Come tread the paths

This anonymous consort song sets a poignant English text of lament and betrayal, likely from the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. The lyrics express profound grief over a lost love, invoking a plea to fellow lovers and even spirits to share in the sorrow. The singer resolves to abandon worldly concerns and join their beloved in death, a dramatic conclusion to a tale of tragic separation and a father's cruelty. The piece is written for solo voice and viol consort, a typical instrumentation for secular songs of this period, allowing for intimate expression of the text's emotional intensity.