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ENGLISH SONG AND BALLAD MUSIC. |
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Beatrice. " Page, call Viola with her castanietos, And bid Bernardo bring his guittar."
( Viola strikes the castaniets within.) Benedict. " Those castanietos sound
Like a consort of squirrels cracking of nuts." (Enter Viola dancing a saraband awhile with castanietos.) There are no directions for the use of castanets in The Dancing Master, because the tunes are there intended for country dances.
THE DELIGHTS OF THE BOTTLE.
In its original form, this was a song, sung by Bacchus, in the last act of Shadwell's opera, Psyche, and the music by Matthew Lock. Shadwell wrote but two stanzas, and as that would have been too short for a ballad, some ballad-monger lengthened it into twelve. A copy will be found in the Roxburghe Collection (ii. 106), containing five stanzas in the first part, and seven in the second. The tune is there described as " a most admirable new tune, everywhere much in request."
Playford printed the song in his Choice Ayres (omitting the chorus) ; and it was arranged as a duet for his Pleasant Musical Companion (book ii., 2nd edit., 1687). The words are also contained in the Antidote to.Melancholy, 1682.
In the Roxburghe Collection, iii. 188, is " The Prodigal Son converted; Or the young man returned from his ramble," &c.; "To a pleasant new playhouse tune, called The Delights of the Bottle." "London, printed for R. Burton, at the Horse-shoe in West Smithfield." It commences— " The delights and the pleasures Of a man without care."
In the same Collection, iii. 244, is a ballad on the Customs duty imposed upon French wines, dated 1681, and entitled "The Wine Cooper's Delight;" to the tune of The Delights of the Bottle. " Printed for the Protestant Ballad Singers." This is also in the Collection of 180 Loyal Songs, 1685 and 1694, p. 183. It consists of sixteen stanzas, commencing, " The delights of the bottle are turn'd out of doors."
There are several other ballads extant, which were to be sung to the tune, and among them, the following, which is in the Pepys Collection (i. 474). It was printed for P. Brooksby, and licensed by Roger L'Estrange; therefore the copy cannot be of later date than the reign of James II., and is more probably of that of Charles II.
" Old Christmas returned, or Hospitality revived; Being a Looking-glass
• for rich misers, wherein they may see (if they be not blind) how much they are
to blame for their penurious house-keeping; and likewise an encouragement to
those noble-minded gentry who lay out a great part of their estate in hospitality,
relieving such persons as have need thereto :
Who feasts the poor, a true reward shall find, Or helps the old, the feeble, lame, and blind." To the tune of The Delights of the Bottle. |
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