The first sett, of Italian madrigalls Englished, not to the sense of the originall dittie, but after the affection of the noate. By Thomas Watson Gentleman. There are also heere inserted two excellent madrigalls of Master VVilliam Byrds, composed after the Italian vaine, at the request of the sayd Thomas Watson.

Imprinted at London : By Thomas Este, the assigné of William Byrd, & are to be sold at the house of the sayd T. Este, being in Aldersgate street, at the signe of the black Horse, 1590.

[4], XXVIII, [4], IX-XXVIII, [4], XXVIII, [4], IX-XXVIII, [4], XXI-XXVIII, [4], XXVIII p. : music ; (4to)

Six partbooks, each with separate dated title page and register. At head of title, part 1, "Superius."; part 2, "Medius."; part 3, "Contratenor."; part 4, "Tenor"; part 5, "Sextus."; part 6, "Bassus.". At foot of titles, "Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis.". The Medius imprint reads "Imprinted at London by Thomas Este, the assigné of William Byrd. 1590". Variant: this imprint has "assigne".

The words are chiefly free translations or imitations of Luca Marenzio.

Signatures: [A]² B-D⁴ E²; ²[A]² B-C⁴ D²; ³[A]² B-D⁴ E²; ⁴[A]² B-D⁴ E²; ⁵[A]² B⁴; ⁶[A]² B-D⁴ E².

With slip-cancels correcting missigned signatures of second register.

Stationers' register: Entered 6 December 1596.

Signatures from DFo.

Copy 1 Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, 2006. "Noyses, sounds, and sweet aires" (catalog entry 75)

Pollard, A.W. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.) (STC), 25119
R. Steele, The earliest English music printing, no. 124
English short title catalogue (ESTC), S119493
Brennan, M.G. Sir Charles Somerset's music books (Music and letters 74 (1993): 501-518), no. 25

Great Britain -- England -- London.

STC 25119 copy 1

HH214/23. "Medius" t.p.: variant. Wanting slip cancel on ²D1 (which is signed 'E'); leaf ²D2 correctly signed. MS. paginated throughout; signatures are supplied in MS., starting with '2N' on ¹[A]1r. Some leaves damaged, affecting text. Green, gilt-tooled goatskin binding signed by F. Bedford. Provenance: bookplate of Huth (motto "animus non res"); Huth sale, lot 7931; collated at Quaritch; Harmsworth copy

STC 25119 Copy 2 Bd.w. STC 25205 copy 2 Vol. 1

cs1919.6. A fragment: "contratenor" only. For a complete description of binding, contents, and provenance, see CPN for smk STC 25205 Copy 2 Vol. 1

STC 25119 Copy 2 Bd.w. STC 25205 copy 2 Vol. 2

cs1919.6. A fragment: "medius" only. Wanting the slip cancel on ²B1; leaf D2 mis-signed 'E.ij'. For a complete description of the contents, binding, and provenance, see CPN for smk STC 25205 Copy 2 Vol. 2

STC 25119 copy 3

cs1329. A fragment: "sextus" only. Half blue goatskin binding signed by Riviere and Son