JEAN PIERRE GUIGNON was born, in 1702, at Turin, probably of French parents, and became further Gallicized by going early into France, where he had a long career of distinction. He brought to the exercise of his art a liberality conducive to its diffusion and repute, as well as redounding to his own honor—for he gave gratuitous lessons to many young violinists whom the “res angusta domi” might else have left to struggle on without encouragement. His talents gave further aid to the _fidicinal_ cause by the valuable compositions which they enabled him to devote to it, consisting of Sonatas, Duetts, Trios and Concertos. Guignon had the support of courtly patronage, and gave instructions to the Dauphin, father of Louis XVI. During thirty years, he held an appointment rather suggestive of mock-heroic associations, than either flattering or useful—that of _Roi des Violons, et Maître des Ménestriers_, an office which, as already stated in these recording pages, had given rise to our English dignity, more ridiculed than respected, of _King of the Fiddlers_. Guignon died at Versailles in 1774. GABRIEL GUILLEMAIN, born at Paris, in 1705, produced some sonatas for the instrument that have been held in considerable estimation, and was also admired as a performer. In the decline of his life, he lost his faculties, and, in that melancholy state, became his own destroyer (in 1770), inflicting on his person no less than fourteen wounds. PIERRE GAVINIÈS, a native of Bordeaux, claims some distinction, both as composer and as performer. So great was his aptitude for the latter character, that he made his _début_ at the _Concert Spirituel_ in Paris, when he had attained but fourteen years of age; nor were his pretensions those of mere vulgar precocity, that makes a dash at music, as parrots do at language; for he gained the approbation of the best of all judges, Viotti. The estimation in which the talents of Gaviniès were held, procured for him, in 1794, the honour of being appointed Professor of the Violin at the then newly formed institution, the Paris _Conservatoire_. His works consist of three collections (or operas) of Sonatas, several Concertos, and a series of violin music entitled _Les vingt-quatre Matinées_, the pieces in which are, for the most part, very difficult. He died in 1799, at the advanced aged of 73.