be overlooked, that rough as some work looks at a
glance, it has been, by masters of their art, properly thought out
beforehand. Rapidity of execution, coupled with fine artistic style,
is not to be acquired within a short space of time. In most of the
apparently rough hewn scrolls of the Italian masters there is to be
seen the result of experience in cutting, perhaps, hundreds of them
previously. If we examine closely the mannerism of the different
schools with regard to that seemingly insignificant termination of the
back grooves called the shell; the different ways, breadths, depths
and direction of the gouging will be found to give, not only an accurate
indication of the country, or city, in which it was carved, but with
it the school, or style to which the maker belonged, besides his own
individuality. As a landmark for distinguishing these interesting
particulars, every part of the scroll of an old master, with its
belongings, no less than any other part of the instrument, should be
treated by the repairer with much reverence for its age and respect
for the talent expended on it in course of its construction. That this
is not always acted up to I am reminded by an instance that came under
my personal knowledge many years since.

A repairer and maker of some experience was examining a violin by one
of the old Italian makers, that had, underneath the shell a rather
sudden demarkation at the part where the graft had been fitted in. He
remarked to the party who brought the violin, that if it were his own,
or had been requested to put it in good order, he would file or
glasspaper down the edge round the lower part of the shell, so as to
make it conform with the modern work. The violin was not entrusted to
his care, nor do I think many others were, judging by after events.
Trust not any violin of value or interest to this class of repairer,
or grief will count you for its own and mortification that of the
fiddle.

Occasionally small pieces get chipped off the lower rim of the shell;
the latter under these circumstances, as before observed, should never
be rubbed smooth with glasspaper or cut down. It is not a difficult
position to get at and small pieces can easily be inserted. This part
also is so fashioned that a comparatively small loss of the edge,
especially at the sides, will alter the whole character and reduce a
most elegant and masterly form to that associated with mere rubbish.
Three or four scrolls of Stra