Literary References Regarding the Cittern, Orpharion, & Bandora

This is a collection of references to the cittern from contemporary literary works such as poems, plays and so forth. Entries are listed roughly chronologically. If you have any additions, please contact me.

Plays

Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost (1588), V.ii.

Holofernes

I will not be put out of countenance

1st Lord

Because thou hast no face.

Hol

What is this?

2nd Lord

A cittern-head.

Massinger, Old Law (1599), IV.i.

Gnotho

Come, come, let's have some agility; is there no musick in the house?

Drawer

Yes, sir, here are sweet wire-drawers in the house.

Cook

Oh! that makes them and you seldom part; you are wine-drawers and they wire-drawers.

Tailor

And both govern by the pegs, too.

Gnotho

And you have pipes in your consort too.

Drawer

And sack-buts too, sir.

Butler

But the heads of your instruments differ; yours are hogsheads, theirs are cittern and gittern-heads.

Bailiff

All wooden heads; there they meet again.

Cook

Bid them strike up, we'll have a dance, Gnotho; come, thou shalt foot it too.

Dekker, Old Fortunatus (1600), III.i.

Shadow

Musicke? O delicious strings:

these heavenly wyre-drawers . . .

Fletcher, Love's Cure (1625)

Clara

You dog-skin-fac'd rogue, you poor John,

Which I will beat to Stock-fish.

Lucio

Sister.

Bobbadilla

Madam.

Clara

You cittern-head, who have you talked to, ha?

You nasty, stinking, and ill-countenanced Cur.

Forde, The Lover's Melancholy (1629)

Cuculus

I hope the chronicles will rear me one day for a headpiece --

Rhetias

Of woodcock, without brain in't! Barbers shall wear thee on their citterns and hucksters set thee out in gingerbread.

Dekker, Match Mee in London (1631)

Bilbo

Fidling at least half an houre, on a Citterne with a mans broken head at it, so that I think 'twas a Barber Surgion

William Prynne, Historio-Mastix, The Player's Scourge, or Actors Tragedy (1633)
[spelling modernized]
"We therefore oft times find a way to be fenced to incontinency, and fomentations to adulteries to be from hence administered, whiles this man plays on the sound cithren with a nimble quill, and another with a skilfull finger composeth the melodious enticements of the roaring organ."

Poems

Drayton, Endimion and Phoebe (1595)

In Musickes sweet delight shee shewes her skill,

Quavering the Cithron nimbly with her quill . . .

Charles Fitzgeoffrey's IN SCHOLAM MUSICAM ANTONI HOLBORNI, in Affaniae and Cenotaphia (1601)

Other works

Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurditie (1589)

. . . to tickle a Citterne, or have a sweete stroke on the Lute.

Marston, The Scourge of Villanie (1598)

Shall brainless Cyterne heads, each iubernole

Pocket the very Genius of thy soule

Forde, Francies (1638)

. . . a cittern-headed gew-gaw . . .