The most notable English collection of madrigals not set to music was published by William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649) in his 1616 Poems.
hang at a feeble Thread, To which pale Atropos had set her Knife, The Soul with many a Grone Had left each outward Part, And now did take his last Leaue of the Heart, Nought else did want, save Death, euen to be dead: When the afflicted Band about her Bed (Seeing so faire him come in Lips, Cheekes, Eyes) Cried ah!
[2] This madrigals exemplifies the serious tone and irregular structure typical of Drummond's work, which includes about eighty such pieces.
"[1] This quatrain emphasizes the fact that in French a madrigal is a trifling piece of erotic compliment, neatly turned, but not seriously meant.
[1] In English, when the word first occurred — it has not been traced further back than 1588 (in the preface to Nicholas Yonge's Musica transalpina) — it was identified with the chief form of secular vocal music in the 16th century.