II - “ROCK HONEYCOMB.” BROKEN PIECES OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY'S PSALTER. LAID UP IN STORE FOR ENGLISH HOMES. WITH A PREFACE AND COMMENTARY BY THE EDITOR (1877)

Summary

PREFACE

Sunday, 9th July, 1876.

1. Yesterday evening, one of the sweetest and brightest of this hitherto sweet summer, the “Coniston band,” consisting of the musically minded working men of the village, rowed itself, for its “Saturday at e'en” delectation, into the middle of the lake; and, floating just between Brantwood and the “Hall” on the opposite shore, where Sir Philip Sidney, it is delivered by tradition, lived for a time, with his sister, in our Arcadia of western meres,—poured forth divers pipings and trumpetings, with meritorious endeavour, and, I doubt not, real, innocent, and useful pleasure to itself, and to the village hearers on the opposite green shore.

Mostly, polka music, with occasional sublimities—“My Maryland,” and “God save the Emperor,” and the like;—pleasant enough, sometimes, to hear, from this shore also: but, as it chanced, yesterday, very destructive of my comfort in showing the bright roses and deep purple foxgloves on my banks to two guests, for whom the flowers and the evening light were good; but gay music, not so.