The praise of musicke wherein besides the antiquitie, dignitie, delectation, & vse thereof in ciuill matters, is also declared the sober and lawfull vse of the same in the congregation and church of God.

The preface to the Reader.

TRue it is,* 1.1 which is reported of Poets and Mu∣sitions, that they are no otherwise affected toward their own deuises, than parents to∣ward their children. And surely (gentle rea∣der) I willingly confesse vnto thee, that I am glad I haue some skill in musicke, which is so sweete, so good, so vertuous, so comely a matrone among other artes. Wherefore I shal not iustly blame thee, if thou think, that loue and affection hath preuailed much with me in publishing of this pamphlet: for therein thou shalt giue testimonie vnto me, that I haue perfourmed the part of a kinde and gratefull sonne, in bestowing the best of mine abilitie, to the aduancing of so gratious a mother. Neither would I haue thee so much to stand vpon this conceit, as if reason had no place in this action: considering that affection without reason, is a blind and vniust iudge of any matter. May it there∣fore please thee, no otherwise to iudge of my labour, than the reasons therein alleaged shall giue thee iust occasion: and if it happen thou come to the viewe hereof with a preiudice, yet consider that nature hath therfore giuen thee two eares, that thou shouldest as∣well applie the one to the defendant, as the other to the plaintife. For as in ciuill matters, so in this,

* 1.2Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita altera, Aequum licet statuerit, haud aequus fuit: Who so defines a thing he doth not know, Though iust his verdit be, he is not so.

If then I bring not only reason, but testimonie also for mine assertion, I shall desire the auerse Reader, not to condemne me without ground, nor with a phā∣tasticall preiudice to set light by that, which perhaps, he will not be able to gainsay. For as the Poet said in

an other matter,

* 1.3Qui hunc accusant, Naeuium, Plautum, Ennium. Accusant, quos hic noster auiores habet.

So I make answere to them that passe their senten¦ces of condemnation vpon me, that they do in no wise disgrace me, but Hierome, Ambrose, Augustine, Basil▪ Gregorie Nazianzen, and the holy Fathers of the pri∣mitiue Church, whose authorities are here alleadged men farre better than themselues, and not worthy to be condemned vnder a session of their pieres. I know a blemish is soonest perceiued in a comely body, and the greater the man is that doth offend, the greater seemeth his offence. Because one smale wart is a stain to be a beautifull face, and some litle fault committed, that might otherwise seem tollerable in a mā of mean estate, is inexcuseable in a greater personage: So fa∣reth it with musick, which because it is excellēt, & for that naturally subiect to the enuie and malice of ma∣ny, is therfore ill spoken of, because it falleth out, that shee is oftentimes blemished with the faults of them, that professe to haue some knowledge in hir. Hence it commeth to passe, that the faults of the persons are attributed to the art, and that whatsoeuer is amisse in this or that lewd musicion, is said to proceed from hir, which ought by better reason to obscure and ouersha∣dowe the foulest blottes which are incident to men, than she by them should be disgraced. Because the Pierides in pride of their skill prouoked the Muses, or Marsyas and Pan in opinion of their own excellency, Apollo: this generall collection is made, that musicke causeth pride and ambition. If there bee any such foolish musicions as Arcabius was, hauing that fault whereof Horace speaketh,

Vt nunquam inducant animum cantare, rogati, Iniussi nunquam desistant:

That being praid to sing and shew their skil, Cannot induced be, say what thou list: But vnrequested keepe a chaunting stil, And from their folly neuer will desist.

straightwaie musicke is wayward and troublesome, ••unning men are either dangerous or phantasticall, as if to be skilfull, were a fault, or to be cunning, wor∣••hy reprehension.

Great occasion & aduantage of inueighing against his art, is taken of that saying which King Philip of Macedon vsed to his sonne Alexander when he rebu∣••ed him, for that he could sing so well and cunningly: as if we did allow the importunitie of Nero, which is said, all a long sōmers day, to haue sitten in the Thea∣tre, playing on his Harp: or did not rather thinke, that musicke is so to be vsed of Noble & Gentlemen, as A∣chilles did in Homer:* 1.4 who after that bitter contention between him and Agamemnon, taking to him his ••harp, (whereon hee had learned to play of Chiron ••he Centaure, who also taught him feates of armes, with Phisicke and surgerie) and playing thereon,* 1.5 sang ••he martial acts of the Princes of Grece, as Hercules, Perseus, Peritheus, Theseus, & his cosen Iason, & was ••herewith asswaged of his fury and reduced into his ••irst esta••e of reason. And this in him was so commē∣••able, th•••• Alexander himselfe, after he had vanqui∣••hed Ilion, oeing demanded of one, if he would see the ••arp of Paris, who rauished Helena: there at gently ••miling answerd, it was not the thing he much desired, but had rather see the harp of Achilles, wherewith ••e sang not the illecebrous delectations of Venus, but ••he valiant acts & noble affaires of excellent princes.

Some, I doubt not, will exult to drawe a reproch of his art from the ancient Greekes, with whom it was ••t the first in greatest estimation: & therefore will tri∣umph

that Minerua should haue cast away her Recor¦der from her in disdaine,* 1.6 not as some say, because th•• vsing thereof made her cheekes swell and puffed, bu•• as Aristotle rather thought, because the playing on 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Recorder doth neither auail the mind, nor help know∣ledge any thing at al: whereas we ascribe art & know∣lege to Minerua. But I would not haue any mā suppose that my purpose is in this treatise, otherwise to speake of this sciēce, than so, as that it may seem both worthy priuate delectation, for a mans proper solace: and also publikely cōmodious in matters both ciuill & ecclesi¦asticall as in the processe shalbe declared. And there∣fore I refer the Reader, for the decēt vse hereof in gen¦tlemen, to the 8. booke of Aristotles politiques, & the 7. chapter of Sir Thomas Eliots first booke of his Go¦uernour. From whom he shall sufficiently gather, wha•• the proper and sober vse hereof is, and ought to bee Touching the other vse, I mean the Ecclesiastical, be¦cause that is a matter in controuersie, I shal desire the gentle reader, so long to suspend his iudgement, till ha¦uing read the treatise, hee shall also consider of the strength & firmenesse of the reasons. And I do no•• doubt, but as I without bitternes speak of these things so he peraduenture, that is most auerse, shall take some profit & fruit of these my labours. If thou be skil¦full and learned, I know thou wilt not condemne me at a blush: if vnskilful and ignorant, think that I wil•• not so mildely answer thee as Stratonicus answered King Ptolomy, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. A scepter o King is one thing, and an instrumen•• another: but rather that which is more agreeable to thy person, which the same man also is said to haue answered a smith, which maliciously reuiled him: Sir, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pray you deale not aboue your hammer.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Arist. eth. 9.
• * 1.2

  Seneca.
• * 1.3

  Terent.
• * 1.4

  Iliad.
• * 1.5

  Eliot. lib. 1. cap. 7.
• * 1.6

  Arist. 8. pol. cap. 6.