Then, after dancing, his Majesty must needs order a guitar, and begin to
sing. He was said to compose his own songs--words and music--but those
who have read Lord Campobello's "Lives of the Lord Chancellors" are
aware that there was a person by the name of Blondel, who, in fact, did
all the musical part of the King's performances; and as for the words,
when a king writes verses, we may be sure there will be plenty of people
to admire his poetry. His Majesty would sing you a ballad, of which
he had stolen every idea, to an air that was ringing on all the
barrel-organs of Christendom, and, turning round to his courtiers, would
say, "How do you like that? I dashed it off this morning." Or, "Blondel,
what do you think of this movement in B flat?" or what not; and the
courtiers and Blondel, you may be sure, would applaud with all their
might, like hypocrites as they were.
One evening--it was the evening of the 27th March, 1199, indeed--his
Majesty, who was in the musical mood, treated the court with a quantity
of his so-called composition, until the people were fairly tired of
clapping with their hands and laughing in their sleeves. First he sang
an ORIGINAL air and poem, beginning
"Cherries nice, cherries nice, nice, come choose,
Fresh and fair ones, who'll refuse?" &c.
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