THE OWL IS ABROAD

A.R. asks, "On what ground is the base song, 'The Owl is abroad' attributed to Henry Purcell?" To which I reply, the mistake—for *mistake* it is—originated with Dr. Clarke (afterwards Clarke Whitfield), who inserted it in his *Beauties of Purcell*. How little this musician knew of the "beauties" of Purcell is exhibited in his work; and how little he knew of the style and peculiarities of the music of the period, is shown by his insertion of the song in question. Dr. Clarke's mistake is noticed in the late William Linley's elegant work entitled *Shakspeare's Dramatic Songs*, vol. i. p. 6. His w…