Dowland's famous Lachrimae (1604) is the earliest collection of instrumental music generally known to nonspecialists, yet it has never been studied in detail before. Among other things, this comprehensive guide investigates its publication history, its place in the development of Renaissance dance music, the significance of its writing for particular stringed instruments, and the possible connections between the famous cycle of "Lachrimae" pavans and Elizabethan conceptions of melancholy.