Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

480 SKENE MANUSCRIPT SKETCH
that its date is from 1620 to 1629, both prior
to the date claimed for the MS. The simple
Skene versions of some of our old melodies, two
of which have already been given in this work
[see Scottish Music], show how little we really
know of the early forms of our airs. The discovery
in this MS. of these and of some other
tunes, otherwise unknown until the middle of the
following century, proves that first appearance
in print is no guide whatever to actual age. The
appearance also in it of so many as 25 previously
imknown airs leads to the belief that the loss
of ancient melodies may have been as great
even as that of songs, in regard to which Eitson,
in a letter to George Paton, after enumerating
about 120, adds that he believes he has the
names of as many more, none of which he had
ever been able to recover. Several of the parts
of the Skene MS. contain airs which date themselves
; such as Ostend (taken 1604) ; Prince
Henry's masque (1610) ; Lady Elizabeth's
masque (1613).
List of the 115 tunes contained m the
seven parts of the Skene MS.
The first row of figures shows the order in
which they appear in the original ; the
second is that of Mr. Dauney's volume. The
asterisks point out the duplicates, and the
figures after the names show their place in
the MS. The omitted tunes are marked by
daggers. The double dagger in the first line
of figures between 29 and 30 shows the place
of a tune omitted in Mr. Dauney's list.
1. 38.
2. 40.
3. 76.
4. 10.
6. 63.
6. 8.
7. 41.
8. t
9. 59.
10. t
11. 69.
12. 47.
13. 85.
14. 60.
15. 68.
16. 42.
17. 78.
18. 36.
19. t
20.64.
PAET I. (24 leaveo.)
Male Simme.
Doun in yoa banke.
SiUie Boule alace.
Long ere ooie old man.
The Spanislie Ladle.
My deareab sueate la fardest fra me.
1 long for your verginitle. *48.
Hutchesou's Oalzlard.
Pitt in an inche and mair of it
A Frencli Tolt.
Lady Ellzabetli'e Maake.
Kette Bairdie.
Trumpeters Currand. * 50.
Joy to tlie persone.
Comedians maske.
Ademeis Lilt.
Sommersetts Maske.
Jolin Devesonnes pint of wine.
Horreis Galziard. * 45.
Froggis Oalziard.
21. 22. 1 cannot Hue and want thee.
22. 20. 1 mett Iier in the medowe.
23. 9. Frettie well begunn man.
24. 67. Prince Henreis Maske. Flnia quod Skine.
30.
PAET II.
. t Lady wilt thou love me.
. 37. The lass o Glasguwe.
(8 leaves.)
(Fragment.)
. 21. Shoe looks as shoe wold lett me.
1, Alace yat I came owr the moor and left my love behind
me. • 42.
. ."M. Bone Jeane makis meikiU of me.
27. Let never crueltie dishonour bewtie.