Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 16.djvu/335

 necessary before a madrigal or other composition contained in them could be sung. The book affords also an early instance of the practice of calling tunes by various names: ‘Glassenburie Tune,’ ‘Kentish Tune,’ and ‘Chesshire Tune’ are thus distinguished. The psalter is dedicated to the Right Hon. Sir John Puckering, knight, lord keeper of the great seal, and a dedication and preface are written by East. The second edition, the earliest known to Burney and Hawkins, is dated 1594, and a third appeared in 1604. In 1593 Thomas Morley's ‘Canzonets, or Little Short Songs to three Voyces,’ was issued, and in 1594 the same composer's ‘Madrigalls to foure Voyces.’ The year after this the five-part ballets and the two-part canzonets of the same composer were published. On 22 Jan. 1596 Byrd's patent expired, and East for the next two years did business on his own account exclusively. On 22 Sept. of that year ‘A brief introduction to the skill of songe concerning the practize sett forth by William Bath, gent.,’ was transferred to East from Abel Jeffes, by whom it had been printed in 1584, and on 24 Nov. he issued George Kirbye's madrigals.

In December 1596 many of the books published by license from Byrd were transferred to East independently. The cessation of the monopoly seems to have given an extraordinary impetus to the publication of music. In the next few years nearly all the masterpieces of the English madrigalists were issued. In 1597 Nathaniell Patrick's ‘Songs of Sundry Natures’ were published, and an oration delivered by Dr. John Bull at Gresham College was printed, as well as the second edition of ‘Musica Transalpina.’ The next year saw the publication of Wilbye's first set of madrigals, Morley's madrigals (five voices) and canzonets (four voices) selected from the works of Italian composers, a selection from the works of Orlando di Lasso, and Weelkes's ‘Ballets and Madrigals.’ In this year a new patent was granted to Thomas Morley, whose celebrated ‘Introduction’ had appeared in the previous year, from another press than East's. This fact, taken in connection with the circumstance that East's name does not appear on the register of the Stationers' Company until 1600, may mean that he had had a difference with Morley, who now had it in his power to injure his business. Whether or not this were the case it is of course impossible to decide, but the difference, if such existed, was not of long duration, for in July 1600 Dowland's ‘Second Book of Ayres’ appeared, from East's press. Jones's ‘First Book of Ayres’ was issued in the next year, when the great collection of madrigals called ‘The Triumphs of Oriana’ was printed, though not published. The idea of this collection seems to have been taken from a book of madrigals by various composers, published at the Phalese press at Antwerp in the same year (or perhaps previously, see preface to Hawes's edition of The Triumphs of Oriana, pp. 6, 8). The Antwerp collection had the general title of ‘Il Trionfo di Dori,’ and consisted of twenty-nine madrigals each ending with the words ‘Viva la bella Dori.’ It is not unlikely that this collection may first have appeared in Italy, and become known to English musicians, or rather to Thomas Morley, through the agency of Nicholas Yonge, who, as we know from the preface to ‘Musica Transalpina,’ was in the habit of receiving all the new music from Italy. If Hawkins's account of the circumstances under which the English collection was made in honour of Queen Elizabeth be true, the idea originated with the Earl of Nottingham, to whom the collection is dedicated, and who, with a view to alleviate the queen's concern for the execution of Essex, gave for a prize subject to the poets and musicians of the time the beauty and accomplishments of his royal mistress. Hawkins goes on to surmise that the queen was fond of the name Oriana, but at the same time adds, on Camden's authority, that a Spanish ambassador had libelled her by the name of Amadis Oriana, and for his insolence was put under a guard. This last circumstance would account for the fact, which seems to have been alike unknown to Hawkins and to Hawes, the editor of the reprint of the collection, that ‘The Triumphs of Oriana’ was not actually published till after the queen's death in 1603. On this supposition the name which was intended to please the queen gave her great offence, so that the publication had to be delayed. This accounts for the presence of two madrigals, by Pilkington and Bateson respectively, in which the burden of the words runs ‘In Heaven lives Oriana,’ instead of the ending common to all the rest of the compositions, ‘Long live fair Oriana.’ The contribution of Michael East (probably the printer's son) arrived too late to be inserted in any other place than immediately after the dedication, and Bateson's ‘When Oriana walked to take the air’ was too late to be printed at all in the collection. It was placed in the first set of madrigals by this composer, which was published by East later on in 1603, together with Weelkes's second set, and ‘Medulla Musicke’ by Byrd and Ferrabosco [see ]. The publications of 1604 are Michael East's first set of madrigals, &c., the ‘First Book of Songs or Ayres of four parts,