There are many kinds of ballad known to England, but they are narrative, as a rule, such as "Chevy Chase," and many others of a similar style. Some are sad, some are gay; none are sentimental. One that can be seen in the Sloane Collection in the British Museum, "Joly Yankyn," is probably not much later than the one previously quoted. The name will recall Friar Tuck to the readers of Scott's "Ivanhoe." A ballad that is believed to be of Eastern origin is the following:-- "THERE WERE THREE RAVENS SAT ON A TREE." [Illustration] [Text alternative: There were three ra-vens sat on a tree, Downe-hay, downe-hay, downe-hay-downe. They were as black as they might be, With a downe, downe-hay, downe-hay-downe. Then one of them said to his mate, "Where shall we our break-fast take?" With a downe, downe-hay, downe-hay-downe.] We are on safer ground, however, when we come to such a one as "To-morrow the Fox will come to Town," with the refrain, "I must desire you neighbours all, to hallo the fox out of the hall." This is altogether more English in character, and is filled with the spirit of open air life. Other examples that seem inevitable of quotation, are those that Shakespeare has made immortal, by putting them into the mouth of Ophelia, in the tragic scene from Hamlet. The music that we quote here is that which, there is every reason to believe, was sung at the original production. The style accords with Shakespeare's time. Unfortunately when Drury Lane Theatre was burnt down in 1812, the music library was destroyed. Happily, however, Mrs. Jordan, the celebrated actress with whose fame the part of Ophelia is for ever associated, was alive, and was able to sing to Dr. Arnold, a famous musician of the time, the melodies, as they had been rendered in the theatre in her time, and probably for centuries past. "HOW SHOULD I YOUR TRUE LOVE KNOW?" [Illustration] [Text alternative: And how should I your true love know From ma-ny an-o-ther one? O by his coc-kle hat and staff,[8] And by his san-dal shoon. Twang, lang, dil-do, dee.] "AND WILL HE NOT COME AGAIN?" [Illustration] [Text alternative: And will he not come a-gain?... And will he not come a-gain? No, he is dead; Gone to his death-bed, And he nev-er will come a-gain....] "ST. VALENTINE'S DAY."[9] [Illustration] [Text alternative: Good mor-row, 'tis St. Val-en-tine's Day, All in the morn-ing be-time;... And I a maid at your win-dow, To be your val-en-tine....] In "Parthenia," a collection of pieces for the virginals (an instrument that may be described as the ancestor of the piano), which was published in 1611, it is shewn to what a high point of development the composition of dance music had arrived. The music was composed by the three most celebrated English musicians then living, William Byrd, John Bull, and Orlando Gibbons--Tallis had been dead over twenty years.