Inglis Collection of printed music > Printed text > Ancient Scotish melodies from a manuscript of the reign of King James VI

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 299
" What if a grip, or a strain, or a fit,
Pinch thee with pain of the feeling pangs of sickness :
May not that grip, or that strain, or that fit,
Shew thee the form of thine own true perfect liekness ?
Health is but a glance of joy,
Subject to all changes ;
Mirth is but a silly toy,
Which mishap estranges.
Tell me then, silly man,
Why art thou so weak of wit,
As to be in jeopardie,
When thou mayst in quiet sit."
Forbes's Cantus.
No. LXXL-" SCERDUSTIS."
The meaning of this term is not easily explained, and the only conjecture that we
can offer is, that it may be a corruption of Surdastrum, the old name of a drum (or
perhaps a tabour) used to accompany a shepherd's pipe in a dance, which was sup-
posed to render harmless the bite of the tarantola spider. The tarantola is so named
from Tarento in Italy, which is said to be infested with these really innocuous in-
sects. The Latin word Surdaster means deafish. Erat Surdaster M. Crassus, Cic.
5, Tusc. c. 40. The air itself appears to have latterly merged into the Scotish tune,
" Steer her up, and haud her gaun. 1 '
No. LXXIL— '• WHAT HIGH OFFENCES HES MY FAIR LOVE TAKEN."
No. LXXIII.—" SINCOPAS.
Sincopas, or Cinque pas, as its name implies, was a dance regulated by the number
Jive, which will be perceived at once by running over the notes of the air.