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To the Reader.
HEretofore gentle Reader, M. William Damon one of her Maiesties Musitions, being earnestly requested by a friend of his did at sundry times when he resorted to his friends house compose the tunes of Dauids Psalms as they are ordinarily soung in the Church note for note, inten∣ding thē for his friends priuate vse. These Psalmes so set, & made without labour or purpose to publish them, were notwithstan∣ding published by the same friend of M. Damon; which not an∣swering thexpectation that many had of the Auctors skill, gaue him occasion to take vppon him a new labour to recouer the wrong his friend did in publishing that that was so done, as might well please him, but was not purposed or framed for the learned eares of our times. Therefore at his best leisure & fittest times he composed the same tunes againe in so excellent a man∣ner that by comparison of these and the former, the Reader may by triall see that the Auctor could not receiue in his Art such a note of disgrace by his friends ouersight before, but that now the same is taken away, and his worthie knowledge much more graced by this second trauaile. Now to acquaynt thee with the Auctors order in this second woorke, he hath for varietie gone through the Psalmes twice, which are now deuided into two Setts: whereof in the former the ordinarie singing part is caried in the Tenor: In the second set it is conueyed in the highest part. Herein ther is required of the Reader, if he be a louer of Musick, that he would accept of their labour that haue taken paines in publishing exactlie a worke of such singuler skill, and speciall vse for them, that after the serious labour of their calling are de∣sirous rather to recreate them selues in singing of Psalmes, then in other exercises of lesse comfort, and euill marke.
William Swayne.