"being persuaded that the same hath the rather encreased "through their good acceptation of my former endeavours; "it hath especially moved and encouraged me to take fur"ther paines to gratifie their courteous dispositions there"unto; knowing that the varietie, and choice of songs is "both a praise of the art, and a pleasure to the delighted "therein. And finding no person to whom the dedication "thereof so fitly and properly belonged, as unto your Lord"ship, by whom through the honorable office which you “exercise about her Majesties person, both myself (for my "place of service), and all other hir Majesties musitions are to be commanded, and under your high authority to "be protected. And for many favors to me showed, being "most deeply bound unto your honour; having not in me 66 any other powre of serviseable thankfulnesse than in notes "and tunes of musicke: I most humbly beseech your Lordship to take into your honorable protection these my poor "travelles in that art, accepting them as servants ready to "give your Lordship delight, after you have been fore“wearied in affayres of great importance. Beseeching "Almightie God to give you a long, healthie and happie "lyfe, with a blessed end, I humbly take my leave, 66 66 "Your Lordship's most bounden, "WILLIAM BYRD." "To the Curteous Reader.” "Finding that my last impression of Musicke (most "gentle reader) through thy curtesie and favour, hath had 66 66 good passage and utterance; and that since the publish"ing thereof, the exercise and love of that art hath exceedingly encreased; I have been encouraged thereby "to take further paines therein, and to make thee pertaker "thereof, because I would show myself grateful to thee "for thy love, and desirous to delight thee with varietie, "whereof in my opinion no science is more plentifully "adorned than Musicke; for which purpose I do now "publish for thee, songs of three, four, five and six parts, "to serve for all companies and voyces; whereof some are "easie and plaine to sing, others more hard and difficult, "but all such as any young practicioner in singing, with a "little foresight may easily perform. If I find thy curtesie "to extend as well to these my present travells, as it hath "done to my former endeavours, I will make myself in"debted to thee during my life, of whatsoever is in me, to "yield thy delight in musicke any satisfaction, "The most affectionate friend to all that love or learn musicke, "WILLIAM BYRD." XII. While that the sun with his beams hot, Scorched the fruits in vale and mountain; Philon the shepherd late forgot, Sitting beside a crystal fountain, In shadow of a green oak tree, Untrue love, adieu love, Your mind is light, soon lost for new love! So long as I was in your sight, I was your heart, your soul, your treasure; Burning in flames beyond all measure: And it was lost in other three. Untrue love, &c. To whom your heart was soon enchain'd; Full soon my place he had obtain❜d: Then came a third your love to win, Untrue love, &c. Sure you have made me passing glad, To choose you for my best belov'd; Untrue love, &c. Author's name not given in England's Verily three days is a short period of time to elapse between being "off with the old love, and on with the new," but 't is a thing which has been usually practised. Tatius says of ladies, "præsentes maximè amant;" and in the old Poem of the Nut-brown Maid is a further corroboration : "For let a man do what he can, "Their favor to attain ; "Yet if a new do them pursue, "Their first true lover then "Laboureth for nought, for from their thought XIII. See those sweet eyes, those more than sweetest eyes; Eyes whom the stars exceed not in their grace; See love at gaze, love that would fain devise, But cannot speak, to plead his wondrous case. The remainder of this sonnet, beginning "Love would "discharge the duty of his heart," being set to music by Thomas Bateson, will be found amongst his Madrigals, vide No. 235. Ladies' eyes have been compared to the stars, the sun, and I may almost say to every luminous thing under the sun, even down to a tallow candle, for I recollect a story of the Ettrick shepherd in which he said somebody's "eyne 66 were glauncin just like twa caunels." A Latin author quoted by Burton calls them "Love's fowlers, the shoeing "horns, the hooks of love, the guides, touchstones, judges; "that in a moment cure madmen, and make sound folks "mad." XIV. When first by force of fatal destiny, From Carthage Town the Trojan Knight did sail; Queen Dido fair, with woful weeping eye, His strange depart did grievously bewail: And when nor sighs nor tears could ease her smart, There is an old black letter ballad called Eneas wandring Prince of Troy, in which poor Dido's catastrophe is given in a similar matter of fact style. "Come death, quoth she, and end my smart; "And with these words she pierc'd her heart." Its author however, as Dr. Percy observes, deals out poetical justice much more impartially than Virgil, for he makes the Queen's ghost to appear, with a multitude of ugly fiends, and carry off Æneas; and no man knew his dying day! XV. When I was otherwise than now I am, I loved more, but skilled not so much; Fair words and smiles could have contented then, As watermen which on the Thames do row, To feed my hope, while she her snares might lay: The simile of the waterman appears to me quite original, and at the same time is so natural that one is surprised at not having been struck with it, while on a voyage from London to Westminster. To be in her danger, means to be in her power, or caught in her toils. As in the following quotation (I think from Chaucer, but my memory does not serve me at the moment,) "Narcissus was a Bachelère "That love had caught in his dangère." and in Shakspeare's Merchant of Venice, Portia addressing Antonio says, "You stand within his danger, do you not?" |