THE
PREFACE
.
THough
,
in
the
highest
times
of
the
most
Imperiall
Citie
of
the
World
,
Literature
and
Musicke
were
counted
the
two
Mentall
Touchstones
of
a
Gentleman
(
for
Wrastling
was
held
but
a
Corporall
one
,
and
therefore
,
by
the
Comicke
reciting
the
parts
fit
for
a
Gentleman
,
put
in
the
last
place
:
Fac
periculum
in
Literis
,
in
Musicis
,
in
Palaestra
)
yet
sole
Scholler
or
Musician
,
vnlesse
eleuated
by
Academicall
Degrees
,
are
held
now
but
Lowe
and
Illiberall
Conditions
.
So
that
a
Nihilegregiè
,
or
a
Nequid
nimis
is
that
which
preserues
such
,
as
are
hereunto
addicted
,
in
a
freedome
requisite
to
Gentilitie
,
which
ought
to
bee
Slaue
neither
to
Booke
nor
Fiddle
.
Farre
therefore
from
a
desire
of
testifying
that
my
endeuours
in
these
kinds
haue
soared
aboue
the
pitch
of
mediocritie
,
I
here
expose
to
the
vsers
of
my
Naturall
Tongue
this
small
Labour
,
as
whereby
may
onely
be
discouered
a
Gentle
tincture
of
my
mind
in
either
,
but
a
Deep
die
in
neither
of
the
fore-named
Qualities
.
For
,
touching
the
Musicall
part
of
this
Booke
,
I
haue
onely
exercised
my
Iudicatiue
strength
in
the
Choice
and
Collection
of
the
Aires
,
which
is
not
sufficient
to
raise
on
a
man
the
surname
of
Musician
:
and
,
for
the
Literature
or
Poetrie
of
the
Ditties
,
I
haue
no
more
then
new-colour'd
their
Forme
,
by
changing
their
Language
,
I
haue
not
inuented
the
subiect
,
or
Made
the
matter
;
wherein
consists
the
maine
Essence
of
a
Poet
,
as
being
the
Worke
from
whence
he
receiues
more
properly
his
Denomination
〈◊〉
〈◊〉
〈◊〉
〈◊〉
〈◊〉
τὸ
Ποιεῖν
,
then
from
the
Making
of
a
Verse
.
In
so
much
that
hee
that
traceth
a
Chronicle
sincerely
,
without
any
fabulous
mixture
,
may
rather
be
called
a
Versifying
Historian
,
then
a
Poet
;
as
not
sufficiently
shaping
himselfe
to
the
fashion
of
the
great
and
ancient
Masters
of
the
Art
,
that
first
set-vp
the
name
of
Poet.
—
Pictoribus
atque
Poetis
Quidlibet
audendi
semper
fuit
aequa
potestas
;
neither
of
them
being
tied
to
the
Patterne
of
Truth
,
but
left
free
to
the
Reach
of
Inuention
.
Nor
doe
I
here
labour
to
shift-of
,
as
ignominious
,
the
gracefull
Titles
of
Poet
or
Musician
,
which
Persons
farre
higher
then
my selfe
haue
accepted-of
as
Ornaments
to
their
other
Merits
;
my
purpose
being
onely
to
acknowledge
,
that
my
sparing
diligences
and
few
retir'd
houres
employ'd
these
Wayes
haue
in
no
wise
effected
,
that
I
may
,
without
vanitie
,
either
sue
for
,
or
admit-of
these
Names
,
that
I
vnfainedly
gratulate
to
such
as
haue
purchased
them
with
Surpassing
Desert
.
—
mediocribus
esse
Poetis
Non
homines
,
non
Dij
,
non
concessere
columnae
.
Now
,
for
the
Worke
its
selfe
,
whereunto
the
Muses
haue
bee'n
assistant
with
their
double
Skill
(
which
the
two-topp'd
Mountaine
they
inhabit
may
bee
thought
to
point-at
)
I
meane
Musicke
and
Poetrie
,
as
I
confesse
that
I
haue
bee'n
,
generally
,
more
taken
with
the
Musicall
part
then
the
Poeticall
;
so
I
acknowledge
to
haue
tied
my selfe
more
strictly
to
the
presentation
thereof
(
without
swaruing
from
the
first
publish'd
Copie
either
in
flourish
or
substance
)
then
of
the
Other
;
wherein
I
haue
,
sometime
,
suffered
as
well
my
Fant'sie
as
Reason
to
thrust
mee
a
little
from
a
punctuall
insisting
in
the
Steps
of
the
Originall
:
vpon
what
Motiues
(
or
peraduenture
Necessitie
)
I
leaue
to
the
likely
coniectures
of
the
judicious
Comparer
to
find-out
;
hauing
held
it
more
workemanlike
,
vpon
well-taken
occasions
,
by
a
justifiable
varying
from
the
Phrase
,
without
losse
of
the
Plot
and
Scope
of
the
Author
,
so
to
translate
,
that
the
Translater
may
be
said
to
haue
some
little
share
in
the
Apparell
and
Dresse
,
though
not
in
the
Bodie
,
of
the
worke
,
then
(
with
a
Schoole-boyes
resolution
)
to
dare
to
aime
no
further
then
at
such
an
interpretation
,
as
may
render
the
most
exact
account
,
that
may
bee
,
of
the
Syntax
of
the
Originall
.
Indeed
,
where
Poems
are
chosen
to
bee
translated
for
no
other
respect
then
for
their
owne
eminent
and
know'n
worth
,
it
can
sauour
of
no
lesse
then
presuming
selfe-conceit
to
straine
,
with
new
Flashes
,
to
out-shine
the
primitiue
Beames
of
the
Originall
;
or
to
intimate
a
waterish
vnsauorinesse
in
the
translated
Matter
,
by
sprinkling
the
Translation
with
frequent
Graines
of
the
Translaters
peculiar
Salt
.
But
,
where
Lines
are
not
so
much
turned
into
another
Language
for
their
owne
,
as
for
the
Musickes
sake
that
they
belong-to
and
(
in
a
manner
)
serue
,
I
cannot
absolutely
conclude
,
but
that
the
Translat●●
may
,
without
the
blot
of
insolence
,
carrie
himselfe
with
a
Looser
regard
to
those
Pieces
of
his
Patterne
that
hee
shall
judge
himselfe
least
Obliged
vnto
.
—
&
,
quae
Desperat
tractata
nitescere
posse
,
relinquit
.
Now
,
because
translated
Ditties
and
Originals
differ
chiefly
in
this
Preposterous
Point
,
that
,
whereas
the
Musicall
Notes
are
fitted
to
the
Originals
,
the
Translations
are
,
contrarily
,
to
be
fitted
to
the
Musicall
Notes
,
I
haue
bee'n
forced
,
by
this
new
Taske
,
for
the
more
euen
Accord
with
the
Musicke
,
in
diuers
Aires
,
to
alter
the
Naturall
first
Cast
of
the
Verse
,
and
to
ordaine
,
in
the
proper
place
of
an
Iambicke
Foot
,
a
dissonant
Trochaicke
,
as
more
sutable
to
the
nature
of
the
Note
.
For
this
cause
,
when
the
most
busie
Examiners
shall
,
in
some
of
the
Ditties
,
find
heere
and
there
Iambicke
Meeters
that
seeme
to
faulter
in
their
Pace
,
through
the
vnlawfull
frequencie
of
Trochaicke
Motions
,
let
them
forbeare
Censure
,
till
they
haue
tried
them
with
the
Streame
of
the
Aire
or
Note
;
which
,
though
it
were
blamelesly
enough
by
the
Composer
adapted
to
the
French
Verse
,
yet
,
now
and
then
,
fals
out
to
make
a
Currant
English
Verse
of
the
same
Numbers
to
runne
,
as
it
were
,
against
the
Biasse
.
The
reason
is
,
because
the
French
syllables
,
as
well
in
Verse
as
Prose
,
are
pronounced
with
a
more
Continu'd
Equalitie
of
sound
,
then
ours
.
For
that
Tongue
admits
seldome
of
any
Tones
or
Intentions
of
the
Voice
(
by
Grammatians
called
Accents
)
vnlesse
at
the
End
of
the
Clause
,
or
in
the
penultims
of
words
ending
in
their
c
foeminine
.
And
this
their
Mother-pronunciation
they
often
apply
euen
to
the
Latine
,
and
other
acquired
Tongues
.
From
whence
it
is
not
vnlikely
,
that
some
of
them
,
hauing
bee'n
admonished
by
Strangers
of
this
their
Vnrulinesse
,
haue
not
stucke
to
maintaine
their
dysprosodia
(
that
I
may
so
call
it
)
or
immodulation
of
the
seuerely
gouern'd
Syllables
of
the
Latine
:
as
may
appeare
by
that
grauely-accented
or
rather
vnaccented
and
indistinguish'd
Piece
father'd
vpon
them
Nòs-Gàllì-nòn-cùràmùs-quàntìtàtém-syllàbàrúm
;
erroneously
thinking
that
way
of
Pronunciation
to
be
Common
to
Other
Tongues
,
which
seemes
Proper
to
their
Owne
;
the
Nerues
of
whose
Syllables
(
in
Singing
)
-
neither
Crampe
of
vnnaturall
correption
,
nor
Racke
of
vnvsuall
production
can
much
Torture
.
Hence
therefore
it
proceeds
,
that
the
French
,
when
they
Compose
to
a
Dittie
in
their
owne
Language
,
being
led
rather
by
their
free
Fant'sie
of
Aire
(
wherein
many
of
them
doe
naturally
excell
)
then
by
any
Strict
and
Artificiall
scanning
of
the
Line
,
by
which
they
Build
,
doe
often
,
by
disproportion'd
Musicall
Quantities
,
inuert
the
naturall
Stroke
of
a
Verse
,
applying
to
the
place
of
an
Iambicke
Foot
,
such
Modulation
as
Iumps
rather
with
a
Trochay
.
And
this
without
much
violence
to
their
Poems
,
since
the
Disorder
and
Confusion
of
metricall
Feet
in
their
Verse
is
as
Inoffensiue
as
Indiscernible
,
by
reason
,
as
is
afore-said
,
of
the
Euen
Pronunciation
of
Their
Tongue
:
whereas
Ours
,
more
frequent
and
liuely
in
Accenting
all
polysyllables
,
bewrayes
presently
to
the
Eare
,
by
Our
best
Measure
,
the
Accent
,
the
Contrarietie
betweene
the
Trochay
and
the
Iambicke
.
Now
therefore
,
when
the
Note
,
fitted
for
a
Trochay
in
French
,
lights
vpon
an
Iambicke
in
English
,
it
strangely
Wrests
the
relucting
Syllables
from
their
genuine
Pronunciation
,
and
changes
the
Friendly
and
Equall
Conspiring
,
that
ought
to
be
betweene
Word
and
Tune
,
into
Injurious
Contradiction
;
which
vnseemely
Variance
often
breakes
forth
into
so
lowd
a
Cacophonie
,
that
,
thereby
,
the
one
seemes
to
doe
no
lesse
then
Reuile
the
other
.
In
respect
whereof
,
the
intent
of
this
Booke
being
more
to
please
the
Iudicious
Hearer
of
the
Tunes
,
then
the
Criticall
Reader
of
the
Lines
,
I
haue
chosen
rather
,
wittingly
,
to
tolerate
a
little
roughnesse
in
the
Fluencie
of
some
of
the
Verses
,
thereby
the
lesse
to
disrellish
the
Musicke
,
then
,
by
an
ouer-curious
straining
to
please
in
that
Part
of
the
worke
that
concernes
my selfe
,
neglect
the
better
Part
,
the
prayse
whereof
I
am
farre
from
colour
of
pretending
the
least
Right
vnto
.
Yet
herein
also
I
dare
not
auouch
to
haue
bee'n
so
anxious
an
Obseruer
of
the
Lawes
of
the
Note
in
all
places
,
as
to
distemper
the
Verse
vpon
euery
slight
Becke
thereof
,
but
,
where
I
haue
thought
the
Lightnesse
of
the
dissonancie
might
the
most
easily
bee
Digested
by
Good
Eares
,
I
haue
sometimes
permitted
the
Meeters
to
March
forward
with
their
most
decent
Steps
,
without
Respect
or
Obcisance
to
the
Musicall
Measure
discouer'd
in
the
Face
of
the
Note
,
to
the
end
that
the
Poeticall
Reader
might
find
the
lesse
whereat
to
Trip
or
be
Offended
;
hauing
endeauoured
,
in
this
Doubtfull
and
Distracting
Case
,
to
make
the
Worke
as
little
Scandalous
as
I
could
,
either
to
the
Grammaticall
or
Musicall
Pervser
.
In
conclusion
;
that
I
may
not
too
much
Disproportion
this
small
Building
,
by
making
the
Porch
of
Preface
too
Bigge
to
correspond
with
the
Little
Roomes
within
,
my
moderate
desires
are
,
that
my
Home
hearted
vnaffectating
Countrie-men
,
Fauourers
and
Practizers
of
Musicke
,
would
courteously
entertaine
this
Recopilation
as
a
Worke
naturaliz'd
chiefly
for
their
sakes
;
and
,
whereas
our
Tailors
Shops
and
Dancing-schooles
haue
bee'n
so
employ'd
in
French
Imitations
,
that
our
more
deseruing
Masters
of
Musicke
might
sometimes
,
for
pleasing
Nouelties
sake
,
daigne
to
repaire
hither
for
Life
of
Aire
worthy
of
their
more
noble
Arts
Emulation
.
And
,
as
for
some
Rouing
Spirits
,
whose
Transitorie
View
of
France
may
haue
magnified
them
with
the
Scumme
onely
and
Froathie
top
of
the
French
Tongue
,
without
diuing
into
the
substantiall
Depth
by
a
more
piercing
diligence
therein
,
I
am
patiently
prouided
to
heare
them
Counterblast
these
my
Endeauours
with
this
Airie
Position
:
That
it
is
impossible
that
any
Words
but
French
should
euer
Become
the
Loouer
Aires
(
though
they
themselues
,
besides
vnderstanding
them
but
to
halues
,
pronounce
them
to
a
naturall
French
Eare
as
Misbecomingly
as
euer
Crude
Forrainer
was
heard
to
sing
an
English
Ballet
)
such
is
the
aptnesse
of
halfe-digested
Noueltie
to
breed
in
the
Stomackes
of
our
yong
Countrie-men
a
Queasie
despising
of
the
,
almost-matchlesse
,
Abilities
of
their
owne
Language
.
But
,
because
I
haue
learn'd
among
People
of
sound
Tasts
,
that
,
Contra
Gustos
no
ay
que
disputar
,
There
is
no
disputing
against
Tasts
,
I
will
abstaine
to
play
the
ignorant
Logician
by
attempting
to
raise
Arguments
on
a
Theme
held
Improbable
;
but
rather
,
somewhat
to
gratifie
their
depraued
Palates
,
haue
annexed
the
French
Ditties
in
the
end
of
the
Booke
;
by
the
same
meanes
testifying
,
to
the
skilfull
in
both
Tongues
,
my
integritie
(
as
farre
as
is
formerly
professed
)
in
their
Translations
.
Hauing
hazarded
to
breake
the
yce
to
abler
pennes
,
whose
happier
facultie
in
this
kind
may
hereafter
incite
them
,
with
some
more
rich
English
lining
of
other
French
pieces
of
this
Musicall
stuffe
,
to
venture-for
and
winne
the
applause
of
my
indegenerating
Countriemen
.
Whose
present
acceptance
of
the
homely
threed
here
prepared
to
measure
these
first
withall
,
shall
fortifie
mee
against
the
future
assaults
of
repentance
.
E.
F.