Declaration of Musical Instruments

...making our works worthy of the glory that God will show us. He who sings, or learns to sing for popular praise, judges the praise (since he holds it as his goal) to be better than the music. In this way, such people learn not for the sake of knowledge, but for another purpose. They are mistaken in their judgment of music. He who judges poorly in a science, or errs in its judgment, would not truly know that science. He who judges what is not as good to be better certainly lacks the knowledge of it. These musicians in name only—who place the goal of knowledge as a mere means to delight popular ears, which delight they hold as the ultimate end—not wishing to learn Music, judge it perversely; for they treat the end as the means and the means as the end. Those who do not know how to judge in Music lack that science. Those who desire to be wise must not stop at the praise of common ears; for with reason, such ears can be compared to those of brute animals. Have you not heard it said that elephants are such friends of Music that they are captured by the song of a maiden? This is said by the Margarita Refers to the Margarita Philosophica (1503) by Gregor Reisch, a popular encyclopedia used as a university textbook.. Saint Isidore adds that many fierce beasts, serpents, birds, and fish are incited to hear Music by the sweetness they feel in it; and Saint Augustine says the same in his Music Referring to De Musica, Augustine's treatise on rhythm and meter.. I confess the truth, that while in a garden of our house near the river singing, a lizard came out to see us, and we held it suspended Meaning "entranced" or "still." for almost a quarter of an hour; when we stopped singing, it left, and when we began to sing, it returned. All birds delight in their voices, for they sing. These brute animals have neither understanding nor knowledge of Music to know how to judge it. He would not be considered sane who boasted of being a wise singer because he was heard by these brute animals. Well, I do not know if he is any wiser who seeks to content the ears—or better said, the "long ears" of the common people—who are satisfied with the song of Conde Claros A very popular ballad and ground bass theme in 16th-century Spain, often used for variations. played on a guitar, even if it is out of tune. For he who has understanding, it has been most excellently proven that theoretical Music is better than practical. For he who learns both, there is no doubt that it would be a better thing. But comparing theory with practice alone: the science is worth more than the use of it. Some say they have seen many theorists who do not even...

...know how to take a pen in hand, nor do they have any skill; so what is theory for, and the time spent on it, since without it one works faster and better? Some discuss terms of theorists and do not understand them, nor are they theorists themselves. Such people are more like sleight-of-hand tricksters and deceivers than theoretical musicians. Theory is more than all that such people even know how to speak of, let alone what they understand. Let men look to the understanding they received from God, so that they may learn the sciences with which He may be served. And since one of the principal ways He is praised and served is through Music, let him labor, and let his labor guide him to God; so that once knowledge has come through his hands, it may be worthy of being employed in His service, and He will receive it as something of His own.

WHAT THING IS MU-

A small decorative fleuron or ornament precedes the chapter text.

Having seen the divisions of Music, let us inquire into its being and substance. Saint Isidore says: original: "La Musica es sciencia de harmonia medida: la qual consiste en sonido y canto." Music is the science of measured harmony, which consists of sound and song. Franchino Gaffurio Franchinus Gaffurius (1451–1522), a major Italian Renaissance theorist whose works were widely read in Spain., explaining this definition, says: Music consists of sound, for that which the heavens make The "Music of the Spheres," the ancient belief that celestial bodies create harmonic sounds.; and he places it in song, so as not to exclude that which we use. The divine Augustine in his Music provides another more copious definition: Music, he says, is the science of measuring well, or of good melody. To see how some sing or play without art (who adulterate music, making it a slave to vices, though it is called a discipline or divine science by the saints), let the explanation of the aforementioned definition be noted. First, let us know what it is to measure or to make melody. Then, why he says "to measure well." Not in vain was that particle "well" original: "bene" placed in the definition. Finally, for what reason the word "science" was placed in the definition. In these three things, the explanation will be complete. This verb modulor A Latin term meaning to measure or regulate, the root of "modulation." means to measure, or to compose with a measure of numbers and certain counting; from which (according to Augustine’s sentiment) comes this word modus: which is measure in Music, of the tone composed of an octave original: "diapaßon". In all things, it is proper to have a mode or limit, so that they may be well made. That which is done without mode is held by the wise to be a vile thing. If this distinction applies to all things, why is it applied to Music as something fitting...