The peril of
such over-cultivation of this fascinating art does not appear to have
been so common in those days as in our own. The brave and accomplished
military leader, Sir John Chandos, sang sweetly, and solaced his
master, Edward III., on a voyage, by his ballads; the same veteran
soldier did not think himself demeaned by introducing a new German
dance into England; and the Count de Foix frequently requested his
secretaries, in the intervals of severer occupation to recreate
themselves by chanting songs and roundelays.[21]
[21] Archaeologia, vol. xx. p. 59.
Cut off for a long and tedious period from his crown and his people,
James could afford to spend many hours in each tedious day of his
captivity in the cultivation of accomplishments to which, under other
circumstances, it would have been criminal to have given up so much of
his time. And this will easily account for that high musical
excellence to which he undoubtedly attained, and will explain the
great variety of instruments upon which he performed. Besides, to use
the words of a learned and amusing writer, it is well known that
"music constituted a part of the quadrivium, a branch of their system
of education, and it was more or less cultivated by persons of all
conditions;"--churchmen studied it by profession; and the students at
the Inns of Court learned singing and all kinds of music.
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