"The Cattes" - W. Lawes

Faculty of Music, University of Oxford 23rd April 2022
Soprano - Rachel Dawson
Bass - Fabian Tindale Geere
Bass - Laurence Williams
Theorbo - Jonatan Bougt
Music by William Lawes
Lyrics:
The cats as other creatures do use to swagger, and make love too.
And in the dark and coldest night,
These Jeffry Lyons use to fight;
Then they cry, “mew”, “puss”,
But the cruel’st battle far, was lately fought at Temple bar,
upon the tiles o’the houses there;
Where Bolo Sir Bore Cat was heard to swear:
“The slave that courts my puss shall die.”
To whom Sir Sharp Nail gives the lie.
Then they cry, “mew”, “puss”
And so they priv'ly both did join,
asking, “who shall have thy coat and mine?”
“Thou and I”, thus they cry, “mew”,
still they cry, “mew”.