y live long,
Young to play an old Fiddle; old to sell a new song."

In the course of time the English learned to esteem all arts more
highly, and in no country was a great musician more sure of a warm
welcome.

Two celebrated violinists were born in the year 1630, Thomas Baltzar,
and John Banister, the former in Germany, at Lubec, and the latter in
London.

Baltzar was esteemed the finest performer of his time, and is said to
have been the first to have introduced the practice of "shifting." In
1656 Baltzar went to England, where he quite eclipsed Davis Mell, a
clockmaker, who was considered a fine player, and did much to give the
violin an impetus toward popularity. The wonder caused by his
performances in England, shortly after his arrival, is best described in
the quaint language of Anthony Wood, who "did, to his very great
astonishment, hear him play on the violin. He then saw him run up his
Fingers to the end of the Fingerboard of the Violin, and run them back
insensibly, and all with alacrity, and in very good tune, which he nor
any in England saw the like before."

At the Restoration Baltzar was appointed leader of the king's celebrated
band of twenty-four violins, but, sad to relate, "Being much admired by
all lovers of musick, his company was therefore desired; and company,
especially musical company, delighting in drinking, made him drink more
than ordinary, which brought him to his grave." And he was buried in the
cloister of Westminster Abbey.

John Banister was taught music by his father, one of the _waits_ of the
parish of St. Giles, and acquiring great proficiency on the violin was
noticed by King Charles II., who sent him to France for improvement. On
his return he was appointed chief of the king's violins. King Charles
was an admirer of everything French, and he appears, according to Pepys,
to have aroused the wrath of Banister by giving prominence to a French
fiddler named Grabu, who is said to have been an "impudent pretender."
Banister lost his place for saying, either to or in the hearing of the
king, that English performers on the violin were superior to those of
France.

John Banister lived in times when fiddle playing was not highly
esteemed, if we may judge by the following ordinance, made in 1658: "And
be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person or
persons, commonly called Fiddlers, or minstrels, shall at any time after
the said first day of July be taken play