%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A commendation of Musicke, / And a confutation of them which disprayse it. Whight, Nicholas University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1563-1563 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/30/2012 32586

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

S121859 When first within the corps of man, dame Nature built her bower: / She saw what troubles eke & thral, was bent them to deuower. Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 18346 A commendation of Musicke, / And a confutation of them which disprayse it. A commendation of Musicke, And a confutation of them which disprayse it. A commendation of Music, And a confutation of them which dispraise it. Whight, Nicholas Printer Alexander Lacy 1563-1563

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/30/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Bible/ biblical figures entertainments mythology/ Classical Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/30/2012 11:17:50 AM XBallad Haney, Andrew Created XML Version of Ballad 4/30/2012 11:17:50 AM Transcription Supervisor Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/30/2012 11:17:50 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/30/2012 11:17:50 AM Transcriptionist Two Bell, Erik Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/30/2012 11:17:50 AM Transcriptionist One Wong, Bethany Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/14/2011 Checker Jonathan Forbes Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/19/2011 Bibliographer Grafals Michael Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 5/19/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/19/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/19/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 5/19/2011 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
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WHen first within the corps of man, dame Nature built her bower: She saw what troubles eke & thral, was bent them to devower. To whome she gave as in reward, a pleasaunt note or sound: Their carkes and cares to dryve away, wherby much ease was found. Whereof in children proofe is had, whome nurses have in charge: How soone they stop and stay their cry, when she doeth sound at large. The Plowman eke, and Carter both, with ease doeth passe away: In singyng of some mery note, their travayle all the day. Wherefore to Lady Nature I, doe render prayse and wyll: By whome not onely man alone, but byrdes in song hath skyll. The Poetes fayne that Amphion, who buylded Thebes towne: Did fyrst invent the pleasaunt note, whereby he got renowne. To Dionisius some the name, and some contrary wyse: To Zephus, who Eusebius sayth, the same dyd first devyse. Solinus sayth that men of Crete, by ryng and sound of brasse: By Thachadianes doeth Polibius say, invented first it was. In deede I thinke soone after that, dame Nature made the sound: That Reason did the measure make, the concord and the ground. And then in Mercury first it wrought, as auctour of the same: The which even hee (as worthy prayse) did publish and proclame. Then Reason, as one not full suffysde, did seeke for to devyse: Some instrument to geve a sound, by whome there did aryse A foreward wit in Mercury, for to invent the same: Who made a Harpe of fyshes bone, a Tortes cald by name. Which hee by Nilus ryver found, the fysh was dryde away: And nothyng but three sinowes left, whereon he sought to play. But when they gave a sound agayne, thus doe the Poetes fayne: He made a Harpe much lyke that bone, by thinvent of his brayne. Three strynges to it did he apply, a Treble Base and Meane: The which he made for to accord, in Musickes pleasaunt vayne. Then he it to Apollo gave, as gyft of wonderous weyght: And he the same to Orpheus handes, made redelivery streyght. Some thinke Amphion first it found, and some to that say no: And some in Tuball thinke the lyke, but that can not be so. Then Pan the Pype, Apollo eke, the Shalme he did invent: Then David Regalles sought to make, by Reasones whole consent. And Orphen first, with Linus nexte, and Arion als by name: Timarias, and Trezenius both, thereby did purchase fame. Nor Cibell yet, with Pises too, their labour ought did cease: But in the same did sore apply, their cunnyng too encrease. Thus have we proved by Poetes lore, how auncient Musicke is: And now I meane by Scripture playne, to prove the lyke iwis. We read how David daunst and soung, before the Arke of God: And how his wyfe which flowted him, was by the Lorde forbode For havyng chyldren any more, but barren should she be: Whereby I prove that God is pleasde, with such lyke armony. When MirIam with the Israelites, the red sea deepe had past: And Pharaos hoste were drowned all, who did pursue them fast, Then tooke they Timbrelles in their handes, and to the Lord sang prayse For that he was their ayde and shyeld, to passe the daungerouse seas. The Shepherdes eke, and Angelles both, we read how they rejoyst: When they once heard and understoode, the byrth of Jesus Christ. We see by this what Musicke is, we neede no better proofe: The Scripture is a buckeler good, in Musickes right behoofe. In Fucsius, and in Galen both, who lyst to looke shall fynd: How much that Musicke doeth appease, the dolours of the mynd. You know what tauntes Themistocles, in banket did sustayne: When he good musicke did disprayse, accoumptyng it but vayne. They judged his learnyng much the worse, because he did defye That, which all men did much esteeme, regard and eke set bye. I pray you was not Socrates, whome crooked age had caught: With Musickes skyll and armony, as one with Cupid fraught? And sayd that concord was the ground, and eke the sure stay: Without the which nothing is good, this could that wyse man say. And measure is a mery meane, and meane who doeth embrace: Of every vertue hath the ground, which bryngeth man to grace. This have I doen in Musickes cause, my pen now wyll I rest: Syth that I have that worthy science, as famouse once profest. And who that seekes the losse of it, needes must I speake my mynd: A great disprayse is to his wit, his wordes are coumpted wynd.
FINIS. (quod) Nicholas Whight. Imprinted at London in Aldersgate strete, by Alexander Lacy: dwellying besyde the Well.