332 Sir Frederick Bridge [March 18, 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 

 Friday, March 18, 1921. 



Sir James Reid, Bart., G.C.Y.O. K.C.B. M.D. LL.D. P.R.O.P., 

 Manager and Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Sir Frederick Bridge, C.V.O. M.A. Mus.Doc, 

 King Edward Professor of Music, University of London. 



Researches of a Musical Antiquarian. 



(With Musical Illustrations.) 



[Abstract.] 



Dr. Wheatley, in an article on London in the time of Shakespeare, 

 says, " The Cries in the streets were much the same as those recorded 

 in the 15th Century." (From " London Luckpenny."; He goes on 

 to mention particularly the Cry of " What d'ye lacke ? " and Rock 

 Sampire, Old Boots, Buy a Mat, Small Coal, Green Brooms. Also 

 he mentions the Cries outside the prison doors for the " poor women 

 in the dark dungeons," and " Bread and meat for the tender mercy 

 of God to the poor prisoners of the Marshalsea." He would have 

 been much interested in the complete collection of these old Cries, 

 which are preserved to us in the works of three great musicians who 

 were contemporaries of Shakespeare. 



So far as I can learn these three compositions have not hitherto 

 been printed. They are preserved in manuscript in the British 

 Museum, and my attention was called to them some time ago, when 

 that great and useful antiquary, Dr. Southgate, was helping me with 

 regard to a work by Dering called " Country Cries." Dr. Southgate 

 was actually working at Weelkes' composition when death overtook 

 him, to the great loss, not only of myself, but of this and all kindred 

 societies. 



I am anxious you should hear all the music I have to put before 

 you, and therefore must cut my remarks as short as possible. 



We get very little information of these Cries from the musical 

 historians. Burney tells us nothing. Hawkins gives us a few 

 interesting particulars, though he is not very correct in certain 

 matters. He says, " It was formerly a practice with the musicians 

 to set the Cries of London to music, retaining the very musical 



