Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Popular music of the olden time > Volume 2

402 PURITANISM, ETC.
In 1582, she revoked all commissions for penal statutes against concealments
(except where suits were pending) ; because those commissions had been abused by
persons endeavouring to obtain the property of churches and corporations. In a
letter from Lord Burgliley, in 1586, we find that " Hir majestie is pleased to
confirme unto the vicars-choral of the Churche of Hereford the graunt of their
landes, which hath been sowght by divers greedie persons to have been gotten
from them as concealed." (Egerton Papers, p. 119, 4to., Camden Soc, 1840.)
Nevertheless, when she gave the control of the lands and benefactions intended
for singing men and children, together with other church property, into the hands
of deans and chapters, she did more injury to the cause she desired to advocate
than all that jmritanisrn could effect. Puritanism triumphed for a time, — but the
grasp of deans and chapters has never been removed.
It was not long before the seed thus sown produced its fruits. During the
Queen's life, the injunctions she had issued had the effect of restraining, in some
measure, the misappropriation of the funds devoted to the musical service ; but
her injunctions died with her, and the trusts remained.
The misappropriation of these funds was brought before the notice of James I.,
in a paper entitled " The Occasions of the decay of Music in Cathedrall and
Colledge Churches at this time." It is therein stated that, " whereas, in former
tymes of poperye, divers benifactions have been given to singing men which have
falne within the danger of concealement, and have been againe restored to Deanes
and Canons by newe grauntes by the late Queene, with intencion that the same
should be imploied as before; contrariwise the same is swallowed up by the
Deanes and Canons, because they only are the body of that incorporation, and
the singing men are but inferior members." Among the means resorted to,
were — Firstly, the giving the actual sum at which the lands were formerly valued,
"so as whereas 20 nobles a a yeare, thirty yeares agone, would at this day have
equalled the worth of twenty markes a yeare in the maintenance of a man, the
same hath lost its value the one halfe, by reason of the dearness of the tyme
present." Secondly, the places of singing men were " bestowed upon Taylors, and
Shoomakers, and Tradesmen, which can singe only so muche as hath bene taught
them" [not read music] ; "and divers of the said places are bestowed upon their
owne men, the most of which can only read in the church, and serve their master
with a trencher at dynner, to the end that the founder may pay the Deanes or
Prebends man his wages, and save the hyre of a servant in the master's purse."
Thirdly, " All indeavour for teachinge of musick, or the forminge of voices by
good teachers was altogether neglected, as well in men as children ; " and "many
that go under the name of choristers, have that same small maintenance, not for
singing, but beinge dumbe choristers, the said wages being by ill governors bestowed
upon them to keepe and maintaine them for some other instruction, which the
founder never meant; so that in Colledges where there are founded sixteen, twelve,
or ten choristers, scarce four of them can singe a note."
"The value of a noble was 6s. &d., and of a mark accounts in marks and nobles in the lawyers' bills of
13s. id. We have a vestige of the old method of keeping the present day.