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The Schoole of Musicke, perfectly teaching
the true fingering of the Lute, Pandora, Orpharion,
and Violl de Gamba, Dialogue wise, betwixt a Knight, (who
hath children to be taught) and Timotheus,
that should teach them.

KNIGHT.

Y OV are harteleie welcome into the countrie, and the better welcome, for that you come at the first sending for, for it is an old saying, that cunning men are curious, especiallie Musitions.
TIMOTHEVS.
    Sir, if I had thought I should not haue beene welcome, you might haue thought me vnwise to haue taken all this paines : againe, it was my promise to instruct your children, and am readie at your pleasure; but I pray you, why should Musitions bee more curious then others.
   Kni.    In keeping your promise, you haue done well, and so well as I can, I will answere your demaund : in mine opinion, I think it impossible to be a good Musition except a man be seene in all the seauen liberall Sciences, for I know many great clarkes in Diuinitie, Phisicke, Law, Philosophie, &c. that haue small, or no knowledge at all in Musick; nay, some that quite reiect it. Now sith it behoueth a good Musition to bee somewhat seene in all Arts, I conclude, that this all (with the help of an od crotchet) is the reason why Musitions are so curious.
   Tim.    Trulie sir, your concluding all, is both short & sharp, how be it I must graunt you this, that it is behouefull a Musition that would bee excellent, to be seene in all or the most part of the seauen liberall Arts, and so neere as I can, I will shew you which, and how necessarie those are, that a Musition ought not to be ignorant off. First hee must be a diuine, that is, he must be diuinelie giuen, he must aboue all things serue God, that God may blesse him, in all his good indeuoures; hee must read the scriptures, for it is the fountaine of all knowledge, & it teacheth the diuine harmonie of the soule of man : for Musicke is none other then a vnitie, from whence all other, (concords, discords, consonancies, or others whatsoeuer) springeth, next his holie Trinitie; his fift, (the most perfect consonance in all Musicke) representeth the perfect, & most holie cords) representeth the perfection of that most perfect number of fiue, which made the perfect atonement, betweene God, and man; His eight, (which as it is, but as his vnison, as it were a new beginning; so it sheweth our returne from whence we came, as it were, in notes of Musicke, in a long or short time, sweete or sowre composition, and thus, (I hope, without offence to that most holie Alpha and Omega) I conclude, the necessitie of diuinitie in a Musition. Now that a Musition should bee a Phisition, I see no such necessitie, But that Musicke is Phisical, it is plainelie seene by those maladies it cureth. As it cureth melancholies; it much preuaileth against madnesse; If a man be in paines of the gout, of any wound, or of the head, it much mittigateth the furie thereof: and it is said, that Musicke hath a salue for euerie sore. But of necessitie, a Musition must be a perfect Arethmatition, for that Musicke consisteth altogether of true number, and proportion, and thus, at this so cheefe, and necessarie science of Arithmaticke, I hould it best to stay the processe of Musicke, as touching the necessitie of other than these, which I haue mentioned to bee fit in a good Musition.
   Kni.    I like you wel, & loue your Musicke the better, for your good discourse thereof, and my hope is (in a maner) alreadie satisfied, but notwithstanding, there remaineth in mee, a little spark of feare of an euell that may happen, after all your paines taken, and my cost bestowed.
   Tim.    Why sir, it may bee you feare least your children should die, when you haue brought them vp well, and bestowed great cost vpon them, or if they should proue vnkinde hereafter, or if they should set light by that good qualitie, which cost them so little, and you so much.
   Kni.    You say well good Timotheus, all this is to be doubted, but I feare none so much as the last, which is, that they will be carelesse and forgetfull, of so excellent a qualitie as is playing vpon the Lute; and my feare is the greater, for that it was mine owne fault, that in my youth could haue played so well, as any in those daies, and now it is as cleane forgotten, and which is more, I haue no willing mind in the world, either to practise (to recouer that I lost,) or to learne a new: for the play that is now, and the lessons (that are now a daies) are so curiouslie set, that we of the olde mine, are smoakt vp like to sea-cole, and in this age, hath the golden ore, and sparkling diamondes of diuine Musitions, that for mine owne part, I am content, to giue place both to youth, and the time, onelie content to be an auditore, and louer of the best,

B                                           Tim.


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