Courtiers Courtiers

 COURTIERS, COURTIERS (THINK IT NO HARM). AKA and see "The King of Poland." English, Air (6/8 or 6/4 time). E Minor (Gay, Howe): D Minor (Chappell). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The air appears in John Gay's Beggar's Opera (1729) under the title "Man may escape from rope and gun," and in Playford's Dancing Master (1686) as "The King of Poland." It is also on early half-sheet music and broadsides and in Thomas D'Urfey's Pills to Purge Melancholy (London, 1719), under the title "The Beggar's Delight." It begins: Courtiers, courtiers, think it no harm, That silly poor swains in love should be; For love lies hid in rags all torn, As well as silks and bravery: For the beggar he loves his lass as dear As he that hath thousands, thousands, thousands, He that hath thousand pounds a year. Printed sources: Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Times), vol. 2, 1859; p. 60. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 166. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 58.

X:1 T:Courtiers Think it No Harm M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Air Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:Emin G2E G2A | B>cB E2F | G>AB e2B | G2 F/E/ E3 :| e/f/ |g>fe ^d2e | e2E E2F | G>AB d2B | d2B A2F | G>AB e2B | G2F/E/ E2 ||

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