properly marked by Handel in a chorus from his Oratorio of Israel in Egypt: "For he hath triumphed gloriously." See also Paradise Lost, Book 3. "With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth." Oh help, alas! ay me! I sit and cry me; And call for help, alas! but none comes nigh me. O, I burn me, I burn; Fa la la Alas! I burn; ay me! will none come quench me? Fa la la. This is only a sort of imitation of the Italian Ballet from Gastoldi : "A la strada-adio! "Ait'! ait' oime! ch' io son tradito, "O poverino me, ch'io son ferito." Fa la. The word fire in the original is spelt fy-er, with a separate note to each syllable. So also in No. CLXXXIX. to rhyme with eye her. LXXXIV. Why weeps, alas! my lady love, and mistress? These three lines are worth whole pages of the sentimentalibus lacryma-roarum descriptions, which novel writers give of true lovers' partings, and are far superior to the original : "Non dubitar ch' io t' abandoni mai, "Dolce cor mio; perchè tu sei mia vita, His Canzonets to two voices, published 1595, are thus dedicated: "To the most vertuous and gentile Ladie, the Ladie "Periam. 66 "Loe here most worthy Ladie, these Canzonets of mine, "like two wayting maydes desiring to attend upon you; "destinated by my wife (even before they were born) unto your Ladyship's service: not that for any great good or beauty in them she thought them worthy of you; but "that not being able as heretofore still to serve you, she "would that these therefore with their presence, should "make good and supply that her absence. For her sake, "then vouchsafe, gentle Ladie, to entertain them, having no other thing to commend them to you for, but this, "that they are virgins, never having yet been once out at "doors, nor seen the fashions of the world abroad. And "therefore, notwithstanding perhaps in the highest degree "they shall not satisfy you, yet if they shall but in any 66 "sort content you, I know that the greatest fault you will "find in them shall be for their smallness: and so good "Madame I cease farther to trouble; but not still to serve "and honour you. "From London, the 17th of November, 1595." This set contains twenty-one compositions, nine of which are Fantasies for instruments alone. The words of the other twelve are for the most part wretched stuff, probably translated by Morley from the Italian. Five out of the number I find amongst the Madrigals of Felice Anerio, a first-rate Italian Composer, and here I must note that Morley has borrowed so exactly a few bars at the commencement of each of them, as in my opinion to take from himself the whole merit of being the original composer. In short such an impudent plagiarism I have seldom witnessed. I shall content myself with the two following specimens. LXXXV. Go ye, my Canzonets, to my dear darling; T' adorn your locks, and make your name eternal. Italian Version from Anerio's Madrigals. "Gitene, Canzonette, al mio bel sole; 66 Pregatelo ch'ascolti i miei lamenti; "E di corona di suoi raggi superni, "Vi cinga il crin, e 'l vostro honor eterni." Literal enough to satisfy the most scrupulous translator! LXXXVIII. Our Bonny-boots could toot it, yea and foot it; In all works illustrative of antiquity, I have a great aversion to conjectures and guesses upon any subject; for this reason, that, owing to the indisposition of most people to use their own judgment and examine the matter for themselves, much comes in the course of time to be considered as fact which in reality is mere assertion, unsupported by proof. As, however, everything seems to be conjecture with regard to Bonny-boots, I suppose I must hazard one like the rest. Well, as you guess? Why, I guess with every one else that Bonny-boots was a nickname of some gallant high in favour with the lady Oriana (Queen Elizabeth), and if I understand the two foregoing Madrigals rightly, that he had recently died. If this inference be granted, the conjecture that the Earl of Essex was the individual, falls at once to the ground, for he was not beheaded till 1601, and the title page of Morley's work bears date 1597. The name occurs twice in The Triumphs of Oriana: "Thus Bonny-boots the birth-day celebrated "Of her his lady dearest, "Fair Oriana, which to his heart was nearest." And again, "For Bonny-boots, that so aloft could fetch it, This affords good circumstantial proof that some of the * Vide No. CVI. Madrigals in the above-named collection were written at periods considerably antecedent to their publication in 1601; but more of this in the proper place. 66 It has frequently struck me with reference to the line, Say, lusty lads, who now shall bonny-boot it?" that the term in question might have been the customary appellation of the foreman or principal dancer in the Morisco, but I find nothing in any of the descriptions of that dance to bear me out in the supposition. That there was a leader who was a greater man than his comrades appears from the old play of the "Blind Beggar of Bethnal-green;" wherein it is said of some one "that he hath a cloak laid on with gold lace, and an embroidered jerkin, and thus "he is marching hither like the Foreman of a Morrice." 66 As for Sir J. Hawkins's notion that this personage might have been one Mr. Hale, a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, who sang before the Queen at a solemn tilt in 1591, it is too absurd to be for a moment entertained. My own opinion is that the real Simon Pure is likely to remain for ever undiscovered; and so he may for me! Before quitting this subject, I will venture to throw out a random suggestion for a derivation of the word Bonnyboots. In Spenser's Shepherd's Calendar is the following stanza: "I saw the bouncing bellibone, 66 Hey ho! bonnibel ! "Tripping o'er the dale alone; "She can trip it very well." Bellibone and Bonnibel signify a pretty young damsel, from the French belle et bonne. May not the words bon et beau have been corrupted into Bonny-boots, as a term for a handsome fellow? This idea may seem too far-fetched, but still it is worth noticing. F |