Music of my time

Although I started out as a impoverished boy in Vienna. I am no longer in such dire straits. I attempt to keep up with culture so as to be able to deal with the fopish bores that tend to inhabit the governors mansions of the various colonies I visit.

To that end I find John Playfords "The English Dancing Master" as a good guide. It was published years ago back in 1651. However little has changed out here in the cultural hell that is the Caribbean. In France this will not due. In France all run in fear of the dancing masters that ply the halls of Versailles. The french nobility seem to be condemed not only to fall at the feet of these villains but to actually walk as they do. Well we all have our gaits so I will not complain too bitterly about them.

Of higher culture in music the leaders, so I gather, are Henry Purcell in England and Jean Baptiste Lully in France. I know neither though I have actaully seen the latter when I visited Versailles some years ago. I also understand that M. Lully has subsequently died of an infected foot. This too is not uncommon in my century.

There are several crewman that posess instruments, bagpipes, a recorder, fiddle, etc. They liven up our journey's quite a bit. However I know not what songs they are playing since they are all muslims and I know of none of that kind of music.