KING HENRY THE FOURTH.

Part II. Act V. Scene 3. The Garden of SHALLOW'S House.

In Mr. Caulfield's Collection notes are given to this first one of the little song-snatches for Cousin Silence.

The burthen,

"Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer,

And praise Heaven for the merry year;

When flesh is cheap, and females dear
And lusty lads roam here and there."

"So merrily

"And ever among so merrily,"

is omitted. We then have a chorus in three parts to these words

"When flesh is cheap, and females dear,

Oh! then comes in the merry good year."

These notes are anonymous. The other little scraps of song for Silence are not noticed by Mr. Caulfield.

KING HENRY THE EIGHTH.

Act III. Scene 1. London. Palace at Bridewell. A room in the QUEEN'S apartments. The QUEEN and some of her women at work.

66

KATHARINE. Take thy lute, wench; my soul grows sad with troubles;

Sing, and disperse 'em, if thou canst; leave working."

SONG.

Orpheus, with his lute, made trees
And the mountain-tops that freeze,
Bow their heads when he did sing:
To his music, plants and flowers
Ever sprung; as sun and showers
There had made a lasting spring.
Everything that heard him play,
Even the billows of the sea,

Hung their heads, and then lay by.

In sweet music is such art,

Killing care and grief of heart,

Fall asleep, or, hearing, die."

"Orpheus, with his Lute," has been set to music several times, and that both in the solo and concerted form. Respecting the poem, and his own particular setting of it, Mr. William Linley has thus

written :

"The beautiful words, 'Orpheus, with his lute,' were set many years ago by the editor's late much-lamented father; but he grieves to add that the score and part of the song were destroyed when Drury Lane Theatre was burnt down, and he has not the slightest vestige of it remaining, and but a very imperfect recollection even of the subject. It was composed for the late Mrs. Crouch. As the poetry of the song in question is deserving of the highest efforts of a musical mind, the author is particularly disappointed that he has not been able to find a setting of them in any of the works of the old English masters. He has taken all the pains in his power with them, but is satisfied he has not done them the justice they deserve, and deeply regrets that his father's composition cannot so much more effectively fill the space in this volume."

With every respect for Mr. Linley, one cannot well help being a little surprised that he should not have been aware of the fact that three settings of the song in question were already in existence. One of these was by so considerable a man as Dr. Maurice Greene, whose performance will be found in a little collection by the Doctor, entitled "A Cantata and Four English Songs," published in 1741 (?); a second was by Mr. Thomas Chilcot; and a third is contained in John

Christopher Smith's opera of "The Fairies" (a Garrick per-version of "Midsummer Night's Dream"), which appeared in the year 1755. Dr. Rimbault has indeed told me that a setting exists by Matthew Locke, but considering how scarce many things of Locke's time are, Mr. Linley may well be excused for his unconsciousness of that particular one; still, as regards the other three compositions, we may wonder a little that they should have become so completely lost to any one in the position of Mr. Linley. In Mr. Caulfield's Collection there is also a setting (which is, I believe, the work of Dr. Arne) of "Orpheus and his Lute."

Mr. R. J. Stevens has set the poem as a glee for five voices, while Lord Mornington has done the same for it in the shape of a four-part madrigal, which composition is amongst the contents of a volume of his lordship's glees, edited by Sir Henry Bishop. Sir Henry himself has introduced the poem in the operatised "Twelfth Night," as a long and elegant duet, which was originally sung by Miss Greene (afterwards Mrs. Paul Bedford), and Miss M. Tree, in the characters of Olivia and Viola.

Four compositions of our own time have now to be recounted. One of these is a four-part song by Mr. George Macfarren, and another is a long and elaborate duet, for soprano and contralto, by Mr. John Hatton. This was composed for performance in a revival of "King Henry the Eighth," at the Princess's Theatre, in the year 1855. It is written in the key of E b, and requires of the first voice to ascend steadily to the upper B b.

Still more recently we have had a solo setting by Miss Virginia Gabriel, a lady known by several compositions, and as it is sometimes said, in the position of an amateur. This song is in the key of D, and requires a compass of voice extending from the lower B to the upper A. I am inclined to remark that Miss Gabriel is open to criticism for some of her reading. Thus the voice gives out the first line of the

song "Orpheus with his lute made trees," and then are interposed a crotchet rest, with two bars of instrumental music before the voice proceeds. By this the true meaning of the poetry is certainly quite obscured. A comparison as to this point might be made with Mr. Linley's treatment of the words in his setting. However, it must be observed as to the general subject of correct reading, that even Sir Henry Bishop, who has composed so much excellent Shakespeare music, is not always irreproachable upon the score of his accentuation.

Lastly, in 1865, we had a setting as solo for a soprano voice by Mr. Arthur Sullivan, a gentleman whose name has become very favourably known to the world in connection with " Shakespeare music.”

KING LEAR.

Act I. Scene 4. A hall in the DUKE OF ALBANY'S Palace. LEAR, with knights and attendants. KENT, and the Fool.

"FOOL.

Thou had'st little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gav'st thy golden one away. If I speak like myself in this, let him be whipp'd that first finds it so.

1. "Fools had ne'er less grace in a year;
For wise men are grown foppish ;

And know not how their wits to wear,

Their manners are so apish."

LEAR. When were you wont to be so full of songs, sirrah?

[Singing.]

FOOL. I have used it, nuncle, e'er since thou madest thy daughters thy mothers.

2.

"Then they for sudden joy did weep

And I for sorrows sung,

That such a king should play bo-peep,

And go the fool among."

K

To them, enter Goneril.

"LEAR. How now, daughter, what makes that frontlet on? Methinks, you are too much of late i'the frown.

FOOL. Thou wast a pretty fellow when thou hadst no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an O without a figure: I am better than thou art now; I am a fool; thou art nothing.

These snatches for the Fool, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, have notes to them in Mr. Caulfield's Collection. The 3rd and 4th, however, are not marked in the play as sung, and are printed in the same type as the speeches.

Act II. Scene 4. Before GLOSTER'S Castle.
Enter LEAR, Fool, and Gentleman.

KENT in the stocks.

"FOOL. Fathers that wear rags do make their children blind :
But fathers that bear bags shall see their children kind.

FOOL. That, sir, which serves and seeks for gain,

And follows but for form,

Will pack when it begins to rain

And leave thee in the storm.

But I will tarry, the fool will stay,"

[The fool, the fool will stay.]

These snatches also, for the Fool, have notes to them in Mr. Caulfield's Collection, although not printed in the play as if to be sung. The words in brackets, ["The fool, the fool will stay,"] present the repetition used in the notes given by Mr. Caulfield.