos. This was published by Mori and Lavenu, London, circa 1831. _Plate 5_--Facing page 40. This is, we believe, from a contemporary German picture. _Plate 6_--Facing page 50. This humorous picture is on the title-page of a comic song, "The wonderful Paganini, or London fiddling mad." The poetry by W. T. Moncrieff, Esq., and the melody by one of the first composers of the day! London, published by Leoni Lee, circa 1831. The "poetry" is not of a classical standard. "What a hubbub! what a fuss! all London sure are frantic Sirs, The Prince of Fiddlers has arriv'd, great Paganini has come. So wonderful, exorbitant, so frightful, so romantic, Sirs, the world of Music at his mighty presence are struck dumb. So firm his touch, so fine his stop, everyone must own his sway, Great King King of Catgut! Agitato! presto! Who but he Sirs, Mori, Spagnoletti, now must second fiddle play, Sirs-- Glory be to Tweedle dum! Success to Tweedle dee! Sirs-- Such golden sounds, he from one string can draw, no sum can pay him, Sirs, Germany, France, Italy, combined his fame to puff The prices must be doubled, all the world crowd to survey him, Sirs, Four thousand pounds a night to pay him is not half enough, Sixpences, none, after this, must dare call fiddlers' money Sirs. Thousands, tens of thousands, must the wondrous man reward," etc., etc., and so on for five verses! _Plate 7_--Facing page 54.