He unrolled a number of sheets of
music. The paper was rough and the notes, engraved and not printed as
to-day, were cramped and scratchy.
"You know some of these tunes may be, Polly; those you don't know you'll
soon learn. I'm going to speak to Mr. Palmer about your singing two or
three just to see how the people take 'em. The words will be the old
ones, not my new verse. You won't have to trouble about my words yet
awhile."
Gay ran over the titles of the old ballads--Purcell's "What shall I do
to show how much I love her?" "Grim King of the Ghosts," "Thomas I
cannot," "Now ponder well ye parents dear," "Pretty parrot say," "Over
the hills and far away," "Gin thou wert my ain thing," "Cease your
funning," "All in the Downs."
"Those are the principal songs," went on Gay.
"Yes, I know a few, but I've never heard of the others," cried Lavinia a
little dismayed. "How shall I learn the tunes?"
"You must come to my lodgings in the village and I'll play them over to
you on the flute. My friend, Dr. Arbuthnot, will be pleased to hear you
sing 'em. It will do him good--perhaps charm away his gout. The doctor
knows you."
"Does he, sir? I don't remember him."
"He was at Mr. Pope's villa the day you sang to us. I must have a
harpsichord and we must have Dr. Pepusch to tell us what he thinks."
Lavinia heard all this with great delight. She felt she was really not
only on the ladder of success but was climbing upwards safely.
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