ut narrower than that
afterwards used.

From the, Arisi MSS. we have the following interesting information
relative to this period:--

"In the year 1685, on the 12th of March, Cardinal Orsini, Archbishop
of Benevento,[20] ordered a Violoncello and two Violins, which were
sent as a present to the Duke of Natalona, in Spain. The Cardinal,
besides paying liberally for the work, wrote an appreciative
acknowledgment of their merits, and appointed the artist to the place
of one of his private attendants." It may be remarked that the honour
conferred upon Stradivari was equivalent to appointing him maker to
the Archbishop.

[Footnote 20: Vincenzo Maria Orsini (of the illustrious family of the
Orsinis, Dukes of Gravina), born 1648, in the Neapolitan province of
Bari, was a learned professor of theology, and visited, between 1668
and 1672, several cities and towns, among others Naples, Bologna,
Venice, Brescia, and most likely Cremona, where he held conferences,
which were largely attended. He was created a Cardinal by Clement X.,
in 1672, Archbishop in 1675 in Manfredonia, in 1680 to Cesena, in 1686
to Benevento and Porto. In 1724 he was elected Pope, under the name of
Benedict XIII., and remained on the Pontifical throne until February,
1730, when he died, aged eighty-one.]

"In the same year, on the 12th of September, Bartolomeo Grandi, called
Il Fassina, leader of the Court Orchestra of His Royal Highness the
Duke of Savoy,[21] ordered of Stradivari a whole set of instruments
for the Court Orchestra."

[Footnote 21: Victor Amadeus II., Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia,
was the Prince for whom Bartolomeo Grandi ordered the concerto of
instruments.]

"In the year 1686, on the 5th of April, His Serene Highness the Duke
of Modena (Francesco II. D'Este was then twenty-six years of age)
ordered a Violoncello, which, by special invitation, Stradivari was
requested to take to the Duke himself, who told him how pleased he was
to make his personal acquaintance, praised greatly his work, and
beyond the sum agreed paid him thirty pistoles (golden Spanish) as a
present."

On the 22nd of August, 1686, Marquis Michele Rodeschini ordered a Viol
da Gamba to be sent to King James II. of England.

In the year 1687 he made the set of instruments for the Spanish Court,
inlaid with ivory, and having a beautiful scroll work running round
the sides and scroll. Arisi evidently refers to this event in the
following extract: "On the 19th