Musick's monument, or, A remembrancer of the best practical musick, both divine and civil, that has ever been known to have been in the world divided into three parts ... / by Tho. Mace ...

CHAP. IV.

YOur Best Provision, (and most Compleat) will be, a Good Chest of Viols; Six, in Number; viz. 2 Basses, 2 Tenors, and 2 Trebles: All Truly, and Proportionably Suited.

Of such, there are no Better in the World, than Those of Al∣dred, Jay, Smith, (yet the Highest in Esteem are) Bolles, and Ross, (one Bass of Bolles's, I have known Valued at 100 l.) These were Old; but We have Now, very Excellent Good Work∣men, who (no doubt) can Work as well as Those, if They be so well Paid for Their Work, as They were; yet we chiefly Value Old Instruments, before New; for by Experience, they are found to be far the Best.

The Reasons for which, I can no further Dive into, than to say; I Apprehend, that by Extream Age, the Wood, (and Those Other Adjuncts) Glew, Parchment, Paper, Lynings of Cloath, (as some use;) but above All, the Vernish; These are All, so very much (by Time) Dryed, Lenefied, made Gentle, Rarified, or (to say Better, even) Ayrified; so that That Stiffness, Stubbornness, or Clunguiness, which is Natural to such Bodies, are so Debilitated, and made Plyable, that the Pores of the Wood, have a more, and Free Liberty to Move, Stir, or Secretly Vibrate; by which means the Air, (which is the Life of All Things) both Animate, and

Inanimate) has a more Free, and Easie Recourse, to Pass, and Re-pass, &c. whether I have hit upon the Right Cause, I know not; but sure I am, that Age Adds Goodness to Instruments; therefore They have the Advantage of all our Late Work-men.

Now, suppose you connot procure an Intire Chest of Viols, Suitable, &c. Then, Thus.

Endeavour to Pick up (Here, or There) so many Excellent Good Odd Ones, as near Suiting as you can, (every way) viz. both for Shape, Wood, Colour, &c. but especially for Scize.

And to be Exact in That, take This Certain Rule, viz. Let your Bass be Large. Then your Trebles must be just as Short again, in the String, (viz.) from Bridge, to Nut, as are your Basses; because they stand 8 Notes Higher than the Basses; Therefore, as Short again; (for the Middle of Every String, is an 8th. The Tenors, (in the String) just so long as from the Bridge, to F Fret; because they stand a 4th. Higher, than your Basses; Therefore, so Long.

Let This Suffice, to put you into a Compleat Order for Viols, (either way;) Only Note, That the Best Place for the Bridge, is to stand just in the 3 Quarter Dividing of the Open Cuts Below; though Most, most Erroniously suffer them much to stand too High, which is a Fault.

After all This, you may add to your Press, a Pair of Violins, to be in Readiness for any Extraordinary Jolly, or Jocund Con∣sort-Occasion; But never use Them, but with This Proviso, viz. Be sure you make an Equal Provision for Them, by the Additi∣on, and Strength of Basses; so that They may not Out-cry the Rest of the Musick, (the Basses especially) to which end, It will be Requisite, you Store your Press with a Pair of Lusty Full-Sciz'd Theorboes, always to strike in with your Consorts, or Vocal-Musick; to which, That Instrument is most Naturally Proper.

And now to make your Store more Amply-Compleat; add to all These 3 Full-Sciz'd Lyro-Viols; there being most Admirable Things made, by our Very Best Masters, for That Sort of Musick, both Consort-wise, and Peculiarly for 2 and 3 Lyroes.

Let Them be Lusty, Smart-Speaking Viols; because, that in Consort, they often Retort against the Treble; Imitating, and often Standing instead of That Part, viz. a Second Treble.

They will serve likewise for Division-Viols very Properly.

And being Thus Stor'd, you have a Ready Entertainment for the Greatest Prince in the World.

I will now give you some Directions for the General Vse of the Viol, and are as followeth, in This Next Chapter.

Notes

• The Best Pro∣vision for Viols, and of what Authors.
• Age Adds Goodness to Instruments, and the Rea∣son why.
• A certain Rule to make a True Scizable Chest of Viols
• The True Place for the Bridge.
• A Proviso, as to the use of Violins.
• 3 Lyro-Viols, the Complea∣ting of the Store.
• An Entertain∣ment for a Prince.