What shall I say? Or shall I say no more? O LADY fair, before we say, Now cease my lute; this is the last My lute be still, for I have done: * before we say this, O Lady fair, play I pray you the following lesson by good Master Mace. It will put you in tune for the story "not impertinent" concerning it, which he thought fit to relate, although, he said, many might choose to smile at it. You may thank Sir John Hawkins for having rendered it from tablature into the characters of musical notation. "This Lesson," says Master Mace, "I call my Mistress, and I shall not think it impertinent to detain you here a little longer than ordinary in speaking something of it, the occasion of it, and why I give it that name. And I doubt not, but the relation I shall give may conduce to your advantage in several respects, but chiefly in respect of Invention. "You must first know, That it is a lesson, though old; yet I never knew it disrelished by any, nor is there any one lesson in this Book of that age, as it is; yet I do esteem it (in its kind) with the best Lesson in the Book, for several good reasons, which I shall here set down. "It is, this very winter, just forty years since I made it - and yet it is new, because all like it, - and then when I was past being a suitor to my best beloved, dearest, and sweetest living Mistress, but not married, yet contriving the best, and readiest way towards it; And thus it was, "That very night, in which I was thus agitated in my mind concerning her, my living Mistress, she being in Yorkshire, and myself at Cambridge, close shut up in my chamber, still and quiet, about ten or eleven o'clock at night, musing and writing letters to her, her Mother, and some other Friends, in summing up and determining the whole matter concerning our Marriage. You may conceive I might have very intent thoughts all that time, and might meet with some difficulties, for as yet I had not gained her Mother's consent, - - so that in my writings I was sometimes put to my studyings. At which times, my Lute lying upon my table, I sometimes took it up, and walked about my chamber, letting my fancy drive which way it would, — (for I studied nothing, at that time, as to Music,) yet my secret genius or fancy prompted my fingers, do what I could, into this very humour. So that every time I walked, and took up my Lute, in the interim, betwixt writing and studying, this Air would needs offer itself unto me continually; insomuch that, at the last, (liking it well, and lest it should be lost,) I took paper and set it down, taking no further notice of it at that time. But afterwards it passed abroad for a very pleasant and delightful Air amongst all. Yet I gave it no name till a long time after, nor taking more notice of it, in any particular kind, than of any other my Composures of that nature. "But after I was married, and had brought my wife home to Cambridge, it so fell out that one rainy morning I stay'd within, and in my chamber my wife and I were all alone, she intent upon her needlework, and I playing upon my Lute, at the table by her. She sat very still and quiet, listening to all I played without a word a long time, till at last, I hapned to play this lesson; which, so soon as I had once played, she earnestly desired me to play it again, 'for,' said she, 'That shall be called my Lesson.' "From which words, so spoken, with emphasis and accent, it presently came into my remembrance, the time when, and the occasion of its being produced, and I returned her this answer, viz., That it may very properly be called your Lesson, for when I composed it you were wholly in my fancy, and the chief object and ruler of my thoughts; telling her how, and when it was made. And therefore, ever after, I thus called it MY MISTRESS, and most of my scholars since call it MRS. MACE, to this day. "Thus I have detained you, (I hope not too long,) with this short relation; nor should I have been so seemingly vain, as to have inserted it, but that I have an intended purpose by it, to give some advantage to the reader, and doubt not but to do it to those who will rightly consider what here I shall further set down concerning it. "Now in reference to the occasion of it, &c. It is worth taking notice, That there are times and particular seasons, in which the ablest Master of his Art shall not be able to command his Invention or produce things so to his content or liking, as he shall at other times; but he shall be (as it were) stupid, dull, and shut up, as to any neat, spruce, or curious Invention. "But again, at other times, he will have Inventions come flowing in upon him, with so much ease and freedom, that his greatest trouble will be to retain, remember, or set them down, in good order. "Yet more particularly, as to the occasion of this Lesson, I would have you take notice, that as it was at such a time, when I was wholly and intimately possessed with the true and perfect idea of my living Mistress, who was at that time lovely, fair, comely, sweet, debonair, uniformly-neat, and every way compleat; how could, possibly, my fancy run upon anything at that time, but upon the very simile, form, or likeness, of the same substantial thing? "And that this Lesson doth represent, and shadow forth such a true relation, as here I have made, I desire you to take notice of it, in every particular; which I assure myself may be of benefit to any, who shall observe it well. First, therefore, observe the two first Bars of it, which will give you the Fugue; which Fugue is maintained quite through the whole lesson. แ Secondly, observe the Form, and Shape of the whole lesson, which consists of two uniform, and equal strains; both strains having the same number of Bars. Thirdly, observe the humour of it; which you may perceive (by the marks and directions) is not common. "These three terms, or things, ought to be considered in all compositions, and performances of this nature, viz. Ayres, or the like. "The Fugue is lively, ayrey, neat, curious, and sweet, like my Mistress. "The Form is uniform, comely, substantial, grave, and lovely, like my Mistress. "The humour is singularly spruce, amiable, pleasant, obliging, and innocent, like my Mistress. "This relation to some may seem odd, strange, humorous, and impertinent; but to others (I presume) it may be intelligible and useful; in that I know, by good experience, that in Music, all these significations, (and vastly many more,) may, by an experienced and understanding Artist, be clearly, and most significantly expressed; yea, even as by language itself, if not much more effectually. And also, in that I know, that as a person is affected or disposed in his temper, or humour, by reason of what object of his mind soever, he shall at that time produce matter, (if he be put to it,) answerable to that temper, disposition, or humour, in which he is. "Therefore I would give this as a caveat, or caution, to any, who do attempt to exercise their fancies in such matters of Invention, that they observe times, and seasons, and never force themselves to anything, when they perceive an indisposition; but wait for a fitter, and more hopeful season, for what comes most compleatly, comes most familiarly, naturally, and easily, without pumping for, as we use to say. "Strive therefore to be in a good, cheerful, and pleasant humour always when you would compose or invent, and then, such will your productions be; or, to say better, chuse for your time of Study, and Invention, if you may, that time wherein you are so disposed, as I have declared. And doubtless, as it is in the study and productions of Music, so must it needs be in all other studies, where the use and exercise of fancy is requirable. "I will, therefore, take a little more pains than ordinary, to give such directions, as you shall no ways wrong, or injure my Mistress, but do her all the right you can, according to her true deserts. "First, therefore, observe to play soft, and loud, as you see it marked quite through the Lesson. "Secondly, use that Grace, which I call the Sting, where you see it set, and the Spinger after it. "And then, in the last four strains, observe the Slides, and Slurs, and you cannot fail to know my Mistress's Humour, provided you keep true time, which you must be extremely careful to do in all lessons: FOR TIME IS THE ONE HALF OF MUSIC. "And now, I hope I shall not be very hard put to it, to obtain my pardon for all this trouble I have thus put you to, in the exercise of your patience; especially from those, who are so ingenious and goodnatured, as to prize, and value, such singular and choice endowments, as I have here made mention of in so absolute and compleat a subject." MY MISTRESS OR MRS. MACE. 167 THOMAS MACE. There is no prettier story in the history of Music than this; and what a loving, loveable, happy creature must he have been who could thus in his old age have related it! MASTER Mace has another lesson which he calls Hab-Nab; it "has neither fugue, nor very good form," he says, "yet a humour, although none of the best ;" and his "story of the manner and occasion of Hab-Nab's production," affords a remarkable counterpart to that of his favourite lesson. "View every bar in it," he says, "and you will find not any one Bar like another, nor any affinity in the least kind betwixt strain and strain, yet the Air pleaseth some sort of people well enough; but for my own part, I never was pleased with it; yet because some liked it, I retained it. Nor can I tell how it came to pass that I thus made it, only I very well remember the time, manner, and occasion of its production, (which was on a sudden,) without the least premeditation, or study, and merely accidentally; and, as we use to say, ex tempore, in the tuning of a lute. "And the occasion, I conceive, might possibly contribute something towards it, which was this. I call it inartificial, because the chief observation (as to good performance) is wholly wanting. Yet it is true Music, and has such a form and humour, as may pass, and give content to many. Yet I shall never advise any to make things thus by hab-nab*, without any design, as was this. And therefore I give it that name. "There are abundance of such things to be met with, and from the hands of some, who fain would pass for good composers; yet most of them may be traced, and upon examination, their things found only to be snaps and catches; which they,—having been long conversant in Music, and can command an Instrument, through great and long practice, some of them very well, — have taken here and there, (hab-nab,) from several airs and things of other men's works, and put them handsomely together, which then pass for their own compositions. "Yet I say, it is no affront, offence, or injury, to any Master, for another to take his Fugue, or Point to work upon, nor dishonour for any Artist so to do, provided he shew by his Workmanship, a different Discourse, Form, or Humour. But it is rather a credit and a repute for him so to do; for by his works he shall be known. It being observable, That great Master Composers may all along be as well known by their Compositions, or their own compositions known to be of them, as the great and learned writers may be known by their styles and works." Hab-Nab is a good old English word, derived from sine consilio ab AS. Habban Habere, Nabban, non Habere, addito scilicet na, non, cum apostropho" Willnill, i. e. Will ye, or will ye not, is a parallel form. Every one will recollect the lines of Hudibras, (Part ii. "I had, at that very instant, when I made it, an agitation in hand, viz., the stringing up, and tuning of a Lute, for a person of an ununiform, and inharmonical disposition, the Anglo-Saxon. Skinner is correct enough. "Temerè, (as to Music,) yet in herself well proportioned, comely, and handsome enough, and ingenious for other things, but to Music very unapt, and learned it only to please her friends, who had a great desire she should be brought to it, if possible, but never could, to the least good purpose; so that at the last we both grew weary; for there is no striving against such a stream. Canto iii.) With that he circles draws, and squares, Dr. Grey illustrates the expression from Don Quixote: "Let every man," says Sancho Pancha, "take care what he talks or how he writes of other men, and not set down at random, hab-nab, higgledy-piggledy, what comes into "I say, this occasion possibly might be his noddle." Part ii c. iii. the cause of this so inartificial a piece, in regard that that person, at that time, was On referring to the original it will be seen that the Translator has used three words for one. "Cada uno mire como habla 6 como escriba de las presonas, y no the chief object of my mind and thoughts. ponga á troche moche lo primero que le viene al magin." The sweet and the sour, The nettle and the flower, The thorn and the rose, This garland compose. 99 SMALL GARLAND OF PIOUS AND GODLY SONGS. LITTLE more is known of Thomas Mace than can be gathered from his book. By a good portrait of him in his sixty-third year, it appears that he was born in 1613, and by his arms that he was of gentle blood. And as he had more subscribers to his book in York than in any other place, (Cambridge excepted,) and the name of Henry Mace, Clerk, occurs among them, it may be presumed that he was a native of that city, or of that county. This is the more likely, because when he was established at Cambridge in his youth, his true love was in Yorkshire; and at that time his travels are likely to have been confined between the place of his birth and of his residence. The price of his book was twelve shillings in sheets; and as he obtained about three hundred subscribers, he considered this fair encouragement to publish. But when the work was completed and the accounts cast up, he discovered that " in regard of his unexpected great charge, besides his uncon ceivable care and pains to have it compleatly done, it could not be well afforded at that price, to render him any tolerable or reasonable requital." He gave notice therefore, that after it should have been published three months, the price must be raised; adding thus much, (as being bold to say) that there were several pages, yea several lessons in this book, (according to the ordinary value, esteem, or way of procuring such things,) which were every one of them of more value than the price of the whole book by far." It might be truly said of him, that Poorly, poor man, he lived, poorly, poor man, he died,* for he never attained to any higher preferment than that of being 66 one of the Clerks of Trinity College." But it may be doubted whether any of those who partook more largely of the endowment of that noble establishment, enjoyed so large a portion of real happiness. We find him in the sixtythird year of his age, and the fortieth of his marriage, not rich, not what the world calls fortunate, but a contented, cheerful old man; even though "Time had done to him this wrong" that it had half deprived him of his deaf that he could not hear his own lute. highest gratification, for he had become so When Homer says of his own blind bard that the Muse gave him good and evil, depriving him of his eyes, but giving him the gift of song, we understand the compensation; Τὸν πέρι Μοῦσ ̓ ἐφίλησε, δίδου δ' ἀγαθόν τε κακόν τε, Οφθαλμῶν μὲν ἄμερσε, δίδου δ' ἡδεῖαν ἀοιδήν· loss of hearing! There is no inward ear to but what can compensate a musician for the be the bliss of solitude. He could not, like Pythagoras, dopnTy Tivi Kal dvoεTIVONT on youevos, by an effort of ineffable and hardly conceivable divinity retire into to that heavenly harmony of the spheres the depths of his own being, and there listen which to him alone of all the human race was made audible; -'Eavr yàp μóvų tŵv ènì yñs απάντων συνετὰ καὶ ἐπήκοα τὰ κοσμικὰ φθέγματα ἐνόμιζεν ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς φυσικῆς πηγῆς καὶ ῥίξῆς. Master Mace had no such supernatural faculty, and no such opinion of himself. But the happy old man devises a means of over coming to a certain degree his defect by inventing what he called a Dyphone, or Double is given in his book, as "the one only instruLute of fifty strings, a representation of which ment in being of that kind, then lately invented by himself, and made with his own hands in the year 1672." "The occasion of its production was my necessity; viz. my great defect in hearing; adjoined with my unsatiable love and desire PHINEAS Fletcher. ↑ JAMBLICHI Liber de Pythagoricà Vitâ, c. xv. |