Concerning Ornaments and Moral Harmonies.

There is no action without gossip.

...of which there is no gossip, as appears in that Fable referring to Aesop's fable of "The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey" where it is told of that father and son who went to the fairs to sell their donkey. We also have as an example our Savior, who for the sake of justice and truth was gossiped about and abandoned, and finally crucified: whose truth remains and shall remain original: "in eternum" forever. One thing I ask here of the discreet Reader; and it is, that he who considers himself very capable and skilled and reads this treatise, be entreated not to despise it before reading at least half or a third of it; if only so he does not imply that his contempt is born of passion rather than reason: for no one (according to reason) can judge a cause that he does not know well.

No one can judge a cause they do not know.

Rather, it is only right (not wishing to fail his own nobility, since heaven has endowed him with good judgment) that he does not rush to publication likely meaning public judgment or criticism until he has read it entirely and considered it very well: for we already know that the Trojan Paris, in judging the beauty of the three Goddesses, did not rush furiously to a sentence; but first desired to see them naked, and contemplate them, and afterwards sentence them.

The method used by Paris in judging the 3 Goddesses.

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Comparison.

I well know that not everything I say in this work, particularly regarding the Ornaments original: "Atauios" - refers to musical embellishments or graces, will be accepted by all professional Musicians; for I myself confess that there are in them some trifles which, without doubt, more deserve the name of childishness than things of essence. But for this reason, the good should not lose its value: because just as in a chest full of fine gold coins, even if there were a false one among them, or one not known to all, the others would not lose their carats for it: so too, if among so many chapters there should be one of little use, and another that through my ignorance is not understood, or the Reader through his own does not understand it, let the others not lose their value for this: for it is not right that so many good things should perish for one that is half bad.

The Author's response to those who find this present work tedious.

It could also be that there are some censors who say it was enough to put down a few brief and substantial precepts, in such a way that everyone could easily keep them in memory, and not make such a long book: to whom I respond with much courtesy and say this. It will be an easy thing for those who read to extract, like a bouquet, the precepts and advice that give them the most satisfaction to use when necessary: and it will not seem tedious to those who enjoy the diversity of them; and those who do not wish to know them have no reason to complain that the book is large and very copious. And let them know that,

Philemon Syrus, Book 2, Epistles.

He who does not speak of things that pertain to him should be considered talkative, even if his speech is but two syllables: on the contrary, he who says many fitting things is not to be called talkative. original Latin: "Qui non loquitur illa quæ sunt sui..."

When one is a talker though he says few words, and when quiet even if he says many.

This means that whoever, when speaking, does not say useful things, however little he speaks, must be held as a talker: conversely, he who speaks many good, useful, and pertinent things shall be judged as brief and quiet. Besides all this, I say that just as the frequency of some foods causes loathing, and on the contrary variety delights and brings more taste and appetite: so it could cause loathing if some curiosity and some little thing of taste were not included (with which the book is made large and copious) to invite the Reader to continue his lesson, for among sweet things he finds useful things; for among all writers, he takes the prize who wrote the most useful things with the most sweetness and taste: and this has been approved by the Poet of Venusia referring to Horace, born in Venusia who says,

Comparison.

On the Art of Poetry.

Nicolas Clemente was born on November 23 of the year 1722 which was? Wednesday. On the feast of St.? Clemente his Godparents were Dr. Juan Marin de Ri[va] and Lady Catalina Marin his? daughter and aunt? of the foundling?...