Chapter 4

Adrian Le Roy's book, published in Paris about 1570, says the six strings were tuned as follows--1st (minikin), C in third space, treble staff; 2nd (small mean), G on second line; 3rd (great mean), D under the staff; 4th (counter-tenor), B flat over the bass staff; 5th (tenor), F on fourth line; and 6th (base), C in second space.

Scipione Cerreto, however (Naples 1601), gives quite a different account of the Italian Lute of eight strings, the tuning of which seems to have extended the compass downwards to C under the bass staff. Thomas Mace (Musicks Monument, 1676) tells of several objections against the lute, the most noteworthy of which were--1st, that it was a costly instrument to keep in repair; 2nd, that it was out of fashion; and 3rd, that it _made young people grow awry_. Mace refutes these calumnies, the last of which no doubt was set about on account of the very awkward shape of the lute back, and the considerable size of the instrument. Hawkins (Hist. of Music, pp. 730 and 731) gives two pieces for the lute by Mace, or, rather, the same piece twice, first for one lute, then arranged for two. [Appendix.]

The five lower strings of the lute were 'doubled'--_i.e._, there were two of each pitch, duplicates, which helped the tone of the chords by 'sympathetic' vibration. So there were really eleven strings, but only six different pitches. There were eight frets on the fingerboard.

Other varieties were the Arch-Lute[13] and the Theorbo-Lute, both of which had very long double necks, and a large number of strings. One Archlute in South Kensington Museum has as many as 24, eleven of which are duplications.

[Footnote 13: See Frontispiece.]

_H. 6. A._ I, iv, 92.

_Talbot_ (of Salisbury dying). 'He beckons with his hand, and smiles on me, As who should say, "When I am dead and gone, Remember to avenge me on the French."-- Plantagenet, I will; and _like thee, Nero, Play on the lute_, beholding the towns burn.'

_Hen. 4. A._ III, i, 206. Mortimer to Lady Mortimer.

_Mort._ ... for thy tongue Makes Welsh as sweet as _ditties_ highly penn'd, _Sung_ by a fair queen in a summer's bower, With _ravishing division_, to her _lute_.

For 'ravishing division,' see the remarks on the third of the foregoing passages, the speech of Juliet about the lark's song [p. 28].

The Lute leads us quite easily from Musical Instruments and Technical Terms to the second division.

II

MUSICAL EDUCATION

The following passages give a lively picture of what a music-master might have to put up with from young ladies of quality.

_Shrew._ II, i, 142. Re-enter HORTENSIO with his head broken.

_Bap._ How now, my friend? why dost thou look so pale?

_Hor._ For fear, I promise you, if I look pale.

_Bap._ What, will my daughter [Kate] prove a good musician?

_Hor._ I think, she'll sooner prove a soldier: Iron may hold her, but never _lutes_.

_Bap._ Why, then thou canst not _break her_ to the lute?

_Hor._ Why, no, for _she hath broke the lute to me_. I did but tell her she _mistook her frets_, And bow'd her hand to _teach her fingering_, When, with a most impatient, devilish spirit, "_Frets_ call you these?" quoth she; "I'll _fume_ with them;" And with that word she struck me on the head, And _through the instrument my pate made way_; And there I stood amazed for a while, _As on a pillory, looking through the lute_, While she did call me _rascal fiddler_, And, _twangling Jack_, with twenty such vile terms, As had she studied to misuse me so.

_Shrew_ II, i, 277.

_Bap._ Why, how now, daughter Katherine? in your _dumps_?

_Shrew._ Act III. i. Hortensio and Lucentio, the sham musical and classical tutors, give a lesson to Bianca. They quarrel which is to start first.

_Lucentio._ _Fiddler, forbear_: you grow too forward, sir.

* * * * *

_Hortensio._ But, wrangling pedant, _this is The patroness of heavenly harmony_; Then give me leave to have prerogative, And _when in music we have spent an hour_, Your lecture shall have leisure for as much.

_Luc._ Preposterous ass, that never read so far To know the cause why music was ordained! Was it not to refresh the mind of man, _After his studies_, or his usual pain? Then give me leave to read philosophy, And _while I pause, serve in your harmony_.

Bianca settles the question, and orders Hortensio (l. 22):

Take you your instrument, _play you the whiles_; His lecture will be done, _ere you have tun'd_.

_Hor._ You'll leave his lecture, when I am in tune?

_Luc._ _That will be never_: tune your instrument.

Lucentio now goes on with his 'classics'; further on--

_Hor._ [Returning]. Madam, _my instrument's in tune_.

_Bianca._ Let's hear. [_Hor._ plays.] O fie! the _treble jars_.

_Luc._ _Spit in the hole_, man, and tune again.

* * * * *

_Hor._ Madam, _'tis now in tune_.

_Luc._ All but the _base_.

_Hor._ _The base is right_; 'tis the _base knave that jars_.

Hortensio now takes his place, and addresses the classical Lucentio--

L. 58.

_Hor._ You may go walk, and give me leave awhile: My _lessons_ make no music in _three parts_.

* * * * *

L. 63.

_Hor._ Madam, before you _touch_ the instrument, To learn the _order of my fingering_, I must begin with _rudiments_ of art; To teach you _gamut_ in a briefer sort.

* * * * *

_Bianca._ Why, I am _past my gamut_ long ago.

_Hor._ Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.

The first of these three passages will be quite clear to the reader in the light of the remarks on the lute already made. The second should be read in connection with the name of the doleful dance above mentioned, the Dump. [See Appendix.]

The third quotation contains interesting allusions to the peculiarities of the lute. Lines 22-25 are very naturally accounted for. The lute, having at least eleven strings, took a long time to get into tune. Even our modern violins, with only four strings, want constant attention in this respect; and the lute, therefore, especially in the hands of an amateur, might well get a name for being a troublesome instrument. The reference to the 'treble' and 'bass' strings (_i.e._, the 1st and 6th) has been explained before. 'Spit in the hole, man,' Lucentio's very rude advice to Hortensio, will direct our attention to the variously shaped 'holes' which were made in the belly of all stringed instruments to let out the sound. On the lute, this hole was commonly a circular opening, not clearly cut out, but fretted in a circle of small holes with a star in the middle. But this was not the only way. A lute in South Kensington Museum has _three_ round holes, placed in an oblique line, nearly at the bottom of the instrument.[14] The holes on the viol were generally in the form of crescents, and were put one on each side of the bridge. On the modern violins, as everybody has seen, they are in the shape of [Illustration], and are known as '_f_' holes.

[Footnote 14: See Frontispiece.]

Line 59, about 'lessons in three parts,' is of interest. Primarily, it is another form of 'Two's company, three is none'--but its musical meaning is very plainly present. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was very common to call the pieces of music in any volume for an instrument by the name 'Lessons.' The first meaning, of course, was that they were examples for the pupil in music, but the word was used quite freely with the purely general signification of 'Pieces' or 'Movements.'

One more word deserves remark--viz., 'to touch,' in line 63. This is used technically, and means strictly 'to play' on the instrument. The word comes both in meaning and form from Ital., _toccare_.

_Toccata_ was a common word for a Prelude (often extempore), intended as a kind of introduction to two or three more formal movements. The Italian for a peal of bells is _tocco di campana_, and we have the word in English under the form _tocsin_, an alarm bell. The trumpet-call known as 'Tucket,' which occurs seven times in the stage directions of six Shakespeare plays, and is also found once in the text (_Henry V._ IV, ii, 35), also is derived from _toccare_. Similarly with the German 'Tusch,' a flourish of trumpets and other brass instruments, which may be heard under that name to the present day.

The next passage confirms Morley's account of the high estimation in which music was held as a part of a liberal education. Baptista evidently considers 'good bringing up' to include 'music, instruments, and poetry.' Moreover, the visiting master was to be well paid,--'to cunning men I will be very kind.'

_Shrew_ I, i, 81.

_Bianca._ Sir to your pleasure humbly I subscribe: My books, and _instruments_, shall be my company, On them to look, and _practise by myself_.

* * * * *

_Baptista_ (To Hortensio and Gremio). Go in, Bianca. [_Exit_ Bianca]. And for I know, she taketh most delight In _music_, _instruments_, and _poetry_, Schoolmasters will I keep within my house, Fit to instruct her youth.--If you, Hortensio, Or Signior Gremio, you, know any such, Refer them hither; for _to cunning men I will be very kind_, and liberal To mine own children in _good bringing up_.

We find further on, in the same play, that to bring one's lady-love a music master was thought a handsome compliment.

_Shrew_ I, ii, 170.

_Hortensio._ 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman, Hath promis'd me to help me to another, _A fine musician to instruct our mistress_.

Moreover, in _Pericles_ IV, vi, 185, we find that Marina, daughter of Prince Pericles, can '_sing_, weave, sew, and _dance_.' Also see V, i, 78, where Marina actually does sing, to rouse her father from his melancholy.

III

SONGS AND SINGING

It is impossible here to give even an outline of the history of Songs and Singing in England. The general statement must suffice that vocal music, accompanied by viols and harps, with songs and catches, were common in the year 1230 in France; and any reader of Chaucer and Gower may see for himself that vocal music was flourishing in the 14th century in England. The English Round or Catch, mentioned above, 'Sumer is icumen in,' is most probably of the 13th century, and that alone would be sufficient to characterise the popular vocal music of that day. This composition is advanced in every way, being very melodious, and at the same time showing that vocal harmony (_i.e._, singing in parts) was greatly appreciated.

To proceed to a time nearer the age with which we are concerned--in Henry VII.'s reign, there were many songs written, some for voices only, and some with instrumental accompaniment. Amongst the former are two songs in three parts, the music by William Cornyshe, Junior, which are given in Hawkins.

Skelton wrote the words of the first, 'Ah, beshrew you by my fay,' which is very coarse in tone, as was frequently the case with him; and the second one, 'Hoyday, jolly ruttekin,' is a satire on the drunken habits of the Flemings who came over with Anne of Cleves. Mrs Page (_Wiv._ II, i, 23) refers to these Dutchmen, where, after receiving Falstaff's love-letter, she exclaims, 'what an unweighed behaviour hath this _Flemish Drunkard_ picked (with the devil's name!) out of my conversation, that he dares in this manner assay me?'

The following is a curious picture by 'Skelton, Laureate,' of an ignorant singer, who appears to have been throwing mud at the poet. Skelton gives us a sad account both of his morals and his music.

The 3rd verse begins--

With hey troly loly, lo whip here Jak, Alumbek, sodyldym syllorym ben, Curiously he can both _counter_ and knak, Of Martin Swart, and all his merry men; Lord, how Perkyn is proud of his Pohen, But ask wher he findeth among his _monachords_ An holy-water-clark a ruler of lordes. He cannot fynd it in _rule_ nor in _space_, He _solfyth_ too haute, hys _trybyll_ is too high, He braggyth of his byrth that borne was full base, Hys musyk _withoute mesure, too sharp_, is _his 'my'_, He trymmeth in his _tenor_ to _counter_ pardy, His _descant_ is besy,[15] it is without a _mene_, Too fat is his fantsy, his wyt is too lene.

He tumbryth on a _lewde lewte_, Rotybulle Joyse, Rumbill downe, tumbill downe, hey go, now now, He _fumblyth in his fyngering_ an ugly rude noise, It seemyth the sobbyng of an old sow: He wolde be made moch of, and he wyst how; Well sped in spindels and tuning of travellys A bungler, a brawler, a picker of quarrels.

Comely he clappyth a _payre of clavicordys_ He _whystelyth_ so swetely he maketh me to swet, His _discant_ is dashed full of _discordes_, A red angry man, but easy to intrete; etc.

[Footnote 15: 'Besy,' that is, 'busy,' meaning 'fussy,' a bad fault in descant, as it is to this day in counterpoint.]

Further on we read--

For lordes and ladyes lerne at his scole, He techyth them so wysely to _solf_ and to _fayne_, That neither they sing wel _prike-song_ nor _plain_.

Skelton's main objection to this person is that he, being in reality of very humble origin, presumed on his very doubtful musical abilities to gain a footing amongst his betters. As he says, 'For Jak wold be a Jentilman that late was a grome.'

Evidently 'Jak' had managed to make good his position as a fashionable teacher of singing, in spite of the defects plainly mentioned in the above verses. In the first verse, 'counter' is a musical term, here used with the meaning of 'to embroider' the tale. 'Knack' is still used in Yorkshire for 'affected talk.' 'Monachord' is the ancient one-stringed fiddle called Tromba Marina, and is here used as a joke on 'monachi' or 'holy water clarks.' In verse 2, '_rule_ and space' is simply 'line and space,' _i.e._, on the musical staff. 'Solfyth too haute' is 'Solfa's too high.' The 'my' which was 'too sharp' is the Mi, the seventh note of the scale, mentioned above as the critical point in Solfa. In verse 3, 'lewde lewte' means merely 'vulgar lute'; and 'Rotybulle Joyse' is the title of an old song. The 'payre of clavicordys' is the clavichord, which in 1536 was a keyed instrument of much the same kind as the virginals,[16] with about three and a half octaves. It was used by nuns, and therefore had its strings muffled with bits of cloth to deaden the sound.

[Footnote 16: It was the _German_ clavichord that had 'tangents' of brass at the ends of the key levers. These tangents cut off the proper length of the string, and made it sound at the same time. The Italians called an instrument with a 'jack' action like the virginal by the name clavichord.]

The last three lines quoted mention 'solfa' and 'fayne.' The latter is 'feigned' music, or Musica Ficta, which at this time was the art of dislocating the 'Mi,' so as to change the key. It was seldom that more than one flat was found in those days, and this would move the Mi from _B_ to _E_, thus constituting 'fayned' music.

This account will give a general idea of the kind of songs and singing that were to be found in 1500.

Popular songs, 'Rotybulle Joyse,' with a burden of 'Rumbill downe, tumbill downe,' etc., accompanied by a 'lewde lewte'; clavichord playing; solfaing; singing of both 'prick-' and 'plain-' song, with Musica Ficta; besides the delectable art of 'whysteling'; seem to have been matters in ordinary practice at the beginning of the 16th century. Add to these the songs in three parts, with rounds or catches for several voices, and we have no mean list of musicianly accomplishments, which the men of Shakespeare's day might inherit.

In Shakespeare, besides the songs most commonly known (some of which are by earlier authors), there are allusions to many kinds of vocal music, and scraps of the actual words of old songs--some with accompaniment, some without; a duet; a trio; a chorus; not to mention several rounds, either quoted or alluded to.

It will be useful here to refer to a few of these less known examples.

_L.L.L._ I, ii, 106. The Ballad of 'The King and the Beggar.' Moth says "The world was very guilty of such a ballad some three ages since; but I think now 'tis not to be found; or, if it were, it would neither serve for the writing, nor the tune."

_Id._ III, i, 2. Moth begins a song 'Concolinel,' which Armado calls a 'sweet air.'

Various snatches of ballads, ancient and modern--_e.g._,

(_a_) By Falstaff. _H. 4. B._ II, iv, 32, 'When Arthur first in court began,' 'And was a worthy king.'

(_b_) By Master Silence. _H. 4. B._ V, iii, 18. 'Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer,' etc.; 'Be merry, be merry, my wife has all,' etc.; 'A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine,' etc. 'Fill the cup, and let it come,' etc.; 'Do me right, And dub me knight,' etc.; 'and Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John.'

(_c_) By Benedick, _Much Ado_ V, ii, 23. 'The god of love.'

(_d_) The old tune 'Light o' love' [see Appendix], the original words of which are unknown. _Much Ado_ III, iv, 41, 'Clap us into "Light o' love;" that goes without a burden; do you sing it, and I'll dance it.' Here is one verse of 'A very proper Dittie,' to the tune of "Lightie Love" (date 1570).

"By force I am fixed my fancie to write, Ingratitude willeth me not to refrain: Then blame me not, Ladies, although I indite What lighty love now amongst you doth rayne, Your traces in places, with outward allurements, Dothe moove my endevour to be the more playne: Your nicyngs and tycings, with sundrie procurements, To publish your lightie love doth me constraine."

There were several songs of the 16th century that went to this tune. See also Shakespeare, _Gent._ I, ii, 80, and Fletcher, _Two Noble Kinsmen_ V, ii, 54.

(_e_) Song by Parson Evans, _Wiv._ III, i, 18; 'To shallow rivers,' for words of which see Marlowe's 'Come live with me,' printed in the 'Passionate Pilgrim,' Part xx. [see tunes in Appendix]. Sir Hugh is in a state of nervous excitement, and the word 'rivers' brings 'Babylon' into his head, so he goes on mixing up a portion of the version of Ps. cxxxvii. with Marlowe.

(_f_) By Sir Toby. _Tw. Nt._ II, iii, 79, 85, 102. Peg-a-Ramsey, 'Three merry men be we,' 'There dwelt a man in Babylon,' 'O! the twelfth day of December,' 'Farewell, dear heart.' [For tunes, see Appendix].

(_g_) _As You Like It_ II, v. Song with Chorus, 'Under the greenwood tree,' 2nd verse '_all together here_.'

(_h_) By Pandarus, _Troil._ III, i, 116. Song, 'Love, love, nothing but love,' accompanied on an 'instrument' by the singer himself.

(_i_) Another, _Id._ IV, iv, 14, 'O heart, heavy heart.'

(_j_) _Lear_ I, iv, 168, two verses sung by the Fool, 'Fools had ne'er less grace in a year.'

(_k_) Ballads by Autolycus, _Winter's Tale_ IV, ii, 1, 15. 'When daffodils,' 'But shall I go mourn for that.' _Id._ sc. ii. end, 'Jog on' [see Appendix]; _Id._ sc. iii. 198, 'Whoop, do me no harm, good man' [Appendix]; _Id._ l. 219, 'Lawn, as white as driven snow'; _Id._ l. 262, Ballad of the 'Usurer's wife,' to a 'very doleful tune'; _Id._ l. 275, Ballad of a Fish, 'very pitiful'; _Id._ l. 297, A song _in three parts_, to the tune of 'Two maids wooing a man,' "Get you hence, for I must go"; _Id._ l. 319, Song, 'Will you buy any tape' (_cf._ The round by Jenkins, b. 1592, 'Come, pretty maidens,' see Rimbault's Rounds, Canons, and Catches).

(_l_) Duet by King Cymbeline's two sons; Funeral Song over Imogen, _Cymb._ IV, ii, 258, 'Fear no more the heat of the sun.'

(_m_) Stephano's 'scurvy tunes,' _Temp._ II, ii, 41, 'I shall no more to sea,' 'The master, the swabber,' etc. [Appendix]. _Id._ l. 175, Caliban's Song, 'Farewell, master,' etc.

(_n_) Song accompanied by lute. _H._ 8. III, i. 'Orpheus.'

Besides these there are allusions to the names of various popular tunes and catches, of which the music is still to be had. Amongst these are--

'The Hunt is up' [Appendix]. See _Rom. and Jul._ III, v, 34. Juliet says of the lark's song, 'that voice doth us affray, Hunting thee hence with _hunts-up_ to the day.' Any rousing morning song, even a love-song, was called a _hunts-up_. The tune of this song was also sung (in 1584) to 'O sweete Olyver, leave me not behind the,' but altering the time to 4 in a bar. See _As You Like It_ III, iii, 95.

'Heart's ease' [Appendix], the words of which are not known. Tune before 1560. See _Romeo_ IV, v, 100.

_Id._, 'My heart is full of woe.'

_Id._ l. 125. 'When griping grief' [Appendix], by Richard Edwards, gentleman of Queen Elizabeth's Chapel, printed in the 'Paradyse of daynty Devises' (printed 1577). Hawkins gives four verses, the first of which is here quoted by Shakespeare, but with several variations--

'_Where_ griping grief the hart _would_ wound, And doleful domps the mind oppresse, _There_ Musick with her silver sound _Is wont with spede to give_ redresse; Of troubled minds, for every sore, Swete Musick hath a salve in store.'

The last verse is charming--

'Oh heavenly gift, that turnes the minde, Like as the sterne doth rule the ship, Of musick whom the Gods assignde, To comfort man whom cares would nip; Sith thou both man and beast doest move, What wise man then will thee reprove.'

'Green Sleeves' [Appendix].

_Wiv._ II, i, 60.

_Mrs Ford._ ... I would have sworn his disposition [Falstaff's] would have gone to the truth of his words; but they do _no more adhere_ and _keep place_ together, than the _Hundredth Psalm_ to the _tune of 'Green Sleeves_.'

Also see _Wiv._ V, v, 20. The tune is given in its most complete form by Chappell, and is probably of Henry VIII.'s time. The ballad was published in 1580, with title, 'A new Northerne dittye of the Ladye Greene Sleeves.' Verse 1 is as follows:--

"Alas my love, you do me wrong To cast me off discourteously, And I have lovèd you so long, Delighting in your company. Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight, Greensleeves was my heart of gold, And who but my Lady Greensleeves."

The 'Hundredth Psalm' (All people that on earth do dwell) will only adhere and keep place with the tune of Green Sleeves to a certain extent. If the reader will try to sing it to the tune in the Appendix, he will find that in the first half he is led into several false accents; while the second half is quite unmanageable without altering the notes. There is, however, a form of the tune in Hawkins which is much further off 'the truth of the words,' for it has exactly the right quantity of _notes_, but the _accents_ are all as wrong as possible, thus--

[Transcriber's Note: In the passage below, "u" represents a breve and "-" a macron.]

- u - u - u - _All_ peo-_ple_ that _on_ earth _do_

u u u u u u - u - _Dwell_ sing to _the_ Lord with _cheer_ful _voice_.

It may be that this form of 'Green Sleeves' was known better than the older one in Shakespeare's day.

'Carman's whistle' [Appendix].

_H. 4. B._ III, ii, 320. Falstaff soliloquises on Shallow's lies concerning his wild youth.

_Fal._ He (Shallow) came ever in the rearward of the fashion, and _sung those tunes_ ... that he heard the _carmen whistle_, and sware--they were his _fancies_, or his _goodnights_.... The _case of a treble hautboy_ was a mansion for him, a court.