Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-10

MIR. Charles Reade, in an article in the Pail
Mall Gazette under the above head, writes with
the sub-caption, "The Romance of Fiddle Deal
| ing"
| Nearly fifty years ago gaunt Italian called
Luigi Iarlsio arrived in Paris one day with a
| lot of old Italian instruments by makers whose
names were hardly known. The PRINCIPAL deal
ers, whose minds were narrowed, as is often the
case, TO three or four makers, would not deal
win MN. NJ Georges Chanot, younger and
| more lntelllgent, purchased largely, and en-
| couraged him to return. He came back next
year with better lot; and, yearly increasing his
funds, he flew at the highest game; and In the
course OF thirty years imported nearly all the
nnest specimens OF Stradiuarius and Guarnerius
| France possesses He was the greatest coupois-
| seur that ever lived, or ever can live, because he
had the true mind of a connOiSseur and vast o.
| portunltleS, he ransacked Italy before the
tickets intthe ViolinS of francesca Stradiuarus.
Petrus Guarnerlus Of Venice, and full fifty more
| had been tempered with that every brilliant
| masterpiece might be assigned to some popular
name TO his immortal credit, he fought against
TINS mania, and his motto was, "a tout Seiqneltr
tout dOAne1tr." The mans whole soul was in
hddes. He was great dealer, but a greater
amateur. lie had gems by him no money
would buy from him. No. 81 was one of them
But for his death you would never have cast
eyes on il. lie has often talked to me of it; but
he would never let me see it, for fear ] should
tempt him.
Well, one day George Chanot, ST., who is per
maps the best Judge OF yiolns left, now Tarisio
IS gone, made an excursion TO Spain, to see if he
could find anything there. He found mighty
llttle. But, coming to the shop of a fiddle
maker, one Ortega he saw the belly of an old
bass hung up with other things. Chanot rubbed
his eyes and asked himself was he dreaming.
The belly Of a Stradidarius bass roasting in a
shop window He went in, and very soon
bought it for about forty francs. He then ascer-
tanned that the bass belonged to a lady of rank
The belly was full of cracks; SO, not to make
two bites OF cherry, Ortega had made a nice
new one. Chanot carried this precious lrag-
ment home and hung it up in his shop, but not
in the window, for he is too good judge not TO
know the sun will take all the color out of that
makers yarnish. Tarsio came in from Italy.
and his eye lighted instantly on the Stradiua-
RUS belly. he pestered Ctanot until the latter
sold it to him for 1000 francs, and told him
where the rest was Tarsio no sooner knew
this than he flew TO Madrid. lie learned from
Ortega where the lady lived, and called on her
TO see IT.. Sir, says the lady, lit is at your
disposition That does not mean much in
Spain. When he offered TO buy ii she coquetted
with him, said it had been long in her family;
money could not replace thing Of that kind,
and, in short, she put on the screw, as she
thought, and sold it to him for about4 900 francs
What he did with the Ortega belly is not known
perhaps sold it 10 some person in the toothpick
Spanish bass in a case. He never let it out of
his sight. The pair were caught by storm in
the Bay Of Biscay The ship rolled; Tarsio
clasped his bass tight, and trembled. 1t was a
terrible gale, and for one whole day they were
IN real danger. Tarsio spoke Of il TO me with a
shudder. ! will give you his real words, for
they struck me at the time, and have often
thought Of them since:
'Ah, my poor Mr.. Reade, the bass ofSpan was
all but LOST
was not this true connoisseur2 a genuine
enthusiastic Observe there was also an ephemeral
insect called Luigi Tarisio, who would have gone
down with the bass, but that made no impress
sion on bis mind. De miaimiS non curat LuloUt-
Gus.
He got ii safe to Paris. A certain high priest
IN these mysteries, called Vulllaume, with the
help OF asacred vessel, called the glue.p pot, soon
rewedded the back and sides to the belly, and
the bass being now just what ii was when tie
rruil1an Oriega put his finger in the pie, was sold
for 20 900 francs.
saw the Spanish bass in Paris twenty-five
years ago aud you can see it any day this month
you like; for i is the identical vloloncelo now
on show at kensngtOn, numbered 1888. Who
would divine It's separate adventures, to see il all
reposing so calm and uniform In that case
Post tot ndufragid TITUS"