192 1MB COMPLETE ANGLER. PART I. 



r>t I marry, Sir, this is music indeed ; this has cheer'd 

 my heart, and made me remember six verses in praise of 

 music, which I will speak to you instantly. 



themselve* to perrivit-omking . they had forgot their cittern aud their music." 

 Workt of Dr. William King . vol. ii. p. 79- 



Aod the knowledge of (hit fact will enable us to explain and justify a passage 

 ia Ba Joosou's comedy of The Silent Woman, which none of his aonotators 

 MM to hare understood. MoroM, in act III. scene A. of that play, after be 

 hat discovered thai hi* soppeaed wife caa Ulk, and that to the purpose too, 



cries oat of Cntoertl, "That cursed barber ! 1 have named his cittern, that's 



common to all men." Mr. Upton, ia his Note* on that play, supposes we 

 should read etrfciti, i. e. the common sink, the common sewer, cistern, or recep- 

 tacle : or, ite says* we may read cittern in a arose that has no relation to a 

 barber's shop. Bat whether the circumstance above mentioned does not render 

 ay such conjecture ueedle**, the ingenious reader will determine. 



Mr. Henry Love*, who composed the motic to this song, was the Parcel) of 

 the age ne lived in: Mr. Waller has honoured him with Copy of Venn, in. 

 scribed -To Mr. Henry Law**, who had then new set a %ong of mine, In theytar 

 l13. n Aad Milton has celebrated his merit in an elegant sonnet " to Mr. II. 

 Law**, on hi Airs." Milton was an excellent judge and performer of music; 

 n particular which, a* it has been very Miperarially mentioned by the many 

 writer* of uls life, it may not be amis to enlarge on here. Aud first, we are to 

 knew, that ht affection to tbi* art was, in some sort, hereditary ; for his father 

 was not only a lover, bvta composer of music: the common melody, k nown by 

 the nm of York Pt*lm-twte, which most country chimes play, and half the 

 nure in this kingdom sing by way of lullaby, was of his composition, as appear* 

 by Raveuscroft's Collection of Ptalm4**c*. and other evidence*. He also 

 composed many madrigals, in four and five part*: some of which are to be seen 

 in the Trivmpki of Oriana, a collection of madrigal* to five and six voice*, 

 composed by divers author*. 4 to. Load. idOl ; and in other collections. And 

 lastly, it appears free* in* Ufe of Hilton, by his nephew Phillip*, prefixed to 

 a Translation of tome of hi* Letter* of Staff, printed in 18mo. lfiy, that Milton, 

 the rarber, composed an In Nomine of forty parts, for which he was rewarded, 

 by Pol.th prince to whom he presented it. with a gold mrdal and chain. And we 

 are also told, by the above-mentioned nephew of Milton, that, when he was upon 

 his travels, he collected a chest or two of choice masic book* of the best master* 

 flourishing at that time in Italy, namely. Luca Mareuxin, Mootoverde, Horatio 

 Vecchi, Cifra, the Prince of Veooia. and other*. 



It should seem that Lawe* and Milton were well acquainted ; for the former 

 composed the original music to the Masque of Comut, and at the exhibition of 

 that performance at Lndlow-eastle. acted the part of the attendant Spirit. The 

 best account extant of him, except that in the Alkrn. Oxon. U contained in Mr. 

 Fentnn's note on the poem of Mr. Waller, above mentioned. 



And. now 1 am upon this subject, I will tell the reader a secret ; which i*, 

 That music was in its greatest perfection in Europe from abont the middle of 

 the sixteenth to the beginning of the seventeenth century ; when, with M variety 

 of treble-Instruments, a vicious taste was intioduced, nd voe.jJ harmony re- 

 ceived its mortal wound. In this period flourished Palestriua, the Prince of 

 Venosa, and the several other author* above mentioned lo i.pve been collected 

 by Mil ion, and, to the immortal honour of this nation, our own Talli* and Byrd ; 

 and some years after, in the more elegant kinds of composition, such as mad- 

 rigals, canzonets, &c. Wilbye, Weelke*, Bennet, Morley, Bateson, and others, 

 whose works shew deep skill and fine invention. 



