The No. 1 is what I call feverish in its vibrations, and would be
certain to give any instrument a hollow tone, an instrument cuddled,
tempered, and made to fit the ear of the expected purchaser by the
experienced one who has it to dispose of. The tone would not be
intermittent--if it were that, we might have some hope of ultimate
fulness and fair quality; but it would be loud and coarse; bawling
when it should be energetic, yet somewhat hoarse, scarce knowing
where to vibrate, it being capable of doing so, and well, when
fairly mature. But that which, like the brazen actress, has a word
or a sentence ready at any moment, and in any key and in any pitch,
say good-bye to _that_ at once.

The No. 2 will be good in about four or five years, but would be bad
to work just now, so we will take up No. 3, upon which I must dwell
somewhat.

I can depend on the gentleman's word who procured this and other
pieces for me; and I imagine his estimate of age is much under the
approximate date, for I should say it was nearer three than two
hundred years old. The colour all through is a mellow brown; the
reed is of medium width, well developed, and nearly equal all over,
and it is singularly bowed from bottom to top, meeting, when joined
(for it is in two parts), just as will a string of a violin when you
hold it in both hands, and twang it to test its equal vibration.

Who is bold enough to assert that this is not a piece of finely
developed virgin pine, grown on the southern slope of some Alp
adjacent to where it had rested so long, in so mean a position for
such finely sounding wood which I have proved it to be, yet destined
to fill such an honourable place in the grand instrument of which I
treat? No one, I venture to reply; but to my mind, and from
experience, it _is_ such, the softer part, where run the cells,
being firm, full, and mellow to the thumb nail on pressure (showing,
I think, good sap lies dried there), which I have found before in
such wood, proved to be grand beyond doubt by its superb tone in a
violin.

But I must give you, besides my other tests, that to which I
occasionally resort. No. 1, you see, is as I intimated, loud and
vulgar, ceasing its vibrations the instant I draw away my test of
bow, etc., etc., whereas No. 2 does behave better in this respect,
but is crude, and must lie some years longer neglected, when it will
be interesting again to test it, by me or some other. No. 3 is all I
could wish, or