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Triplex

Of Songes, for three, fower, and fiue voyces, composed and made by Thomas Whythorne ... the which Songes be of sundry sortes, that is to say, some long, some short, some hard, some easie to be songe, and some betwene both: also some solemne, and some pleasant or mery: so that according to the skill of the singers (not being Musitians) and disposition or delite of the hearers, they may here finde Songes for their contentation and liking. Now newly published. In the Tenor or fift booke, ye shall haue the Preface of the Author, wherein he declareth more at large the contentes of these his fiue bookes

Whythorne, Thomas

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The Præface of the Aucthor, wherin is declared the contents of these his fiue bookes.

The first part of Songes composed by Thomas Whythorne, conteyning Songes for three voyces.

[If eu'ry one that goth about]

[As many heads haue many wits]

[When fliering fortune fauoreth]

[When Cupid had compelled me]

[Such as in loue would haue long ioy]

[The restles race]

[Though frends be frail]

[In frends of ech estate]

[Who yt for truth decrees]

[Thou shalt soon see]

[The happy life as I do take]

[He that conteinneth iniuries]

[Beware how sorowes thee oppres]

[What euer hath been in time past]

The second part of Songes, composed by Thomas Whythorne, conteining Songes for fower voyces.

[For to reclaim to frend a froward foe]

[The giftes of nature well disposde]

[Though choler cleapt yt hart about]

[Now that the truth is tride]

[Where prayses great be geu'n]

[To ouercome by patience]

[Take heed of words thou mayst not vouch]

[Like as the smoke outwardly seen]

[To reprehend or mock]

[It is a world some sots to see]

[I can not deem them happy sure]

[All ye that serue ye blind God loue]

[It doth me good whē Zephrus rains]

[Prefer not great beuatie before vertue]

[It hath been proued both euen and morow]

[I haue ere this time heard many one say]

[Though crooked cares do chance]

[When that well tipled are]

[Who yt will wey of ages all]

[When fortune seemd so much my frend]

[If I had not foreseen]

[Of natures giftes wit is ye cheef]

[Who so that list]

[Though fortune frowne on me alway]

[Ponder the proof so far as thou]

[The doutfull state that I posses]

[Is there no choice for me]

[The diuers chance that God doth send]

[The great offence of my most sinfull ghost]

[O good Lord haue mercy on me]

[I will yeld thankes to thee]

[My soule and all that in me is]

[Since I embrace ye heau'nly grace]

[When I remember of this world]

Grace before meate.

[O Lord aboue send vs thy grace to be our stay]

[Almightie God thy louing care]

Grace after meate.

[O our father we yeld to thee]

The third part of Songes, composed by Thomas Whythorne, conteining Songes for fiue voyces.

[When wit doth seek vice to embrace]

[The musicke tunes of voyce or sound]

[As t'is a signe of persons graue]

[Of a hard beginning, of a hard beginning comes]

[The pleasant and the gentle speech]

[The haughtines of some but base]

[I haue not onely read]

[Nothing is sharper then low thinges]

[In weale & wo be patient]

[As thy shadow it selfe applyeth]

[It doth belong more of good right]

[Who that to quaffing is bent]

[If flattered be ye wicked]

[If thou yt hast a trusty frend]

[Thy secretes told to such as haue]

[By new broom]

[Geue not thy minde to heauines]

[Shall I this wo sustaine]

[Till time had taught me for to iudge of late]

[As restles head doth always geue]

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[Till time had taught me for to iudge of late]

Till time had taught me for to iudge of late,

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I did not know the sure and quiet state: At first I thought the simplest life did best, but seing that made a thrall vnto the rest, I changed mind to iudge the best of powre, on whom knowing that high disdaine did lowre, I turned my sentence, and then decreed, the meane (with mind content) the best, whose seed yeldes rather sweet then sowre, the meane (with mind content) the best, whose seed yeldes rather sweet then sowre.

Tho. VVhythorne.