Page:The Early English Organ Builders and their work.djvu/110

 purpose. The circumstance of Harris's challenge to Smith to make certain additional stops is also well known and need not be dwelt upon here.

The contention now became tedious and disagreeable, at least to the Benchers of the Middle Temple, who first made choice of Smith's organ, as appears by the following extract from the books of that Society:

"'June 2, 1685. The Masters of the Bench at this Parliament taking into their Consideration the tedious Competition betweene the two Organ-makers about their fitting an Organ to the Temple Church, and having in several Termes and at severall Times compared both the Organs now standing in the said Church, as they have played severall Sundays one after the other, and as they have lately played the same Sunday together alternately at the same service. Now at the Suite of several Masters of the Barr and Students of this Society pressing to have a speedy determination of the said controversie; and in Justice to the said 'Workmen as well as for the freeing themselves from any Complaints concerning the same, doe unanimously in full Parliamt resolve and declare the Organ in the said Church made by Bernard Smith to bee in their Judgments, both for sweetnes and fulnes of Sound (besides ye extraordinary Stopps, quarter Notes, and other Rarityes therein) beyond comparison preferrable before the other of the said Organs made—by Harris, and that"