sistant sees
nought but rough gougings and scratchings as with a notched or blunted
tool, and concludes that the old makers were not as good workmen as
the moderns. "Now, James," says the other, "you have been doing little
else than repairing since you took up with this business, and have never
had the opportunity of working a violin from the beginning, straight
off the stocks, without being drawn away to some other work. Consequent
upon this your work has not so much distinctive character, much effort
at mere smoothness being apparent and in excess of good style. These
old Italians were designing and making new violins day after day for
their livelihood. Repairing, when they could make equally good, fresh
instruments, was to them of secondary importance, and so we find
restorations in the olden times were of a kind we should now call very
indifferent, if not altogether bad."

The lower table or back of good sycamore is now turned about and well
scrutinised by James, who now remarks, "this back is warped, I think
that is why the last two owners could not make the other parts fit well,
what is to be done with it, we are not likely to make a better job of
it than they were with a back twisted like that?" The reply is, "that
old Brescian maker was not likely to turn out a new violin with such
a twisted spine! that condition has arisen since and is not a
constitutional defect, it has been caused by damp and straining, and
being repaired while in the strained condition, it retained the twist;
we must alter that. Fortunately, the back is in one piece, so we shall
not have the trouble about the joint, although with the necessary extra
care the treatment would have to be much the same. Now, first of all,
get a cotton cloth sufficiently large when folded once or twice to cover
a surface such as the violin back presents. It must now be well soaked
with water till it holds as much as possible without dripping. The
violin table will now be placed with the varnished side downwards, the
wetted cloth placed over it. Be sure that the surfaces of cloth and
wood are in contact by gently dabbing it down all over. It can now be
placed aside for about three or four hours in order that the moisture
may soak into the wood for some depth. Meanwhile we may determine upon
and get ready the means whereby the warping, as far as possible, if
not wholly, may be got rid of. It must be borne in mind that the wood
which was cut in its natural state fro