IV

Serenades and 'Music'

The history of Serenades is as ancient as that of Songs. In the middle of the 15th century, Sebastian Brant, a lawyer, wrote in Dutch his 'Stultifera Navis,' or 'Ship of Fools,' a severe satire on things in general, and popular amusements in particular. The book was afterwards translated into Latin, and thence into English. Here are some of the verses that treat of Serenades in the year 1450.

'The furies fearful, sprong of the floudes of hell,
Bereft these vagabonds in their minds, so
That by no meane can they abide ne dwell
Within their houses, but out they nede must go;
More wildly wandring then either bucke or doe.
Some with their harpes, another with their lute,
Another with his bagpipe, or a foolishe flute.
'Then measure they their songes of melody
Before the doores of their lemman deare;
Howling with their foolishe songe and cry,
So that their lemman may their great folly heare:
'But yet moreover these fooles are so unwise,
That in cold winter they use the same madness.
When all the houses are lade with snowe and yse,
O madmen amased, unstable, and witless!
What pleasure take you in this your foolishness?
What joy have ye to wander thus by night,
Save that ill doers alway hate the light?'

Another verse explains that not only the foolish young men of low birth were given to this practice, but also—

'States themselves therein abuse,'
'With some yonge fooles of the spiritualtie:
The foolish pipe without all gravitie
Doth eche degree call to his frantic game:
The darkness of night expelleth feare of shame.'

Brant had no great opinion of the music provided either. He describes their singing before their lady's window—

'One barketh, another bleateth like a shepe;
Some rore, some counter, some their ballads fayne:
Another from singing geveth himself to wepe;
When his soveraigne lady hath of him disdayne.'