Literary References to Citterns, Orpharions & BandorasLast updated Sunday, April 02, 2023. |
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This is a collection of references to the cittern from contemporary literary works such as poems, plays and so forth. Entries are listed roughly chronologically.
Plays
| Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost (1588), V.ii. | |
|---|---|
| Holofernes | I will not be put out of countenance |
| 1st Lord | Because thou hast no face. |
| Hol | What is this? |
| 2nd Lord | A cittern-head. |
| Massinger, Old Law (1599), IV.i. | |
| Gnotho | Come, come, let's have some agility; is there no musick in the house? |
| Drawer | Yes, sir, here are sweet wire-drawers in the house. |
| Cook | Oh! that makes them and you seldom part; you are wine-drawers and they wire-drawers. |
| Tailor | And both govern by the pegs, too. |
| Gnotho | And you have pipes in your consort too. |
| Drawer | And sack-buts too, sir. |
| Butler | But the heads of your instruments differ; yours are hogsheads, theirs are cittern and gittern-heads. |
| Bailiff | All wooden heads; there they meet again. |
| Cook | Bid them strike up, we'll have a dance, Gnotho; come, thou shalt foot it too. |
| Dekker, Old Fortunatus (1600), III.i. | |
| Shadow | Musicke? O delicious strings: these heavenly wyre-drawers . . . |
| Fletcher, Love's Cure (1625) | |
| Clara | You dog-skin-fac'd rogue, you poor John, Which I will beat to Stock-fish. |
| Lucio | Sister. |
| Bobbadilla | Madam. |
| Clara | You cittern-head, who have you talked to, ha? You nasty, stinking, and ill-countenanced Cur. |
| Forde, The Lover's Melancholy (1629) | |
| Cuculus | I hope the chronicles will rear me one day for a headpiece -- |
| Rhetias | Of woodcock, without brain in't! Barbers shall wear thee on their citterns and hucksters set thee out in gingerbread. |
| Dekker, Match Mee in London (1631) | |
| Bilbo | Fidling at least half an houre, on a Citterne with a mans broken head at it, so that I think 'twas a Barber Surgion |
William Prynne, Historio-Mastix, The Player's Scourge, or Actors Tragedy (1633)
[spelling modernized]
"We therefore oft times find a way to be fenced to incontinency, and fomentations to adulteries to be from hence administered, whiles this man plays on the sound cithren with a nimble quill, and another with a skilfull finger composeth the melodious enticements of the roaring organ."
Poems
| Drayton, Endimion and Phoebe (1595) | |
|---|---|
| In Musickes sweet delight shee shewes her skill, Quavering the Cithron nimbly with her quill . . . | |
Other works
Unknown???
| Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurditie (1589) | |
|---|---|
| . . . to tickle a Citterne, or have a sweete stroke on the Lute. | |
| Marston, The Scourge of Villanie (1598) | |
| Shall brainless Cyterne heads, each iubernole Pocket the very Genius of thy soule | |
| Forde, Francies (1638) | |
| . . . a cittern-headed gew-gaw . . . | |
How to cite this page: Hartig, Andrew. "Literary References to Citterns, Orpharions & Bandoras." Renovata Cythara: The Renaissance Cittern Site. Ed. Andrew Hartig. 02 April 2023. 25 April 2024. <http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/misc/lit_refs.html>.