I believe that the story comes from this quotation: 'Inigo Jones first brought the theorbo to England c.ann.1605. At Dover it was thought some engine brought from Popish countries to destroy the King, and he had it sent up to the Council Table'.
It comes from Dr Plume's Library, Malden, Essex, pocket book no. 25. ----- Original Message ----- From: "bill kilpatrick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 5:21 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: Instruments in the cooler? does history relate the name of the officious twit who suspected this theorbo? as they're born, not made, his great-great-great-etc., etc. nephew - or whatever - might be alive, equally thick and on the job in customs at heathrow today. --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Kenneth, > > > According to legend, the phrase the custom > officials' used to describe their fear of the > theorbo > was that it might be a "Popish instrument of war." > (Despite best intentions, the popes' brilliant > strategy to send salvos of theorbos into the heathen > land did not succeed in bringing England back into > the > fold.) > > > Chris > > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > When the architect Inigo Jones returned to England > > from Italy with what must > > be the first recorded entry of a theorbo into > > Britain he was held up at > > customs while the officials decided whether or not > > he was bringing in an > > "instrument of destruction" and a threat to > national > > security. It was a strange > > sight to see a giraffe lute for the first time. > > > > Kenneth > > > > -- > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > ___________________________________________________________ Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail. "The New Version is radically easier to use" - The Wall Street Journal http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.0.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.5/425 - Release Date: 22/08/2006
