The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-04
MASTERPIECES.
Bv Pau1 Areue.

BY Paul Arene.
Pages, little minstrel pages! Does not
not the name alone set one to dream
ing? Though but dimly realizing their
life, one pictures it by imagination.
For these minstrel pages really ex-
listed. The illustrious d'ASsoucy, En-
peror of Burlesque, of whose wonder
full adventures We read, always trav-
eled accompanied by two little pages,
whom he taught to sing. At this epoch
every travelling musician did the same.
Marie de Medicis having brought many
of them from Italy, the fashion con-
tinued after her until Louis XIV.
Lulli, that demon-child of thirteen
years, bright, wicked and black, al
though the son of a miller, was one
Of these minstrel pages when the
Chevalier de Guise found him scraping
a violin in the streets of Florence:
Bring me little Italian if you can
find a pretty one," said Mademoiselle
de Montpensier to the Chevalier de
Guise. And the Chevalier brought Lul
Ii as he would have brought a parrot
from America, and Lulli succeeded at
court. You see that the street min
"Miserere du Trouvere" and bawl out
"Eviva lItalia" in the cafes of the cap
ltal, have royal ancestors.
No doubt this was charming life,
full of adventure for a youth of four
teen or fifteen years, travelling across
the country studying music instead Of
war, and carrying, instead of a lance
or sword as did the pages in the time
of Queen Berthe--what is worth more,
perhaps, lutte or rebec and the tab
lets of some singer poet.
Happy days were certainly not lack
ing. Perhaps Madam Royal sent for
the master and pupil to come to her
palace of the Vigne that she might hear
their new song. Or perhaps a prior
legate of the Pope RECALLED them with
episcopal or papal wine. People con-
tend for their company all the length
of the way, the chateaux throw open
their doors to them, and scatter flow
ers in the path of the master-to the
pupil, the pretty child who follows
ed with gold, plumed hat or a val
liable poinard, as a souvenir.
Then there were pleasant visits in the
villages, colleagues that one encoun-
tered, choice companions who enter
tanned you, unlocked for adventures on
the way, and sometimes a duel over
song or a couplet. The apprentice
musician shared in everything, some
times to the detriment of the music
as was proven by this Pierrot page Of
d 'Assoucy, who lost his voice from ex-
cessive drink.
But there were. alas! also days Of
misery, when the gates remained closed
to them, ears remand insensible, and
they passed through hard seasons, sing
ing in the public houses for the COM
mon people, with toilets somewhat the
worse for wear. Art gained by this,
however, for the master with his empty
pockets returned to the lodging place
at an EARLIER hour, and the page bene-
flied by a longer lesson than usual. But
most unfortunately of all it was, when
the master disappeared, having been
imprisoned for some evil act, and then
died, leaving his poor little page all
alone in strange country
I once found at a country seat in
Haul Dauphine-half farm, half chat
eau-the letter Of a little musician thus
abandoned during the winter season
letter, alas! which has been retained
in the family for more than two hun
dred years in their archives of valuable