one of the few who
were likely to diffuse it in after years.

In 1820 Robrechts returned to Brussels, where he was elected first
violin solo to the king, Wil-helm I. It was shortly after this that De
Beriot took lessons from him, and he it was who gave him the letter
of introduction to Viotti. The same excellent professor also gave
instructions to the young Artot. He died in 1860, the last direct
representative of the great Viotti school.

It will now be seen where De Beriot acquired the first principles of
that large, bold, and exquisitely charming style that in after life
characterized both his performances and his compositions.

II.

Arriving at Paris, and believing probably that the classical style of
Robrechts, from whom he had had instruction in Brussels, did not lead
him swiftly forward enough in the path he would travel, he sought
Viotti, as we have related above, and by his advice entered himself in
the violin class of the Conservatoire, which was directed by Baillot, an
eminent player of the Viotti school, though never a direct pupil of the
latter master. De Beriot, however, did not remain long in the class, but
applied himself most assiduously to the study of the violin in his own
way. This is what Paganini had done, and through this course had been
able to form a style so peculiarly his own. It is not probable that De
Beriot at this time knew much about Paganini; certainly he had
never heard him. Paganini was at first looked on as a mere comet of
extraordinary brilliancy, without much soundness or true genius, and
many who afterward became his most ardent admirers began with sneering
at his pretensions. De Beriot was in later years undoubtedly powerfully
influenced by Paganini, but at the time of which we speak the young
violinist appears to have been determined to evolve a style and
character in art out of his own resources purely. He was carrying out
Viot-ti's advice.

At this time our young artist was the possessor of a very fine
instrument by Giovanni Magini, a celebrated maker of the Brescian
school, and a pupil of Gaspar de Salo. Many of the violins of this make
are of an excellence hardly inferior to the Strads of the best period,
and De Beriot seems to have preferred this violin during the whole of
his career, though he afterward owned instruments of the most celebrated
makers.

Very soon De Beriot made his public appearance in concerts, and was
brilliantly successful from the outset. The r