Popular Music Of The Olden Time Vol 1

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

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	372	ENGLISH SONG AND BALLAD MUSIC.
	Reprinted by Percy, under the name of Constant Penelope, from a copy in the Pepys Collection. " The Pattern of True Love; or Bowes' Tragedy," written in 1717, and printed in Ritson's Yorkshire Garland. The last shows its popularity at a late period. The only tune I can find for the ballad, The Wandering Prince of Troy, is the composition of Dr. Wilson. It is adopted in Pills to purge Melancholy, iii. 15, 1707, and iv. 266,1719; and is the Troy Town of the ballad-operas, such as Potty, 1729, &c. The ballad was entered at Stationers' Hall before Dr. Wilson was born; therefore this cannot be the original tune,—unless he merely arranged it for three voices, which we have no reason for supposing. It is printed in his "Cheerful Ayres or Ballads, first composed.for one single voice, and since set for three voices," Oxford, 1660. Dr. Rimbault has recently identified Dr. Wilson with the " Jack Wilson " who was a singer on the stage in Shakespeare's time. It is possible, therefore, that he may have sung the ballad on the stage, according to the custom of those days. Wilson was created Doctor, at Oxford, in 1644, and died in his seventy-ninth year, a.d. 1673. •There is also a song of Queen Dido, but, being in a different metre, it could not be sung to the same air. (See Index.) In the following, I have adopted Dr. Percy's copy of the ballad, after the first stanza, which is printed with the tune. It consists of twenty-three verses, of which eleven are subjoined; ending with the first climax—Dido's death.