Shakespeare and Music Part 12

_2 Page._ I' faith, i' faith; and _both in a tune_, like two gipsies on a horse.

[Song follows, 'It was a lover.' Could be sung as a _two_-part madrigal quite easily. See Bridge's 'Shakespeare Songs,' for Morley's original setting.]

_Touch._ Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the _note_ was very _untuneable_.

_1 Page._ You are deceived, sir; _we kept time_; we _lost not our time_.

_Touch._ By my troth, _yes_; I count it but _time lost_ to hear such a foolish song. G.o.d be wi' you; and _G.o.d mend your voices_. Come, Audrey.

The First Page's speech at l. 9. is most humorously appropriate. 'Both in a tune, like two gipsies on a horse,' is a quaint description of a duet. There is yet another pun on 'lost time' in ll. 36-8.

Jaques' cynicism comes out even in his limited dealings with music.

_As You_ IV, ii, 5.

_Jaques._ Have you no _song_, forester, for this purpose?

_2 Lord._ Yes, sir.

_Jaq._ Sing it; _'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it make noise enough_.

Song follows, 'What shall he have, that kill'd the deer,' Rimbault, p.

19. Music by Hilton, date about 1600, probably the original setting, a Round for four foresters.

This section will conclude with two quotations about singing of a more serious turn.

_Tw._ II, iv, 1.

_Duke._ _Give me some music._--Now, good morrow, friends.

Now, good Cesario, but that _piece of song_, That _old and antique song_, we heard last night; Methought, it did relieve my pa.s.sion much, More than _light airs_, ...

Come; but _one verse_.

_Curio._ He is not here, so please your lordship, that should sing it.

_Duke._ Who was it?

_Cur._ Feste, the jester, my lord: ...

_Duke._ Seek him out, and _play the tune the while_.

L. 20.

[To Cesario]--How dost thou like _this tune_?

_Viola._ _It gives a very echo_ to the seat Where love is thron'd.

L. 43.

_Duke._ Mark it, Cesario; _it is old, and plain_;

[_Clown_ sings 'Come away, death.']

L. 67.

_Duke._ There's for thy pains.

_Clo._ _No pains, sir; I take pleasure in singing, sir._

_Duke._ I'll pay thy pleasure then.

'Light airs' in line 5 means 'vain fiddling jigs'--_i.e._, lively instrumental music. Lines 20-22 and 43 are worth remembering for many reasons.

The next and last pa.s.sage requires no remark, except that 'organ pipe of frailty' means simply the voice of the dying king.

_King John_ V, vii, 10. Death of K. John.

_Prince Henry._ Doth he still rage?

_Pembroke._ He is more patient Than when you left him: _even now he sung_.

_P. Hen._ _O vanity of sickness!..._ ... 'Tis _strange that death should sing_.

I am the _cygnet_ to this pale faint _swan_, Who _chants a doleful hymn_ to his own death, And, from the _organ-pipe of frailty_, sings His soul and body to their lasting rest.

IV

SERENADES AND 'MUSIC'

The history of Serenades is as ancient as that of Songs. In the middle of the 15th century, Sebastian Brant, a lawyer, wrote in Dutch his 'Stultifera Navis,' or 'Ship of Fools,' a severe satire on things in general, and popular amus.e.m.e.nts in particular. The book was afterwards translated into Latin, and thence into English. Here are some of the verses that treat of Serenades in the year 1450.

'The furies fearful, sp.r.o.ng of the floudes of h.e.l.l, Bereft _these vagabonds_ in their minds, so That by no meane can they abide ne dwell Within their houses, but out they nede must go; More wildly wandring then either bucke or doe.

Some with their _harpes_, another with their _lute_, Another with his _bagpipe_, or a foolishe _flute_.

'Then measure they their _songes_ of melody _Before the doores of their lemman deare_; Howling with their foolishe songe and cry, So that their lemman may their great folly heare: 'But yet moreover these fooles are so unwise, That _in cold winter_ they use the same madness.

When all the houses are lade with snowe and yse, O madmen amased, unstable, and witless!

What pleasure take you in this your foolishness?

What joy have ye to wander thus by night, Save that _ill doers alway hate the light_?'

Another verse explains that not only the foolish young men of _low_ birth were given to this practice, but also--

'States themselves therein abuse,'

'With _some yonge fooles of the spiritualtie_: The foolish _pipe_ without all gravitie Doth eche degree call to his frantic game: The darkness of night expelleth feare of shame.'

Brant had no great opinion of the music provided either. He describes their singing before their lady's window--

'One barketh, another bleateth like a shepe; Some rore, some _counter_, some their _ballads fayne_: Another from singing geveth himself to wepe; When his soveraigne lady hath of him disdayne.'