Karma Chameleon of the Sixteenth Century

If the reverend Aleyn were a tree, determining his age would be a much simpler matter. I've tried questioning him about events that he remembers, but most of them were things that happened in the village where he grew up. It should be possible to refer to the records of the convent where he was educated, but since different people still spell things in their own unique ways, even that leaves room for doubt.

I thought the best way to explore his experience would be to visit him in old age, but now I wonder if I haven't come a little too late. The poor fellow's memory is clearly deteriorating, and his attention span is limited. Like so many very old people, he seems to have no concept of time, and is quite content to ramble at length, wandering into the highways and byways as his memory opens different gates.

As time goes on, and with the occasional reminder from his daughter, Alyson, we manage to establish that he was appointed to the preferment of the village of Bray in 1523, when Henry VIII was king. Twelve years later the Act of Supremacy was passed in Parliament, sundering the Church of England from the Church of Rome and establishing the English monarch as the head of the English church.

However uncomfortable his conscience might have been about the changes, the reverend Aleyn accepted them and continued in his incumbency. Of course, the king had demonstrated that opposition to his rule would not be tolerated in any case. In 1534 the Treasons Act had imposed the death penalty on anyone who defied the Act of Supremacy, continuing to recognize the Pope as supreme authority of the church in England.

With the death of Henry in 1547, his only son, Edward, ascended to the throne. Always a frail young man, Edward VI lasted six years, to be superseded briefly by Jane Grey who scarcely had time to sit down before Edward's older sister, Mary, entered London triumphantly, claiming the English throne with the support of the people although she had been excluded from the line of succession by the First Succession Act, as a bastard child of Catherine of Aragon.

Mary was a devout catholic, and no more tolerant than her father. One of her first acts on ascending to the throne was to repeal her father's Act of Supremacy, re-establishing papal authority over the church in England. By his own account, Simon Aleyn changed his allegiance to accord with that of the establishment, and succeeded in holding his preferment.

Presumably attempting to reconcile the schism between England and Rome, she married Philip of Spain, and catholicism was once more the religion of England. During her five year reign, Mary failed to produce an heir, and Philip began showing an interest in Mary's half-sister Elizabeth. When Mary died childless late in 1558, Elizabeth, who would be celebrated as Gloriana by her people, turned England away from catholicism once more. And once more, the reverend Aleyn mounted the pulpit to declare that monarchs are appointed by God, and should be obeyed as such.

Certainly, the song below wasn't written with Simon Aleyn in mind, but he could well have laid the foundations. Faced with a choice between losing his job and being burnt at the stake, what would any sensible person do?
X:66 % number
T:The Vicar of Bray % title
C:English traditional % composer
O:Songs and Dances of England % origin.
M:4/4 % meter
L:1/8 % length of shortest note
Q:90 % tempo
K:D % key
V:1 % voice 1
A | "D" dc/B/ AB | "A7" GA "D" FF/G/ | AD "G" GF "A7" E2 "D" DA |
w:In good Ki-ng Charles-'s gold-en time, when_ loy-al-ty no harm meant. A
w:When Roy-al_ James poss-ess'd the crown, and_ pope-ry came in fash-ion, the
w:When Wil-li-am was our King de-clared, to_ ease the na-tion's griev-ance, with
w:When Roy-al_ Anne be-came our Queen, the_ Church of Eng-land's Glo-ry, A-
w:When George in_ Pud-ding Time came o'er, and_ moder-ate men look'd big, Sir, my
w:The~il-lustr-ious_ House of Han-o-ver and_ Pro-tes-tant suc-ces-sion, to
%-----------------------------------------------------
dc/B/ AB "A7" GA "D" FF/G/ | AD "G" GF "A7" E "D" DA |
w:zeal-ous high church--man was I and_ so I gained pre-fer-ment. To
w:Re-nal_ Laws I hoot-ed down, and_ read the Dec-la-ra-tion. The
w:this new_ wind a-bout I steered and_ swore to him al-le-giance. Old
w:no-ther_ face of things was seen, and_ I be-came a Tor-y. Oc-
w:prin-ci--ples I changed once more, and_ so be-came a Whig, Sir. And
w:these I_ do al-le-giance swear, while_ they can keep pos-ses-sion. For
%--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bm" dB "A" cA "Bm" dc/B/ "F#m" cA | "Bm" dc/d/ "A" ed/c/ "E7" B "A" A A |
w:teach my flock I nev-er_ miss'd, Kings are by_ God ap--point-ed, and
w:Church of Rome I found did_ fit full well my_ con-sti-tu-ti-on. And
w:prin-ci-ples I did re--voke, set con-science_ at a_ dis-tance, pas-
w:ca-sion-al con-form-ists_ base, I blamed their_ mod-er-a-ti-on, and
w:thus pre-fer-ment I pro--cured from our new_ faith's de--fen-der, and
w:in my faith and loy-al--ty I ne-ver_ more will_ fal-ter, and
%--------------------------------------------------------------------
"D" dc/B/ AB "A7" GA "D" FF/G/ | AD "G" GF "A7" !fermata! E "D" DA |
w:damned are_ those who dare re-sist, or_ touch the Lord's a-noint-ed. And
w:I had_ been a Jes-u-it but_ for the Re-vo-lu-tion. And
w:sive o--be-dience was a joke, a_ jest was non-re-sist-ance. And
w:thought the_ Church in dan-ger was by_ such pre-va-ri-ca-tion. And
w:al-most_ ever-y day ad-jured the_ Pope and the Pre-ten-der. And
w:George my_ law-ful King shall be... un--til the times do al-ter. And
%------------------------------------------------------
"Bm" dB "A" cA "Bm" dB "F#m" cA | "Bm" dc/d/ "A" ed/c/ "E7" B "A" AA |
w:this is law, that I'll main-tain, un-til my_ dy-ing_ day, sir, that
"D" dc/B/ AB "A7" GA "D" FG | AD/D/ "G" G/G/F "A7" E "D" !fermata! D ||
w:what-so--ev-er King may reign, still I'll be the Vi-car of Bray, Sir!

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A quiet evening with Friends

Over the past few weeks I've been putting a lot of energy into several projects, and felt perhaps it was time to take a break for a bit. The idea of spending a couple of hours with some good company and a drink or two seemed very appealing. I don't know what I said, or did, or whether it was Bacchus or Vulcan that I offended, but that quiet drink was interrupted by a fire alarm.
X:55 % number
T:The Old Dun Cow % title
C:Anon. % composer
O:Irish drinking song % origin.
M:4/4 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:240 % tempo
P:ABA
K:C % key
V:1 % voice 1
P:A
B G E E | B G E E | e e/d/ c/d/ e | e B3 |
w:Some friends and I in a public house was play-in' dom-in-oes one night
B A ^F F | B G E E | E ^F F/^G/ ^A F | B3 z |
w:When into the pub a fire-man ran, his face all a chalk-y white!
B G E E | B G E E | e e/d/ c/d/ e | e B3 |
w:"What's up?" says Brown, "Have you seen a~ghost? or have you seen your Aunt Mar-iah?"
^f g g f | ^f e d B | A B e ^d | ^f e3 ||
w:"Me Aunt Mar-iah be buggered!" says he, "the bleed-in' pub's on fire!"
P:B
B G E E | B G E E | e/d/ c/d/ e/d/ e | B2 A2 |
w:And there was Brown, up-side down, mop-ping up the whis-ky on the floor. "Booze!"
^F>B G E | E E ^F F | ^F/^G/ ^A/^F/ | B2 "_(clap!"z "_clap!)"z |
w:"Booze!" The fire-men cried, as they came knock-ing on the door!
B G E E | B G E E | e e/d/ c/d/ e | e B2 "_Macintyre!"z |
w:Oh don't let~'em in till~it's all drunk up! Some-bo-dy shout-ed Mac-In-tyre!
e/^f/ g e ^f | d e/^f/ e/d/ B | G/A/ B e ^d | ^f e2 z |]
w:Well we all got blue-blind par-a-lyt-ic drunk when the Old Dun Cow caught fire!
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:"Oh well," says Brown, "What a bit of luck. Everybody follow me.
W:And it's down to the cellar If the fire's not there. Then we'll have a grand old spree."
W:So we went on down after good old Brown, The booze we could not miss
W:And we hadn't been there ten minutes or more Till we were all quite pissed.
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:Then, Smith walked over to the port wine tub And gave it just a few hard knocks (clap! clap!)
W:Started takin' off his pantaloons, Likewise his shoes and socks.
W:"Hold on, " says Brown, "that ain't allowed, Ya cannot do that thing here.
W:Don't go washin' trousers in the port wine tub When we got Guinness beer."
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:Then there came from the old back door The Vicar of the local church.
W:And when he saw our drunken ways, He began to scream and curse.
W:"Ah, you drunken sods! You heathen clods! You've taken to a drunken spree!
W:You drank up all the Benedictine wine And you didn't save a drop for me!"
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:And then there came a mighty crash - Half the bloody roof caved in!
W:We were almost drowned in the firemen's hose But still we were gonna stay.
W:So we got some tacks and some old wet sacks And we nailed ourselves inside
W:And we sat drinking the finest Rum Till we were bleary-eyed.
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:Later that night, when the fire was out We came up from the cellar below.
W:Our pub was burned. Our booze was drunk. Our heads was hanging low.
W:"Oh look", says Brown with a look quite queer. Seems something raised his ire.
W:"Now we gotta get down to Murphy's Pub, It closes on the hour!"

Now playing: Brobdingnagian Bards

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A Little Bird told me...

It's nice, if a little disorienting, to be able to leave a cold February morning for a balmy July evening in the city of London. Children are playing in the streets, dogs are barking (and playing with the children in some cases), one or two couples are strolling and the taverns are doing a brisk trade. So what, you ask, is the difference between a tavern and an inn? Simply put, inns offer accommodation while pubs and taverns offer only drinks and outdoor games.

Since we're in the vicinity of Fleet Street how about dropping in for a couple of drinks at the Red Lion and spend a while eavesdropping on conversations? I'm not a beer drinker myself, but I'm sure they'll have cider on tap.

The interior of the Red Lion is whitewashed, and sweet with the smell of clean sawdust on the floor, and not long after we settle ourselves in a comfortable corner, a ballad-seller starts making the rounds. I doubt he'll find much business in here though; on a warm evening like this most folks prefer the benches outside, or the shade behind the building where I think I hear the sound of a game of bowls in progress.

Here comes our cider; a generous stoneware jug and two sturdy pottery tankards with the sign of the Lion impressed into the clay.One of the songs the ballad-seller is offering is an appeal by a lover to a robin - a bird often identified with the English character, and particularly that of the cockney Londoner. I like the fancy of the song, and the name William Cornyshe rings a bell so I part with a farthing for one of the printed sheets and invite the ballad-seller to join us for a drink. The printing is fresh enough that it still leaves a slight black stain on my fingers.

The imprint on the sheet confirms that the year is 1504 and I half-remember something about Cornyshe being jailed that year.

Master Whitesmith, our ballad-seller knows the story. It seems that Master Cornyshe was accused (probably falsely) by a party or parties unnamed, to the King, of lewd and unseemly practices with some of the boys charged to his care as Master of the Children of the Royal Chapel. There is a rumour to the effect that Cornyshe wrote a poem intended to win him back to the King's favour, and that is the reason he is no longer in the ward of the Fleet Prison.

Moreover, Master Whitesmith tells us of his own experience of the Fleet Prison when fortune turned her face from him and he was imprisoned for his debt. Had it not been for the generosity of his brother, he might have been there still.

X:18 % number
T:Ah Robin, gentle Robin % title
C:William Cornyshe % composer
O:Http://arenai.free.fr % origin.
M:4/2 % meter
N:The original meter for this piece was "imperfect time", or
N:Four beats in the bar.
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 name="Descant" sname="D." % voice 1
V:2 name="1st Tenor" sname="T.1"
V:3 name="2nd Tenor" sname="T.2"
%==================2===============3=================4===============5
[V:1] B2 G2 A2 z2 | B2 A G A2 z2 | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2 |
w:Ah Robin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:2] Z4 |
[V:3] Z4 |
%==================6===============7=================8===============9
[V:1] Z4 |
[V:2] G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G | A A D D G2 z2 |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:3] B2 G2 A2 z2 | B2 A G A2 z2 | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2 |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
%=================10===============11================12================13
[V:1] d2 g2 f2 z2 | d2 d g f2 z2 | F>F B B A A d d | f e d c =B2 z G |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine. My
[V:2] B2 G2 A2 z2 | B2 A G A2 z2 | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2 |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:3] G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G | A A D D G2 z2 |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
%====================14===============15====================16
[V:1] d>d c B f>e d c | _e d d c d2 z2 | F>F B B A A/ A/ d d |
w:La-dy is un-kind y-wis, A-lack why is she so? lov'th a-no-ther bet-ter than me and
[V:2] G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
[V:3] B2 G2 A2 z2 | B2 A G A2 z2 | A>A d d c>c B B |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
%===================17=============18==============19================20
[V:1] F E D C =B2 z2 | d2 g2 f2 z2 |d2 d g f2 z | F>F B B A A d d |
w:yet she will say no. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin, tell me how thy le-man doth and
[V:2] A A D D G2 z2 | B2 G2 A2 z2 | B2 A G A2 z2 | A>A d d c>c B B |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
[V:3] c c A A G2 z2 | G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
%====================21================22==============23
[V:1] F E D C =B2 z G | d>d c B d>d G G | d>d d c d z G |
w:thou shalt know of mine. I can-not think such dou-ble-ness for I find wo-men true, in
[V:2] c c A A G2 z2 | G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin,
[V:3] A A D D G2 z2 | B2 G2 A2 z2 | B2 A G A2 z2 |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin,
%====================24===============25=============26
[V:1] d>d B B A>A d d | f e d c =B2 z2 | d2 g2 f2 z2 |
w:faith my la-dy lov'th me well; she will change for no new. Ah, Ro-bin,
[V:2] D D D D F F G G | A A D D G2 z2 | B2 G2 A2 z2 |
w:Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin,
[V:3] A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2 | G2 _E2 D2 z2 |
w:Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin,
%==================27================28=============|]
[V:1] d2 d g f2 z2 | F>F B B A A d d | f e d c =B4 |]
w:gen-tle Ro-bin, Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:2] B2 A G A2 z2 | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G4 |]
w:gen-tle Ro-bin, Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:3] G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G | A A D D G4 |]
w:gen-tle Ro-bin, Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.

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To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

A Little Bird told me...

It's nice, if a little disorienting, to be able to leave a cold February morning for a balmy July evening in the city of London. Children are playing in the streets, dogs are barking (and playing with the children in some cases), one or two couples are strolling and the taverns are doing a brisk trade. So what, you ask, is the difference between a tavern and an inn? Simply put, inns offer accommodation while pubs and taverns offer only drinks and outdoor games.
Since we're in the vicinity of Fleet Street how about dropping in for a couple of drinks at the Red Lion and spend a while eavesdropping on conversations? I'm not a beer drinker myself, but I'm sure they'll have cider on tap.
The interior of the Red Lion is whitewashed, and sweet with the smell of clean sawdust on the floor, and not long after we settle ourselves in a comfortable corner, a ballad-seller starts making the rounds. I doubt he'll find much business in here though; on a warm evening like this most folks prefer the benches outside, or the shade behind the building where I think I hear the sound of a game of bowls in progress.
Here comes our cider; a generous stoneware jug and two sturdy pottery tankards with the sign of the Lion impressed into the clay.One of the songs the ballad-seller is offering is an appeal by a lover to a robin - a bird often identified with the English character, and particularly that of the cockney Londoner. I like the fancy of the song, and the name William Cornyshe rings a bell so I part with a farthing for one of the printed sheets and invite the ballad-seller to join us for a drink. The printing is fresh enough that it still leaves a slight black stain on my fingers.
The imprint on the sheet confirms that the year is 1504 and I half-remember something about Cornyshe being jailed that year.
Master Whitesmith, our ballad-seller knows the story. It seems that Master Cornyshe was accused (probably falsely) by a party or parties unnamed, to the King, of lewd and unseemly practices with some of the boys charged to his care as Master of the Children of the Royal Chapel. There is a rumour to the effect that Cornyshe wrote a poem intended to win him back to the King's favour, and that is the reason he is no longer in the ward of the Fleet Prison.
Moreover, Master Whitesmith tells us of his own experience of the Fleet Prison when fortune turned her face from him and he was imprisoned for his debt. Had it not been for the generosity of his brother, he might have been there still.
X:18                         % number
T:Ah Robin, gentle Robin     % title
C:William Cornyshe           % composer
O:Http://arenai.free.fr      % origin.
M:4/2                        % meter
N:The original meter for this piece was "imperfect time", or
N:Four beats in the bar.
L:1/4                        % length of shortest note
Q:                           % tempo
K:F                          % key
V:1 name="Descant" sname="D." % voice 1
V:2 name="1st Tenor" sname="T.1"
V:3 name="2nd Tenor" sname="T.2"
%==================2===============3=================4===============5
[V:1] B2 G2 A2 z2  | B2 A G A2 z2  | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2 |
w:Ah Robin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:2] Z4 |
[V:3] Z4 |
%==================6===============7=================8===============9
[V:1] Z4 |
[V:2] G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G | A A D D G2 z2 |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:3] B2 G2 A2 z2  | B2 A G A2 z2  | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2 |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
%=================10===============11================12================13
[V:1] d2 g2 f2 z2  | d2 d g f2 z2   | F>F B B A A d d | f e d c =B2 z G |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine. My
[V:2] B2 G2 A2 z2  | B2 A G A2 z2   | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2   |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:3] G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2  | D D D D F F G G | A A D D G2 z2   |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
%====================14===============15====================16
[V:1] d>d c B f>e d c | _e d d c d2 z2 | F>F B B A A/ A/ d d |
w:La-dy is un-kind y-wis, A-lack why is she so? lov'th a-no-ther bet-ter than me and
[V:2] G2 _E2 D2 z2    | G2 F _E D2 z2  | D D D D F F G G     |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
[V:3] B2 G2 A2 z2     | B2 A G A2 z2   | A>A d d c>c B B     |
w:Ah Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
%===================17=============18==============19================20
[V:1] F E D C =B2 z2 | d2 g2 f2 z2  |d2 d g f2 z    | F>F B B A A d d |
w:yet she will say no. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin, tell me how thy le-man doth and
[V:2] A A D D G2 z2  | B2 G2 A2 z2  | B2 A G A2 z2  | A>A d d c>c B B |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
[V:3] c c A A G2 z2  | G2 _E2 D2 z2 | G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin. Tell me how thy le-man doth and
%====================21================22==============23
[V:1] F E D C =B2 z G | d>d c B d>d G G | d>d d c d z G |
w:thou shalt know of mine. I can-not think such dou-ble-ness for I find wo-men true, in
[V:2] c c A A G2 z2   | G2 _E2 D2 z2    | G2 F _E D2 z2 |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin,
[V:3] A A D D G2 z2   | B2 G2 A2 z2     | B2 A G A2 z2  |
w:thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin, gen-tle Ro-bin,
%====================24===============25=============26
[V:1] d>d B B A>A d d | f e d c =B2 z2 | d2 g2 f2 z2  |
w:faith my la-dy lov'th me well; she will change for no new. Ah, Ro-bin,
[V:2] D D D D F F G G | A A D D G2 z2  | B2 G2 A2 z2  |
w:Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin,
[V:3] A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G2 z2  | G2 _E2 D2 z2 |
w:Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine. Ah, Ro-bin,
%==================27================28=============|]
[V:1] d2 d g f2 z2  | F>F B B A A d d | f e d c =B4 |]
w:gen-tle Ro-bin, Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:2] B2 A G A2 z2  | A>A d d c>c B B | c c A A G4  |]
w:gen-tle Ro-bin, Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
[V:3] G2 F _E D2 z2 | D D D D F F G G | A A D D G4  |]
w:gen-tle Ro-bin, Tell me how thy le-man doth and thou shalt know of mine.
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To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

  

Little Barrels

An artist's studio is a strange and wonderful place, and I have always been fascinated by every opportunity to visit a studio. They are sometimes tidy, more often not, but always full of the semi-magical paraphernalia of creation.

It was during the time that we were loitering in the marketplace in Fiorenza that I noticed a young man buying a large quantity of eggs. Since most of the purchasers in the marketplace were women, and most of the men that weren't sellers seemed to be eyeing up the quality of the female flesh around them, he seemed like a good candidate to follow back to one of the studios. (If he had been buying merchandise in quantity in addition to the eggs I would have assumed that he was buying for one of the bigger households in the city).

Catching up with him on the way back to his place of work, it is easy to strike up a conversation. This young man has a lot to say (the corollary of course, is that he hardly seems to draw breath to allow a word in edgeways!) and we soon learn that he is one of the assistants of an important painter. The workshop itself is a long, low building, with its own yard space alongside where a couple of carpenters are working on wooden panels, using tools that will barely change in the next five hundred years: pinch dogs to hold planks together while glue sets, and planes

to smooth the surfaces. This is a little unusual. Normally, a studio would buy wooden panels for painting from a carpentry shop, and I wonder whether the Master of the workshop has hired these men for something he wants to oversee closely.

One of the workmen is whistling a tune which I managed to identify later as Quando ritrovo la mia pastorella, a pastoral madrigal. Presumably, he heard the song being sung somewhere, and some kind of mental composite of the four parts lodged in his memory! (I wonder whether the last line, something which approximates to "If you are penniless, get lost!" made it more memorable?)

X:17 % number
T:Quando ritrovo la mia pastorella % title
C:Costanzo Festa % composer
O:http://www.xprt.net/~vox/Music/166.nwc% origin.
M:C % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:180 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 name="Cantus" sname="C." % voice 1
V:2 name="Altus" sname="A."
V:3 name="Tenor" sname="T."
V:4 name="Bassus" sname="B." clef=bass
%================2==============3==============4===========5===========6
[V:1] c2 c d | c>G A B | G F F c | c2 c2 | z2 B2 |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la Al
[V:2] F2 F F | F2 F F | E C D E | F2 F2 | z2 F2 |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la Al
[V:3] A2 A B | A>G F B | G F F c | c2 c2 | z2 B2 |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la Al
[V:4] F,2 F, B,, | F,>E, D, B,, | C, F,, B, C, | F,,2 F,,2 | z2 B,,>C, |
w:Quan-do ri-tro-vo la mi-a pas-to-rel-la
%
%===============7============8===========9========10==============11
[V:1] B B A2-|A A G c | c c c2 | c2 c2 | c c f f |
w:pra-to con_ le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
[V:2] F F F2 | z F G G | G G A2 | A2 A2 | A G B A |
w:pra-to con le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
[V:3] B B A2-|A A G c | c c c2 | c2 c2 | c c d c |
w:pra-to con_ le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
[V:4] D, E, F,2-|F, F, C, C, | C, C, F,2 | F,2 F,2 | F, C,, B,, F, |
w:pra-to con_ le pe-cor' in pas-tu-ra, Io mi gli ac-cost' e
%
%====================12=========13========14=============15================16
[V:1] d d c B | c2 A2-|A2 c2 | c c f f | d d c B |
w:pres-to la sa-lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve-
[V:2] G F E F-|F E F2-|F2 A2 | A G B A | G F E F-|
w:pres-to la sa--lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve--
[V:3] B A G F | G2 F2-|F2 c2 | c c d c | B A G F |
w:pres-to la sa-lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve-
[V:4] G, D,/F,/ C, D, | C,2 F,,2-|F,,2 F,2 | F, C, B,, F, | G, D,/F,/ C, D, |
w:pres-to_ la sa-lu-to._ La mi ri-spon-de "Tu sia~el ben-ve
%
%=============17========18=========19===========20==============21
[V:1] c2 A2-|A2 c2-|c2 c>B | A A A2 | F B A B |
w:nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
[V:2] F E F2-|F2 E2-|E2 F>E | D D C C | z D D D |
w:-nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
[V:3] G2 F2-|F2 G2-|G2 A>G | F F E2 | D G F G |
w:nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
[V:4] C,2 F,,2-|F,,2 C,2-|C,2 F,>C, | D, D, A,,2 | B, G,, D, G,, |
w:nu-to"_ Et_ poi gli dic' in quel-la, "O gen-til
%
%==================22============23===========24===============25
[V:1] A A F F | c2 d>c | c A A2 | F B A B |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
[V:2] D C D D | E2 G>F | E D C C | z D D D |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
[V:3] E E D D | G2 B>A | G F E2 | D G F G |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
[V:4] A,, A,, D, D, | C,2 G,,>A,, | C, D, A,,2 | B,, G,, D, G,, |
w:pas-to-rel-la, Non men cru-del che bel-la, Sei del mio
%
%==================26==========27===========28=============29
[V:1] A A F F | f2 f f | f f d2 | c d2 c |
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me co-tan-to
[V:2] D C D D | A2 A A | B A G>F | E/F/G/E/ F G-|
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me_____ co-tan-
[V:3] E E D D | d2 c c | d c B>A | G/A/B/G/ A G |
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me______ co-
[V:4] A,, A,, D, D, | D,2 F, F, | B,, F, G,2 | C, G, D, _E, |
w:ben ri-bel-la; Deh non es-ser ver me co-tan-to du-
%
%==============30===============31=========32=============33
[V:1] d2 B A/G/ | F B A B | A A F F | z A A A |
w:du----ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
[V:2] G ^F G G | z D D D | D C D D | z C D C |
w:-to du-ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
[V:3] A A G2 | D G F G | E E D D | z E F E |
w:tan-to du-ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
[V:4] D,2 G,,2 | B,, G,, D, G,, | A,,2 D,2 | z A,, D, A,, |
w:ra". Co-si ri-spond' an-ch'el-la, "Dis-pos-ta
%
%================34==============35=============36============37
[V:1] A c c c | A A A A | z A A A | A c c c |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:2] D E F E | D D C C | z C D C | D E F F |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:3] F G A G | F F E E | z E F E | F G A A |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:4] D, C, F, C, | D, D, A,, A,, | z A,, D, A,, | D, C, F, F, |
w:son a quel tuo cor de-si-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
%
%===============38=========39=============40============41===========42
[V:1] z c c B | c2 A2 | z A A A | A c c c | z c c B |
w:va~al-la tua vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri, v~al-la tu-
[V:2] z F E F-|F E F F | z C D C | D E F F | z F E F-|
w:va~al-la tu--a vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri, va~al-la tu-
[V:3] z A G F | G2 F2 | z E F E | F G A A | z A G F |
w:va~al-la tua vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri,
[V:4] z F, C, D, | C,2 F,,2 | z A,, D, A,, | D, C, F, F, | z F, C, D, |
w:va~al-la tua vi-a, Ma se non hai de-na-ri, va~al-la tu-
%
%=============43===============|]
[V:1] c2 A2-|!fermata!A4 |]
w:a via._
[V:2] F E F2-|F2 !fermata!F2 |]
w:-a vi--a.
[V:3] G2 F2-|!fermata!F4 |]
w:a via._
[V:4] C,2 F,,2-|!fermata!F,,4 |]
w:a via._
To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

Inside, the studio is quietly, but very efficiently bustling with activity, and the first thing that strikes me is the height of the ceiling. From outside, the building looked fairly low, like a tall shed. But now that we are inside, it seems more like an aircraft hangar from the twentieth century. And the high roof has several gantries, from one of which hangs a large altarpiece which is being worked on by a couple of men perched on a trestle. Most of the painting already has at least one layer of color applied, in some cases, surprising choices have been made! I would not have expected green flesh tones, but it is not for me to criticise the work of the craftsmen.

The supervisor of the workshop, a lean, energetic fellow who seems as if he cannot stand still, takes us in tow. It seems the Master is busy with other clients at the moment, but he would be happy to give us a tour of the workshop.

While there are several easels in use, there are also apprentices straddling low benches with drawings propped up. The supervisor tells us they are called "donkeys". Charcoal and red chalk seem to be the preferred media of most of the apprentices, but a couple of the boys are painting with diluted ink, copying from drawings by a more experienced hand.

Several times I have overheard conversations involving "pencils" but there are no wooden sticks with graphite cores to be seen. The supervisor explains that a pencil is the small brush, made with fine, tapering hairs, commonly squirrel. He seems amused that I should be curious about such insignificant details.

Toward the furthest end of the workshop, past the enormous altarpiece, is the colour store. Several rows of shelving hold large jars, and on the counter before them, apprentices are measuring and patiently grinding coloured minerals.

Where the painters are working, they have their own assistants mixing oil and apparently, melting beeswax into the powdered colours to make a thick, sticky paste. And now I get to see why the boy we followed was buying up all the eggs he could; over here, a team of painters are working on a painting using the much older, tried and tested medium of egg tempera, rather than the very new oil medium.

The youngest of the team carefully separates yolk from white, then with a dexterity that I have to admire, slits, and drains the yolk sac into a small cup from which the next in line adds the fluid to the powder which is still a very stiff paste, but becoming more gooey as we watch.

Nearer to the front (more respectable) end of the workshop some of the finished paintings are already displayed; examples of the craftsmanship offered here. There is a portrait of a young man in a red hat with a similar slightly aloof air, and the long hair of the fellow we followed coming here. And the same style of cap.

There is also a stunningly beautiful portrait of a woman, in profile. Had I not seen some of the imaginative ways the noblewomen style their hair I might have disbelieved the portrait, but only the visual movement of the strands requires a little suspension of disbelief.

The most impressive of all the paintings on display here is a huge "Pallas and the Centaur", a subject bound to appeal to the new, and growing humanist community in the city.

And almost as our tour of the workshop is completed, the Master himself has concluded his business with the previous client and is ready to attend to us. It seems we are in a position to deal with no less than Alessandro Botticelli himself! I recognize the slightly portly figure from his self-portrait in a work which will become famous many centuries from now.