magnificent tenor voice in such a manner as to attract the
most tempting offers from managers that he should desert the laboratory
for the stage. But the young Portuguese was fascinated with science,
and was already far advanced in the career which made him in his day
the greatest of all authorities on toxicological chemistry. The most
brilliant and gifted men and women of Paris haunted these reunions,
and Viotti always appeared at his best amid such surroundings.
Another favorite resort of his was the house of Mme. Montegerault at
Montmorency, a lady who was a brilliant pianist. Sometimes she would
seat herself at her instrument and begin an improvisation, and Viotti,
seizing his violin, would join in the performance, and in a series of
extemporaneous passages display his great powers to the delight of all
present.

He evinced the greatest distaste for solo playing at public concerts,
and, aside from charity performances, only consented once to such an
exhibition of his talents. A singular concert was arranged to take place
on the fifth story of a house in Paris, the apartment being occupied
by a friend of Viotti, who was also a member of the Government. "I will
play," he said, on being urged, "but only on one condition, and that
is, that the audience shall come up here to us--we have long enough
descended to them; but times are changed, and now we may compel them to
rise to our level"; or something to that effect. It took place in due
course, and was a very brilliant concert indeed. The only ornament was a
bust of Jean Jacques Rousseau. A large number of distinguished artists,
both instrumental and vocal, were present, and a most aristocratic
audience. A good deal of Boccherini's music was performed that evening,
and though many of the titled personages had mounted to the fifth floor
for the first time in their lives, so complete was the success of the
concert that not one descended without regret, and all were warm in
their praise of the performances of the distinguished violinist.

What the cause of Viotti's sudden departure from Paris in 1790 was,
it is difficult to tell. Perhaps he had offended the court by the
independence of his bearing; perhaps he had expressed his political
opinions too bluntly, for he was strongly democratic in his views;
perhaps he foresaw the terrible storm which was gathering and was soon
to break in a wrack of ruin, chaos, and blood. Whatever the cause, our
violinist vanished from Paris