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TO THE WORTHY AND INDVSTRIOVS, MASTER Arnold Schlick, a most exquisit Musitian, Organist to the Count Palatine, Andraeas Ornithoparchus of Meyning, sends health.
DEre Arnold, whereas mans intellect in it beginning is naked and without forme, and hath nothing in it, but a possibility to receiue formes, many haue doubted why the high Creatour did not giue knowledge naturally to man as well as to other sensible creatures. For some haue naturally the art of spinning; some of making hony; some of weauing; some of doing other things: but man is borne naked, vnarmed, without any Art, crying the first day of his birth, and neuer laughing til he be 40. dayes old (as Pliny writeth in the Prologue of the 7 booke of his Nat. Hist.) Is man therfore inferiour to beasts? in no sort, for that nakednes of man doth not argue his vnworthinesse, but his noblenesse. For that which is within, hinders not that which would be without. Hence is it, (we see) that those animals, which haue arts naturally, can doe nothing but that naturall Art. But man wanteth all Arts, that he may be fit for all: which is proued by the natural desire hee hath to knowledge. For Arts are desired by all, though they be not bought by all; and are praised by all, though they be not searched after by all. The hindrance is sloath, pleasure, vnorderly teaching, and pouerty. And though we haue naturally the desire of all Arts, yet aboue all we doe desire and loue the Art of Singing. For that doth en∣tise all liuing things with the sweetnes; draw them with the profit; and ouercome them with the necessity of it: whose parts (thogh they be al both sacred & diuine) yet that which we cal the Counter-point, is more sweet, worthy, & noble, than al the rest. For this is the dwelling place of al the other, not that it cōtains in it al the difficulties of Musicke; but because to make it, it requires a learned and perfect Musitian. Wherfore hauing discussed of the rest, least our Office be fayling in this last point, I thought good to handle the Counter-point, placing it in the last place (as it were a treasury) wherin al the secrets of Musick are laid vp: not that hereby all men, to whom nature is not seruiceable, should fall to composition, but that all men may iudge whether those things which be composed by others, be good or bad. Yet who so can, let them compose by our writings: they which cannot, let them proceed, as farre as they can.
But not to digresse too wide, (worthy Sir) I haue in this last booke, collected the Rules of the Counter-point, out of diuers places, for the common good of lear∣ners; which I bring to you to be weighed, that after your censure, it may be subie∣cted to the carps of the malicious. For from your sentence no man will euer ap∣peale; because there is no man either learneder, or subtiler in this Art, than your selfe, who besides the practise, hast wisdome, eloquence, gentlenesse, quicknesse of wit, & in al kinds of Musick a diuine industry, and further the knowledge of ma∣ny other sciences. Thou wantest the bodily lamp, but in thy mind shineth that gol∣den light: thou seest nothing without thee, within thee thou seest al things. Thou wantest the cleerenesse of the eyes, thou hast the admirable quicknes of wit: thy sight is weak, thy vnderstanding strong; Wherfore not onely by thy princes, who are to thee most gracious, but euen of all men (like Orpheus and Amphion) art thou loued. Farewell, the honour and delight of Musicke, and protect thy An∣draeas from Zoilisses and Thersitisses.