The harmony of birds, a poem; from the only known copy, printed by John Wight in the middle of the sixteenth century;

The harmony of birds; {
"j'-in Payne Collier],

o

LE.

TIIK

HARMONY OF BIRDS

FHOM Till: liNLV KNOWN' COPY, PRINTED BY JOHN WKJIIT
IX TIIK MIDDLE OF TIIK SIXTEENTH CENTIIKV.

AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES.

i I ayne Q

LONDON :
PRINTED FOR THE PERCY SOCIETY.

M.DC'CC.XLIII.

COUNCIL

President.
THE RT. HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A.

THOMAS AMYOT, Esq. F.R.S., TREAS. S A.

WILLIAM HENRY BLACK, ESQ.

J. A. CAHUSAC, ESQ. F.S.A.

WILLIAM CHAPPELL, ESQ. F.S.A., Treasurer.

J. PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ. F.S.A.

T. CROFTON CROKER, ESQ. F.S.A., M.R.I.A.

PETER CUNNINGHAM, ESQ.

REV. ALEXANDER DYCE.

WILLIAM JERDAN, ESQ. F.S.A., M.R.S.L.

SIR FREDERICK MADDEN, K.H., F.R.S., F.S.A.

T. J. PETTIGREW, ESQ. F.R S., F.S.A.

E. F. RIMBAULT, ESQ. F.S.A. Secretary.

WILLIAM J. THOMS, ESQ. F.S.A.

.IAMKS WALSH, ESQ F.S.A.

THOMAS WRIGHT, Ks«. M.A., F.S.A.

INTRODUCTION.

Tin-; ensuing tract has been attributed to John
Skelton on the authority of Herbert, who was not
aware of its existence until after ho had published
his edition of the " Typographical Antiquities"
of Ames. He subsequently saw a copy of it
in the hands of Latham, and from Latham it
found its way into the library of the late Mr.
Heber. Our re-impression is made from a trans-
cript of that copy, for no other is known to be in
existence.

Whether " A proper new Boke of the Armonyc
of Byrdes" were really the authorship of Skelton,
is a point which we shall probably find consi-
dered and determined in the long promised, and,
we hope we may now say, speedily forthcoming
edition of that author's multifarious works, under
the care of the Rev. Alexander Dyce. Herbert
seems to have thought that this tract was " in the
manner" of Skelton, but we own that it does not
strike us at all in that light ; it is of too moral

VI

a turn, as well as in too modern ;i ityle, lor
his pen, however becoming it- t< ml. nc\ mi«_rht
have been to his profession. Neither is tin
versification at all like that of any <»th« -r produr-
tion by Skelton with which \\e an- ac.mainted.
However, this is a point on which \ve do not
well qualified to decide, and it is the less ncces
that we should finally make up our mind upon the
point, in as much as we are soon likely to ha
decisively settled. It has never, that we are
aware of, been attributed to any other author, and
we are without any extrinsic evidence either way;
none at least has come to our knowledge, beyond
the fact that Wight was the printer of two of
Skelton's admitted works, " Phillip Sparrow," and
Colyn Clout." Both these are dateless, but i •in-
port to have bcni printed " by John Wiirht." and
the last of them has the same imprint as tin- tract
now offered to the meml-i r< d the r
Society/'

As to the date of the piece ivprinted on the
following pages, John Wi^ht did not !>• ••r'm to
print, as f';ir as the Inct can now he as.-eriaiiH-d.

until I "».")!, and hooks with hu name attached to

them, as a stationer. , -in '\tant dated I .",SS ; but
he appears to have left of}' prim in«r <>n his own
account early : " I-Yrnmu* <»f a Common \\Y;iI.-."
4to. l."»of>, purports to ha\e I.e. n print«-d, not l»y

Vll

John Wight, but " by John Kyngston, for John
Wight," and he subsequently employed as his
printers, Henry Denham, John Awdeley, Thomas
Dawson, John Charlewood, Thomas East, Newton
and Hatfield, Edward Bollifant, Henry Bynne-
man, .&c. As " A proper new Boke of the Ar-
monye of Byrdes" professes to have been printed
not for, but by John Wight, we may fairly pre-
sume that it came from his press between 1551,
when he began, and 1559 when he left off printing
in his own name.

We believe that the poem is not only unique in
itself, but unique in its kind, and on every account
it deserves reprinting and preservation. Into
whose hands it devolved on the dispersion of
Mr. Heber's Library we are not informed, but
before his death he gave us permission to copy it,
with a view to a reimpression : his notion was,
that the value of the original copy of a tract was
not lessened by its being rendered accessible, but
he was influenced, besides, by higher and better
motives than mere pecuniary considerations. — We
have good reason to know that he felt none of that
literary dog-in- the -mangerism, which interferes
with the employment by others of what the pos-
sessor cannot himself enjoy.

PROPER NEW BOKE

ARMONYE OF BYRDES.

Imprinted at London by John Wyglit dwelling in
I'mtlos church yardc, at the sy^jic of

tllO IkOS(>.

A PROPER NEW BOKE OF

THE ARMONY OF BYRDES.

WHAN Dame Flora,
In die aurora,

Had coverd the meadow with flowers,
And all the fylde
Was over distylde

With lusty Aprell showers ;

For my disporte,
Me to conforte,

Whan the day began to spring,
Foorth I went,
With a good intent

To here the hyrdes syng.

I was not past
Not a stones cast,

So nygh as I could deme,
But I dyd se
A goodly tree

Within an harbor grene ;

THE ARMONYE OF JJYKDKs.

Whereon dyd lyght
Byrdes as thycke

As stern'.- in the >k\v.
Praisyng our Lorde
Without discord ».

With goodly armony.

The popyngay
Than fyrst dyd say,

Hoc didicit per nu-,
Emperour and kynir
Without lettyng

Discite semper a me.

Therfore wyll I
The name magnify

Of God above all names;
And fyrst begyn
In (iraisyn^ (,, him

This M.MIT. '!'«• Drum laiidanui-.

Then sang tli«
Called the ma\

The trebble in < Ihnny.
That from the ground
Hrr notes round

Were hcrdr int.. th«- ll

Than all tin- rest,
At her n-ijm-.'t.

\\n\\\ im-anr. l>:i-.-«-. and l«-nur,

THE ARMONYE OF BYRDES.

"With her dyd respond
This glorious song,

Te Dominum confitemur.

The partryge sayd,
It may not be denayd,

But that I shall use my bath,
In flood and land,
In erth and sand,

In hygh way and in path ;

Than with the erth
Wyll I make merth,

Accordyng to my nature.
She tuned then,
Te, eternum Patrem,

Omnis terra veneratur.

Than sayd the pecocke,
All ye well wot

I syng not musycall ;
For my brest is decayd,
Yet I have, he sayd,

Fethers angelicall.

He sang, Tibi
Omnes angeli,

Tibi celi, he dyd reherse,
Et universi,
Bot estates on hye,

And so concluded the verse.

T1IK AIOIONYK nr UYKI

Than *ayd the

To make shorte talc.

For wordes I do ret'ux .
Because my delyght,
Botli day and nyght

Is synging for to use :

Tibi cherubin
Et seraphin,

Full goodly she dyd Hiaiint.
With notes merely
Incessabile

Voce proclainant.

Than sang the thru— lie.
Sanctus, sanctum

Sanetus, with a >»ilrmpnr m»tr,
In Latyn thus,
Dominus DIMIS.

In llchrru- S:il>:with.

Than .-ayd lh<- l:irk«-.
r>\caii>c my part.

Is upward to :i>ccnd.
And downc to
Toward th«>

Than at'trr my
Plrni snnt.

rr;i.

THE ARMONYE OF UYRDES.

Shall be my song
On briefe and long,
Majestatis glorie tue.

The cocke dyd say,
I use alway

To crow both fyrst and last :
Like a postle I am,
For I preche to man,

And tell him the nyght is past.

I bring new tidynges

That the Kynge of all kynges

In tactu profudit chorus :
Than sang he mellodius
Te gloriosus

Apostolorum chorus.

Than sayd the pye,
I do prophecye,

Than may I well syng thus,
Sub umbra alarum
Te prophetarum

Laudabilis numerus.

Than the byrdes all
Domesticall,

All at once dyd crye,
For mankyndes sake,
Both erly and late,

We be all rcdy to dye.

T1IK AK.MUNYK ()!' HYKDKS.

Te nmrtyrum.
Both all ;ui<l sum,

They san«r mellitluu.-,
Candidatus so bright.
One God of myght

Laudat exm-itus.

Than the red luv>t
His tunes redrest,

And sayd now wyll I holde
"With the churche, for tliere
Out of the ayere

I kepe me, from the eolde.

Te per orbem terra nun,
In usum Sariiui.

He sange cum gloria :
Sancta was nexte,

And then tin- hole t<
Coiititetur ecelesia.

Tliau tin- < ulr 3]
Ye know my estate.

That I am lonle ;m»l k\ •

Therforr \v\'ll I
To 111,- t:il

Gyve laude and pr:ii-vu«r.
!!'• Joke his fly^lit

To the >oniie> ly-ht.

\rrhcr;iti>;

THE ARMONYE OF BYRDES. 9

Patrem, he sang,
That all the wood rang
Immense majestatis.

Than sayd the phenix,
There is none such

As I, but I alone ;
Nor the Father, I prove,
Reygnyng above,

Hath no mo sonnes but one.

"With tunes mylde
I sang that chylde

Venerandum verum ;
And his name dyd reherse
In the ende of the verse,

Et unicum filium.

Than sayd the dove,
Scripture doth prove,

That from the deite
The Holy Spiright
On Christ dyd lyght

In lykenesse of me ;

And syth the Spiright
From heven bright

Lyke unto me dyd come,
I wyll syng, quod she,
Sanctum quoque

I'araok'tum Spiritum.

10 T1IK AKMONYK OK

Than all in oiu- \ < .
They dyd all rejoyce,

Oranes vos iste,
Chaungyng their key
From ut to rey,

Et tu rex glorie Christ r.

Then sayd the wren,
I am called the hen

Of our Lady most cumly ;
Than of her Sun
My notes shall run,

For the love of that Lady.

By tytle and ryght
The Son of my g lit,
She dyd hym well
Tu Pal ris syngyng,
Without any

The tyrtlr In
"VVith notes n< \\ .

The lady of ofaMt
Of a vyr,Lrin> W(»Mil>f
Was all her songe,

Ami of iiiaiiiirs liht-rtyc ;

Tu a«l lilicranduni.
!•".! silvanduin

IIoiniiK'in pi-rditum.

T1IK AKMONYE OF BYRDES. 11

horruisti
Sed eligisti

Virginis uterum.

Than sayd the pellycane,
Whan my byrdes be slayne

With my bloude I them revyve ;
Scrypture doth record
The same dyd our Lord,

And rose from deth to lyve.

She sang, Tu devicto
Mortis aculeo,

Ut Dominus dominorum,
Tu ascendisti
Et apparuisti

Credentibus regna celorum.

The osyll dyd pricke
Her notes all thycke,

With blacke ynke and with red ;
And in like facyon
With Christ in his passyon,

From the fote to the crown of the hcd

But now he doth raygne
With his Father agayne, ,

In dextera majestatis :
Than sang she with joye,
Tu ad dexterani Dei

Sedes, in gloria Patri.-.

THE ARMONYE OF BYRDES.

The swalowes syng .

To man we be mete,

For with him we do buy Mi- :
Lyke as from above
God, for mannes love,

Was borne of mayden milde.

"We come and go,
As Christ shall do,

To judge both great and small :
They sang for this,
Judex crederis

Esse venturus all.

Than in prostracion
They made oration

To Christ that died upmi tin- rood.
To have mercy on tho.-e
For whom lie chose

To shed his precious blond.

Te ergo quesumus.
We pray the »J -

Famulos tnos suhveni
Ab oinii i doloso,
Quos precii>~<»

Siiniruine redcniisti.

The Imuke< dyd syng,
Their belles dyd rynir.

Thci sii<l they <-;mie iVcm the Tower

THE ARMONYE OF BYRDES. 13

We hold with the kyng,
And wyll for him syng

To God, day, nyght, and hower.

The sparrowes dyd tell,
That Christ in his Gospell

A texte of them dyd purpose ;
Suis heredibus
Multis pastoribus

Meliores estis vos.

They fell downe flat
With Salvum fac

Populum tuum, Domine,
In heven to sit
Et benedic

Hereditate tue.

Than all dyd respond,
Lorde, helpe at hond,

Ne cadant ad internum ;
Et rege eos,
Et extolle illos

Usque in eternum.

They toke their flyght,
Prayeng for the ryght,

And thus their prayer began;
Pater noster, qui es
Per singulos dies,

Benedicimus te, God and man.

II i in: AKMONYI: or in

Kt liiudumus
Et gloriosus

Nomen tuum
In seculuni h
In this militant qu» i , .

Et in seculum

They dyd begyn
To pray that syn

Shuld clene from us <>xin- ;
Dignare Domine
Die isto sine

Peccato nos

With supplication
They made intercessyon,

And sung, Misere nostri.
Rehersyng this text'
In Englysh nexte,

on us linvr IIHT

Than dyd tln-y |.n-|»:in-
Away for to i:n« .

And all at om
SiiiLryn,Lr in :ir:i.
Fiat misericordia tua,

I)(.iuinr. -IIJUT DOf,

With tuii«v>
Thcv dyd

th- Inild

THE ARMONYE OF BYI4DKS.

To syng all and sum
Quemadmodum
Speravimus in te.

Than dyd I go
Where I came fro,

And ever I dyd pretend,
Not to tary long,
But of this song

To make a fynall ende.

I sayd, In te, Domine,
Speravi cotidie,

That I fall not in infernum ;
And than with thy grace,
After this place

Non conf under in eternum.

FINIS.

Imprinted at London, by John Wyght dwelling in Poules
church yarde, at the sygne of the Rose.

NOTES.

P. 4, 1. 11, — Without LETTYNG] i.e. without hindrance or
obstruction.

P. 4, 1. 22,— Called the MAVIS] Sir W. Scott, in a note to his
ballad of " Alice Brand," in The Lady of the Lake,
informs us that the mavis is a thrush, but in this poem
the thrush is afterwards mentioned as a different bird.
Tyrwhitt in his notes upon Chaucer informs us that the
mavis is Saxon for a thrush ; but according to Todd, it
is rather to be derived from the French mauvis, and he
quotes a passage from Lord Bacon, which shews that he
did not consider the mavis and the thrush the same bird.

P. 4. 1. 21, — The treble in ELLAMY] e la mi seem to have been
the names of musical notes in singing.

P. 5. 1.21, — For my BREST is decay cl] The word " breast" was
of old constantly used for voice.

P. (>, 1. 11, — Incessabile] In the original this word is mis-
printed as two words, In cessabile.

P. t>, 1. 25, — Than after my mint] i.e. after my wont, or cus-
tom, so spelt for the sake of the rhyme.

c

18 NOTES.

P. 7, 1. 2, — On brief e and long] Brief and long were the names
of notes in music.

P. 8,1. 12— Ikepc nn-fnnn the ml tit-'] Of all birds tin- robin
is supposed most to prefer and resemble man, and liis
reason for " holding with the ehureh.' because it keeps
him wann, is certainly a very human out

P. 8, 1. 14,— In usum Sarum] Missals in usum Harm, .
such as were employed at Salisbury.

P. 8, 1. 2\,—Gyve LAUDE and praisyng] Misprinted in Un-
original " Gyve luadc Vi .

P. 10, 1. 5, — From ut to rcy] at and re were also the old n.mies
of musical notes in singing.

P. 10, 1. 10,— Than of her MAI Sun tm m»: it is n
-pcli iii the next stanza.

P. 10, 1. 17, — Without any nnh/in;i] It i- hardly wurth I
but in the original "Without" is misprinted IVitmif.

P. 11, 1. 1<>, '/'//' ,..v//// il'nl prickr] Shakespeare iiiti.

"ili»! oozel cock" in .Midsummer's Ni-hi I DH am. Ad iii.
C, I. It differs from the hlaekbird «-hietly by having a
white crescent on its breast

P. II, 1. IN,- With black ,tnk, ,nul trill, m/] S-. ..fold
musical notes were written and printed . to "prick," used
two lines earlier, \\as a teehniral rxprrssi.u, in tl,.
uion i. i1 iin

NOTES. 19

P. 12, 1. 26,— Their belles dyd ryny] At the time when hawk-
ing was in fashion, hawks carried bells, that they might
be heard, as well as seen.

P. 13, 1. 11,— Multis PASTORIRUS] So in the original; the
misprint is obvious. Vide Luke, c. xii. v. 7.

P. 14, 1. 5, — In this militant quere] Formerly quire was not
unfrequently spelt quere, especially if it were wanted for
the sake of the rhyme.

P. 14, 1. 15,— And sung MISERE nostri] Another misprint,
which the reader will at once detect and correct.

P. 14, 1. 20, — Away for to FARE] To fare in its oldest sense
is to go, from faran, Sax. We still use it in the compound
thoroughfare, if not in farewell.

P. 15, 1. (>, — And ever I did PRETEND] Nothing was much
more common of old, than to use " pretend'' in the sense
of intend.

THE END.

RICHARDS, PRINTER, ST. MARTINS LANE.

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