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vj.*

Now is the month of maying,

When merry lads are playing; Fa la la,

Each with his bonny lasse,

Upon the greeny grasse. Fa la la.

The spring clad all in gladnesse
Doth laugh at winter's sadnesse;
And to the bagpipes sound,
The nimphs tread out their ground.

Fye then, why sit wee musing,
Youth's sweet delight refusing;
Say daintie Nimphs and speake,
Shall wee play barly-breake? †

vij.

Sing wee and chaunt it,

While loue doth grant it; Fa la la.

Not long youth lasteth,

And old age hasteth;

Now is best leysure,

To take our pleasure. Fa la la.

All things inuite vs,

Now to delight vs.

*" Cantus of Thomas Morley the first booke of ballets to five voyces.” Device, &c. same as Quintvs. Herbert, 1019. Contains twenty-one songs.

"A game generally played by young people in a corn-yard. One stack is fixed on as the dule or goal; and one person is appointed to catch the rest of the company, who run out from the dule. He does not leave it till they are all out of his sight. Then he sets off to catch them. Any one, who is taken, cannot run out again with his former associates, being accounted a prisoner; but is obliged to assist his captor in pursuing the rest. When all are taken, the gaine is finished; and he who was first taken is bound to act as catcher in the next game.”—Jamieson's Etymological Dictionary of Scottish Language, 1808.

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Hence care be packing,
No mirth bee lacking;
Let spare no treasure

To liue in pleasure.

viij.

You that wont to my pipes sound,

Daintily to tread the ground,

Jolly shepherds and nymphs sweet! Lirum lirum.

Here met together

Vnder the weather,

[Lirum lirum.

Hand in hand uniting, the lovely god come greet.

Lo triumphing brave comes hee

All in pomp and majesty,

Monarch of the world and king;

Let who so list him,

Dare to resist him,

We, our voice uniting, of his high acts will sing.

viiij.

About the May-pole new with glee and merriment,
While as the bag pipe tooted it,

Thirsis and Cloe fine together footed it; Fa la la.
And to the wanton instrument,

Still they went too and fro, and finely flaunted it, And then both met again, and thus they chaunted it;

Fa la la.

The shepherds and nimphs them round enclosed had,
Wond'ring with what facility

About they turn'd them in such strange agility;
And still when they unlosed had,

With words full of delight they gently kissed them, And thus sweetly to sing they never missed them.

x. Fly

Fly if thou be flying,

X.*

Foe to my heart most wrathfull,

Which more and more grows faithfull;

Desire pursues the crying,

To tell thee of his torment and of my dying;

But if my heart's desire be not with grief confounded,
I hope by love to see thee caught or wounded.

xj.

Brown is my love, but graceful! and each renowned whiteness Matcht with thy lovely brown, looseth his brightness.

Fair is my love, but scornfull! yet have I seen despised Dainty white lillies, and sad flowers well prised.

xij.

The wine that I so dearly got,

Sweetly sipping, mine eyes hath bleared;

And the more I am bar'd the pot,
The more to drink my thirst is steered;
But since thereby my heart is cheered,
Maugre ill luck and spiteful slanders,
Mine eyes shall not be my commanders,
For i maintain, and ever shall,

Better the windows bide the dangers,
Then to spoil both the house and all.

xiij.

So saith my fair and beautiful Licoris, when now and then

she talketh

With me of love; love is a sprite that walketh,

"Musica Transalpina, Cantus. The seconde booke of Madrigalles, to 56 voices: translated out of sundrie Italian authors, & newly publisbed by Nicolas Yonge. At London, printed by Thomas Este, 1597, 4to. Dedicated to the right worshipfull and true louer of musicke, Syr Henry Lennard, Knight." Contains twenty-four songs. Only the first book poticed by Herbert, 1017.

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That soars and flies, and none alive can hold him,

Nor touch him, nor behold him

Yet when her eyes she turneth,
I spy where he sojourneth;

In her eyes, there he flies;
But none can touch him,

Till on her lips he couch him;

But none can catch him,

Till from her lips he fetch him.

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Dear pity how, ah how, would'st thou become her?
That best becometh, beauty best attiring!
Shall my desert deserve no favour from her?
But still to waste myself in deep admiring,

Like him that calls to Eccho to relieve him;

Still tells and hears the tale, O tale! that grieves him! xxj.

Lady, when I behold the roses sprouting,

When clad in damaske mantells deck the arbours,
And then behold your lips, where sweet loue harbours,
My eies presents me with a double doubting;

"Cantus, the first set of English Madrigals to 3, 4, 5, and 6 voices. Newly composed by Iohn Willye at London, printed by Thomas Este, 1598.” 4to. contains thirty songs. "Tenor" the same.

For

For viewing both alike, hardly my mind supposes,
Whether the roses be your lips, or your lips the roses.

xvij.

I soung ⚫ometimes my thoughts and fancies pleasure,
Where then I list, or time seru'd best, and leasure;
While Daphne did inuite me,

To supper once and drank to mee to spite mee;

I smil'd yet still did doubt her,

And drank where she had drank before to flout her.
But, O! while I did eye her,

Mine eyes drank love, my lips drank burning fire.

xviij.*

So light is loue in matchles beautie shining,
When she reuisits Cypris hallowed bowers;
Two feeble doues, harnest in silken twining,

Can draw her chariot midst the Paphian flowers;
Lightnesse to loue, how ill it fittith?

So heauy on my heart she sitteth,

xviiij.

There is a jewell which no Indian mines can buy,
No chymick art can counterfait;

It makes men rich in greatest pouertie;

Makes water wine, turnes wooden cups to gold;
The homely whistle to sweet musick's strain;
Seldome it comes, to-few from heauen sent,
That much in little, all in naught, Content.

* "Cantrs.

The second set of Madrigales to 3, 4, 5, and 6 parts, pt Luib for Voyals and Veyces. Newly composed by John Wilbye, 1609. London, printed by Tho. Este, alias Snodham, for John Browne, and are to be sould at bis shop in S. Dunstones Churchyard in Fleetstrecet." 4to. Dedicated to the most noble and vertuous Lady the Lady Arbella Stuart," contains thirty-four songs.

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