n all Holland, who did not yield
the palm at fiddle-playing to Castero. That one man was no other than
Frederick Katwingen, the son of a rich brewer, whom his admirers--more
numerous than those of his rival--had called the Dutch Orpheus.

If the laurels of Miltiades disturbed the sleep of Themistocles; if the
exploits of Macedonia's madman interfered with the comfort of Julius
Caesar, the glory of Katwingen would not let Castero get a wink of sleep.

What! a man of genius--a philosopher like the _doctus_ Laurentius, not
be contented with his fame as discoverer of the art of printing; but to
leave his manuscripts, and pica, and pie, to strive for a contemptible
triumph, to look with an eye of envy on a competitor for the applauses
of a music room! Alas! too true. Who is the man, let me ask you, who can
put bounds to his pretensions? Who is the man that does not feel as if
the praises of his neighbour were an injury to himself? And if I must
speak the whole truth, I am bound to confess that these jealous
sentiments were equally entertained by both the musicians. Yes,--if
Castero would acknowledge no master, Frederick could not bear that any
one should consider himself his rival, and insisted at any rate in
treating with him on equal terms. Laurentius, therefore, and the son of
the brewer were declared enemies; and the inhabitants of Haarlem were
divided into two parties, each ruled over with unlimited power by the
fiddlestick of its chief.

It was announced one morning that the Stadtholder would pass through the
town in the course of the day. The burgomaster determine to receive the
illustrious personage in proper style, and ordered the two rivals to
hold themselves in readiness. Here, then, was a contest worthy of them
an opportunity of bringing the great question to issue of which of them
played the first fiddle in Holland--perhaps in Europe. It fell to
Frederick's chance to perform first--in itself a sort of triumph over
Laurentius. The Stadtholder entered by the Amsterdam road, attended by
his suite--they passed along the street, and stopped under a triumphal
arch which had been hastily prepared. The burgomaster made a speech very
much like the speeches of burgomasters before and since on similar
tremendous occasions; and Frederick finally advanced and made his salaam
to the chief magistrate of the United Provinces. The performer knew that
the Stadtholder was a judge of music, and this gave him courage to do
his bes