note 4: The term "busker" is still applied to musicians who
perform outside public-houses, on steamboats, and elsewhere.]

I have now to mention a Violinist whose talents raised the instrument
greatly, particularly in England, viz., Francesco Geminiani. He was
instructed by Corelli, and imbibed much of his master's breadth of
style. He came to England in the year 1714. In 1716 he published a set
of twelve sonatas, which attracted some notice at the time from their
novelty. In these he plunged into difficulties deemed then very
unusual, but withal his compositions were elegantly written. He
afterwards wrote and published solos and concertos, besides a
"Treatise on Good Taste," and the "Art of Playing on the Violin," the
latter being the first instruction book for the instrument deserving
of the name. The instrumental music at this period was composed for
four Violins, Tenor, Violoncello, and Double-Bass, and was called the
Concerto Grosso.

Having lightly sketched the progress of the Violin in England down to
about the year 1750, it will, perhaps, be better to take the thread of
the instrument's progress in Italy, which we brought to the days of
Corelli.

The first half of the 18th century was rich in Italian Violinists and
writers for the instrument, of whom the chief was Giuseppe Tartini,
born 1692. Dr. Burney says of his compositions: "Though he made
Corelli his model in the purity of his harmony and simplicity of his
modulation, he greatly surpassed that composer in the fertility and
originality of his invention; not only in the subjects of his
melodies, but in the truly _cantabile_ manner of treating them. Many
of his _adagios_ want nothing but _words_ to be excellent pathetic
opera songs. His _allegros_ are sometimes difficult; but the passages
fairly belong to the instrument for which they were composed, and were
suggested by his consummate knowledge of the finger-board and the
powers of the bow. As a harmonist he was, perhaps, more truly
scientific than any other composer of his time, in the clearness,
character, and precision of his Basses, which were never casual, or
the effect of habit or auricular prejudice and expectation, but
learned, judicious, and certain." It would be difficult to add to this
judgment of the compositions of Tartini. The truth of Burney's remarks
is better understood at this moment than when penned. During the space
of nearly a century the sonatas of Tartini lay dormant, and only
with