Hier begynneth the book callid the myrrour of the worlde ...

[illustration]

Here folo∣weth of mu∣syque / capi-

The six∣the of the vij sciē∣ces is called musyque / the whiche fourmeth hym of Arsmetryque / Of this science of mu∣syque cometh alle attemperaunce / And of this arte pro∣cedeth somme phisyque / ffor like as musyque acco••deth al∣le thinges that dyscorde in them / & remayne them to con∣cordaunce / right so in lyke wyse trauaylleth phisyque to brynge Nature to poynt that disnatureth in mannes bo∣dy / whan ony maladye or sekenes encombreth hit / But

phisyque is not of the nombre of the vij sciences of phi∣losophye / But it is a mestier or a crafte that entendeth to the helthe of mannes body / and for to preserue it fro alle maladyes and sekenesses as longe as the lyf is in the body / And therfor it is not liberal / ffor it serueth to hele mānes body / whiche ellis oftentymes myght lightly perysshe / and ther is nothyng liberal ne free that groweth of therthe And for as moche as sciēce that serueth to mā∣nes body leseth his franchise / but science that serueth to the soule deserueth in the world to haue name liberal / ffor the sowle ought to be liberal as thyng that is of noble be∣yng / as she that cometh of god / and to god wille & ought retòrne / and therfor ben the vij sciences liberall / ffor they make the soule all free And on that other part / they teche and enseygne alle that in euery thyng ought proprely to be don And this is the very reson why thise artes alle vij ben called vij sciences liberall / ffor they make the soule liberall / & delyuer it fro alle euyll / Of this arte is musy∣que thus comune / that she acordeth her to euerich so well that by her the vij sciences were sette in concorde that they yet endure / By this science of musyque ben extrayt and drawen alle the songes that ben songen in holy chirche / & alle the accordaunces of alle the instruments that haue dyuerse accordes and dyuerse sownes / and where ther is reson and entendement of somme thinges / Certes who can wel the science of musyque / he knoweth the accordance of alle thinges / And alle the creatures that payne them to doo wel / remayne them to concordance /