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Ultimun vale or The third booke of ayres (1605)
by Robert Jones
(Dedicated to Henry, Prince of Wales)
Part 2 - Airs V to VIII.
Turn back to ' The Third Booke, Part 1 - Airs I to IV '
Proceed to ' The Third Booke, Part 3 - Airs IX to X '


5. WHAT IF I SPED WHERE I LEAST EXPECTED?

1. What if I sped where I least expected?
2. What shall I say? Shall I lie?
3. What if I missed where I most affected?
4. What shall I do? Shall I die?
5. No, no, I'll have it all.
6. 'Tis as my game doth fall.
7. If I keep my meaning close
8. I may hit how e'er it goes;
9. For time and I do mean to try
10. What hope doth lie in youth.

Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la, Fa la la.

11. The minds that doubt are in and out,
12. And women flout at truth.

Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la, Fa la la.

13. She whom above the skies I renowned,
14. She whom I loved, she,
15. Can she leave all in Lethe drowned?
16. Can she be coy to me?
17. Her passions are but cold;
18. She stands and doth behold;
19. She retains her looks estranged,
20. As if heaven and earth were changed,
21. I speak, she hears, I touch, she fears;
22. Herein appears her wit.

Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la, Fa la la.

23. I catch, she flies; I hold, she cries;
24. And still denies, and yet!

Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la, Fa la la.

25. May not a wanton look like a woman?
26. Tell me the reason why?
27. And if a blind man chance of a bird's nest,
28. Must he be prattling? Fie!
29. What mortal strength can keep
30. That's got as in a sleep?
31. The felony is his
32. That brags of a stolen kiss;
33. For when well met, both in a net
34. That Vulcan set, were hid

Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la, Fa la la.

35. And so, God wot, we did it not,
36. Or else forgot we did!

Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la la la, Fa la la la, Fa la la.

Source ; The English School of Lutenist Song-Writers Series 2, Volume 6. Ultimun vale third booke of ayres (1608 [1605]). by Robert Jones, Edited by Edmund H. Fellowes, Stainer & Bell (1926).

V. What if I sped where I least expected? - Notes, Recordings and Comments

The authur of this poem is unknown. I don't know of any recording of this song but Harald Lillmeyer has made a midi file of this song. It is available at; http://kulturserver-bayern.de/home/harald-lillmeyer/Texte/Downloads/Downloads.html - P. T. C.

Notes from Edward Doughtie's 'Lyrics From Elizabethan Airs , 1596-1622'
"Other copies, with Jones's melody and bass are, in (D) BM MS Add. 24665 (c. 1615-1626), fols. 17-18, and (E) Christ Church MS 439, p. 67, with these varints:
...

3-6 Ile ... goes. "I'll gamble all, and trust my luck ; if I keep my meaning to myself I may win no matter what happens."
...



6. SWEET, IF YOU LIKE AND LOVE ME STILL.
1
Sweete if you like and loue me still
And yeeld me loue for my good will,
And do not from your promise start,
When your faire hand gaue me your hart.
If dear to you I be,
As you are dear to me,
Then yours I am, and will be euer,
No time nor place my loue shall seuer,
But faithfull still I will perseuer,
Like constant Marble stone
Louing but you alone.
2
But if you fauour more then one,
(Who loues thee still, and none but thee,)
If others do the haruest gaine,
That's due to me for all my paine.
Yet that you loue to range,
And oft to chop and change.
Then get you some new fangled mate :
My doting loue shall turne to hate,
Esteeming you (though too too late)
Not worth a peble stone,
Louing not me alone.

words by: Francis Davison

Source ; A site created by Harald Lillmeyer. Mr. Lillmeyer typed the text from a facsimile of the 1605 booke and preserved the original spelling. This text is copyright © by Harald Lillmeyer, 2004 and is used by his permission. This site can be found at; http://kulturserver-bayern.de/home/harald-lillmeyer/Texte/Downloads/Downloads.html

VI. Sweet, if you like and love me still. - Notes, Recordings and Comments

The authur of this poem is Francis Davison and it was printed in his 1602 edition of "Poetical Rhapsody"

The renowned English poet, W.H. Auden read some lyrics from Jones' song books for a record called 'An evening of Elizabethan verse and its music' (Columbia/Odyssey 3216 0171). The record, by the New York Pro Musica Antiqua, directed by Noah Greenberg, was released in 1968.
On this disk in addition to this song are two song from Jones's 4th book, 'Sweet Kate of late' and 'Though your Strangeness'. I listened to this record some time ago and can not remember what songs were read and what ones were played.

W.H. Auden and Noah Greenberg also collaborated on a beautiful book featuring many of the greatest songs of the era. It is called 'An Elizabethan song book: lute songs, madrigals and rounds'. Noah Greenberg edited the music and the text was by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman. It was printed in New York by Doubleday in1956.

The Robert Jones songs that are in this book are as follows;
When love on time and measure makes his ground - taken from Jones's first booke.
Dreames and imaginations, & Now what is love, Love is a bable - taken from Jones's second booke.
Beauty sate bathing, Go to bed sweete muse, What if I sped, & Sweet if you like and love me still, - taken from Jones's third booke.
Sweete Kate, Will saide to his mammy, In Sherwood livde stout Robin Hood, & Ite caldi sospiri - taken from Jones's fourth booke.
There Was a Wyly ladde. - taken from Jones's fifth booke.



7. CEASE, TROUBLED THOUGHTS
1
Cease troubled thoughts to sigh,
or sigh your selues to death,
Or kindle not my griefe,
or coole it with your breath:
Let not that spirit which made me liue
Seeke thus vntimely to depriue
Mee of my life
Vnequall strife,
That breath which gaue mee beeing
Should hasten mee to dying.
2
Cease melting tears to streame,
stop your vncessant course,
Which to my sorrowes childe are like a fruitfull Nurse,
From whence death liuing, comfort drawes,
And I my selfe appeare the cause
Of all my woe,
But tis not so :
For she whose beautie won mee,
By falshood hath vndone mee.

Source ; A site created by Harald Lillmeyer that can be found at; http://kulturserver-bayern.de/home/harald-lillmeyer/Texte/Downloads/Downloads.html. Mr. Lillmeyer typed the text from a facsimile of the 1605 booke and preserved the original spelling. This text is copyright © by Harald Lillmeyer, 2004 and is used by permission.

VII. Cease, troubled thoughts - Notes, Recordings and Comments

I don't know of any recording of this song but Harald Lillmeyer has made a midi file of this song and it is available on the site above. - P. T. C.

Notes from Edward Doughtie's 'Lyrics From Elizabethan Airs , 1596-1622'
"Copied from Jo1605 [Ultimun vale] without variants in BM MS Add. 24665 [the Giles Earle's Songbook] (c. 1615-1626), fol. 18v - 19, with Jones's treble and bass.
1-8 sigh your selues to death, ect. On the effect of sighs, Cf Donne, "A Valediction: of weeping," lines 26 - 27. A sigh was supposed to draw a drop of bloud from the heart.
3 liue The verb, even though it rhymes with depriue. ...
11 Nurse Pronounced to rhyme with course. ..."



8. CYNTHIA, QUEEN OF SEA AND LANDS
1
Scinthia Queene of Seas and Lands,
That fortune euery where commands,
Sent forth fortune to the sea,
To trye her fortune euery way:
There did I fortune meete,
Which makes mee now to sing,
There is no fishing to the Sea,
Nor seruice to a King.
2
All the Nimphes of Theatis traine
Did Scinthias fortune entertaine:
Many a Iewell, many a Iem
Was to her fortune brought by them:
Her fortune sped so well,
Which makes me now to sing,
There is no fishing to the Sea,
Nor seruice to a King.
3
Fortune that it might be seene,
That she did serue a royall Queene,
A franke and royall hand did beare,
And cast her fauoures euery where:
Such toyes fell to my lot,
Which makes me now to sing,
There is no fishing to the Sea,
Nor seruice to a King.

words by: Sir John Davies

Source ; A site created by Harald Lillmeyer that can be found at; http://kulturserver-bayern.de/home/harald-lillmeyer/Texte/Downloads/Downloads.html. Mr. Lillmeyer typed the text from a facsimile of the 1605 booke and preserved the original spelling. This text is copyright © by Harald Lillmeyer, 2004 and is used by permission.

VIII. Cynthia, Queen of sea and lands - Notes, Recordings and Comments

I don't know of any recording of this song but Harald Lillmeyer has made a midi file of this song and it is available on from the site above. - P. T. C.

After Jones published his second book in 1601 and before publishing his third book in 1605, the only idea I have of something that he might have been doing, in England, is writing a song for a lottery, possibly, for the Queen's visit to Harefield in July, 1602. The song "Cynthia, Queen of sea and lands" was published in Jones' third book (1605) and the text was perhaps written by Sir John Davis. This information comes from Edward Doughtie's "Lyrics From Elizabethan Airs , 1596-1622" where he sums up some facts saying "It is therefore possible that Jones wrote the song used in the entertainment."

More notes from Edward Doughtie's 'Lyrics From Elizabethan Airs , 1596-1622'
" ...
Variants from (D) The Folger MS [X. d. 172], (E) A Poetical Rhapsody, and (F) BM MS Add. 24665 [the Giles Earle's Songbook] (c. 1615-1626), fols. 19v - 20, (with Jones's treble and bass) are as follows;
..."



Updated last on April 29, 2004, this page was written & compiled by Patrick Connolly.
All materials are copyright © Patrick Thomas Connolly 2002, 2003 & 2004.
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Page Bibliography

Edward Doughtie's 'Lyrics From Elizabethan Airs , 1596-1622' Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University Press, 1970.

Harald Lillmeyer's site at; http://kulturserver-bayern.de/home/harald-lillmeyer.
Look under Downloads.

The English School of Lutenist Song-Writers Series 2, Volume 6. Ultimun vale third booke of ayres (1608 [1605]). by Robert Jones, Edited by Edmund H. Fellowes, Stainer & Bell (1926).

M. P. Tilley, A Dictionary of the Proverbs in England in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (Ann Arbor, 1950)