Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1894 — Lutes and Mandolins. [ARTICLE]

Lutes and Mandolins.

H. S. Conant, in May St. Nicholas. The lute is supposed to be originally a Persian instrument and it was during the Middle Ages that it wa's first known in Europe, where it became a great favorite. Poets sang its praises; Shakspeare puts lutes in the hands of many of his heroines. This beautiful instrument is now out of use and all the specimens in existence are very old. The difference between the iute and the guitar is principally, in the body, which in the lute is pear shaped. This made it a very delicate instrument* and" troublesome to keep in order, as the peculiar shape made the wood warp and crack. An English writer, recommends the lute be kept in a bed covered up from the air, when not in use, and he says that with very good luck the body will not need to be repaired more than once in a year; and a famous French lutenist, as a lute player was called, declared that it cost him as much to keep his lute as it would to keep a horse. It is no wonder that lutes went out of use. In “Evelyn's "Diary" it is stated that lutes of Unit period were made mostly in Germany and they were very costly. An old lute of rich, mellow tone would sometimes be yalued as high as one hundred pounds. The mandolin is similar in shape to the lute but is a very much smaller instrument. It has been a favorite in Italy and Spain for centuries and is now very popular in America. It is a beatiful little instrument. The strings are in pairs and are played with a plectrum of tortoise shell, whalebone or ostrich quill held in the right hand.