According to Thomas Mace, "a good chest of viols" contained "six in number, 2 Basses, 2 Tenors, 2 Trebles, all truly proportionally suited.
"[2] When the term refers to instruments, they are generally similar in make, tone, power, relative size (proportional), wood type, and color.
Similar viols were desirable because they would blend better, and also stay in tune with each other better than more disparate instruments.
One enclosure is described by Thomas Tudway in Hawkins's General History as "a large hutch, with several apartments and partitions in it; each partition was lined with green bays, to keep the instruments from being injured by the weather.
[6] In 1617 Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork bought a chest of viols for £8 sterling.