As the viol fell out of fashion, the violin took its
place, and has kept it ever since.
The violin family had come into general and fashionable use under the
patronage of the Court of Louis XIV., and thus the English nation,
true to their ancient habit of buying their 'doublet in Italy, round
hose in France, bonnet in Germany, and behaviour everywhere,' took up
the 'French fiddles,' and let their national Chest of viols go to the
wall.
This growing tendency to adopt French customs, even in music, is
referred to in the following:--
_Hen. VIII._ I, iii, 41. French manners in England.
_Lovell._ A _French song_, and a _fiddle_, has no fellow.
_Sands._ _The devil fiddle 'em!_ I am glad they're going,
For, sure, there's no converting of 'em: _now_,
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten
A long time out of _play_, may bring his _plain-song_,
And have an hour of hearing: and, by'r lady,
Held _current music_ too.
The only word here that has not already been fully explained is
'current music,' which I suppose to mean simply, that the old
accomplishments of which Lord Sands speaks would be still thought 'up
to date' and in the fashion.
Another instrument in common domestic use was the Recorder. This was a
kind of 'Beak-flute,' like a flageolet. Lord Bacon says it had a
conical bore, and six holes. So it had the general figure of a modern
Oboe, but was played with a 'whistle' mouthpiece instead of a reed.
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