In every wealthy home in England, as well as on the Continent, there was, as we have seen, a collection of musical instruments for impromptu concerts. The collection consisted first of lutes and viols of all sizes and, at a later period, of violins, violas and violoncellos. Music was one of the entertainments and amusements of society; and it was considered just as necessary to have instruments of all kinds and all sizes to suit the visitors as it is to have a piano in the home to-day. In the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries public concerts were unknown. It was in the churches and cathedrals and in the homes of the rich that artistic music was heard. The _viola da gamba_ was at this time a favorite instrument for ladies; and it seems strange to us that the more delicate violin was not yet considered suitable for them while this awkward, and, to our way of thinking, rather unfeminine _viola da gamba_ was thought to be a lady’s instrument. However, the _viola da gamba_ was not so hard for them to play as the modern violoncello, because the strings were much thinner and a bold, strong tone was not required. [Illustration: FIRST VIOLONCELLIST, SYMPHONY SOCIETY OF NEW YORK _Engelbert Roentgen_] The _viola da gamba_ was often made artistic to look at with rich carving and inlay. A beautiful specimen belonging to the University of Edinburgh is shown facing page 60. It once belonged to the violoncellist Servais (see page 61). The back is of rosewood inlaid with ivory. The neck, scroll (carved in the shape of a woman’s head with elaborately dressed hair) and the tail-piece (in the shape of Mercury’s caduceus) are of ivory. This exquisite instrument is of later date than the _Viola d’amore_ facing page 50, for the crescent-shaped sound-holes are of a later period than the “flaming-sword” sound-holes. The _viola da gamba_ is rarely met with even in museums; for when the violoncello came into fashion, many people had their _violas da gamba_ converted into violoncellos. Johann Sebastian Bach was the last great composer to write for the _viola da gamba_. It seems that the violin is responsible for the development of the violoncello. The Italians, always so quick to perceive artistic needs and fitness, soon found out that the newly perfected violin required a more powerful accompaniment than the _viola da gamba_ could provide; and so the instrument-makers worked away until they produced the violoncello. This new instrument was mounted with much thicker strings than the _viola da gamba_. It seemed just the thing to the musicians of that time to accompany the very piercing and penetrating tones of the violin, which, although very far from having the resonant qualities of the violin that we know to-day since the development of the bow, seemed very loud indeed to ears that had been accustomed to the sounds of “a concert of lutes, or viols.”