Popular Music Of The Olden Time Vol 1

Ancient Songs, Ballads, & Dance Tunes, Sheet Music & Lyrics - online book

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REIGN OF ELIZABETH.
149
ALL YOU THAT LOVE GOOD FELLOWS, ob THE LONDON PRENTICE..
The tunes called Nancie in Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book; Eduward Nouwels, in Bellerophon (Amsterdam, 1622, p. 115); Sir Eduward NouweVs Delight, in Friesche Lust-hof, 1634; and The London Prentice, in Pills to purge Melancholy (vi., 342), and in The Devil to pay, 1731, are the same: but the two last contain only sixteen bars, while all the former consist of twenty-four.
The following is the version called Sir Edward Noel's Delight.
The ballad of " The honour of a London Prentice: being an account of his matchless manhood, and brave adventures done in Turkey, and by what means he married the king's daughter," is evidently a production of the reign of Elizabeth. The apprentice maintains her to be " the phoenix of the world," " the pearl of princely majesty," &c, against "a score of Turkish Knights," whom he over­throws at tilt.
The ballad is printed in Ritson's English Songs (among the Ancient Ballads), and in Evans' Old Ballads, vol. iii., 178. Copies will also be found in the Bagford, Boxburghe (iii. 747), and other Collections. It was "to be sung to the tune of All you that love good felloivs ; " under which name the air is most frequently mentioned.