View source for Annotation:Stella darling of the Muses

{{TuneAnnotation
|f_annotation='''STELLA DARLING OF THE MUSES.'''  AKA - "Be kind to the young thing," "Semplicetta Tortona." English, Air (3/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD. "Stella Darling of the Muses" was a mid-18th century song.  The tune of ‘Stella Darling of the Muses’ was published under its original title of ‘Semplicetta Tortona’ in ''''The Favourite Songs in the Opera Call'd Demetrius''' (London: Walsh, 1737). A score of the same tune with the English title was published as "Stella Darling of the Muses. The Charmer. To a Celebrated Air in Demetrius" some time around 1740.  The song was printed in several period songsters, such as George Bickham's '''Musical Entertainer vol. 1''' (1740, p. 67), John Simpson's '''Caliope: or, English Harmony, vol. 1''' (1746, p. 31), and Ritson's '''Select Collection of English Songs'''(1783). The melody was also included in 18th century instrumental tutors for woodwind instruments.
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The first two stanzas of the song go:
<blockquote>
''Stella, darling of the Muses,''<br> 
''Fairer than the blooming spring,O,''<br>
''Sweetest theme the poet chuses, ''<br>
''When of thee he strives to sing, O.''<br>
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''Whilst my soul with wonder traces ''<br>
''All thy charms of face and mind, O,''<br>
''All the beauties, all the graces,''<br> 
''Of thy sex in thee I find, O.''<br>
</blockquote>
|f_printed_sources=John Johnson ('''The Compleat Tutor for the Hautboy'''), London, 1750; p. 15. John Johnson ('''The Compleat Tutor for the German Flute'''), London, 1760; p. 14. John Simpson ('''The Compleat Tutor for the Flute), London, 1745'''); p. 45. David Young ('''A Collection of Scotch Airs with the latest Variations''', AKA - The McFarlane Manuscript), c. 1741; No. 208, p. 250.
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