xplain. An Englishman named George Harris,
who was an _attache_ of the Hanoverian court, attended Paganini for a
year as his private secretary, and he asserts that Paganini was never
seen to practice a single note of music in private. His astonishing
dexterity was kept up to its pitch by the numerous concerts which he
gave, and by his exquisitely delicate organization. He was accustomed to
say that his whole early life had been one of prodigious and continual
study, and that he could afford to repose in after years. Paganini's
knowledge of music was profound and exact, and the most difficult music
was mere child's play to him. Pasini, a well-known painter, living at
Parma, did not believe the stories told of Paganini's ability to play
the most difficult music at sight. Being the possessor of a valuable
Stradiuarius violin, he challenged our artist to play, at first hand, a
manuscript concerto which he placed before him. "This instrument
shall be yours," he said, "if you can play, in a masterly manner, that
concerto at first sight." The Genoese took the violin in his hand,
saying, "In that case, my friend, you may bid adieu to it at once," and
he immediately threw Pasini into ecstatic admiration by his performance
of the piece. There is little doubt that this is the Stradiuarius
instrument left by Paganini to his son, and valued at about six hundred
pounds sterling.

Of Antonia Bianchi, the mother of his son Achille, Paganini tells us
that, after many years of a most devoted life, the lady's temper became
so violent that a separation was necessary. "Antonia was constantly
tormented," he says, "by the most fearful jealousy. One day she happened
to be behind my chair when I was writing some lines in the album of a
great pianiste, and, when she read the few amiable words I had composed
in honor of the artist to whom the book belonged, she tore it from my
hands, demolished it on the spot, and, so fearful was her rage, would
have assassinated me."

He was very fond of his little son Achille. A French gentleman tells
us that he called once to take Paganini to dine with him. He found the
artist's room in great disorder. A violin on the table with manuscript
music, another upon a chair, a snuff-box on the bed along with his
child's toys, music, money, letters, articles of dress--all _pele-mele_;
nor were the tables and chairs in their proper places. Everything was in
the most conspicuous confusion. The child was out of temper;