I collect and study American and Celtic music of the late 1700s up through the American Civil War, although I have a smattering of material up through the 1930s. Mostly Gospel, Hymns, popular, Minstrel and such.

So this stuff is a little before my time!

But I would imagine that if some period poetry could be found of the same "meter" as the tune, one could do as was often done at least up to the 1850s and just mix-and-match tune to verse according to a "Metrical Index".

Would anyone want to hazzard a guess as the the "Meter" of Kempe's Jig?
I'm gonna guess basic "8s" at the moment.
The lyrics are easy; just count the syllables in each line.

Some creative wordsmith might even be able to adapt some of Shakespere's works to fit. There's about as good a chance as any that it was sung to something along those lines at one time or another, I suppose.

Despite being no composer of any reknown, I have been known to compose a tune for a poem I particularly like, and vice-versa on the other hand.   I was thinking that a little ballad of Kempe's "Niyne Daies Wonder" where he danced, on a bet, between a couple of cities about 40 miles apart (IIRC) might be fitting.   I'd probably call it "Dancing Fool" or something like that.

On my suggestion, my Friend took up her fife (similar to the flutes they used in those days) and started playing Kempe's Jig as if she had known it all along. She explained to me that "Jigs" in those days did not sound like the "Irish Jigs" we are familiar with, but were of slower tempo and sound almost more like a march - as K'sJ certainly does to me.

I think that it has potential as a Fife-and-Drum Corps number, and will bring the score with me to rehearsal Fri. night to run by the Drum Major to see what he & my fellow Fifers think.
It seems that these old tunes were frequently accompanied by a simple drum, (Tabor drum?) so the snares and bass might be able to come up with a rollicking good percussion line for it.

Thanks again for your continuing wonderful resources, information, tips and advice!

UJ in ME