odor Leschetizky, couched in the most glowing terms, and is
called by him "an artist of the very first rank and of inconceivable
versatility."

One might prolong the list of violinists to a tremendous extent, and yet
fail to mention all those of great merit. In England, John Dunn appears
to be acquiring a great reputation. On the Continent, such names as
Hubay, Petri, Rose are well known. In America, we have Leopold
Lichtenberg, a good musician of admirable qualifications. Bernhard
Listemann, now of Chicago, has done much toward forming musical taste in
America, and was concert-master of the Boston Symphony Orchestra during
the first few years of its existence. But space does not permit of a
mention of more than has been attempted, and a few pages must be given
to lady violinists and to a few words about celebrated quartets.

CHAPTER X.

WOMEN AS VIOLINISTS.

During the past forty or fifty years the violin has become a fashionable
instrument for ladies, and has become correspondingly popular as a
profession for those who are obliged to earn a living.

Formerly, for many years, it seems to have been considered improper, or
ungraceful, or unladylike,--the reasons are nowhere satisfactorily
given, but the fact remains that until recently few women played the
violin.

From the year 1610 until 1810 the list of those who played in public is
extremely short, numbering only about twenty, and of these several were
gambists.

That women did, once upon a time, play on the violin, or the
corresponding string and bow instruments which were its ancestors, there
is evidence.

On the painted roof of Peterborough Cathedral, in England, which is said
to have been built in the year 1194 A.D., there is a picture of a woman
seated, and holding in her lap a sort of viol, with four strings and
four sound-holes. This seems to indicate that in very early days ladies
sometimes played on stringed instruments, if only for their own
amusement.

Among the accounts of King Henry VII., dated November 2, 1495, is the
following item, "For a womane that singeth with a fiddle, 2 shillings."

Anne of Cleves after her divorce comforted herself by playing on a viol
with six strings. Queen Elizabeth, also, amused herself not only with
the lute, the virginals, and her voice, but also with the violin.

These, however, were amateurs, and the earliest professional violinist
known was Mrs. Sarah Ottey, who was born about 1695, and who about