TO
THE
RIGHT
HONOVRABLE
SIR
GEORGE
CAREY
,
OF
THE
MOST
HONORABLE
ORDER
OF
THE
GARTER
KNIGHT
:
Baron
of
Hunsdon
,
Captaine
of
her
Maiesties
gentlemen
Pensioners
,
Gouernor
of
the
Isle
of
Wight
,
Lieutenants
of
the
countie
of
Southt
.
Lord
Chamberlaine
of
her
Maiesties
most
Royall
house
,
and
of
her
Highnes
most
honourable
priuie
Counsell
.
THAT
harmony
(
Right
honorable
)
which
is
skilfullie
exprest
by
Instruments
,
albeit
,
by
reason
of
the
variety
of
number
&
proportion
,
of
it selfe
it
easilie
stirs
vp
the
minds
of
the
hearers
to
admiration
&
delight
,
yet
far
higher
authoritie
and
power
hath
been
euer
worthily
attributed
to
that
kinde
of
Musicke
,
which
to
the
sweetnes
of
instrument
applies
the
liuely
voice
of
man
,
expressing
some
worthy
sentence
or
excellent
Poeme
.
Hence
(
as
al
antiquitie
can
witnesse
)
first
grew
the
heauenly
Art
of
musicke
:
for
Linus
,
Orpheus
,
and
the
rest
,
according
to
the
number
and
time
of
their
Poemes
,
first
framed
the
numbers
and
times
of
musicke
:
So
that
Plato
defines
melody
to
consist
of
harmony
,
number
,
&
wordes
;
harmony
naked
of
it selfe
,
words
the
ornament
of
harmony
,
number
the
common
friend
&
vniter
of
them
both
.
This
small
booke
containing
the
consent
of
speaking
harmony
,
ioyned
with
the
most
musicall
instrument
,
the
Lute
,
being
my
first
labour
,
I
haue
presumed
to
dedicate
to
your
Lordship
,
who
for
your
vertue
&
nobility
are
best
able
to
protect
it
,
and
for
your
honourable
fauors
towards
me
best
deseruing
my
duety
and
seruice
.
Besides
your
noble
inclination
and
loue
to
all
good
Artes
,
and
namely
the
diuine
science
of
musicke
doth
challenge
the
patronage
of
all
learning
,
then
which
no
greater
title
can
bee
added
to
Nobilitie
.
Neither
in
these
your
honours
may
I
let
passe
the
dutifull
remembrance
of
your
vertuous
Lady
my
honourable
mistris
,
whose
singular
graces
towards
me
haue
added
spirit
to
my
vnfortunate
labours
.
What
time
and
diligence
I
haue
bestowed
in
the
search
of
Musicke
,
what
trauel
in
forren
countries
,
what
successe
and
estimation
euen
among
strangers
I
haue
found
,
I
leaue
to
the
report
of
others
.
Yet
all
this
in
vaine
,
were
it
not
that
your
honorable
hands
haue
vouchsaft
to
vphold
my
poore
fortunes
,
which
I
now
wholy
recommend
to
your
gratious
protection
,
with
these
my
first
endeuors
,
humbly
beseeching
you
to
accept
,
and
cherish
them
with
your
continued
fauours
.
Your
Lordships
most
humble
seruant
,
Iohn
Dowland
.
To
the
courteous
Reader
.
HOW
hard
an
enterprise
it
is
in
this
skilfull
and
curious
age
to
commit
our
priuate
labours
to
the
publike
view
,
mine
owne
disabilitie
,
and
others
hard
successe
doe
too
well
assure
me
:
and
were
it
not
for
that
loue
I
beare
to
the
true
louers
of
musicke
,
I
had
concealde
these
my
first
fruits
,
which
how
they
will
thriue
with
your
taste
I
know
not
,
howsoeuer
the
greater
part
of
them
might
haue
been
ripe
inough
by
their
age
.
The
Courtly
iudgement
I
hope
will
not
be
seuere
against
them
,
being
it selfe
a
party
,
and
those
sweet
springs
of
humanity
(
I
meane
our
two
famous
Vniuersities
)
wil
entertain
them
for
his
sake
,
whome
they
haue
already
grac't
,
and
as
it
were
enfranchisd
in
the
ingenuous
profession
of
Musicke
,
which
from
my
childhoode
I
haue
euer
aymed
at
,
sundry
times
leauing
my
natiue
countrey
,
the
better
to
attain
so
excellent
a
science
.
About
sixteene
yeeres
past
,
I
trauelled
the
chiefest
parts
of
France
,
a
nation
furnisht
with
great
variety
of
Musicke
:
But
lately
,
being
of
a
more
confirmed
iudgement
,
I
bent
my
course
toward
the
famous
prouinces
of
Germany
,
where
I
founde
both
excellent
masters
,
and
most
honorable
Patrons
of
Musicke
:
Namely
,
those
two
miracles
of
this
age
for
vertue
and
magnificence
,
Henry
Iulio
Duke
of
Brunswick
,
and
learned
Maritius
Lantzgraue
of
Hessen
,
of
whose
princely
vertues
and
fauors
towards
me
I
can
neuer
speake
sufficientlie
.
Neither
can
I
forget
the
kindnes
of
Alexandro
Horologio
,
a
right
learned
master
of
Musicke
,
seruant
to
the
royal
Prince
the
Lantzgraue
of
Hessen
,
and
Gregorio
Howet
Lutenist
to
the
magnificent
Duke
of
Brunswick
,
both
whome
I
name
as
well
for
their
loue
to
me
,
as
also
for
their
excellency
in
their
faculties
.
Thus
hauing
spent
some
moneths
in
Germany
,
to
my
great
admiration
of
that
worthy
country
,
I
past
ouer
the
Alpes
into
Italy
,
where
I
founde
the
Cities
furnisht
with
all
good
Artes
but
especiallie
Musicke
.
What
fauour
and
estimation
I
had
in
Venice
,
Padua
,
Genoa
,
Ferrara
,
Florence
,
&
diuers
other
places
I
willingly
suppresse
,
least
I
should
any
way
seeme
partiall
in
mine
owne
indeuours
.
Yet
can
I
not
dissemble
the
great
content
I
found
in
the
proferd
amity
of
the
most
famous
Luca
Marenzio
,
whose
sundry
letters
I
receiued
from
Rome
,
and
one
of
them
,
because
it
is
but
short
,
I
haue
thought
good
to
set
downe
,
not
thinking
it
any
disgrace
to
be
proud
of
the
iudgement
of
so
excellent
a
man
.
Molto
Magnifico
Signior
mio
osseruandissimo
.
PEr
una
lettera
del
Signior
Alberìgo
Malueziho
inteso
quanto
con
cortese
affetto
simostri
desideroso
di
essermi
congionto
a'amicitia
,
doue
infinitamente
la
ringratio
di
questo
suo
buon'
animo
,
offerendomegli
all
incontro
se
in
alcuna
cosa
la
posso
seruire
,
poi
che
gli
meriti
delle
sue
infinite
uirtù
,
&
qualità
meritano
che
ogni
vno
&
me
l'ammirino
&
osseruino
,
&
per
fine
di
questo
le
bascio
le
mani
.
Di
Roma
a'
13.
di
Luglio
.
1595.
D.
V.
S.
Affettionatissimo
seruitore
,
Luca
Marenzio
.
Not
to
stand
to
long
vpon
my
trauels
,
I
will
onely
name
that
worthy
maister
Giouanni
Crochio
Vicemaster
of
the
chappel
of
S.
Marks
in
Venice
,
with
whome
I
had
familiar
conference
.
And
thus
what
experience
I
could
gather
abroad
,
I
am
now
ready
to
practise
at
home
,
if
I
may
but
find
encouragement
in
my
first
assaies
.
There
haubin
diuers
Lute
lessons
of
mine
lately
printed
without
my
knowledge
,
falce
and
vnperfect
,
but
I
purpose
shortly
my selfe
to
set
forth
the
choisest
of
all
my
Lessons
in
print
,
and
also
an
introduction
for
fingering
,
with
other
books
of
Songs
,
whereof
this
is
the
first
:
and
as
this
findes
fauour
with
you
,
so
shal
I
be
affected
to
labor
in
the
rest
.
Farewell
.
Iohn
Dowland
.