From the Music of Cerone, Book I.

signal of so many others' excellence in harmonic compositions, yet for all this
Singular Musicians.

he does not possess the field alone, leaving their own place to Palestrina original: "Prenestina," referring to Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, to Guerrero, to Ingegneri, to Porta, to Pietro Vincio, and to the other ancients—if it is even permitted to call them ancients. But I saw that neither those who were first, nor these second ones, occupied the desired goal so completely that the living could not also compete with them: Tomás de Victoria, Alonso Lobo, Mateo Romero (Choirmaster to the Catholic Majesty of King PHILIP III, whom God preserve) and their like. And finally, if the Organ with which God is praised had died with its first inventor, how would one hear such beautiful praises, and such smooth and sweet harmonies and Music, as those sent to His Divine Majesty by the eminent Organists of the Catholic King, Antonio de Cabezón likely referring to the lineage of Antonio or his successors and Bernardo Clavijo? And how would one also hear such a great multitude of others, whom I omit for now? Whose fame makes itself felt on its own. Because by prizing and praising the first things, the later ones do not lose their rank; therefore, because the first are called forth earlier, they hold the place of the first only. For if the first occupied everything, there would be neither second nor third afterward. And if these hierarchies of greater and lesser did not exist, undoubtedly the first of
This name of "Only" belongs to God and not to men.

any profession would not be called the first, but the Only. A name which does not belong to men, who are created differently, but only to God—of indivisible greatness and the maker (without being made) of all things—does the name of Only belong. Reassured by these considerations, and invited by such excellent writers, with the firm certainty that a place could not be lacking for me (for he who cannot even be last is wretched indeed), I set myself to write all of this; Not as a great Musician, but as a Singer, the least among the least original Latin: "Non ut magnus Musicus, sed ut Cantor inter minores minimus". This work shall be for the convenience of whoever desires to know perfectly not only the musical precepts, but all the particularities found in Music; for it was ordered and composed for this end. And if in this I should be more wordy than is fitting
Excuse.

for a practical writer, let me not be blamed; for I do not compose it as an ordinary practitioner, who writes briefly and succinctly, but as one who treats and discourses at length and punctually; which is proper to the master who carefully gives a lesson to his disciples, and whose task it is to decipher what is ciphered and obscure. For this reason, I would wish all lovers of music to hold it in high regard: and for the greater benefit of such people, it treats sometimes of Theory original: "Theorica" and other times of Practice original: "Pratica" to satisfy both parties; let each one then choose what seems best to him, because in this kind of virtuous exercise, that which is best is what best arms each individual and in which he feels the most benefit. And because there are some who are content with knowing only Plainchant term: Cantollano - the traditional unison chant of the Church; others, with knowing Polyphony term: Canto de Organo - literally "Organ Song," referring to measured polyphonic music, and others who wish to go further and walk toward perfection and greater understanding, for this reason it is divided into XXII books, for the greater convenience of some and others; and for the satisfaction of all who desire to see the parts of Music separated, distinct, and not confused. In these books, I do not care to bring you flowers of eloquence, because I have to write not as a perfect Rhetorician, but as an
Jerome in the Epistle to Paulinus.

imperfect Musician: nor can I tell you more than what is my profession, for Physicians promise what belongs to physicians, and smiths handle the tools of smiths original Latin: "Quod medicorum est, promittunt medici, tractant fabrilia fabri": that which touches upon...