f a few old Violins of no particular value. With these
he commenced his labours, journeying in the garb of a pedlar, on foot,
through Italian cities and villages, and often playing his Violin in
order to procure the bare means of existence. Upon entering a village
he endeavoured to ingratiate himself with the villagers, and thus
obtain information of the whereabouts of any inhabitants who were
possessed of any member of the Fiddle family, his object being to
examine and secure, if possible, such instruments as were possessed of
any merit. It can readily be conceived that at the commencement of the
present century, numbers of valuable Cremonese and other instruments
were in the hands of very humble people. Luigi Tarisio knew that such
must be the case, and made the most of his good fortune in being the
first connoisseur to visit them. His usual method of trading was to
exchange with the simple-minded villagers, giving them a Violin in
perfect playing order for their shabby old instrument that lacked all
the accessories. It was indeed the case of Aladdin's Lamp, and as
potent were these Fiddles as the wonderful lamp or ring itself. In the
possession of Luigi Tarisio they drew forth from the purses of the
wealthy gold that would have enabled the humble villagers to have
ceased labour. It is an axiom, however, that everything on this earth
is only of value providing it is in its proper place, and these rare
old instruments, in the keeping of the poor peasants, could scarcely
be considered to be in their proper element; their ignorant possessors
were alike unable to appreciate their sterling worth, as works of art,
or their powers of sound. Luigi Tarisio, after gathering together a
number of old rarities, made for his home, and busied himself in
examining the qualities of his stock, selecting the best works, which
he laid aside. With the residuum of those instruments he would again
set out, using them as his capital wherewith to form the basis of
future transactions among the peasantry and others. He visited the
numerous monasteries throughout Italy that he might see the valuable
specimens belonging to the chapel orchestras. He found them often in a
condition ill becoming their value, and tendered his services to
regulate and put them into decent order--services gladly accepted and
faithfully performed by the ardent connoisseur. By the handling of
these buried treasures, his knowledge and experience were greatly
extended. Mak