[Mid] Re: Greensleeves - references, round 3

Here is the reference, for anyone who would like to use it:

Brewer, J. S., Gardiner, J. and Brodie, R. H. (eds.), The Letters and Papers
of Henry VIII 1509-1541 (21 vols., 1862-1932)

It is interesting to note that the authors were contemporary with the
Victorian references made by Constance.

"Greensleeves made its first appearance in 1580 as a broadside ballad, ie. a
popular work rather than courtly music such as Henry wrote. We don't have a
copy of the original, just a record of it being registered as a "new northern
ditty" (at this time all books published had to be registered with the
stationers' company). The printer, Richard Jones, specialized in ballad
publishing. But it started a fashion: the ballad itself was imitated and
responded to in 1580-81"

As taken from:
http://www.pemberley.com/pemb/adaptations/regency/archive/messages/4503.html

In a message dated 11/28/99 6:20:55 PM Central Standard Time, fairfax@tir.com
writes:

> What your father probably did was document the ballad "Lord of Lorne" and
> the ballad tune "Greensleeves" and speculate that it was possible that they
> were the same tune.

Actually, no, that is not what he did. My father's paper on Henry was about
Wolsey and the political aspects of the reign. Our conversations about his
poetry were of a strictly sideline nature. For the fun of it, as it were.

> The stationer's register was begun in 1557 and every legally printed
English
> broadside ballad is listed in it.

True, however, Henry died in January of 1547, ten years before the register
was begun.

I do not claim to have proof that Henry VIII wrote the ballad "Greensleeves."
It is entirely possible that it was written by someone else. However, it has
been attributed to Henry and is not completely inconsistant with other love
poetry that he wrote. For example:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--
If love now reigned
1      If love now reigned as it hath been
2     And were rewarded as it hath sin, 
3     Noble men then would sure ensearch
4     All ways whereby they might it reach, 
5     But envy reigneth with such disdain
6     And causeth lovers outwardly to refrain, 
7     Which puts them to more and more
8     Inwardly most grievous and sore. 
9     The fault in whom I cannot set, 
10   But let them tell which love doth get-- 
11   To lovers I put now sure this case: 
12   Which of their loves doth get them grace? 
13   And unto them which doth it know
14   Better than do I, I think it so. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
NOTES
In-text Notes are keyed to line numbers. 
Composition Date: unknown
2. sin: previously, "since." 
3. ensearch: look for. 
10. which love doth get: who find love (possibly "what love does beget or 
yield"). 
13-14. "And (further I put this case [11]) to those whom I think for a fact 
("I think it so") know love better than myself."
Original Text: British Library Add. MS 31922, fols. 48v-49 (attributed to 
Henry VIII); John Stevens, Music & Poetry in the Early Tudor Court (London: 
Methuen, 1961): 403.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
This poem, too, is "attributed" to Henry. However, it is generally accepted 
that he was the author. The book by John Stevens would be a good reference, 
too. And, a little less weildy than the 21 volumes of "Letters and Papers . . 
." ;)  
I believe I will now turn my attention to finding references for the 
transition of the color "green" from a common dye to an affiliation with 
"loose" women. I do love hunting. Triva, that is... not loose women. :)
In service,
Kitel
 
From:  KitelYngvarsson@aol.com
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