(From the German CÆCILIA.)
WHOEVER may hereafter wish to write a history of the violin, a desideratum in musical literature, will scarcely seek for historical notices in a book which, according to its title, treats only of old edifices, monuments, tombs, and the like. I allude to Millin’s Antiquités Nationales, ou Recueil de Monumens pour servir à l’Histoire de l’Empire François. In the fourth volume of that work, the author describes, among other churches, abbeys, castles, &c., the chapel of Saint-Julien-des-Ménestriers, in Paris; and a statue in the porch of this edifice, representing a man with a violin, affords to the author an opportunity of inquiring into the age of this instrument. It may be sufficient to observe, that this chapel was founded in 1330, by two members of the company, or guild, of musicians, which in the fourteenth century was very numerous. It received the name of St. Julian because adjoining an hospital which was so called, and existed up to the time of the French revolution, when, together with other churches and monuments, it was demolished. Millin’s work, therefore, is of additional value, because it preserves from total oblivion buildings of which there is no vestige left. The following are the author’s own words:—
The front of the chapel of St. Julian was very picturesque. The porch, executed in a neat Gothic style, consisted of a great arch with four niches. The frieze was decorated with little angels, delicately carved in stone, playing on various instruments, such as the organ, a triangular harp, with perpendicular (not horizontal) strings, the violin, (a three-string rebeck,) the lyre, mandoline psalterium, bagpipes, horn, oboe, flutes, kettle-drums, lutes, and dulcimer. In the niche to the left of the porch stood the image of St. Julian, and in the right-hand niche was placed, as is stated, that of Colin Moset; but it is more natural to suppose this to be the statue of St. Genest, the patron of musicians, and of their church.
The statue of St. Julian has a singular head-dress, is decorated with a wide mantle, and in the hand holds a violin. It has frequently been appealed to by antiquaries. The violin has four strings, and is quite similar to that of the present day. Unfortunately the statue is mutilated, and the right arm, with the bow, broken off. The antiquity of the violin has been the subject of much inquiry. Laborde, in his investigation, refers to the paintings of Philostratus, and maintains, that on a fountain represented in one of these a violin is introduced, which, with the exception of its shorter finger-board, resembles our present violin. He would not have committed so great a mistake, had he considered that we have only the descriptions of these paintings, not the realities. He further maintains that the fountain, with the violin represented by Philostratus, occurs again on the medals of Scribonius Libo; but these pretended violins are lyres, decorating a kind of altar, which the ancients called puteal, an appellation which Laborde very improperly translates by the word fountain. Terrasson has written a dissertation on the lyre (vielle), wherein he endeavours to prove that this instrument is of greater antiquity than the violin. He has found some passages in which the word occurs, and makes them subservient to his theory. But the words vielle and viole manifestly signify the same thing as violon; and vieller, violonner, the same as jouer du violon. The word archet and arçon (bow) which is always mentioned in conjunction with the lyre (vielle), leaves no doubt on this matter.
J’allai à li et praclet,
O la vielle et l’archet.[77]
But the defenders of the lyre (vielle) maintain, against all reason, that the words archet and arçon signify the winch or the keys of the instrument.
Maffei’s reference to a painting, representing Orpheus playing upon a violin, is as little to the purpose: every thing bespeaks its later origin.
It is indeed certain that the violin is an instrument of great antiquity, and may be traced to the earliest periods of the French monarchy. This fact is incontestably proved by the evidence of monuments, the most important of which is the statue of a French king, on the lower and right-hand side of the porch of the church of Notre-Dame in Paris.
Montfaucon, who has also given an engraving of this figure—though by no means a correct one—conceives it to be a representation of King Chilperic, because that monarch was the author of some hymns, and of two books of songs for the church service. La Ravallière has furnished a better delineation of this statue. Without stopping to inquire whether, according to the highly probable opinion of Montfaucon, that statue be a representation of King Chilperic, it is evident that the crown and the royal mantle are intended to represent royalty. The violin in the left hand has four openings or sounding-holes, the bow in the left is broken. La Ravallière has instanced another remarkable monument, a small basin, which the Abbé Le Bœuf; who transmitted it to him, conceived to be a production of the earliest times of the French monarchy. This was found where a royal palace is supposed to have stood formerly. It is gilt, and embellished with enamelled embossed work, and in all probability was used for washing the hands in. The design of the embossed work is divided into several compartments. In that of the centre is a harp-player sitting on a chair; on his right is a singer, judging by the roll of paper in his hand; and on his left is a violin player. In one of the lateral compartments we observe a violin with a double bridge.