Page:Rolland - A musical tour through the land of the past.djvu/242

230 they should make their progress known to the public that maintained them."—In Dresden the city was divided into wards or quarters, and the Poor Scholars, divided into bands of sixteen, seventeen or eighteen, had to sing, in turns, before the doors of the houses of each quarter. They made up little choirs and orchestras—violins, 'cellos, oboes, horns and bassoons. Wealthy families subscribed to the schools in order that the Poor Scholars should play before their houses once or twice a week. They were even engaged for private entertainments, or for funerals. Lastly, they had to take part in the religious ceremonies of Sunday. It was a hard profession, and an irksome obligation to sing in the streets in winter, however inclement the weather. These Poor Scholars were afterwards appointed as schoolmasters in the parish schools, on condition that they knew enough of Greek and Latin and the organ. The most distinguished were sent to certain of the Universities, such as Leipzig and Wittenburg, where more than three hundred poor students were maintained. They were allowed to devote themselves to music or to the sciences.

Some of the princely Courts had musical foundations for poor children. The Duke of Würtemberg had installed at Ludwigsburg and "Solitude," in one of his summer palaces, two conservatoires, for the education of two hundred boys and a hundred girls of the poorer classes. "One of his favourite amusements was to be present at their lessons."

In addition to these schools for poor children the communal schools gave a considerable amount of attention to music, especially to instrumental music. Such was the rule in Austria, Saxony,