(printed 1577). Hawkins gives four verses, the first of which is here quoted by Shakespeare, but with several variations—
'Where griping grief the hart would wound,
And doleful domps the mind oppresse,
There Musick with her silver sound
Is wont with spede to give redresse;
Of troubled minds, for every sore,
Swete Musick hath a salve in store.'
The last verse is charming—
'Oh heavenly gift, that turnes the minde,
Like as the sterne doth rule the ship,
Of musick whom the Gods assignde,
To comfort man whom cares would nip;
Sith thou both man and beast doest move,
What wise man then will thee reprove.'
'Green Sleeves' [ Appendix ].
Wiv. 21, 60.
Mrs Ford. … I would have sworn his disposition [Falstaff's] would have gone to the truth of his words; but they do no more adhere and keep place together, than the Hundredth Psalm to the tune of 'Green Sleeves.'
Also see Wiv. 55, 20. The tune is given in its most complete form by Chappell, and is probably of Henry VIII.'s time. The ballad was published in 1580,
