302 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°* S. X. Oct. 20. '60. 



Arne's " Rule Britannia," we sball find that there 

 is indeed some slight general affinity of character 

 between them, inasmuch as both are triumphal 

 airs ; but Arne's is beyond all doubt the finest 

 and the most vigorous, and could only have ema- 

 nated from the mind of a true Briton, the fervour 

 of whose patriotic feelings gave birth to it, — and 

 not from the mind of a German or any other 

 foreigner. Thomas Augustine Arne was born 

 1710 in London, and died there 1778. 



Apropos of national songs, let me inform your 

 readers that the composer of the noble air or 

 chorus, " Ye mariners of England," performed at 

 the late Norwich Festival with such remarkable 

 success, is not, as 2'hc Times asserts, a Norfolk 

 man. Henry Hugh Pierson was born (according 

 to the German musical lexicons), 1816, at Oxford, 

 and received his artistic education almost wholly 

 in Germany, where he has lived for many years 

 and enjoys a high reputation, more especially as 

 composer of the admired music to the Second 

 Part of Goethe's Faust, which was acknowledged 

 by the German critical press to be a masterpiece. 

 In 1 852 his Oratorio " Jerusalem " was produced 

 at the Norwich Musical Festival, and made an 

 extraordinary sensation, though severely handled 

 by many of the London journals. This work was 

 brought out at Exeter Hall in 1853, and was 

 again successful, and again censured by one por- 

 tion of the public press, though warmly eulogised 

 by another. Pierson's music to Campbell's naval 

 ode " Ye mariners " was first performed (in Eng- 

 land) at the Crystal Palace in Oct. 1859, and sub- 

 sequently at St. James's Hall, under the direction 

 of Mr. Benedict; at both concerts it was received 

 with enthusiasm. This piece is well known in 

 Germany under the title of "Beharrlich" (reso- 

 lute), and I believe was first produced at the 

 theatre in Prague. In this town I first heard it 

 sung by the Liedertafel (glee club) in January 

 last, and was greatly struck with its concentrated 

 force and energy. 



The chorus " To arms," by the same composer, 

 appears to have been almost equally successful at 

 Norwich. It is not yet much known in Germany, 

 but I have seen the Leipsic edition of it as a song, 

 entitled " Zu den WafFen," and think it scarcely 

 inferior to " Ye mariners." When the latter song 

 was first published in this country as " Beharr- 

 lich," it was pronounced by the Vienna Musical 

 Journal equal to " Rule Britannia." I will not 

 express an opinion upon this point until I can hear 

 it with an orchestra and mixed chorus, and not as 

 I here heard it with male voices only, accompanied 

 by a few brass instruments. 



Francis Dickins. 

 Assoc, and Hon. Mem. of the Societk della 

 Santa Cecilia in Rome. 



DUaseldorf on the Rhine. 



BLANK VERSE. 



It is generally thought, but erroneously, that 

 Lord Surrey was the first that introduced blank 

 verse into our language. It was not so, for Chau- 

 cer had used it many years before. This may 

 surprise people ; but I am able to prove — as the 

 following short specimens will show — that the 

 " Tale of Melibeus," and the " Persones Tale," 

 though printed as prose, are blank verse. The 

 same is the case with all that is printed as prose 

 in Shakspeare, Jonson, Fletcher, and other drama- 

 tists. I shall content myself here with giving a 

 few specimens, reserving farther elucidations for 

 my next contribution. The " Tale of Melibeus " 

 commences thus : — 



" A 3'ongfe man, called Melibeus, 

 Mighty and riche, begot upon his wife, 

 That called was Prudens, a daughter which 

 That called was Sophie. Upon a daj' 

 Byfel that, for his disport, he is went 

 Into the feldfes him to play. His wife 

 And doughter eke hath he left within his house 

 Of which the dorfes were fast. Thither," etc. 



The " Persones Tale " thus commences : — 



" Nore swetfe Lord, God of hevin, that no man 

 Wil perische, but wol that uncomon alle 

 To the knowlech of him, and to the blisful life 

 That is perdurable, admonisffeth us 

 By the prophet Jerem3'e, that saith in this wise, 

 Stan'leth upon the waves and seeth and axeth 

 Of oldfe pathes, that is'saym, of old 

 Sentence, which is the goode way, and walketh," etc. 



No one ever suspected Mrs. Quickly of blank 

 verse ; but read : — 



" Nay, sure he's not in hell. He's in Arthur's bosom, 

 If ever man went to Arthur's bosom. 'A made 

 A finer end, and went away, an it had been 

 An J' Christom childs. 'A parted even just 

 Between twelve and one ; even at the turning o' the 



tide. 

 For after I saw him fumble with the sheets, ' 

 And play with flowers, and smile on his finger's end 

 I knew there was but one way ; for his nose was 

 As sharp as a pin, and 'a babbled o' green fields. 

 How now, Sir John ? quoth 1. What, man ! be of good 



cheer ! 

 So 'a cried out, ' God, God, God,' three or four times. 

 Now I, to comfort him, bid him 'a should not think 

 Of God ; I hoped there was no need to trouble 

 Himself with any such thoughts yet. So 'a bade me 

 Lay more clothes on his feet. I put my hand 

 Into the bed and felt them, and thej' were as cold 

 As any stone ; then I felt to his knees, and so 

 Upward and upward, and all was as cold as any stone." 



Henrt/ V., Act II. Sc. 3. 

 Finally, listen to Captain Bobadil: — 



" I would select nineteen more to myself, 

 Throughout the land. Gentlemen they should be 

 Of good spirit, strong and able constitution. 

 I'd choose them by an instinct, a character 

 That I have, and I would teach these nineteen 

 The special rules, as j'our punto, your reverso. 

 Your stoccata, your embroccato, 5'our passada, 

 Your montanto, till they could all play very near 

 Or altogether as well as myself. This done. 



