Such was the style of music, so far as the violin is concerned, from the time of Corelli to the commencement of this century. Although Italy has since had to yield the palm for instrumental music to other countries, we must not overlook the fact that for generations she held undisputed sway in the realm of music; both as regards composers and performers. III.—FRANCE. We will now direct our attention to France. Towards the latter end of the sixteenth century the lute was a very favourite and general instrument. About the year 1577 the violin was introduced by Baltazarini, a then celebrated performer, who was sent at the head of a band of performers by Marshal Brissac to Catherine de Medicis, and was appointed valet de chambre to the Princess. Beyond this little appears to be known of him. We have elsewhere had occasion to refer to the band of twenty-four violins of Louis XIV. The leader of this band was a Florentine named Lully, who was instrumental in introducing the Italian music into France, thus giving to that country a new musical existence. The high standard then prevailing in Italy, he, however, failed to maintain, but be this as it may, the French seemed to have acquired a kind of distinctive reputation as performers, for M. Choron says: “With respect to the style in which the French have real and undisputed merit, and, indeed, in many respects have a marked superiority, is the instrumental in general, and especially that of the violin.... The excellence of the twenty-four violins of Louis XIV formed by Lully and of other violinists, was highly spoken of so far back as the seventeenth century,” and he adds, “I do not, however, know how to reconcile these facts with the following remark of Corette[5] in the preface to his “Method of Accompaniment,” published at Paris about the year 1750. ‘At the commencement of this century’ (says Corette) ‘music was very dull and slow,’ etc.... When Corelli’s sonatas were first brought from Rome (about 1715), nobody in Paris could play them. The Duke of Orleans, then Regent, being a great amateur of music, and wishing to hear them, was obliged to have them _sung_ by three voices. The violinists then begun to study them, and, at the expiration of some years, three were found who could play them. Baptiste, one of these, went to Rome to study them under Corelli himself,” and M. Choron continuing, says: “Be this as it may, since that period, instrumental music has been studied with ardour by the French, and they have made astonishing progress in it. France has now an excellent school for the violin, founded upon that of Italy.”