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The First Set of Madrigals 1607 [26 pieces]
Composed by Robert Jones

Part 2 - Madrigals III. to VI.
Go back to ' Part 1 - Dedication, Madrigals I to II '
Go ahead to Part 3 - The songs that are in number but four parts - Madrigals VII to XII.

Songs for three voices (continued)

Ill. WHEN I BEHOLD HER EYES (The first Part).

When I behold her eyes,
Methinks I see where wanton Cupid lies.
But when I look more near,
'Tis but my shadow in her eyes so clear.
which with a wink she, like a peevish elf,
Takes great delight to rob me of my self.

lV. BUT LET HER LOOK IN MINE (The second part).

But let her look in mine,
And she shall seem to see a nymph divine ;
Until she take more heed,
When she would swear that she were there indeed,
Where she may gaze her fill, and never doubt
That any wink should rase her image out.

Source ; Robert Jones; First Set of Madrigals, English Madrigalist Series, Volume 35A. Transcribed, Scored and Edited. London: Stainer & Bell, in 1924.

3.When I behold her eyes, (The first Part)
4. But let her look in mine, (The second part) - Notes, Recordings and Comments

The author of this poem is unknown - as far as I know. Only the Cantus and Bassus parts on these first six three part madrigals survive. In the Stainer & Bell book they have been reconstructed by Edmund H. Fellowes who has written in the top part.

It is in regard to these first six madrigals that David Brown says one of the few positive things about the works of Jones. He writes "Jones modelled his style on the Morley canzonet, and he appears to have handled this most successfully in the six three-voice works ...", in his erroneous summery of Robert Jones in The New Grove Dictionary

I don't know of any recording of these madrigals nor do I know of any recordings of any madrigal in this entire book of 26 madrigals. The only madrigal by Jones that is on disc is his well recorded Oriana madrigal. - P. T. C.

Notes from Edmond Fellowes 'English Madrigal Verse'
III-IV. 5 she, like] she, most like C.



V LOVE, IF A GOD THOU ART,

Love, if a god thou art,
Then evermore thou must
Be merciful and just.
If thou be just O wherefore doth thy dart
Wound me alone, and not my lady's heart?

5. Love, if a god thou art, - Notes and Comments

Notes from Edmond Fellowes 'Notes' to 'Volume XXXV'. (1924);
"V. The words are by Francis Davison [b. circa 1575], although sometimes attributed to Donne. They were printed as the work of Francis Davison in Davison's 'Poetical Rhapsody.'"

Notes from Edmond Fellowes 'English Madrigal Verse';
V. By Francis Davison. Printed in A Poetical Rhapsody, l602 (Rollins, i. p. 65) with seven more lines. There is also a lute song setting of these words in Bodleian M Sch. F. 575, pp. 4-5. See Obertello, pp. 409 and 520-1.



VI. O, I DO LOVE

O, I do love then kiss me : [7 syllables]
And after I'll not miss thee
With bodies' lovely meeting
To dally, pretty sweeting.
Though I am somewhat aged
Yet is not love assuaged,
But with sweet ardent clips
I'll lay thee on the lips
And make thee ever swear :
Farewell, old bachelor.

6. O, I do love then kiss me - Notes and Comments

Another singing bass player wrote a song very similar to this one and I quote most of it below;

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you [7 syllables]
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my lovin' to you

I'll pretend that I'm kissing
The lips I am missing
And hope that my dreams will come true.
...

Like Robert Jones this singing bass player has come under heavy censure from critics. I am sorry I can not reproduce a fair portion of that criticism because it's volume would crash your computer. My opinion is that the singing bass player quoted above holds a similar place in modern Elizabethan II music as Robert Jones did in Elizabethan I music. I would guess that someone who comes under such heavy criticism can not be much good and so the name of this singing bass player has slipped my mind. If you can name this singing bass player please e-mail me at; phreap2000@yahoo.ca

Thomas Campian is though to have been an "old bachelor" and in his second ayre 'Though you are young' (of the Rosseter & Campian book A Book of Ayres (1601)#) he already describes himself as old. - Patrick Connolly, May 1, 2001 & Jan.25 204.

Notes from Edmond Fellowes' 'English Madrigal Verse'
VI. Also Set by Peerson 1620, VII.
1 love, then] love, my love then B.



This page was written & compiled by Patrick Connolly.
All materials are copyright © Patrick Thomas Connolly 2003 & 2004.
Go ahead to Part 3 - The songs that are in number but four parts - Madrigals VII to XII.
Return to ' Part 1 - Dedication and three part madrigals I and II '
Read an essay called "Robert Jones, A Failed Madrigalist, A Successful Controversialist (A Few Observations On the Madrigal Book Of Robert Jones)" that was written by Patrick T. Connolly.

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# The complete texts and accurate midi files of Rosseter's & Campian's A Book of Ayres and Campion's First and Second Books "TVVO BOOKES OF AYRES" c.1613 can all be found on a site created by Harald Lillmeyer at; http://kulturserver-bayern.de/home/harald-lillmeyer Look under Downloads.