False love did me inveigle

Thomas Morley was a leading composer of English madrigals. This secular work for two five-voice choirs (SSATB, SATTB) is a powerful example of the genre, setting a text of complex and dramatic emotional turmoil. The lyrics describe a lover ensnared by false love, which tires them like an eagle and prevents them from breathing. The imagery shifts to a more violent metaphor, comparing the pain to that of Calisto torn apart by the bear whose name she bears, vividly portraying the agony of betrayal and loss. Morley's setting masterfully captures the dramatic narrative and emotional intensity of the text.