Page:Shakespeare and Music.djvu/115

Enter Musicians. Come on: tune. If you can penetrate her with your fingering, so; we'll try with tongue too: … First, a very excellent good-conceited thing; after, a wonderful sweet air, with admirable rich words to it,—and then let her consider. [The musicians perform 'Hark! hark! the lark.'] So, get you gone. If this penetrate, I will consider your music the better; if it do not, it is a vice in her ears, which horse -hairs, and calves'-guts, … can never amend.

In l. 14, 'fingering' and 'tongue' correspond to 'playing' and 'singing.' The first is to be a 'Fancy' for viols, 'a very excellent good-conceited thing'; the second is the 'wonderful sweet air,' Hark! hark! the lark.

'Good-conceited' means having many 'conceits.' These 'fancies' were always contrapuntal, and the various artificial contrivances, answering of points, imitations, and what not, are referred to under this title. The mention of 'horse-hairs and calves'-guts' makes it clear that the instruments in this 'morning music' were Viols.

Another 'evening music' is provided by Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

Pericles 2/5, 24. Pericles, a musician [his education had been 'in arts and arms,' see 2/3, 82].