Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/266

Story of the Flute

and elsewhere. In one of his poems he describes how "Aye the gauger played the flute." Stevenson also wrote some very curious verses entitled an autobiographical reminiscence, "To Theobald Böhm, Flautist (inventor of the fingering which bears his name)." I quote a few lines.

"Was it in dream,
O Böhm,
You saw these keys that seem
So singularly mingled?
The devil doubtless, on some lonely track, . . .
Met you by assignation, and displayed
Three models diabolically made?
From which (being all amazement) it was this
You rashly singled."

The poet proceeds to tell how Böhm, having sold his soul to the fiend in exchange for the flute, found he could not play it. Apparently Stevenson did not like the Böhm system.

Addison in one of his most whimsical and charmingProse
References papers in The Tatler (No. 157) compares ladies to various musical instruments; here is his description of the lady who resembled a flute, by which probably he meant a recorder:—

"The person who pleased me most was a flute, an instrument that, without any great compass, has something exquisitely sweet and soft in its sound; it lulls and soothes the ear, and fills it with such a gentle kind of melody as keeps the mind awake without startling it, and raises a most agreeable passion between transport and indolence. In short, the music of the flute is the conversation of a mild and amiable woman, that has nothing in it very elevated, or at the same time anything mean or trivial."

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