CHAP. II.

NOw after all this that hath been said, I cannot but hope that Those many False and Ignorant Out-cries against the Lute will be laid aside, and deem'd (as indeed they are) False.

I will here Name some of Them;

First, That it is the Hardest Instrument in the World.*

Secondly, That it will take up the Time of an Apprenticeship to play well upon It.

Thirdly, That it makes Young People grow awry.

Fourthly, That it is a very Chargeable Instrument to keep; so that one had as good keep a Horse as a Lute, for Cost.

Fifthly, That it is a Womans Instrument.

Sixthly, and Lastly, (which is the most Childish of all the rest) It is out of Fashion.

I will here give a short (but True) Answer to each of These Aspersions.

And as to the First, viz. that it is the Hardest Instrument, &c.* I suppose my former Reasons may sufficiently convince any Reason∣able Person of the contrary; However (in that This is the main Ob∣jection) I will spend a little more labour against it, than against any of the Rest; And doubt not but so clearly to Rectifie that Errour, that whosoever will rightly consider what I shall here write con∣cerning it, will never more give Credit to that Flim-Flam-Ignorant saying of the Vulgar.

To which purpose I will make a Comparison betwixt the Lute and the Viol.

The Viol is confess'd to be a Plausible Instrument;* and no Affrightment to any Person to undertake it; and in a short time they do much upon it.

Now that the Lute must needs be so Easie as the Viol, examine them Both after This Right manner, by way of Comparison; not comparing the Musick of the one with the Musick of the other, for that is confess'd by All in General, that the LUTE IS THE RAREST AND MOST EXCELLENT PORTABLE INSTRU∣MENT IN THE WORLD, but barely as they are Instruments, and as to the performance upon either.

And in such a Comparison we must consider,* what it is that makes an Instrument of Strings Hard or Easie.

The Answer to which must be, The Number of Strings, and the Grasping, or Stopping of That Number. Well then;

The Viol hath six Strings,* which are all used in Grasping or Stopping.

The Lute likewise hath but six Strings, which are used in Gras∣ping or Stopping; For although it have 12 Strings, all the other Ranks of Basses are not used at all in Stopping: But only struck open with the Thumb, which serve both to Amplifie the Harmony, as also very much to facilitate the Stops or Grasps of those other six Strings.

Page  44Now if This be True, (as I appeal to All the Experienc'd Men in our Quality, whether This be not Truly declared;) How then must it not needs be, but that the Lute is as Easie as the Viol?

But to This I know it will be presently objected, That Those Basses are very Hard to be Hit, so that the Lute must needs be Harder thereby.

To which I answer, No. But on the contrary, the Lute-play is made far more Easie (in its general scope) thereby, as I shall make appear.

Now therefore that you may perceive what an Easie matter it is, (viz.) to Hit those six Basses, (which Thing in all my whole Progress of Teaching (Young or Old) seldom or never was above One quarter of an Hours work;)

And to make you understand the Easiness of it, consider it thus, in a plain and homely Comparison, viz.

*Suppose you had Fix'd before you upon a Table, six or seven Ranks of Strings, in that nature as Country-People (many of them) have at the end of some Cupboards, fastned on with Nails at each end; And so, lifted up a little from the Table or Cupboard with small Stones or Sticks, to cause them to rise and sound from the Wood.

How easily, I say, could not any Ingenuous Child strike Those six or seven Ranks in Order; First as resembling the Bells, and then with as little trouble strike them out of Order into Changes; And so presently be able (looking off) to do the same? I say, He or She who could not do such a thing pritty perfectly in less than a quarter of an hour, either would have a very Ill opinion of Themselves for Blockishness or Doltishness, or had cause enough so to have.

Now the Truth is, those six Ranks of the Lute Basses (which are never stopt) have no other manner of use than those upon the Country-Peoples Cupboards.

Nay it shall appear, they must needs be Easier to Hit certain than such like of the Cupboard; because the Country-People do it without a Rule (and yet by Habit) well enough; whereas we have an Infallible Rule by which we can scarcely miss, except on pur∣pose; which is, the setting down of the Little Finger in a certain place by the Bridge, so that with opening the Hand by way of Span, we ascertain our selves (after a little use) with the Thumb to reach to what Bass we please, without the least impediment to any our other Performances.

And now methinks I hear some say, you will make the Lute too Easie, if you go on in this manner.

*Why, truly I cannot tell how to speak otherwise than True: It is even so, and no otherwise; And which to do, is Half the performance of the Right Hand; And the other Half, which is to be performed with the Two Fore-fingers, is (upon the matter) as Easie,* if not Easier: So that there you have Half Lute-play already set forth.

But I shall begin my Work out of Order; therefore I will break Page  45 off This Discourse, and desire your Patience till I come orderly un∣to it; And then if you will but give me the Attentive Reading, as also laying what you read to your Reason and Considera∣tion, I do not doubt but I shall be the occasion of many Good Lutenists.

Now by what has been here declared,* how can any Rational man think the Lute the Hardest Instrument in the World? or that it is not, as I have explain'd it to be, Full as Easie as the Viol?

I wish I were to try it out with any man for a Considerable Wa∣ger, to see what we could bring a couple of Scholars unto (one upon the Lute, and the other upon the Viol) in the space but of one Quar∣ter of a Year.

But here I desire that none will make a Bad Construction of This my seeming Challenge; For I Challenge None: neither will any, I hope, take it as an Affront, for truly I mean no such thing; But only for the Lutes sake, I say, If I were Challeng'd in such a way, to try if I would make Good what I have thus set down here concerning the Lute; I should very gladly imbrace the Challenge, (as I said) for the Lutes sake, and the Lovers thereof, that it should be seen I do affirm nothing, but what I would make Good by such an Adventure.

Thus much against the First Aspersion, viz. That the Lute is a Hard Instrument.

That the Lute will take up the Time of an Apprenticeship,* before one can Play well upon it, is a very False Aspersion, and a manifest Injury done both unto It, and to all the Lovers of It: As by ma∣ny years Experience I can Justifie, and by eminent Performances upon that Instrument by divers very Worthy Persons; several such at this present remaining in our University of Cambridge, who have not been at It from their first undertaking yet a full Year; and in one Quarter of a Year could play extremely well, even to Admiration.

I shall forbear here to Name Them, lest I may (in so doing with∣out their consent) give an occasion of Offence.

However in that This may be taken as an Excuse, and in that I have undertaken to prove the Falsity of the Lutes Aspersions, I will take the liberty of naming One Person as a sufficient proof to this purpose, who is my Youngest Son, (named John Mace;*) And has very lately undertaken both the Lute and Viol, contrary to my expectation or knowledge, till of late; nor have I Assisted Him much in either, since I knew His drift.

But as to His Performance upon the Lute, I do here most so∣lemnly and really affirm, I have not taught him, nor spent so much time with him in the way of teaching, as in the whole (since his first beginning with it) will make up the quantity of one Day; (if I should say half a Day, I am assured I Lye not.)

The Chief Advantage he has had towards it,* has been the Perusal of This my Work since I made it: And at Christmass last was a Twelve-month, viz. 1671. there was not one word of it writ; but since that time wholly Compos'd thus as you see.

Page  46This Young man (my Son) has been indeed very Inquisitive con∣cerning the Nature of my Work, and has so far Div'd into It, as (to speak modestly, yet truly of him) I believe he understands it so sufficiently, and has gain'd a Hand upon the Lute so Notably, for his short time of Inspection, that let whomsoever please (to inform Themselves of the Truth of what I have here writ) Call him out for My Witness; who I hope (and doubt not but in a short time) will make as Able a Master-Teacher both upon the Lute and Viol, as need to Vndertake Them.

I must be Pardon'd for This my so strange, and seeming-Boasting way in His Commendations; yet I neither Boast, nor purposely speak in His Commendations; only for the Lutes, and Truths sake, (having, amongst many, none I may make so bold with as I may with Him) I do in this manner attest (by This Proof) the ex∣treme Falsity of This second Aspersion upon It, viz. That One must be an Apprenticeship at It before they can Play well: which is so ab∣solutely False, That I do still affirm, that an Ingenuous Child may be made to Play very well in one Quarter of a Year.

Let thus much suffice to Contradict so Gross a Mistake.

*The Third Aspersion upon the Lute is, That it causeth Young Folks to grow awry.

To This I can only say, That in my whole Time I yet never knew one Person, Young or Old, that grew Awry by That Vndertaking.

Yet do believe it is possible, if (through their own Negligence, and their Teachers Disregard, and Vnskilfulness) they be suffer'd to Practise in an Ill and wrong Posture.

So may they do by several other Exercises and Imployments, (which is often seen.)

But let Them be first set Right to the Lute, according to such Di∣rections as hereafter I shall set down, it shall be impossible for any Per∣son to grow Awry by Lute-play.

This Aspersion I doubt not but will appear False, like All the Rest, when you shall (with your Reason) consider of the Exactness of my Rules and Order.

*That one had as good keep a Horse (for Cost) as a Lute, is the Fourth Objection.

This likewise is so Gross an Errour, that I have disprov'd it all my Life long; and which All my Scholars will affirm, if need were; of whom I never took more than five shillings the Quarter to main∣tain each Lute with Strings; only for the first Stringing I ever took ten shillings.

I do confess Those who will be Prodigal, and Extraordinary Cu∣rious, may spend as much as may maintain two or three Horses, and Men to Ride upon them too, if they please.

But 20 s. per Ann. is an Ordinary Charge; and much more they need not spend, to practise very hard.

*The Fifth Aspersion is, That it is a Womans Instrument.

If This were True, I cannot understand why It should suffer any Disparagement for That; but rather that It should have the more Reputation and Honour.

Page  47I suppose I need not make any Arguments to prove That.

But according to Their Sence of Aspersion, I deny it to be a Wo∣mans Instrument so, as by That means It shall become less Fit for the Vse of a Man.

For if by That Saying They would insinuate, That it is a Weak, Feeble, Soft Instrument, as to the sound; what can that signifie whereby to make it a Womans Instrument more than a Mans?

But whereas first they say, It is the Hardest Instrument in the World; That shews They Contradict Themselves in This particular; and conclude by That Saying, It cannot so properly be called a Womans Instrument, in regard They are the Weaker Vessels; and therefore not so Fit to set upon and attempt the Mastery of Things of such Difficulty.

Therefore if still They will needs put it upon the Woman, I say, the more shame for Them; And so much for That.

Now Lastly, whereas They most Sillily say, It is out of Fashion.*

I say, the Greater Pity, and still the Greater shame for a Man to Refuse the Vse of the most Excellent Thing in Its kind; and especially, Because it is out of Fashion! which, although it be Thus Aspers'd, (as I have here mentioned) by the Ignorant and In∣considerate, yet notwithstanding It has This General Applause and Praise, viz. THAT IT IS THE BEST MUSICK IN THE WORLD.

This is acknowledg'd by All who are men of Knowledge and Experience in the Art, (unprejudic'd;) and if together with This so High, so True, so Deserved and most Vncontroulable Commenda∣tions, it shall also appear (by This my Faithfull and Well-intended Work) Easie, yea Very-very Easie; there is no doubt but It will come into Fashion again with All wise Folks.

Thus having (I hope) to full satisfaction explained the Matter, I doubt not but the Lute henceforward will be more look'd after and esteemed than of late years it has been.

I will now draw nearer to The Work it self, and provide my Scholar with a Fit and Good Instrument.