THE CHRONICLE OF CLEMENDY
transcendent. And it appeared that Giacomo Corelli, whom Andrea had called a poet, himself devised this symphony (as he told us) in times when he was hungry and thirsty and a-cold; and when I looked at him he appeared to me like one who listens for sounds not heard of other men. And when the last deep thunder came from the bass-viol, and the final dying close wandered away into the darkness of the wood, the circle closed again about the fire, and we fell to talking of indifferent matters. And all the musicians had curious tales to tell concerning their instruments, their strange virtues and properties, how they are answerable to one another, and occasionally make them that handle the bow their servants, and play them all manner of tricks. Messer Corelli was good enough to give me the complete anatomy of the vyall, according to the most approved theories, and from what he said it appears that vyalls certainly have souls, indeed he showed me the exact position thereof as Master Réné of the Rolls has pinned down the reasonable soul of a man to the pineal gland. Then Messer Cacci made a very ingenious relation of two companions and two violins, and showed when one was played, the other of itself echoed the musick, though many hundred miles were between them; and how the companions answered, either to other, in like manner, and dying at the same instant of time, their vyalls likewise in that hour fell to pieces with a loud twang. "And this," said he, "was made evidently to appear, and is commonly believed all over Italy": "Is commonly believed to be a lie you would
[ 238 ]
