Clown about this period*. In a note to the reprint of Decker's Gull's Hornbook, he is said to have been the original Dogberry in Shakspeare's "Much Ado about No"thing," and Peter in "Romeo and Juliet." Like professors of his art in the present day, he apparently thought it necessary to take a trip to France, in order to perfect himself in all the graces of saltation. Selden, in his Table Talk, complains that the Court of England in such matters is much altered. "In Queen "Elizabeth's time gravity and state were kept up: at a so"lemn dancing, first you had the grave measures; then the "Corantos and Galliards; and at length to Trenchmore, "and the Cushion dance; then all the company danced; "lord and groom, lady and kitchen-maid,-no distinction. "In King James's time† things were pretty well; but in King Charles's time, there has been nothing but Trenchmore and the Cushion dance; Omnium gatherum, trolly"polly, hoity-cum-toity." 66 The music of the dance called Trenchmore is in the Appendix to Sir John Hawkins's History. I know not the origin of the word, but it frequently occurs; as, in the Island Princess of Beaumont and Fletcher, one of the Townsmen "all the windows i' the Town dance a new 'trenchmore," and in the Comedy of the Rehearsal, the earth, sun and moon are made to dance the Hey to the tune of Trenchmore. says, The Cushion Dance was so called from the circumstance of a cushion being an indispensable requisite in certain genuflexions and obeisances made aux Dames, which formed a material part of the ceremony. * "He is not counted a gentleman (says the author of the Return from Parnassus), that knows not Will Kempe." King James was so solicitous about his sons' dancing, that in a letter dated Theobalds, 1 April 1623, he desires them "to keep it up "privately, even though they whistle and sing to one another for music." -Harleian MSS. the Dancing in the olden time was not confined solely to gay and gallant courtier, for in the reign of James the First, barristers were put out of commons by decimation, for the offence of neglecting to dance before the judges; nor will this appear so very extraordinary, when it is recollected that the very judges themselves were accustomed to dance at the antique masks and revels of their respective houses. Mr. Wynne, in the notes to his Eunomus, mentions a comparatively recent occasion, on which the learned judges tripped it merrily on the light fantastic toe. The last revel, he says, held in any of the Inns of Court was at the Inner Temple in 1732, in honour of Mr. Talbot, when he took leave of that house, on having the great seal delivered to him. "After dinner the master of the revels, "who went first, took the Lord Chancellor by the right hand, and he with his left took Mr. Justice Page, who "joined to the other judges, serjeants, and benchers present, danced round about the coal-fire in the hall, accord"ing to the old ceremony, three times." 66 66 JOHN DOWLAND. This Musician, who, according to Anthony Wood, was the rarest that the age did behold, and whose heavenly touch upon the lute (see one of Shakspeare's Sonnets) "did "ravish human sense," was born about the year 1562. As to whether his lute playing entitled him to such high encomiums, we must of course rest satisfied with the authority of his eulogizers, but of his vocal compositions we can judge for ourselves. I am quite inclined to be of Dr. Burney's opinion with regard to his merits, and assign him a place far below Wilbye, Weelkes, Morley, Bennet, &c.: for however beau tiful most of his Madrigals may be as to melody, they are little else than harmonised airs; they cloy from their monotonous sweetness, and want of part writing or imitation amongst the different voices. Sing only one of them at a time, and it will no doubt seem very pretty; but go on with five or six more, and you will scarcely recognise the one from the other by any distinctive feature*. My favourite is Come again; it has less of the dreamy sound about it than most of the others. Dowland by his own account seems to have found the Musical Profession rather up-hill work, and to have been a man of an unsettled and wandering disposition. One year he is in Germany, another in Italy: now lutenist to the King of Denmark, now to Lord Walden: this work is dated from Elsinore, that from his house in Fetter-lane. He is supposed to have died about the year 1615. His earliest work is entitled, "The first book of Songs or Airs of four parts, with "Tableture for the Lute, so made that all the parts to"gether, or either of them separately may be sung to the "Lute, Orpherian or Viol de gamba, composed by J. “Dowland, Lutenist, and Batchelor of Music in both the "Universities. Also an invention by the said author for "two to play upon one lute. "Nec prosunt domino, quæ prosunt omnibus, artes. "Printed by Peter Short, dwelling on Bread Street Hill, "at the sign of the Star, 1597. "To the Right Honourable Sir George Carey†, of the "most honourable Order of the Garter, Knight, Baron of "Hunsdon, Captain of Her Majesty's gentlemen-pensioners, "Governor of the Isle of Wight, Lieutenant of the County "of Southampton, Lord Chamberlain of Her Majesty's * I shall have much pleasure in retracting this opinion, if a more perfect acquaintance with his works should prove it to be erroneous. † Son of Henry, first Lord Hunsdon, who died 1596. "most royal house, and of Her Highness' most honourable Privy Council. 66 "That harmony, Right Honourable, which is skilfully exprest by instruments, albeit by reason of the variety of "number and proportion, of itself it easily stirs up the "minds of the hearers to admiration and delight; yet far "higher authority and power hath been ever worthily "attributed to that kind of music, which to the sweetness "of instruments applies the lively voice of man, expressing some worthy sentence or excellent poem. So that Plato "defines melody to consist of harmony, number, and "words; harmony naked of itself; words the ornaments "of harmony; number the common friend and uniter of "them both. 66 66 66 "This small book, containing the consent of speaking harmony, joined with the most musical instrument the "lute, being my first labour, I have presumed to dedicate "to your Lordship; who, for your virtue and nobility, are "best able to protect it, and for your honourable favours "towards me, best deserving my duty and service. Nei"ther in these your honours may I let pass the dutiful "remembrance of your virtuous lady, my honourable mistress, whose singular graces towards me have added spirit to my unfortunate labours. What time and diligence I have bestowed in the search of music, what "travel in foreign countries, what success and estimation even among strangers I have found, I leave to the report "of others: yet all this in vain, were it not that your "honourable hands have vouchsafed to uphold my poor “fortunes, which I now wholly recommend to your gra"cious protection with these my first endeavours: humbly beseeching you to accept and cherish them with your "continued favours. 66 66 66 "Your Lordship's most humble Servant, 66 "To the Courteous Reader. "How hard an enterprise it is in this skilfull and curious age to commit our private labours to the public view, "mine own disability and others' hard success do too well 66 assure me; and were it not for that love I bear to the "true lovers of music, I had concealed these my first fruits, "which how they will thrive with your taste I know not, "howsoever the greater part of them might have been ripe 66 enough by their age. The courtly judgment I hope will "not be severe against them, being itself a party; and "those sweet springs of humanity (I mean our two famous "Universities) will entertain them for his sake whom they "have already graced*, and as it were enfranchised in the " ingenuous profession of music, which from my childhood "I have ever aimed at, sundry times leaving my native country the better to attain so excellent a science. 66 66 "About sixteen years ago I travelled the chiefest parts "of France, a nation furnished with great variety of music; "but lately, being of a more confirmed judgment, I bent "my course towards the famous provinces of Germany, "where I found both excellent masters, and most honor"able patrons of music; namely, those two miracles of "this age for virtue and magnificence, Henry Julio Duke "of Brunswick, and the learned Mauritius Landgrave of Hessen, of whose princely virtues and favours towards me I can never speak sufficiently. 66 66 "Neither can I forget the kindness of Alexandro Horologio, a right learned master of music, servant to the "royal prince the Landgrave of Hessen, and Gregorio "Howet, lutenist to the magnificent Duke of Brunswick ; "both whom I name as well for their love to me, as also "for their excellency in their faculties. Thus having *He alludes here to his having been admitted Bachelor of Music in both Universities. |