deliverance, was
not played to them. It was customary, therefore, so early as the
commencement of the seventeenth century, for whole bands of musicians to
traverse Italy during the summer months, and, what is quite unexampled
either in ancient or modern times, the cure of the Tarantati in the
different towns and villages was undertaken on a grand scale. This
season of dancing and music was called "the women's little carnival," for
it was women more especially who conducted the arrangements; so that
throughout the whole country they saved up their spare money, for the
purpose of rewarding the welcome musicians, and many of them neglected
their household employments to participate in this festival of the sick.
Mention is even made of one benevolent lady (Mita Lupa) who had expended
her whole fortune on this object.

The music itself was of a kind perfectly adapted to the nature of the
malady, and it made so deep an impression on the Italians, that even to
the present time, long since the extinction of the disorder, they have
retained the tarantella, as a particular species of music employed for
quick, lively dancing. The different kinds of tarantella were
distinguished, very significantly, by particular names, which had
reference to the moods observed in the patients. Whence it appears that
they aimed at representing by these tunes even the idiosyncrasies of the
mind as expressed in the countenance. Thus there was one kind of
tarantella which was called "Panno rosso," a very lively, impassioned
style of music, to which wild dithyrambic songs were adapted; another,
called "Panno verde," which was suited to the milder excitement of the
senses caused by green colours, and set to Idyllian songs of verdant
fields and shady groves. A third was named "Cinque tempi:" a fourth
"Moresca," which was played to a Moorish dance; a fifth, "Catena;" and a
sixth, with a very appropriate designation, "Spallata," as if it were
only fit to be played to dancers who were lame in the shoulder. This was
the slowest and least in vogue of all. For those who loved water they
took care to select love songs, which were sung to corresponding music,
and such persons delighted in hearing of gushing springs and rushing
cascades and streams. It is to be regretted that on this subject we are
unable to give any further information, for only small fragments of
songs, and a very few tarantellas, have been preserved which belong to a
period so remote