) a place of amusement for himself and his family. About the
year 1710 he gave up the building to a religious brotherhood, and a
church was built on the site, and used until 1798, when the
brotherhood was suppressed, and, by a singular coincidence, the
building was bought in 1801 by a society of dramatic authors, and
again opened as a theatre, which still exists, and is called Teatro
Filodrammatico. The Marquis Ariberti was appointed by Joseph I.,
Emperor of Austria, to the title of Lieutenant-Marshal; he was a
member of the High Council of State in Milan. He was buried in the
church, which, as above mentioned, was afterwards used as a theatre.
(_See_ Lancetti, "Biografia Cremonese," I vol., Milano, 1819.)]

[Footnote 23: Cosimo III. de Medici.]

[Footnote 24: A chest of Viols, Mace tells us, in his "Musick's
Monument," 1676, consisted of two Basses, two Tenors, and two Trebles.
A Concerto of Violins in Italy, according to the letter of Ariberti,
consisted of one Bass, two Tenors (Contralto and Tenor) and two
Violins. The term "Concerto" was introduced at the beginning of the
17th century, in connection with sacred music in parts. These
compositions were called Church Concertos. Towards the end of the 17th
century compositions were introduced for instruments called Chamber
Concertos.]

In the collection of relics of the great master, in the possession of
the Marquis Dalla Valle, there are some items which appear to be
connected with this most interesting letter: I refer to the designs
for a case, or cases, for a concerto of instruments dated 1684, which
Stradivari himself describes as being for the Grand Duke of Florence.
The date upon these designs is indicative of the order for the Violins
and the Violoncellos having been given in that year (1684) by the
Marquis Ariberti, who at the same time gave certain instructions as to
cases and armorial designs. The completion of the order, however,
appears to have been delayed, and the instruments were not delivered
until 1690. The instructions given in the above letter to Stradivari
to complete the concerto by making the Tenors (the patterns of which
are among those in the possession of the Marquis Dalla Valle, signed,
and dated 1690), and the existence of the Violoncello and one of the
Tenors at Florence, dated 1690, are confirmatory of the opinion that
the order was executed in 1690. The following inscription, under the
left shoulder or side, is in the Tenor: "Prima 20 Ot