Musick's monument, or, A remembrancer of the best practical musick, both divine and civil, that has ever been known to have been in the world divided into three parts ... / by Tho. Mace ...

CHAP. XII.

AND that there are many such Able, and very Skilfull-worthy Persons, Masters of Our Church at This Day, who are Thus Extraordinarily Qualified, is sufficiently known, to Their own de∣served Great Commendations, and the Churches most happy and ne∣cessary Support.

Who so often as They can be Resident; Themselves not only help to bear up the Burthen of That most Excellent Service, by uniting their Voices (in Skill) together with the Quire; But also by rea∣son of Their so Great Knowledge and Vnderstanding in the Art, are able to discover any the least Fault or Blemish in the Service, com∣mitted by others who are less Skilfull: And Thereby become much more Vsefull and Helpfull in that particular Service, in many Re∣spects, than otherwise They could possibly be, (had they but little or No skill in the Art.)

For They give Example to others Profitably; Rectifie Errours Ef∣fectually; and Reprove Ignorance or Insufficiency Knowingly and Confidently.

Whereas on the contrary, I have known a Reverend Dean of a Quire (a very notable, smart-spirited Gentleman) Egregiously Baffled by one of the present Clarks; who to my knowledge was more Ig∣norant in the Art of Song, then a Boy might be thought to be, who had Learn'd to Sing but only One month; yet could make a shift

to Sing most of the Common Services and Anthems, by long use and habit, (with the Rest) pritty well, (as Birds in Cages use to whistle their Old Notes.)

Yet I say, This Dean being known by This Bold-Confident-Dunce-Clark (who you must know took himself to be a kind of Pot-Wit) to have No Skill at all in the Art of Musick; The Dean, I say, upon a Time (after Prayers) coming out and following This Great-Jolly-Boon-Fellow, and as he was pulling off his Surplice, be∣gan to Rebuke him sharply, (and indeed very justly) for a Gross Absurdity committed by Him in That very Service Time, by reason of his Great-Dunstical-Insufficiency in Singing of an Anthem alone; in which he was so Notoriously and Ridiculously Out, as caused All, or most of the Young People then present, to burst out into Laugh∣ter, to the Great Blemish of the Church-Service, and the Dishonour of God, (at That Time, and in That Place.)

But Thus it fell out, (in short) viz. that after the Angry Dean had Ruffled him soundly in very smart Language, so that he thought he had given him Shame enough for his Insufficiency and Duncery;

How think ye This Blade came off?

Why, most Notably, and in such a manner as made all the stan∣ders by Wonder and Admire Him; venting himself in These very Words, (for I my self was both an Eye and Ear witness) with a most stern Angry Countenance, and a vehement Rattling Voice, even so as he made the Church Ring withall, saying, Sir-r-r-r (shaking his head) I'd ha' you know I Sing after the Rate of so much a Year, (naming his Wages) and except ye Mend my Wages, I am resolv'd Never to sing Better whilst I live.

Hark ye Here, Gentlemen! was there ever a more Nicking piece of shrewd Wit, so suddenly shew'd upon the Occasion, than This was? Yea, or more Notable and Effectual to the Purpose? as you shall hear, by the Sequel.

For the Cholerick Dean was so fully and sufficiently Answer'd, that turning immediately away from him, without one word more, He Hasted out of the Church, but Never after found the least Fault with This Jolly Brave Clark; who was Hugg'd more then sufficient∣ly by all the Rest of the Puny-Poor-Fellow-Clarks, for This his He∣roick Vindication and Wit.

I have here set down This Story out of no Jocundity, or Jolly-Light-Humour, (God knows) but only to shew what Confidence many such Ignorant Clarks have grown up unto, meerly as it were to shrowd themselves in their Insufficiency; and seemingly like∣wise to Justifie the same, only for want of Better or more sufficient Allowances.

Therefore that they might be void of All Excuse, and also be in a Capacity to be Able Performers, there can be but One way to Effect it; which is, that if it were possible, Their Wages might be Enlarg'd, so that They might be taken off, from all other Imployments what∣ever, and wholly attend and wait upon the Church, and Its Ser∣vice; by which means they would not only have All the oppor∣tunities

imaginable for their Improvements in the Art, whereby to gain perfect Skill, &c. but also it would be no small Inducement (but a main Motive) to Encourage, or win Them to Sanctified and Pious Lives and Conversations; the which questionless would so Amplifie and Adorn (yea make Amiable) the whole Service, that the very worst of its Enemies, must necessarily (at least) stop their mouths from speaking Evil either against It or Them, (which too many do;) if not also be a means whereby to draw Them into a Love and Delight of That Service.

This I humbly conceive may be a Business worthy Considera∣tion; But which way to bring it to pass is the Great Difficulty, for want of Open-hearted New Benefactors, which we are utterly desti∣tute of in These our Days.

However, I am not doubtfull but I shall here propose a Way, both very Natural and suitable, if it may only find Favour in the Eyes of our Reverend and worthy Masters and Rulers of our Church, (for it solely depends upon their Goodness, Good-wills and Kindness.)

The way is This, viz. That considering there is Much given by the Old Founders and Benefactors in Good Lands for Ever, toward the maintaining of the Church, its Officers and Services; And all which Lands, have undoubtedly been mightily Improved, as to the Increase of Rents, for Stipends, Wages or Dividends, &c.

If therefore, in regard of This; and also, that the Poor Clarks Proportion of Lands (if any such may be thought to be, which in Reason might well be conceived to be) yet stands at a stay, and no∣thing at all Improved since the first beginning, by any sign's of In∣crease coming to Them, (Poor men.)

And that the seeming present urgent necessity of Augmentation in That kind does so plainly appear, and as it were Cry out aloud for some Relief or Assistance, and no other Hopes or Expectation in any kind (effectual) can Probably be Thought upon, Hoped for, or Expected.

I say, if therefore (in This sad Case) They Themselves would please to be so kind, as to Condescend a little, and allow Them some∣thing (if not the whole) of such Improvements, Proportionable to Those Ancient (former denominated) Statutable Wages of 8, 10, or 12 l. a year, &c. to the present very needfull support of Them and the Service; the Business (no question) might (in This re∣spect) be Effectually done.

And This I presume cannot be thought an Vnsuitable, Vnna∣tural, or Vnreasonable Remedy or way, and therefore may as Reasonable be allow'd an Humble Desire, or a Longing Ex∣pectation.

But if This cannot be Had, Things are like to stand as They do, without any Hopes of Refinement or Improvement.

And thus I humbly leave them to the Wise, Just, and Pious Considerations of All Those who have to do, and are chiefly con∣cern'd in This Great and most Eminent Affair of our Church-Musick.

Very much more might be said (in divers and sundry Parti∣culars) concerning This Business of Cathedral Musick; But These Two chiefly being the Principal and Main Considerable Things, whereby our Service can possibly be thought any way to be Illu∣strated, (and by No other way Imaginable) for if They were once perfectly and sufficiently Effected, they would consequently draw after them, or to them, whatever else might be thought needfull; Therefore I say, These Two Things, viz. the Thinness or Weakness of most of Our Quires, and the too low Wages or Allowance of the present few Clarks, would necessarily be provided for, or else it is in vain to think of, or expect any Illustration of That Service, otherwise then what at the present we now enjoy.

Therefore I shall here conclude All, with my very Hearty Prayers, and Fervent Desire, that (as This most Illustrious and Best Piece of our Publick Church-Service to the Almighty, has in All Ages been had in high veneration and esteem amongst the Saints and Servants of God, even from the first Institution of it, all along down through the Law and the Gospel, until This day) it might still Flourish; and more and more appear to be (what indeed it is, if Rightly performed) THE MOST EXCELLENT AND MOST GLORIOUS THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Which that it may,

The God of all Harmony, bring into Concord and Perfect Vnity All Dissenting, Jarring, and Discording Christians, so that they may have a Right Discerning of the True Worship and Service of Him; And if it be possible, that they might Joyn Hearts, Affections, and Voices in the Publick Assemblies; in Zeal to God, and Love to one another.

By which means only, might our Christian Oblations, and Sacri∣fices of Praise, Thanksgiving and Adoration, be both Augmented, Refined and Illustrated, and also assuredly Acceptable unto Him; As are Those of the Coelestial Quires Above, whose Eternal Work and Recreation is, Only Singing, and Rejoycing before Him the Eternal Being, in Vnutterable and Vnconceivable Allelujahs.

Glory be to God.

The end of Cathedrall Musick.

Notes

• Many of the Masters of our Church very Skilfull at this Day, to the great advan∣tage of the Service.
• A notable Story of a confident ig∣norant Clark.
• The strange Confidence and shrewd Wit of an ig∣norant Clark of a Quire.
• An assured way to take off all Excuse for Faults committed by the Clarks.
• An assured way to stop all the mouths of the Adver∣saries of This Service.
• A way propo∣sed for a pre∣sent Help.
• How the Busi∣ness might be much assisted, in case of no more Bene∣factors.
• These two main things provided for, would draw All whatever else is needful.
• The high Ve∣neration in all Ages had unto This Service.
• No Illustrati∣on conceiva∣ble like This, and which must needs be Acceptable unto the Al∣mighty.