,the spelling of the original has been  
retained4  ,,observations  ,,on ,,the   
,florid ,song2  ,,or1  ,,sentiments     
,,on ,,the  ,ancient and ,modern        
,,singers1  ,written in ,italian  ,by   
,,pier4 ,,francesco ,,tosi1  ,of the    
,phil-,harmonic ,academy  at ,bologna4  
,translated into ,english  ,by ,mr4     
,,galliard4  ,useful for all            
,,performers1 ,instrumental as well as  
,vocal4  ,to which are added            
,,explanatory ,,annotations1  and       
,examples in ,,musick4  ,ornari ,res    
ipsa negat1 contenta doceri4  ,,london3 
,printed for ,j4 ,,wilcox1 at ,virgil's 
,head1 in the ,strand4 #agdc4  ,note1   
,by the ,ancient1 our ,author means     
those who liv'd about thirty or forty   
,years ago2 and by the ,modern the late 
and present ,singers4  ,n4,b4 ,the      
,original was printed at ,bologna1 in   
the ,year #agbc4  ,reprinted from the   
,second ,edition by ,,william ,,reeves  
,bookseller ,ltd41 #a;a ,norbury        
,crescent1 ,london1 ,s4,w4 #af  #aifg   

,made in ,england     ,illustration     
,,to ,,all  ,lovers of ,,musick4        
,,ladies and ,,gentlemen1  ,persons of  
,eminence1 ,rank1 ,quality1 and a       
distinguishing ,taste in any particular 
,art or ,science1 are always in ,view of
 ,authors who want a ,patron for that   
,art or ,science1 which they endeavour  
to recommend and promote4 ,no wonder    
therefore1 ,i should have fix'd my ,mind
 on ,you1 to patronize the following    
,treatise4  ,if there are ,charms in    
,musick in general1 all the reasonable  
,world agrees1 that the ,vocal has the  
,pre-eminence1 both from ,nature and    
,art above the ,instrumental3 ,from     
,nature because without doubt it was the
 first2 from ,art1 because thereby the  
,voice may be brought to express ,sounds
 with greater ,nicety and ,exactness    
than ,instruments4  ,the ,charms of the 
human ,voice1 even in ,speaking1 are    
very powerful4 ,it is well known1 that  
in ,oratory a just ,modulation of it is 
of the highest ,consequence4 ,the ,care 

,antiquity took to bring it to          
,perfection1 is a sufficient            
,demonstration of the ,opinion they had 
of its ,power2 and every body1 who has a
 discerning ,faculty1 may have          
experienced that sometimes a ,discourse1
 by the ,power of the ,orator's ,voice1 
has made an ,impression1 which was lost 
in the ,reading4  ,but1 above all1 the  
soft and pleasing ,voice of the fair    
,sex has irresistible ,charms and adds  
considerably to their ,beauty4  ,if the 
,voice then has such singular           
,prerogatives1 one must naturally wish  
its ,perfection in musical              
,performances1 and be inclined to       
forward any thing that may be conducive 
to that end4 ,this is the reason why ,i 
have been more easily prevail'd upon to 
engage in this ,work1 in order to make a
 famous ,italian ,master1 who treats so 
well on this ,subject1 familiar to      
,england2 and why ,i presume to offer it
 to your ,protection4  ,the ,part1 ,i   
bear in it1 is not enough to claim any  

,merit2 but my endeavouring to offer to 
your ,perusal what may be entertaining1 
and of ,service1 intitles me humbly to  
recommend myself to your ,favour3 ,who  
am1    ,,ladies and ,,gentlemen1        
,your most devoted1       ,and most     
obedient         ,humble ,servant1      
,j4 ,e4 ,,galliard4     ,illustration   
,a  ,prefatory ,discourse  ,,giving     
,some ,account of the ,,author4   ,pier4
 ,francesco ,tosi1 the ,author of the   
following ,treatise1 was an ,italian1   
and a ,singer of great ,esteem and      
,reputation4 ,he spent the most part of 
his ,life in travelling1 and by that    
,means heard the most eminent ,singers  
in ,europe1 from whence1 by the ,help of
 his nice ,taste1 he made the following 
,observations4 ,among his many          
,excursions1 his ,curiosity was raised  
to visit ,england1 where he resided for 
some time in the ,reigns of ,king ,james
 the ,second1 ,king ,william1 ,king     
,george the ,first1 and the ,beginning  
of his present ,majesty's3 ,he dy'd soon

 after1 having lived to above           
,fourscore4 ,he had a great deal of ,wit
 and ,vivacity1 which he retained to his
 latter ,days4 ,his manner of ,singing  
was full of ,expression and ,passion2   
chiefly in the ,stile of                
,chamber-,musick4 ,the best ,performers 
in his ,time thought themselves happy   
when they could have an ,opportunity to 
hear him4 ,after he had lost his ,voice1
 he apply'd himself more particularly to
 ,composition2 of which he has given    
,proof in his ,cantata's1 which are of  
an exquisite ,taste1 especially in the  
,recitatives1 where he excels in the    
,pathetick and ,expression beyond any   
other4 ,he was a zealous ,well-wisher to
 all who distinguished themselves in    
,musick2 but rigorous to those who      
abused and degraded the ,profession4 ,he
 was very much esteemed by ,persons of  
,rank among whom the late ,earl of      
,peterborough was one1 having often met 
him in his ,travels beyond ,sea2 and he 
was well received by his ,lordship when 

in ,england1 to ,whom he dedicated this 
,treatise4 ,this alone would be a       
sufficient ,indication of his ,merit1   
his being taken ,notice of by a ,person 
of that ,quality1 and distinguishing    
,taste4 ,the ,emperor ,joseph gave him  
an honourable ,employment ,arch-,duchess
 a ,church-,retirement in some part of  
,italy1 and the late ,flanders1 where he
 died4 ,as for his ,observations and    
,sentiments on ,singing1 they must speak
 for themselves2 and the ,translation of
 them1 it is hoped1 will be acceptable  
to ,lovers of ,musick1 because this     
particular ,branch has never been       
treated of in so distinct and ample a   
,manner by any other ,author4 ,besides1 
it has been thought by ,persons of      
,judgment1 that it would be of ,service 
to make the ,sentiments of our ,author  
more universally known1 when a false    
,taste in ,musick is so prevailing2 and1
 that these ,censures1 as they are      
passed by an ,italian upon his own      
,countrymen1 cannot but be looked upon  

as impartial4 ,it is incontestable1 that
 the ,neglect of true ,study1 the       
sacrificing the ,beauty of the ,voice to
 a ,number of ill-regulated             
,volubilities1 the neglecting the       
,pronunciation and ,expression of the   
,words1 besides many other ,things taken
 ,notice of in this ,treatise1 are all  
bad4 ,the ,studious will find1 that our 
,author's ,remarks will be of           
,advantage1 not only to ,vocal          
,performers1 but likewise to the        
,instrumental1 where ,taste and a       
,manner are required2 and shew1 that a  
little less ,fiddling with the ,voice1  
and a little more ,singing with the     
,instrument1 would be of great ,service 
to ,both4 ,whosoever reads this         
,treatise with ,application1 cannot fail
 of ,improvement by it4 ,it is hoped1   
that the ,translation will be indulged1 
if1 notwithstanding all possible ,care1 
it should be defective in the ,purity of
 the ,english ,language6 it being almost
 impossible 7considering the ,stile of  

our ,author1 which is a little more     
figurative than the present ,taste of   
the ,english allows in their ,writings17
 not to retain something of the ,idiom  
of the ,original2 but where the ,sense  
of the ,matter is made plain1 the ,stile
 may not be thought so material1 in     
,writings of this ,kind4   ,,the        
,,author',s ,dedication  ,,to ,,his     
,excellency the ,earl of ,,peterborough1
 ,general of the ,marines of            
,great-,britain4   ,,my ,,lord1  ,i     
,should be afraid of leaving the ,world 
under the ,imputation of ,ingratitude1  
should ,i any longer defer publishing   
the very many ,favours1 which ,your     
,lordship so generously has bestow'd on 
me in ,italy1 in ,germany1 in ,flanders1
 in ,england2 and principally at your   
delightful ,seat at ,parson's-,green1   
where ,your ,lordship having been       
pleased to do me the ,honour of         
imparting to me your ,thoughts with     
,freedom1 ,i have often had the         
,opportunity of admiring your extensive 

,knowledge1 which almost made me        
overlook the ,beauty and ,elegance of   
the ,place4 ,the famous ,tulip-,tree1 in
 your ,garden there is not so surprising
 a ,rarity1 as the uncommon ,penetration
 of your ,judgment1 which has sometimes 
7,i may say7 foretold ,events1 which    
have afterwards come to pass4 ,but what 
,return can ,i make for so great        
,obligations1 when the mentioning of    
them is doing myself an ,honour1 and the
 very ,acknowledgment has the           
,appearance of ,vanity8 ,it is better   
therefore to treasure them up in my     
,heart1 and remain respectfully silent2 
only making an humble ,request to ,your 
,lordship that you will condescend      
favourably to accept this mean ,offering
 of my ,,observations2 which ,i am      
induc'd to make1 from the common ,duty  
which lies upon every ,professor to     
preserve ,musick in its ,perfection2 and
 upon ,me in particular1 for having been
 the first1 or among the first1 of those
 who discovered the noble ,genius of    

your potent and generous ,nation for it4
 ,however1 ,i should not have presum'd  
to dedicate them to a ,hero adorn'd with
 such glorious ,actions1 if ,singing was
 not a ,delight of the ,soul1 or if any 
one had a ,soul more sensible of its    
,charms4 ,on which account1 ,i think1 ,i
 have a just ,pretence to declare       
myself1 with profound ,obsequiousness1  
,,your ,,lordship',s     ,most humble1  
,most devoted and         ,most oblig'd 
,servant1           ,pier4 ,francesco   
,tosi4     ,,the  ,,contents4   ,the    
,introduction4  ,,chap4 ,i4             
,observations for one who teaches a     
,soprano4  ,,chap ,,ii4  ,of the        
,appoggiatura4  ,,chap4 ,,iii4  ,of the 
,shake4  ,,chap4 ,,iv4  ,on ,divisions4 
,,chap4 ,v4  ,of ,recitative4  ,,chap4  
,,vi4  ,observations for a ,student4    
,,chap4 ,,vii4  ,of ,airs4  ,,chap4     
,,viii4  ,of ,cadences4  ,,chap4 ,,ix4  
,observations for a ,singer4  ,,chap4   
,x4  ,of ,passages or ,graces4          
,footnotes4      ,,the  ,,introduction4 

,the ,opinions of the ancient           
,historians1 on the ,origin of ,musick1 
are various4 ,pliny believes that       
,amphion was the ,inventor of it2 the   
,grecians maintain1 that it was         
,dionysius2 ,polybius ascribes it to the
 ,arcadians2 ,suidas and ,boetius give  
the ,glory entirely to ,pythagoras2     
asserting1 that from the ,sound of three
 ,hammers of different ,weights at a    
,smith's ,forge1 he found out the       
,diatonick2 after which ,timotheus1 the 
,milesian1 added the ,chromatick1 and   
,olympicus1 or ,olympus1 the            
,enharmonick ,scale4 ,however1 we read  
in holy ,writ1 that ,jubal1 of the ,race
 of ,cain1 fuit ,pater ,canentium       
,cithara  ,organo1 the ,father of all   
such as handle the ,harp and ,organ2    
,instruments1 in all ,probability       
consisting of several harmonious        
,sounds2 from whence one may infer1     
,musick to have had its ,birth very soon
 after the ,world4  ,sec4 #b4 ,to secure
 her from erring1 she called to her     

,assistance many ,precepts of the       
,mathematicks2 and from the             
,demonstrations of her ,beauties1 by    
,means of ,lines1 ,numbers1 and         
,proportions1 she was adopted her       
,child1 and became a ,science4  ,sec4   
#c4 ,it may reasonably be supposed that1
 during the ,course of several thousand 
,years1 ,musick has always been the     
,delight of ,mankind2 since the         
excessive ,pleasure1 the ,lacedemonians 
received from it1 induced that          
,republick to exile the abovementioned  
,milesian1 that the ,spartans1 freed    
from their ,effeminacy1 might return    
again to their old ,oeconomy4  ,sec4 #d4
 ,but1 ,i believe1 she never appeared   
with so much ,majesty as in the last    
,centuries1 in the great ,genius of     
,palestrina1 whom she left as an        
immortal ,example to ,posterity4 ,and1  
in ,truth1 ,musick1 with the ,sweetness 
of his ,harmony1 arrived at so high a   
,pitch 7begging ,pardon of the eminent  
,masters of our ,days71 that if she was 

ranked only in the ,number of ,liberal  
,arts1 she might with ,justice contest  
the ,pre-eminence#a4  ,sec4 #e4 ,a      
strong ,argument offers itself to me1   
from that wonderful ,impression1 that in
 so distinguished a ,manner is made upon
 our ,souls by ,musick1 beyond all other
 ,arts2 which leads us to believe that  
it is part of that ,blessedness which is
 enjoyed in ,paradise4  ,sec4 #f4       
,having premised these ,advantages1 the 
,merit of the ,singer should likewise be
 distinguished1 by reason of the        
particular ,difficulties that attend    
him3 ,let a ,singer have a ,fund of     
,knowledge sufficient to perform readily
 any of the most difficult              
,compositions2 let him have1 besides1 an
 excellent ,voice1 and know how to use  
it artfully2 he will not1 for all that1 
deserve a ,character of ,distinction1 if
 he is wanting in a prompt ,variation2 a
 ,difficulty which other ,arts are not  
liable to4  ,sec4 #g4 ,finally1 ,i say1 
that ,poets#b1 ,painters1 ,sculptors1   

and even ,composers of ,musick1 before  
they expose their ,works to the         
,publick1 have all the ,time requisite  
to mend and polish them2 but the ,singer
 that commits an ,error has no ,remedy2 
for the ,fault is committed1 and past   
,correction4  ,sec4 #h4 ,we may then    
guess at but cannot describe1 how great 
the ,application must be of one who is  
obliged not to err1 in unpremeditated   
,productions2 and to manage a ,voice1   
always in ,motion1 conformable to the   
,rules of an ,art that is so difficult4 
,i confess ingeniously1 that every time 
,i reflect on the ,insufficiency of many
 ,masters1 and the infinite ,abuses they
 introduce1 which render the            
,application and ,study of their        
,scholars ineffectual1 ,i cannot but    
wonder1 that among so many ,professors  
of the first ,rank1 who have written so 
amply on ,musick in almost all its      
,branches1 there has never been one1 at 
least that ,i have heard of1 who has    
undertaken to explain in the ,art of    

,singing1 any thing more than the first 
,elements1 known to all1 concealing the 
most necessary ,rules for ,singing well4
 ,it is no ,excuse to say1 that the     
,composers intent on ,composition1 the  
,performers on ,instruments intent on   
their ,performance1 should not meddle   
with what concerns the ,singer2 for ,i  
know some very capable to undeceive     
those who may think so4 ,the            
incomparable ,zarlino1 in the third part
 of his ,harmonick ,institution1 chap4  
#df1 just began to inveigh against      
those1 who in his time sung with some   
,defects1 but he stopped2 and ,i am apt 
to believe had he gone farther1 his     
,documents1 though grown musty in two   
,centuries1 might be of ,service to the 
refined ,taste of this our present time4
 ,but a more just ,reproof is due to the
 ,negligence of many celebrated         
,singers1 who1 having a superior        
,knowledge1 can the less justify their  
,silence1 even under the ,title of      
,modesty1 which ceases to be a ,virtue1 

when it deprives the ,publick of an     
,advantage4 ,moved therefore1 not by a  
vain ,ambition1 but by the ,hopes of    
being of ,service to several            
,professors1 ,i have determined1 not    
without ,reluctance1 to be the first to 
expose to the ,eye of the ,world these  
my few ,observations2 my only ,end being
 7if ,i succeed7 to give farther        
,insight to the ,master1 the ,scholar1  
and the ,singer4  ,sec4 #i4 ,i will in  
the first ,place1 endeavour to shew the 
,duty of a ,master1 how to instruct a   
,beginner well2 secondly1 what is       
required of the ,scholar2 and1 lastly1  
with more mature ,reflections1 to point 
out the way to a moderate ,singer1 by   
which he may arrive at greater          
,perfection4 ,perhaps my ,enterprize may
 be term'd rash1 but if the ,effects    
should not answer my ,intentions1 ,i    
shall at least incite some other to     
treat of it in a more ample and correct 
,manner4  ,sec4 #aj4 ,if any should say1
 ,i might be dispensed with for not     

publishing ,things already known to     
every ,professor1 he might perhaps      
deceive himself2 for among these        
,observations there are many1 which as  
,i have never heard them made by anybody
 else1 ,i shall look upon as my own2 and
 such probably they are1 from their not 
being generally known4 ,let them        
therefore take their ,chance1 for the   
,approbation of those that have         
,judgment and ,taste4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,it   
would be needless to say1 that verbal   
,instructions can be of no ,use to      
,singers1 any farther than to prevent   
'em from falling into ,errors1 and that 
it is ,practice only can set them right4
 ,however1 from the ,success of these1  
,i shall be encouraged to go on to make 
new ,discoveries for the ,advantage of  
the ,profession1 or 7asham'd1 but not   
surpriz'd7 ,i will bear it patiently1 if
 ,masters with their ,names to their    
,criticism should kindly publish my     
,ignorance1 that ,i may be undeceiv'd1  
and thank them4  ,sec4 #ab4 ,but though 

it is my ,design to ,demonstrate a great
 ,number of ,abuses and ,defects of the 
,moderns to be met with in the          
,republick of ,musick1 in order that    
they may be corrected 7if they can72 ,i 
would not have those1 who for want of   
,genius1 or through ,negligence in their
 ,study1 could not1 or would not improve
 themselves1 imagine that out of ,malice
 ,i have painted all their              
,imperfections to the ,life2 for ,i     
solemnly protest1 that though from my   
too great ,zeal ,i attack their ,errors 
without ,ceremony1 ,i have a ,respect   
for their ,persons2 having learned from 
a ,spanish ,proverb1 that ,calumny      
recoils back on the ,author4 ,but       
,christianity says something more4 ,i   
speak in general2 but if sometimes ,i am
 more particular1 let it be known1 that 
,i copy from no other ,original than    
myself1 where there has been1 and still 
is ,matter enough to criticize1 without 
looking for it elsewhere4     ,,chap4   
,i4  ,,observations for one who teaches 

a ,soprano4#c   ,the ,faults in ,singing
 insinuate themselves so easily into the
 ,minds of young ,beginners1 and there  
are such ,difficulties in correcting    
them1 when grown into an ,habit that it 
were to be wish'd1 the ablest ,singers  
would undertake the ,task of ,teaching1 
they best knowing how to conduct the    
,scholar from the first ,elements to    
,perfection4 ,but there being none1 7if 
,i mistake not7 but who abhor the       
,thoughts of it1 we must reserve them   
for those ,delicacies of the ,art1 which
 enchant the ,soul4  ,sec4 #b4          
,therefore the first ,rudiments         
necessarily fall to a ,master of a lower
 ,rank1 till the ,scholar can sing his  
part at ,sight2 whom one would at least 
wish to be an honest ,man1 diligent and 
experienced1 without the ,defects of    
singing through the ,nose1 or in the    
,throat1 and that he have a ,command of 
,voice1 some ,glimpse of a good ,taste1 
able to make himself understood with    
,ease1 a perfect ,intonation1 and a     

,patience to endure the severe ,fatigue 
of a most tiresome ,employment4  ,sec4  
#c4 ,let a ,master thus qualified before
 he begins his ,instructions1 read the  
four ,verses of ,virgil1 ,sic vos non   
vobis1 c4#e for they seem to be made#d  
on ,purpose for him1 and after having   
considered them well1 let him consult   
his ,resolution2 because 7to speak      
plainly7 it is mortifying to help       
another to ,affluence1 and be in want of
 it himself4 ,if the ,singer should make
 his ,fortune1 it is but just the       
,master1 to whom it has been owing1     
should be also a ,sharer in it4  ,sec4  
#d4 ,but above all1 let him hear with a 
disinterested ,ear1 whether the ,person 
desirous to learn hath a ,voice1 and a  
,disposition2 that he may not be obliged
 to give a strict ,account to ,god1 of  
the ,parent's ,money ill spent1 and the 
,injury done to the ,child1 by the      
irreparable ,loss of ,time1 which might 
have been more profitably employed in   
some other ,profession4 ,i do not speak 

at random4 ,the ancient ,masters made a 
,distinction between the ,rich1 that    
learn'd ,musick as an ,accomplishment1  
and the ,poor1 who studied it for a     
,livelihood4 ,the first they instructed 
out of ,interest1 and the latter out of 
,charity1 if they discovered a singular 
,talent4 ,very few modern ,masters      
refuse ,scholars2 and1 provided they are
 paid1 little do they care if their     
greediness ruins the ,profession4  ,sec4
 #e4 ,gentlemen ,masters6 ,italy hears  
no more such exquisite ,voices as in    
,times past1 particularly among the     
,women1 and to the ,shame of the ,guilty
 ,i'll tell the ,reason3 ,the ,ignorance
 of the ,parents does not let them      
perceive the ,badness of the ,voice of  
their ,children1 as their ,necessity    
makes them believe1 that to sing and    
grow rich is one and the same ,thing1   
and to learn ,musick1 it is enough to   
have a pretty ,face3 ,can you make      
anything of her8  ,sec4 #f4 ,you may1   
perhaps1 teach them with their          

,voice----,modesty will not permit me to
 explain myself farther4  ,sec4 #g4 ,the
 ,master must want ,humanity1 if he     
advises a ,scholar to do any thing to   
the ,prejudice of the ,soul4  ,sec4 #h4 
,from the first ,lesson to the last1 let
 the ,master remember1 that he is       
answerable for any ,omission in his     
,instructions1 and for the ,errors he   
did not correct4  ,sec4 #i4 ,let him be 
moderately severe1 making himself       
fear'd1 but not hated4 ,i know1 it is   
not easy to find the ,mean between      
,severity and ,mildness1 but ,i know    
also1 that both ,extremes are bad3 ,too 
great ,severity creates ,stubbornness1  
and too great ,mildness ,contempt4      
,sec4 #aj4 ,i shall not speak of the    
,knowledge of the ,notes1 of their      
,value1 of ,time1 of ,pauses1 of the    
,accidents1 nor of other such trivial   
,beginnings1 because they are generally 
known4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,besides the ,c      
,cliff1 let the ,scholar be instructed  
in all the other ,cliffs1 and in all    

their ,situations1 that he may not be   
liable to what often happens to some    
,singers1 who1 in ,compositions ,alla   
,capella1#f know not how to distinguish 
the ,mi from the ,fa1 without the ,help 
of the ,organ1 for want of the          
,knowledge of the ,g ,cliff2 from whence
 such ,discordancies arise in divine    
,service1 that it is a ,shame for those 
who grow old in their ,ignorance4 ,i    
must be so sincere to declare1 that     
whoever does not give such essential    
,instructions1 transgresses out of      
,omission1 or out of ,ignorance4#g      
,sec4 #ab4 ,next let him learn to read  
those in ,b ,molle1 especially in       
those#h ,compositions that have four    
,flats at the ,cliff1 and which on the  
sixth of the ,bass require for the most 
part an accidental ,flat1 that the      
,scholar may find in them the ,mi1 which
 is not so easy to one who has studied  
but little1 and thinks that all the     
,notes with a ,flat are called ,fa3 for 
if that were true1 it would be          

superfluous that the ,notes should be   
six1 when five of them have the same    
,denomination4 ,the ,french use seven1  
and1 by that additional ,name1 save     
their scholars the ,trouble of learning 
the ,mutations ascending or descending2 
but we ,italians have but ,ut1 ,re1 ,mi1
 ,fa1 ,sol1 ,la2 ,notes which equally   
suffice throughout all the ,keys1 to one
 who knows how to read them4#i  ,sec4   
#ac4 ,let the ,master do his utmost1 to 
make the ,scholar hit and sound the     
,notes perfectly in ,tune in            
,sol-,fa-ing4 ,one1 who has not a good  
,ear1 should not undertake either to    
instruct1 or to sing2 it being          
intolerable to hear a ,voice perpetually
 rise and fall discordantly4 ,let the   
,instructor reflect on it2 for one that 
sings out of ,tune loses all his other  
,perfections4 ,i can truly say1 that1   
except in some few ,professors1 that    
modern ,intonation is very bad4  ,sec4  
#ad4 ,in the ,sol-,fa-ing1 let him      
endeavour to gain by ,degrees the high  

,notes1 that by the ,help of this       
,exercise he may acquire as much        
,compass of the ,voice as possible4 ,let
 him take care1 however1 that the higher
 the ,notes1 the more it is necessary to
 touch them with ,softness1 to avoid    
,screaming4  ,sec4 #ae4 ,he ought to    
make him hit the ,semitones according to
 the true ,rules4 ,every one knows not  
that there is a ,semitone ,major and    
,minor1#aj because the ,difference      
cannot be known by an ,organ or         
,harpsichord1 if the ,keys of the       
,instrument are not split4 ,a ,tone1    
that gradually passes to another1 is    
divided into nine almost imperceptible  
,intervals1 which are called ,comma's1  
five of which constitute the ,semitone  
,major1 and four the ,minor4 ,some are  
of ,opinion1 that there are no more than
 seven1 and that the greatest ,number of
 the one half constitutes the first1 and
 the less the second2 but this does not 
satisfy my weak ,understanding1 for the 
,ear would find no ,difficulty to       

distinguish the seventh part of a ,tone2
 whereas it meets with a very great one 
to distinguish the ninth4 ,if one were  
continually to sing only to those       
abovemention'd ,instruments1 this       
,knowledge might be unnecessary2 but    
since the time that ,composers          
introduced the ,custom of crowding the  
,opera's with a vast ,number of ,songs  
accompanied with ,bow ,instruments1 it  
becomes so necessary1 that if a ,soprano
 was to sing ,d sharp1 like ,e flat1 a  
nice ,ear will find he is out of ,tune1 
because this last rises4 ,whoever is not
 satisfied in this1 let him read those  
,authors who treat of it1 and let him   
consult the best ,performers on the     
,violin4 ,in the middle parts1 however1 
it is not so easy to distinguish the    
,difference2 tho' ,i am of ,opinion1    
that every thing that is divisible1 is  
to be distinguished4 ,of these two      
,semitones1 ,i'll speak more amply in   
the ,chapter of the ,appoggiatura1 that 
the one may not be confounded with the  

other4  ,sec4 #af4 ,let him teach the   
,scholar to hit the ,intonation of any  
,interval in the ,scale perfectly and   
readily1 and keep him strictly to this  
important ,lesson1 if he is desirous he 
should sing with ,readiness in a short  
time4  ,sec4 #ag4 ,if the ,master does  
not understand ,composition1 let him    
provide himself with good ,examples of  
,sol-,fa-ing in divers ,stiles1 which   
insensibly lead from the most easy to   
the more difficult1 according as he     
finds the ,scholar improves2 with this  
,caution1 that however difficult1 they  
may be always natural and agreeable1 to 
induce the ,scholar to study with       
,pleasure4  ,sec4 #ah4 ,let the ,master 
attend with great ,care to the ,voice of
 the ,scholar1 which1 whether it be di  
,petto1 or di ,testa1 should always come
 forth neat and clear1 without passing  
thro' the ,nose1 or being choaked in the
 ,throat2 which are two the most        
horrible ,defects in a ,singer1 and past
 all ,remedy if once grown into a       

,habit#aa4  ,sec4 #ai4 ,the little      
,experience of some that teach to       
,sol-fa1 obliges the ,scholar to hold   
out the ,semibreves with ,force on the  
highest ,notes2 the ,consequence of     
which is1 that the ,glands of the       
,throat become daily more and more      
inflamed1 and if the ,scholar loses not 
his ,health1 he loses the treble ,voice4
  ,sec4 #bj4 ,many ,masters put their   
,scholars to sing the ,contr',alto1 not 
knowing how to help them to the         
,falsetto1 or to avoid the ,trouble of  
finding it4  ,sec4 #ba4 ,a diligent     
,master1 knowing that a ,soprano1       
without the ,falsetto1 is constrained to
 sing within the narrow ,compass of a   
few ,notes1 ought not only to endeavour 
to help him to it1 but also to leave no 
,means untried1 so to unite the feigned 
and the natural ,voice1 that they may   
not be distinguished2 for if they do not
 perfectly unite1 the ,voice will be of 
divers#ab ,registers1 and must          
consequently lose its ,beauty4 ,the     

,extent of the full natural ,voice      
terminates generally upon the fourth    
,space1 which is ,c2 or on the fifth    
,line1 which is ,d2 and there the       
feigned ,voice becomes of ,use1 as well 
in going up to the high ,notes1 as      
returning to the natural ,voice2 the    
,difficulty consists in uniting them4   
,let the ,master therefore consider of  
what ,moment the ,correction of this    
,defect is1 which ruins the ,scholar if 
he overlooks it4 ,among the ,women1 one 
hears sometimes a ,soprano entirely di  
,petto1 but among the ,male ,sex it     
would be a great ,rarity1 should they   
preserve it after having past the age of
 ,puberty4 ,whoever would be curious to 
discover the feigned ,voice of one who  
has the ,art to disguise it1 let him    
take ,notice1 that the ,artist sounds   
the ,vowel i1 or e1 with more ,strength 
and less ,fatigue than the ,vowel a1 on 
the high ,notes4  ,sec4 #bb4 ,the ,voce 
di ,testa has a great ,volubility1 more 
of the high than the lower ,notes1 and  

has a quick ,shake1 but subject to be   
lost for want of ,strength4  ,sec4 #bc4 
,let the ,scholar be obliged to         
pronounce the ,vowels distinctly1 that  
they may be heard for such as they are4 
,some ,singers think to pronounce the   
first1 and you hear the second2 if the  
,fault is not the ,master's1 it is of   
those ,singers1 who are scarce got out  
of their first ,lessons2 they study to  
sing with ,affectation1 as if ashamed to
 open their ,mouths2 others1 on the     
contrary1 stretching theirs too much1   
confound these two ,vowels with the     
fourth1 making it impossible to         
comprehend whether they have said ,balla
 or ,bella1 ,sesso or ,sasso1 ,mare or  
,more4  ,sec4 #bd4 ,he should always    
make the ,scholar sing standing1 that   
the ,voice may have all its             
,organization free4  ,sec4 #be4 ,let him
 take care1 whilst he sings1 that he get
 a graceful ,posture1 and make an       
agreeable ,appearance4  ,sec4 #bf4 ,let 
him rigorously correct all ,grimaces and

 ,tricks of the ,head1 of the ,body1 and
 particularly of the ,mouth2 which ought
 to be composed in a ,manner 7if the    
,sense of the ,words permit it7 rather  
inclined to a ,smile1 than too much     
,gravity4  ,sec4 #bg4 ,let him always   
use the ,scholar to the ,pitch of       
,lombardy1 and not that of ,rome2#ac not
 only to make him acquire and preserve  
the high ,notes1 but also that he may   
not find it troublesome when he meets   
with ,instruments that are tun'd high2  
the ,pain of reaching them not only     
affecting the ,hearer1 but the ,singer4 
,let the ,master be mindful of this2 for
 as ,age advances1 so the ,voice        
declines2 and1 in ,progress of ,time1 he
 will either sing a ,contr',alto1 or    
pretending still1 out of a foolish      
,vanity1 to the ,name of a ,soprano1 he 
will be obliged to make ,application to 
every ,composer1 that the ,notes may not
 exceed the fourth ,space 7viz41 ,c7 nor
 the ,voice hold out on them4 ,if all   
those1 who teach the first ,rudiments1  

knew how to make use of this ,rule1 and 
to unite the feigned to the natural     
,voice1 there would not be now so great 
a scarcity of ,soprano's4  ,sec4 #bh4   
,let him learn to hold out the ,notes   
without a ,shrillness like a ,trumpet1  
or trembling2 and if at the ,beginning  
he made him hold out every ,note the    
length of two ,bars1 the ,improvement   
would be the greater2 otherwise from the
 natural ,inclination that the          
,beginners have to keep the ,voice in   
,motion1 and the ,trouble in holding it 
out1 he will get a habit1 and not be    
able to fix it1 and will become subject 
to a ,flutt'ring in the ,manner of all  
those that sing in a very bad ,taste4   
,sec4 #bi4 ,in the same ,lessons1 let   
him teach the ,art to put forth the     
,voice1 which consists in letting it    
swell by ,degrees from the softest      
,piano to the loudest ,forte1 and from  
thence with the same ,art return from   
the ,forte to the ,piano4 ,a beautiful  
,messa di ,voce1#ad from a ,singer that 

uses it sparingly1 and only on the open 
,vowels1 can never fail of having an    
exquisite ,effect4 ,very few of the     
present ,singers find it to their       
,taste1 either from the ,instability of 
their ,voice1 or in order to avoid all  
,manner of ,resemblance of the odious   
,ancients4 ,it is1 however1 a manifest  
,injury they do to the ,nightingale1 who
 was the ,origin of it1 and the only    
thing which the ,voice can well imitate4
 ,but perhaps they have found some other
 of the feathered ,kind worthy their    
,imitation1 that sings quite after the  
,new ,mode4  ,sec4 #cj4 ,let the ,master
 never be tired in making the ,scholar  
,sol-,fa1 as long as he finds it        
necessary2 for if he should let him sing
 upon the ,vowels too soon1 he knows not
 how to instruct4  ,sec4 #ca4 ,next1 let
 him study on the three open ,vowels1   
particularly on the first1 but not      
always upon the same1 as is practised   
now-a-days2 in order1 that from this    
frequent ,exercise he may not confound  

one with the other1 and that from hence 
he may the easier come to the use of the
 ,words4  ,sec4 #cb4 ,the ,scholar      
having now made some remarkable         
,progress1 the ,instructor may acquaint 
him with the first ,embellishments of   
the ,art1 which are the                 
,appoggiatura's#ae 7to be spoke of next7
 and apply them to the ,vowels4  ,sec4  
#cc4 ,let him learn the ,manner to glide
 with the ,vowels1 and to drag the      
,voice gently from the high to the lower
 ,notes1 which1 thro' ,qualifications   
necessary for singing well1 cannot      
possibly be learn'd from ,sol-fa-ing    
only1 and are overlooked by the         
,unskilful4  ,sec4 #cd4 ,but if he      
should let him sing the ,words1 and     
apply the ,appoggiatura to the ,vowels  
before he is perfect in ,sol-fa-ing1 he 
ruins the ,scholar4     ,,chap4 ,,ii4#af
  ,of the ,appoggiatura4#ag   ,among all
 the ,embellishments in the ,art of     
,singing1 there is none so easy for the 
,master to teach1 or less difficult for 

the ,scholar to learn1 than the         
,appoggiatura4 ,this1 besides its       
,beauty1 has obtained the sole          
,privilege of being heard often without 
tiring1 provided it does not go beyond  
the ,limits prescrib'd by ,professors of
 good ,taste4  ,sec4 #b4 ,from the ,time
 that the ,appoggiatura has been        
invented to adorn the ,art of ,singing1 
the true ,reason1#ah why it cannot be   
used in all ,places1 remains yet a      
,secret4 ,after having searched for it  
among ,singers of the first ,rank in    
vain1 ,i considered that ,musick1 as a  
,science1 ought to have its ,rules1 and 
that all ,manner of ,ways should be     
tried to discover them4 ,i do not       
flatter myself that ,i am arrived at it2
 but the ,judicious will see1 at least  
that ,i am come near it4 ,however1      
treating of a ,matter wholly produced   
from my ,observations1 ,i should hope   
for more ,indulgence in this ,chapter   
than in any other4  ,sec4 #c4 ,from     
,practice1 ,i perceive1 that from ,c to 

,c by ,b ,quadro1#ai a ,voice can ascend
 and descend gradually with the         
,appoggiatura1 passing without any the  
least ,obstacle thro' all the five      
,tones1 and the two ,semitones1 that    
make an ,octave4  ,sec4 #d4 ,that from  
every accidental ,diezis1 or ,sharp1    
that may be found in the ,scale1 one can
 gradually rise a ,semitone to the      
nearest ,note with an ,appoggiatura1 and
 return in the same ,manner4#bj  ,sec4  
#e4 ,that from every ,note that has a ,b
 ,quadro1 or ,natural1 one can ascend by
 ,semitones to every one that has a ,b  
,molle1 or ,flat1 with an               
,appoggiatura4#ba  ,sec4 #f4 ,but1      
contrarywise1 my ,ear tells me1 that    
from ,f1 ,g1 ,a1 ,c1 and ,d1 one cannot 
rise gradually with an ,appoggiatura by 
,semitones1#bb when any of these five   
,tones have a ,sharp annex'd to them4   
,sec4 #g4 ,that one cannot pass with an 
,appoggiatura gradually from a third    
,minor to the ,bass1 to a third ,major1 
nor from the third ,major to the third  

,minor4#bc  ,sec4 #h4 ,that two         
consequent ,appoggiatura's cannot pass  
gradually by ,semitones from one ,tone  
to another4#bd  ,sec4 #i4 ,that one     
cannot rise by ,semitone1 with an       
,appoggiatura1 from any ,note with a    
,flat4#be  ,sec4 #aj4 ,and1 finally1    
where the ,appoggiatura cannot ascend1  
it cannot descend4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,practice
 giving us no ,insight into the ,reason 
of all these ,rules1 let us see if it   
can be found out by those who ought to  
account for it4  ,sec4 #ab4 ,theory     
teaches us1 that the abovementioned     
,octave consisting of twelve unequal    
,semitones1 it is necessary to          
distinguish the ,major from the ,minor1 
and it sends the ,student to consult the
 ,tetrachords4 ,the most conspicuous    
,authors1 that treat of them1 are not   
all of the same ,opinion3 ,for we find  
some who maintain1 that from ,c to ,d1  
as well as from ,f to ,g1 the ,semitones
 are equal2 and mean while we are left  
in ,suspense4#bf  ,sec4 #ac4 ,the ,ear1 

however1 which is the supreme ,umpire in
 this ,art1 does in the ,appoggiatura so
 nicely discern the ,quality of the     
,semitones1 that it sufficiently        
distinguishes the ,semitone ,major4     
,therefore going so agreeably from ,mi  
to ,fa 7that is7 from ,b ,quadro to ,c1 
or from ,e to ,f1 one ought to conclude 
,that to be a ,semitone ,major1 as it   
undeniably is4 ,but whence does it      
proceed1 that from this very ,fa1 7that 
is from ,f or ,c7 ,i cannot rise to the 
next ,sharp1 which is also a ,semitone8 
,it is ,minor1 says the ,ear4 ,therefore
 ,i take it for granted1 that the       
,reason why the ,appoggiatura has not a 
full ,liberty1 is1 that it cannot pass  
gradually to a ,semitone ,minor2        
submitting myself1 however1 to better   
,judgment4#bg  ,sec4 #ad4 ,the          
,appoggiatura may likewise pass from one
 distant ,note to another1 provided the 
,skip or ,interval be not deceitful2    
for1 in that ,case1 whoever does not hit
 it sure1 will show they know not how to

 sing4#bh  ,sec4 #ae4 ,since1 as ,i have
 said1 it is not possible for a ,singer 
to rise gradually with an ,appoggiatura 
to a ,semitone ,minor1 ,nature will     
teach him to rise a ,tone1 that from    
thence he may descend with an           
,appoggiatura to that ,semitone2 or if  
he has a ,mind to come to it without the
 ,appoggiatura1 to raise the ,voice with
 a ,messa di ,voce1 the ,voice always   
rising till he reaches it4#bi  ,sec4    
#af4 ,if the ,scholar be well instructed
 in this1 the ,appoggiatura's will      
become so familiar to him by continual  
,practice1 that by the ,time he is come 
out of his first ,lessons1 he will laugh
 at those ,composers that mark them1    
with a ,design either to be thought     
,modern1 or to shew that they understand
 the ,art of ,singing better than the   
,singers4 ,if they have this            
,superiority over them1 why do they not 
write down even the ,graces1 which are  
more difficult1 and more essential than 
the ,appoggiatura's8 ,but if they mark  

them that they may acquire the glorious 
,name of a ,virtuoso alla ,moda1 or a   
,composer in the new ,stile1 they ought 
at least to know1 that the ,addition of 
one ,note costs little ,trouble1 and    
less ,study4 ,poor ,italy6 pray tell me2
 do not the ,singers now-a-days know    
where the ,appoggiatura's are to be     
made1 unless they are pointed at with a 
,finger8 ,in my ,time their own         
,knowledge shewed it them4 ,eternal     
,shame to him who first introduced these
 foreign ,puerilities into our ,nation1 
renowned for teaching others the greater
 part of the polite ,arts2 particularly1
 that of ,singing6 ,oh1 how great a     
,weakness in those that follow the      
,example6 ,oh1 injurious ,insult to your
 ,modern ,singers1 who submit to        
,instructions fit for ,children6 ,let us
 imitate the ,foreigners in those       
,things only1 wherein they excel4#cj    
,,chap4 ,,iii4  ,of the ,shake4   ,we   
meet with two most powerful ,obstacles  
informing the ,shake4 ,the first        

embarrasses the ,master2 for1 to this   
,hour there is no infallible ,rule found
 to teach it3 ,and the second affects   
the ,scholar1 because ,nature imparts   
the ,shake but to few4 ,the ,impatience 
of the ,master joins with the ,despair  
of the ,learner1 so that they decline   
farther ,trouble about it4 ,but in this 
the ,master is blameable1 in not doing  
his ,duty1 by leaving the ,scholar in   
,ignorance4 ,one must strive against    
,difficulties with ,patience to overcome
 them4  ,sec4 #b4 ,whether the ,shake be
 necessary in ,singing1 ask the         
,professors of the first ,rank1 who know
 better than any others how often they  
have been indebted to it2 for1 upon any 
,absence of ,mind1 they would have      
betrayed to the ,publick the ,sterility 
of their ,art1 without the prompt       
,assistance of the ,shake4  ,sec4 #c4   
,whoever has a fine ,shake1 tho' wanting
 in every other ,grace1 always enjoys   
the ,advantage of conducting himself    
without giving ,distaste to the ,end or 

,cadence1 where for the most part it is 
very essential2 and who wants it1 or has
 it imperfectly1 will never be a great  
,singer1 let his ,knowledge be ever so  
great4  ,sec4 #d4 ,the ,shake then1     
being of such ,consequence1 let the     
,master1 by the ,means of verbal        
,instructions1 and ,examples vocal and  
instrumental1 strive that the ,scholar  
may attain one that is equal1 distinctly
 mark'd1 easy1 and moderately quick1    
which are its most beautiful            
,qualifications4  ,sec4 #e4 ,in case the
 ,master should not know how many sorts 
of ,shakes there are1 ,i shall acquaint 
him1 that the ,ingenuity of the         
,professors hath found so many ,ways1   
distinguishing them with different      
,names1 that one may say there are eight
 ,species of them4#ca  ,sec4 #f4 ,the   
first is the ,shake ,major1 from the    
violent ,motion of two neighbouring     
,sounds at the ,distance of a ,tone1 one
 of which may be called ,principal1     
because it keeps with greater ,force the

 ,place of the ,note which requires it2 
the other1 notwithstanding it possesses 
in its ,motion the superior ,sound      
appears no other than an ,auxiliary4    
,from this ,shake all the others are    
derived4#cb  ,sec4 #g4 ,the second is   
the ,shake ,minor1 consisting of a      
,sound1 and its neighbouring ,semitone  
,major2 and where the one or the other  
of these1 two ,shakes are proper1 the   
,compositions will easily shew4 ,from   
the inferior or lower ,cadences1 the    
first1 or full ,tone ,shake is for ever 
excluded4#cc ,if the ,difference of     
these two ,shakes is not easily         
discovered in the ,singer1 whenever it  
is with a ,semitone1 one may attribute  
the ,cause to the want of ,force of the 
,auxiliary to make itself heard         
distinctly2 besides1 this ,shake being  
more difficult to be beat than the      
other1 every body does not know how to  
make it1 as it should be1 and           
,negligence becomes a ,habit4 ,if this  
,shake is not distinguished in          

,instruments1 the ,fault is in the      
,ear4#cd  ,sec4 #h4 ,the third is the   
,mezzo-trillo1 or the short ,shake1     
which is likewise known from its ,name4 
,one1 who is ,master of the first and   
second1 with the ,art of beating it a   
little closer1 will easily learn it2    
ending it as soon as heard1 and adding a
 little ,brilliant4 ,for this ,reason1  
this ,shake pleases more in brisk and   
lively ,airs than in the ,pathetick4#ce 
,sec4 #i4 ,the fourth is the rising     
,shake1 which is done by making the     
,voice ascend imperceptibly1 shaking    
from ,comma to ,comma without           
discovering the ,rise4#cf  ,sec4 #aj4   
,the fifth is the descending ,shake1    
which is done by making the ,voice      
decline insensibly from ,comma to       
,comma1 shaking in such ,manner that the
 ,descent be not distinguished4 ,these  
two ,shakes1 ever since true#cg ,taste  
has prevailed1 are no more in ,vogue1   
and ought rather to be forgot than      
learn'd4 ,a nice ,ear equally abhorrs   

the ancient dry ,stuff1 and the modern  
,abuses4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,the sixth is the  
slow ,shake1 whose ,quality is also     
denoted by its ,name4 ,he1 who does not 
study this1 in my ,opinion ought not    
therefore to lose the ,name of a good   
,singer2 for it being only an affected  
,waving1 that at last unites with the   
first and second ,shake1 it cannot1 ,i  
think1 please more than once4#ch  ,sec4 
#ab4 ,the seventh is the redoubled      
,shake1 which is learned by mixing a few
 ,notes between the ,major or ,minor    
,shake1 which ,interposition suffices to
 make several ,shakes of one4 ,this is  
beautiful1 when those few ,notes1 so    
intermixed1 are sung with ,force4 ,if   
then it be gently formed on the high    
,notes of an excellent ,voice1#ci       
perfect in this rare ,quality1 and not  
made use of too often1 it cannot        
displease even ,envy itself4  ,sec4 #ac4
 ,the eighth is the ,trillo-,mordente1  
or the ,shake with a ,beat1 which is a  
pleasing ,grace in ,singing1 and is     

taught rather by ,nature than by ,art4  
,this is produced with more ,velocity   
than the others1 and is no sooner born  
but dies4 ,that ,singer has a great     
,advantage1 who from time to time mixes 
it in ,passages or ,divisions 7of which 
,i shall take ,notice in the proper     
,chapter74 ,he1 who understands his     
,profession1 rarely fails of using it   
after the ,appoggiatura2 and he1 who    
despises it1 is guilty of more than     
,ignorance4#dj  ,sec4 #ad4 ,of all these
 ,shakes1 the two first are most        
necessary1 and require most the         
,application of the ,master4 ,i know too
 well that it is customary to sing      
without ,shakes2 but the ,example1 of   
those who study but superficially1 ought
 not to be imitated4  ,sec4 #ae4 ,the   
,shake1 to be beautiful1 requires to be 
prepared1 though1 on some ,occasions1   
,time or ,taste will not permit it4 ,but
 on final ,cadences1 it is always       
necessary1 now on the ,tone1 now on the 
,semitone above its ,note1 according to 

the ,nature of the ,composition4  ,sec4 
#af4 ,the ,defects of the ,shake are    
many4 ,the long holding-out ,shake      
triumph'd formerly1 and very improperly1
 as now the ,divisions do2 but when the 
,art grew refined1 it was left to the   
,trumpets1 or to those ,singers that    
waited for the ,eruption of an ,e ,viva6
 or ,bravo6 from the ,populace4 ,that   
,shake which is too often heard1 be it  
ever so fine1 cannot please4 ,that which
 is beat with an uneven ,motion         
disgusts2 that like the ,quivering of a 
,goat makes one laugh2 and that in the  
,throat is the worst3 ,that which is    
produced by a ,tone and its third1 is   
disagreeable2 the ,slow is tiresome2 and
 that which is out of ,tune is hideous4 
,sec4 #ag4 ,the ,necessity of the ,shake
 obliges the ,master to keep the        
,scholar applied to it upon all the     
,vowels1 and on all the ,notes he       
possesses2 not only on ,minims or long  
,notes1 but likewise on ,crotchets1     
where in ,process of ,time he may learn 

the ,close ,shake1 the ,beat1 and the   
,forming them with ,quickness in the    
,midst of the ,volubility of ,graces and
 ,divisions4  ,sec4 #ah4 ,after the free
 ,use of the ,shake1 let the ,master    
observe if the ,scholar has the same    
,facility in disusing it2 for he would  
not be the first that could not leave it
 off at ,pleasure4  ,sec4 #ai4 ,but the 
teaching where the ,shake is convenient1
 besides those on#da ,cadences1 and     
where they are improper and forbid1 is a
 ,lesson reserv'd for those who have    
,practice1 ,taste1 and ,knowledge4      
,,chap4 ,,iv4  ,on ,divisions4   ,tho'  
,divisions have not ,power sufficient to
 touch the ,soul1 but the most they can 
do is to raise our ,admiration of the   
,singer for the happy ,flexibility of   
his ,voice2 it is1 however1 of very     
great ,moment1 that the ,master instruct
 the ,scholar in them1 that he may be   
,master of them with an easy ,velocity  
and true ,intonation2 for when they are 
well executed in their proper ,place1   

they deserve ,applause1 and make a      
,singer more universal2 that is to say1 
capable to sing in any ,stile4  ,sec4   
#b4 ,by accustoming the ,voice of a     
,learner to be lazy and dragging1 he is 
rendered incapable of any considerable  
,progress in his ,profession4 ,whosoever
 has not the ,agility of ,voice1 in     
,compositions of a quick or lively      
,movement1 becomes odiously tiresome2   
and at last retards the ,time so much1  
that every thing he sings appears to be 
out of ,tune4  ,sec4 #c4 ,division1     
according to the general ,opinion1 is of
 two ,kinds1 the ,mark'd1 and the       
,gliding2 which last1 from its ,slowness
 and ,dragging1 ought rather to be      
called a ,passage or ,grace1 than a     
,division4  ,sec4 #d4 ,in regard to the 
first1 the ,master ought to teach the   
,scholar that light ,motion of the      
,voice1 in which the ,notes that        
constitute the ,division be all         
articulate in equal ,proportion1 and    
moderately distinct1 that they be not   

too much join'd1 nor too much mark'd4#db
  ,sec4 #e4 ,the second is perform'd in 
such a ,manner that the first ,note is a
 ,guide to all that follow1 closely     
united1 gradual1 and with such ,evenness
 of ,motion1 that in ,singing it        
imitates a certain ,gliding1 by the     
,masters called a ,slur2 the ,effect of 
which is truly agreeable when used      
sparingly4#dc  ,sec4 #f4 ,the mark'd    
,divisions1 being more frequently used  
than the others1 require more ,practice4
  ,sec4 #g4 ,the ,use of the ,slur is   
pretty much limited in ,singing1 and is 
confined within such few ,notes         
ascending or descending1 that it cannot 
go beyond a fourth without displeasing4 
,it seems to me to be more grateful to  
the ,ear descending1 than in the        
contrary ,motion4  ,sec4 #h4 ,the ,dragg
 consists in a ,succession of divers    
,notes1 artfully mixed with the ,forte  
and ,piano4 ,the ,beauty of which ,i    
shall speak of in another ,place4  ,sec4
 #i4 ,if the ,master hastens insensibly 

the ,time when the ,scholar sings the   
,divisions1 he will find that there is  
not a more effectual way to unbind the  
,voice1 and bring it to a ,volubility2  
being however cautious1 that this       
imperceptible ,alteration do not grow by
 ,degrees into a vicious ,habit4  ,sec4 
#aj4 ,let him teach to hit the          
,divisions with the same ,agility in    
ascending gradually1 as in descending2  
for though this seems to be an          
,instruction fit only for a ,beginner1  
yet we do not find every ,singer able to
 perform it4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,after the     
gradual ,divisions1 let him learn to    
hit1 with the greatest ,readiness1 all  
those that are of difficult ,intervals1 
that1 being in ,tune and ,time1 they may
 with ,justice deserve our ,attention4  
,the ,study of this ,lesson demands more
 ,time and ,application than any other1 
not so much for the great ,difficulty in
 attaining it1 as the important         
,consequences that attend it2 and1 in   
,fact1 a ,singer loses all ,fear when   

the most difficult ,divisions are become
 familiar to him4  ,sec4 #ab4 ,let him  
not be unmindful to teach the ,manner of
 mixing the ,piano with the ,forte in   
the ,divisions2 the ,glidings or ,slurs 
with the ,mark'd1 and to intermix the   
,close ,shake2 especially on the pointed
 ,notes1 provided they be not too near  
one another2 making by this ,means every
 ,embellishment of the ,art appear4     
,sec4 #ac4 ,of all the ,instructions    
relating to ,divisions1 the most        
considerable seems to be ,that1 which   
teaches to unite the ,beats and short   
,shake with them2 and that the ,master  
point out to him1 how to execute them   
with ,exactness of ,time1 and the       
,places where they have the best        
,effect3 ,but this being not so proper  
for one who teaches only the first      
,rules1 and still less for him that     
begins to learn them1 it would be better
 to have postponed this 7as perhaps ,i  
should have done7 did ,i not know1 that 
there are ,scholars of so quick ,parts1 

that in a few ,years become most        
excellent ,singers1 and that there is no
 want of ,masters qualified to instruct 
,disciples of the most promising        
,genius2 besides1 it appeared to me an  
,impropriety in this ,chapter on        
,divisions 7in which the ,beats and     
,close ,shake appear with greater       
,lustre than any other ,grace7 not to   
make ,mention of them4  ,sec4 #ad4 ,let 
the ,scholar not be suffered to sing    
,divisions with ,unevenness of ,time or 
,motion2 and let him be corrected if he 
marks them with the ,tongue1 or with the
 ,chin1 or any other ,grimace of the    
,head or ,body4  ,sec4 #ae4 ,every      
,master knows1 that on the third and    
fifth ,vowel1 the ,divisions are the    
worst2 but every one does not know1 that
 in the best ,schools the second and    
fourth were not permitted1 when these   
two ,vowels are pronounced close or     
united4  ,sec4 #af4 ,there are many     
,defects in the ,divisions1 which it is 
necessary to know1 in order to avoid    

them2 for1 besides that of the ,nose or 
the ,throat1 and the others already     
mentioned1 those are likewise           
displeasing which are neither mark'd nor
 gliding2 for in that ,case they cannot 
be said to sing1 but howl and roar4     
,there are some still more ridiculous1  
who mark them above ,measure1 and with  
,force of ,voice1 thinking 7for         
,example7 to make a ,division upon ,a1  
it appears as if they said ,ha1 ,ha1    
,ha1 or ,gha1 ,gha1 ,gha2 and the same  
upon the other ,vowels4 ,the worst      
,fault of all is singing them out of    
,tune4  ,sec4 #ag4 ,the ,master should  
know1 that though a good ,voice put     
forth with ,ease grows better1 yet by   
too swift a ,motion in ,divisions it    
becomes an indifferent one1 and         
sometimes by the ,negligence of the     
,master1 to the ,prejudice of the       
,scholar1 it is changed into a very bad 
one4  ,sec4 #ah4 ,divisions and ,shakes 
in a ,siciliana are ,faults1 and        
,glidings and ,draggs are ,beauties4    

,sec4 #ai4 ,the sole and entire ,beauty 
of the ,division consists in its being  
perfectly in ,tune1 mark'd1 equal1      
distinct1 and quick4  ,sec4 #bj4        
,divisions have the like ,fate with the 
,shakes2 both equally delight in their  
,place2 but if not properly introduced1 
the too frequent ,repetition of them    
becomes tedious if not odious4  ,sec4   
#ba4 ,after the ,scholar has made       
himself perfect in the ,shake and the   
,divisions1 the ,master should let him  
read and pronounce the ,words1 free from
 those gross and ridiculous ,errors of  
,orthography1 by which many deprive one 
,word of its double ,consonant1 and add 
one to another1 in which it is          
single4#dd  ,sec4 #bb4 ,after having    
corrected the ,pronunciation1 let him   
take ,care that the ,words be uttered in
 such a ,manner1 without any            
,affectation that they be distinctly    
understood1 and no one ,syllable be     
lost2 for if they are not distinguished1
 the ,singer deprives the ,hearer of the

 greatest ,part of that ,delight which  
vocal ,musick conveys by ,means of the  
,words4 ,for1 if the ,words are not     
heard so as to be understood1 there will
 be no great ,difference between a human
 ,voice and a ,hautboy4 ,this ,defect1  
tho' one of the greatest1 is now-a-days 
more than common1 to the greatest       
,disgrace of the ,professors and the    
,profession2 and yet they ought to know1
 that the ,words only give the          
,preference to a ,singer above an       
instrumental ,performer1 admitting them 
to be of equal ,judgment and ,knowledge4
 ,let the modern ,master learn to make  
use of this ,advice1 for never was it   
more necessary than at present4  ,sec4  
#bc4 ,let him exercise the ,scholar to  
be very ready in joining the ,syllables 
to the ,notes1 that he may never be at a
 ,loss in doing it4  ,sec4 #bd4 ,let him
 forbid the ,scholar to take ,breath in 
the ,middle of a ,word1 because the     
dividing it in two is an ,error against 
,nature2 which must not be followed1 if 

we would avoid being laugh'd at4 ,in    
interrupted ,movements1 or in long      
,divisions1 it is not so rigorously     
required1 when the one or the other     
cannot be sung in one ,breath4          
,anciently such ,cautions were not      
necessary1 but for the ,learners of the 
first ,rudiments2 now the ,abuse1 having
 taken its ,rise in the modern ,schools1
 gathers ,strength1 and is grown        
familiar with those who pretend to      
,eminence4 ,the ,master may correct this
 ,fault1 in teaching the ,scholar to    
manage his ,respiration1 that he may    
always be provided with more ,breath    
than is needful2 and may avoid          
undertaking what1 for want of it1 he    
cannot go through with4  ,sec4 #be4 ,let
 him shew1 in all sorts of              
,compositions1 the proper ,place where  
to take ,breath1 and without ,fatigue2  
because there are ,singers who give     
,pain to the ,hearer1 as if they had an 
,asthma taking ,breath every ,moment    
with ,difficulty1 as if they were       

breathing their last4  ,sec4 #bf4 ,let  
the ,master create some ,emulation in a 
,scholar that is negligent1 inciting him
 to study the ,lesson of his ,companion1
 which sometimes goes beyond ,genius2   
because1 if instead of one ,lesson he   
hears two1 and the ,competition does not
 discountenance him1 he may perhaps come
 to learn his ,companion's ,lesson      
first1 and then his own4  ,sec4 #bg4    
,let him never suffer the ,scholar to   
hold the ,musick-,paper1 in ,singing1   
before his ,face1 both that the ,sound  
of the ,voice may not be obstructed1 and
 to prevent him from being bashful4     
,sec4 #bh4 ,let him accustom the        
,scholar to sing often in presence of   
,persons of ,distinction1 whether from  
,birth1 ,quality1 or ,eminence in the   
,profession1 that by gradually losing   
his ,fear1 he may acquire an ,assurance1
 but not a ,boldness4 ,assurance leads  
to a ,fortune1 and in a ,singer becomes 
a ,merit4 ,on the contrary1 the ,fearful
 is most unhappy2 labouring under the   

,difficulty of fetching ,breath1 the    
,voice is always trembling1 and obliged 
to lose ,time at every ,note for fear of
 being choaked2 ,he gives us ,pain1 in  
not being able to shew his ,ability in  
publick2 disgusts the ,hearer1 and ruins
 the ,compositions in such a ,manner1   
that they are not known to be what they 
are4 ,a timorous ,singer is unhappy1    
like a ,prodigal1 who is miserably poor4
  ,sec4 #bi4 ,let not the ,master       
neglect to shew him1 how great their    
,error is who make ,shakes or           
,divisions1 or take ,breath on the      
syncopated or binding ,notes2 and how   
much better ,effect the holding out the 
,voice has4 ,the ,compositions1 instead 
of losing1 acquire thereby greater      
,beauty4#de  ,sec4 #cj4 ,let the ,master
 instruct him in the ,forte and ,piano1 
but so as to use him more to the first  
than the second1 it being easier to make
 one sing soft than loud4 ,experience   
shews that the ,piano is not to be      
trusted to1 since it is prejudicial     

though pleasing2 and if any one has a   
,mind to lose his ,voice1 let him try   
it4 ,on this ,subject some are of       
,opinion1 that there is an artificial   
,piano1 that can make itself be heard as
 much as the ,forte2 but that is only   
,opinion1 which is the ,mother of all   
,errors4 ,it is not ,art which is the   
,cause that the ,piano of a good ,singer
 is heard1 but the profound ,silence and
 ,attention of the ,audience4 ,for a    
,proof of this1 let any indifferent     
,singer be silent on the ,stage for a   
,quarter of a ,minute when he should    
sing1 the ,audience1 curious to know the
 ,reason of this unexpected ,pause1 are 
hush'd in such a ,manner1 that if in    
that ,instant he utter one ,word with a 
soft ,voice1 it would be heard even by  
those at the greatest ,distance4  ,sec4 
#ca4 ,let the ,master remember1 that    
whosoever does not sing to the utmost   
,rigour of ,time1 deserves not the      
,esteem of the ,judicious2 therefore let
 him take ,care1 there be no ,alteration

 or ,diminution in it1 if he pretends to
 teach well1 and to make an excellent   
,scholar4  ,sec4 #cb4 ,though in certain
 ,schools1 ,books of ,church-,musick and
 of ,madrigals lie buried in ,dust1 a   
good ,master would wipe it off2 for they
 are the most effectual ,means to make a
 ,scholar ready and sure4 ,if ,singing  
was not for the most part performed by  
,memory1 as is customary in these ,days1
 ,i doubt whether certain ,professors   
could deserve the ,name of ,singers of  
the first ,rank4#df  ,sec4 #cc4 ,let him
 encourage the ,scholar if he improves2 
let him mortify him1 without ,beating1  
for ,indolence2 let him be more rigorous
 for ,negligences2 nor let the ,scholar 
ever end a ,lesson without having       
profited something4  ,sec4 #cd4 ,an     
,hour of ,application in a ,day is not  
sufficient1 even for one of the quickest
 ,apprehension2 the ,master therefore   
should consider how much more ,time is  
necessary for one that has not the same 
,quickness1 and how much he is obliged  

to consult the ,capacity of his         
,scholar4 ,from a mercenary ,teacher    
this necessary ,regard is not to be     
hoped for2 expected by other ,scholars1 
tired with the ,fatigue1 and solicited  
by his ,necessities1 he thinks the      
,month long2 looks on his ,watch1 and   
goes away4 ,if he be but poorly paid for
 his ,teaching1--a ,god-b'wy to him4    
,,chap4 ,v4  ,of ,recitative4           
,recitative is of three ,kinds1 and     
ought to be taught in three different   
,manners4  ,sec4 #b4 ,the first1 being  
used in ,churches1 should be sung as    
becomes the ,sanctity of the ,place1    
which does not admit those wanton       
,graces of a lighter ,stile2 but        
requires some ,messa di ,voce1 many     
,appoggiatura's1 and a noble ,majesty   
throughout4 ,but the ,art of expressing 
it1 is not to be learned1 but from the  
affecting ,manner of those who devoutly 
dedicate their ,voices to the ,service  
of ,god4  ,sec4 #c4 ,the second is      
,theatrical1 which being always         

accompanied with ,action by the ,singer1
 the ,master is obliged to teach the    
,scholar a certain natural ,imitation1  
which cannot be beautiful1 if not       
expressed with that ,decorum with which 
,princes speak1 or those who know how to
 speak to ,princes4  ,sec4 #d4 ,the     
last1 according to the ,opinion of the  
most ,judicious1 touches the ,heart more
 than the others1 and is called         
,recitativo di ,camera4 ,this requires a
 more peculiar ,skill1 by reason of the 
,words1 which being1 for the most part1 
adapted to move the most violent        
,passions of the ,soul1 oblige the      
,master to give the ,scholar such a     
lively ,impression of them1 that he may 
seem to be affected with them himself4  
,the ,scholar having finished his       
,studies1 it will be but too#dg easily  
discovered if he stands in ,need of this
 ,lesson4 ,the vast ,delight1 which the 
,judicious feel1 is owing to this       
particular ,excellence1 which1 without  
the ,help of the usual ,ornaments1      

produces all this ,pleasure from itself2
 and1 let ,truth prevail1 where ,passion
 speaks1 all ,shakes1 all ,divisions and
 ,graces ought to be silent1 leaving it 
to the sole ,force of a beautiful       
,expression to persuade4  ,sec4 #e4 ,the
 ,church ,recitative yields more        
,liberty to the ,singer than the other  
two1 particularly in the final ,cadence2
 provided he makes the ,advantage of it 
that a ,singer should do1 and not as a  
,player on the ,violin4  ,sec4 #f4 ,the 
,theatrical leaves it not in our        
,election to make ,use of this ,art1    
lest we offend in the ,narrative1 which 
ought to be natural1 unless in a        
,soliloquy1 where it may be in the      
,stile of ,chamber-,musick4  ,sec4 #g4  
,the third abstains from great part of  
the ,solemnity of the first1 and        
contents itself with more of the second4
  ,sec4 #h4 ,the ,defects and           
unsufferable ,abuses which are heard in 
,recitatives1 and not known to those who
 commit them1 are innumerable4 ,i will  

take ,notice of several ,theatrical     
ones1 that the ,master may correct them4
  ,sec4 #i4 ,there are some who sing    
,recitative on the ,stage like ,that of 
the ,church or ,chamber2 some in a      
perpetual ,chanting1 which is           
insufferable2 some over-do it and make  
it a ,barking2 some whisper it1 and some
 sing it confusedly2 some force out the 
last ,syllable1 and some sink it2 some  
sing it blust'ring1 and some as if they 
were thinking of something else2 some in
 a languishing ,manner2 others in a     
,hurry2 some sing it through the ,teeth1
 and others with ,affectation2 some do  
not pronounce the ,words1 and others do 
not express them2 some sing as if       
laughing1 and some crying2 some speak   
it1 and some hiss it2 some hallow1      
bellow1 and sing it out of ,tune2 and1  
together with their ,offences against   
,nature1 are guilty of the greatest     
,fault1 in thinking themselves above    
,correction4  ,sec4 #aj4 ,the modern    
,masters run over with ,negligence their

 ,instructions in all ,sorts of         
,recitatives1 because in these ,days the
 ,study of ,expression is looked upon as
 unnecessary1 or despised as ancient3   
,and yet they must needs see every ,day1
 that besides the indispensable         
,necessity of knowing how to sing them1 
,these even teach how to act4 ,if they  
will not believe it1 let them observe1  
without flattering themselves1 if among 
their ,pupils they can show an ,actor of
 equal ,merit with ,cortona in the      
,tender2#dh of ,baron ,balarini in the  
,imperious2 or other famous ,actors that
 at present appear1 tho' ,i name them   
not2 having determined in these         
,observations1 not to mention any that  
are living1 in whatsoever ,degree of    
,perfection they be1 though ,i esteem   
them as they deserve4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,a    
,master1 that disregards ,recitative1   
probably does not understand the ,words1
 and then1 how can he ever instruct a   
,scholar in ,expression1 which is the   
,soul of vocal ,performance1 and without

 which it is impossible to sing well8   
,poor ,gentlemen ,masters who direct and
 instruct ,beginners1 without reflecting
 on the utter ,destruction you bring on 
the ,science1 in undermining the        
principal ,foundations of it6 ,if you   
know not that the ,recitatives1         
especially in the vulgar or known       
,language1 require those ,instructions  
relative to the ,force of the ,words1 ,i
 would advise you to renounce the ,name1
 and ,office of ,masters1 to those who  
can maintain them2 your ,scholars will  
otherwise be made a ,sacrifice to       
,ignorance1 and not knowing how to      
distinguish the ,lively from the        
,pathetick1 or the ,vehement from the   
,tender1 it will be no wonder if you see
 them stupid on the ,stage1 and         
senseless in a ,chamber4 ,to speak my   
,mind freely1 yours and their ,faults   
are unpardonable2 it is insufferable to 
be any longer tormented in the ,theatres
 with ,recitatives1 sung in the ,stile  
of a ,choir of ,capuchin ,friars4  ,sec4

 #ab4 ,the reason1 however1 of not      
giving more expression to the           
,recitative1 in the manner of those     
called ,antients1 does not always       
proceed from the ,incapacity of the     
,master1 or the ,negligence of the      
,singer1 but from the little ,knowledge 
of the modern ,composers 7we must except
 some of ,merit7 who set it in so       
unnatural a ,taste1 that it is not to be
 taught1 acted or sung4 ,in             
,justification of the ,master and the   
,singer let ,reason decide4 ,to blame   
the ,composer1 the same ,reason forbids 
me entering into a ,matter too high for 
my low ,understanding1 and wisely bids  
me consider the little ,insight ,i can  
boast of1 barely sufficient for a       
,singer1 or to write plain              
,counterpoint4 ,but when ,i consider ,i 
have undertaken in these ,observations1 
to procure diverse ,advantages to vocal 
,performers1 should ,i not speak of a   
,composition1 a ,subject so necessary1  
,i should be guilty of a double ,fault4 

,my ,doubts in this ,perplexity are     
resolved by the ,reflection1 that       
,recitatives have no ,relation to       
,counterpoint4 ,if ,that be so1 what    
,professor knows not1 that many         
theatrical ,recitatives would be        
excellent if they were not confused one 
with another2 if they could be learned  
by ,heart2 if they were not deficient in
 respect of adapting the ,musick to the 
,words2 if they did not frighten those  
who sing them1 and hear them1 with      
unnatural ,skips2 if they did not offend
 the ,ear and ,rules with the worst     
,modulations2 if they did not disgust a 
good ,taste with a perpetual ,sameness2 
if1 with their cruel ,turns and ,changes
 of ,keys1 they did not pierce one to   
the ,heart2 and1 finally1 if the        
,periods were not crippled by them who  
know neither ,point nor ,comma8 ,i am   
astonished that such as these do not1   
for their ,improvement1 endeavour to    
imitate the ,recitatives of those       
,authors1 who represent in them a lively

 image of ,nature1 by ,sounds which of  
themselves express the ,sense1 as much  
as the very ,words4 ,but to what        
,purpose do ,i show this ,concern about 
it8 ,can ,i expect that these ,reasons1 
with all their ,evidences1 will be found
 good1 when1 even in regard to ,musick1 
,reason itself is no more in the ,mode8 
,custom has great ,power4 ,she          
arbitrarily releases her ,followers from
 the ,observance of the true ,rules1 and
 obliges them to no other ,study than   
that of the ,ritornello's1 and will not 
let them uselessly employ their precious
 ,time in the ,application to           
,recitative1 which1 according to her    
,precepts1 are the work of the ,pen1 not
 of the ,mind4 ,if it be ,negligence or 
,ignorance1 ,i know not2 but ,i know    
very well1 that the ,singers do not find
 their ,account in it4  ,sec4 #ac4 ,much
 more might still be#di said on the     
,compositions of ,recitative in general1
 by reason of that tedious chanting that
 offends the ,ear1 with a thousand      

broken ,cadences in every ,opera1 which 
,custom has established1 though they are
 without ,taste or ,art4 ,to reform them
 all1 would be worse than the ,disease2 
the introducing every time a final      
,cadence would be wrong3 ,but if in     
these two ,extremes a ,remedy were      
necessary ,i should think1 that among an
 hundred broken ,cadences1 ten of them1 
briefly terminated on ,points that      
conclude a ,period1 would not be ill    
employed4 ,the ,learned1 however1 do not
 declare themselves upon it1 and from   
their ,silence ,i must hold myself      
condemned4  ,sec4 #ad4 ,i return to the 
,master1 only to put him in ,mind1 that 
his ,duty is to teach ,musick2 and if   
the ,scholar1 before he gets out of his 
,hands1 does not sing readily and at    
,sight1 the ,innocent is injured without
 ,remedy from the ,guilty4  ,sec4 #ae4  
,if after these ,instructions1 the      
,master does really find himself capable
 of communicating to his ,scholar       
,things of greater ,moment1 and what may

 concern his farther ,progress1 he ought
 immediately to initiate him in the     
,study of ,church-,airs1 in which he    
must lay aside all the theatrical       
effeminate ,manner1 and sing in a manly 
,stile2 for which ,purpose he will      
provide him with different natural and  
easy ,motets#ej grand and genteel1 mix'd
 with the ,lively and the ,pathetick1   
adapted to the ,ability he has          
discovered in him1 and by frequent      
,lessons make him become perfect in them
 with ,readiness and ,spirit4 ,at the   
same time he must be careful that the   
,words be well pronounced1 and perfectly
 understood2 that the ,recitatives be   
expressed with ,strength1 and supported 
without ,affectation2 that in the ,airs 
he be not wanting in ,time1 and in      
introducing some ,graces of good ,taste2
 and1 above all1 that the final         
,cadences of the ,motets be performed   
with ,divisions distinct1 swift1 and in 
,tune4 ,after this he will teach him    
that ,manner1 the ,taste of ,cantata's  

requires1 in order1 by this ,exercise1  
to discover the ,difference between one 
,stile and another4 ,if1 after this1 the
 ,master is satisfied with his          
,scholar's ,improvement1 yet let him not
 think to make him sing in ,publick1    
before he has the ,opinion of such      
,persons1 who know more of singing than 
of flattering2 because1 they not only   
will chuse such ,compositions proper to 
do him ,honour and ,credit1 but also    
will correct in him those ,defects and  
,errors1 which out of ,oversight or     
,ignorance the ,master had not perceived
 or corrected4  ,sec4 #af4 ,if ,masters 
did consider1 that from our first       
appearing in the ,face of the ,world1   
depends our acquiring ,fame and         
,courage1 they would not so blindly     
expose their ,pupils to the ,danger of  
falling at the first ,step4  ,sec4 #ag4 
,but if the ,master's ,knowledge extends
 no farther than the foregoing ,rules1  
then ought he in conscience to desist1  
and to recommend the ,scholar to better 

,instructions4 ,however1 before the     
,scholar arrives at this1 it will not be
 quite unnecessary to discourse with him
 in the following ,chapters1 and if his 
,age permits him not to understand me1  
those1 who have the ,care of him1 may4  
,,chap4 ,,vi4  ,observations for a      
,student4   ,before entering on the     
extensive and difficult ,study of the   
,florid1 or figured ,song1 it is        
necessary to consult the ,scholar's     
,genius2 for if ,inclination opposes1 it
 is impossible to force it1 and when    
,that incites1 the ,scholar proceeds    
with ,ease and ,pleasure4  ,sec4 #b4    
,supposing1 then1 that the ,scholar is  
earnestly desirous of becoming a ,master
 in so agreable a ,profession1 and being
 fully instructed in these tiresome     
,rudiments1 besides many others that may
 have slipt my weak ,memory2 after a    
strict ,care of his ,morals1 he should  
give the rest of his ,attention to the  
,study of singing in ,perfection1 that  
by this ,means he may be so happy as to 

join the most noble ,qualities of the   
,soul to the ,excellencies of his ,art4 
,sec4 #c4 ,he that studies ,singing must
 consider that ,praise or ,disgrace     
depends very much on his ,voice which if
 he has a ,mind to preserve he must     
abstain from all ,manner of ,disorders1 
and all violent ,diversions4  ,sec4 #d4 
,let him be able to read perfectly1 that
 he may not be put to ,shame for so     
scandalous an ,ignorance4 ,oh1 how many 
are there1 who had need to learn the    
,alphabet6  ,sec4 #e4 ,in case the      
,master knows not how to correct the    
,faults in ,pronunciation1 let the      
,scholar endeavour to learn the best by 
some other ,means2 because the not being
 born#ea in ,tuscany1 will not excuse   
the ,singer's ,imperfection4  ,sec4 #f4 
,let him likewise very carefully        
endeavour to correct all other ,faults  
that the ,negligence of his ,master may 
have passed over4  ,sec4 #g4 ,with the  
,study of ,musick1 let him learn also at
 least the ,grammar1 to understand the  

,words he is to sing in ,churches1 and  
to give the proper ,force to the        
,expression in both ,languages4 ,i      
believe ,i may be so bold to say1 that  
divers ,professors do not even          
understand their own ,tongue1 much less 
the ,latin4#eb  ,sec4 #h4 ,let him      
continually1 by himself1 use his ,voice 
to a ,velocity of ,motion1 if he thinks 
to have a ,command over it1 and that he 
may not go by the ,name of a pathetick  
,singer4  ,sec4 #i4 ,let him not omit   
frequently to put forth1 and to stop1   
the ,voice1 that it may always be at his
 ,command4  ,sec4 #aj4 ,let him repeat  
his ,lesson at ,home1 till he knows it  
perfectly2 and with a local ,memory let 
him retain it1 to save his ,master the  
,trouble of ,teaching1 and himself of   
studying it over again4  ,sec4 #aa4     
,singing requires so strict an          
,application1 that one must study with  
the ,mind1 when one cannot with the     
,voice4  ,sec4 #ab4 ,the unwearied      
,study of ,youth is sure to overcome all

 ,obstacles that oppose1 though ,defects
 were suck'd in with our ,mother's      
,milk4 ,this ,opinion of mine is subject
 to strong ,objections2 however1        
,experience will defend it1 provided he 
corrects himself in time4 ,but if he    
delays it1 the older he grows the more  
his ,faults will increase4  ,sec4 #ac4  
,let him hear as much as he can the most
 celebrated ,singers1 and likewise the  
most excellent instrumental ,performers2
 because1 from the ,attention in hearing
 them1 one reaps more ,advantage than   
from any ,instruction whatsoever4  ,sec4
 #ad4 ,let him endeavour to copy from   
,both1 that he may insensibly1 by the   
,study of others1 get a good ,taste4    
,this advice1 though extremely useful to
 a ,student1 is notwithstanding         
infinitely prejudicial to a ,singer1 as 
,i shall shew in its proper ,place#ec4  
,sec4 #ae4 ,let him often sing the most 
agreable ,compositions of the best      
,authors1 and accustom the ,ear to that 
which pleases4 ,i'd have a ,student     

know1 that by the abovementioned        
,imitations1 and by the ,idea of good   
,compositions1 the ,taste in ,time      
becomes ,art1 and ,art ,nature4  ,sec4  
#af4 ,let him learn to accompany        
himself1 if he is ambitious of singing  
well4 ,the ,harpsichord is a great      
,incitement to ,study1 and by it we     
continually improve in our ,knowledge4  
,the evident ,advantage arising to the  
,singer from that lovely ,instrument1   
makes it superfluous to say more on that
 ,head4 ,moreover1 it often happens to  
one who cannot play1 that without the   
,help of another he cannot be heard1 and
 is thereby to his ,shame obliged to    
deny the ,commands of those whom it     
would be to his ,advantage to obey4     
,sec4 #ag4 ,till a ,singer pleases      
himself1 it is certain he cannot please 
others4 ,therefore consider1 if some    
,professors of no small ,skill have not 
this ,pleasure for want of sufficient   
,application1 what must the ,scholar do8
 ,study1--and study again1 and not be   

satisfied4  ,sec4 #ah4 ,i am almost of  
,opinion1 that all ,study and           
,endeavours to sing are infallibly vain1
 if not accompanied with some little    
,knowledge of ,counterpoint4 ,one1 who  
knows how to compose1 can account for   
what he does1 and he1 who has not the   
same ,light1 works in the ,dark1 not    
knowing how to sing without committing  
,errors4 ,the most famous ,ancients know
 the intrinsick ,value of this ,precept 
from the ,effects4 ,and a good ,scholar 
ought to imitate them1 without          
considering whether this ,lesson be     
according to the ,mode or not ,for      
though1 in these ,days1 one now and then
 hears admirable ,performances1         
proceeding from a natural ,taste1 yet   
they are all done by ,chance2 but where 
that ,taste is wanting1 if they are not 
execrable1 at least they will be very   
bad3 ,for ,fortune not being always at  
their ,command1 they cannot be sure to  
agree1 neither with ,time nor ,harmony4 
,this ,knowledge1 although requisite1 ,i

 would not however advise a ,scholar to 
give himself up to an intense           
,application1 it being certain1 ,i      
should teach him the readiest way to    
lose his ,voice1 but ,i exhort him only 
to learn the principal ,rules1 that he  
may not be quite in the ,dark4#ed  ,sec4
 #ai4 ,to study much1 and preserve a    
,voice in its full ,beauty1 are two     
,things almost incompatible2 there is   
between them such a sort of ,amity1 as  
cannot last without being prejudicial to
 the one or the other4 ,however1 if one 
reflects1 that ,perfection in a ,voice  
is a ,gift of ,nature1 and in ,art a    
painful ,acquisition1 it will indeed be 
allowed1 that this latter excels in     
,merit1 and more deserves our ,praise4  
,sec4 #bj4 ,whoever studies1 let him    
look for what is most excellent1 and let
 him look for it wherever it is1 without
 troubling himself whether it be in the 
,stile of fifteen or twenty ,years ago1 
or in that of these ,days2 for all ,ages
 have their good and bad ,productions4  

,it is enough to find out the best1 and 
profit by them4  ,sec4 #ba4 ,to my      
irreparable ,misfortune1 ,i am old2 but 
were ,i young1 ,i would imitate as much 
as possibly ,i could the ,cantabile of  
those who are branded with the          
opprobrious ,name of ,ancients2 and the 
,allegro of those who enjoy the         
delightful ,appellation of ,moderns4    
,though my ,wish is vain as to myself1  
it will be of ,use to a prudent         
,scholar1 who is desirous to be expert  
in both ,manners1 which is the only way 
to arrive at ,perfection2 but if one was
 to chuse1 ,i should freely1 without    
,fear of being tax'd with ,partiality1  
advise him to attach himself to the     
,taste of the first4#ee  ,sec4 #bb4     
,each ,manner of ,singing hath a        
different ,degree of ,eminence2 the     
,nervous and ,strong is distinguished   
from the ,puerile and ,weak1 as is the  
,noble from the ,vulgar4  ,sec4 #bc4 ,a 
,student must not hope for ,applause1 if
 he has not an utter ,abhorrence of     

,ignorance4  ,sec4 #bd4 ,whoever does   
not aspire to the first ,rank1 begins   
already to give up the second1 and by   
little and little will rest contented   
with the lowest4  ,sec4 #be4 ,if1 out of
 a particular ,indulgence to the sex1 so
 many female ,singers have the ,graces  
set down in ,writing1 one that studies  
to become a good ,singer should not     
follow the ,example2 whoever accustoms  
himself to have ,things put in his      
,mouth1 will have no ,invention1 and    
becomes a ,slave to his ,memory4  ,sec4 
#bf4 ,if the ,scholar should have any   
,defects1 of the ,nose1 the ,throat1 or 
of the ,ear1 let him never sing but when
 the ,master is by1 or somebody that    
understands the ,profession1 in order to
 correct him1 otherwise he will get an  
ill ,habit1 past all ,remedy4  ,sec4    
#bg4 ,when he studies his ,lesson at    
,home1 let him sometimes sing before a  
,looking-glass1 not to be enamoured with
 his own ,person1 but to avoid those    
convulsive ,motions of the ,body1 or of 

the ,face 7for so ,i call the ,grimaces 
of an affected ,singer7 which1 when once
 they have took ,footing1 never leave   
him4  ,sec4 #bh4 ,the best ,time for    
,study is with the rising of the ,sun2  
but those1 who are obliged to study1    
must employ all their ,time which can be
 spared from their other necessary      
,affairs4  ,sec4 #bi4 ,after a long     
,exercise1 and the ,attainment of a true
 ,intonation1 of a ,messa di ,voce1 of  
,shakes1 of ,divisions1 and ,recitative 
well expressed1 if the ,scholar         
perceives that his ,master cannot teach 
him all the ,perfection of ,execution   
required in the more refined ,art of    
singing the ,airs1 or if he cannot      
always be by his ,side1 then will he    
begin to be sensible of the ,need he has
 of that ,study1 in which the best      
,singer in the ,world is still a        
,learner1 and must be his own ,master4  
,supposing this ,reflection just1 ,i    
advise him for his first ,insight1 to   
read the following ,chapter1 in order   

thereby to reap greater ,advantage from 
those that can sing the ,airs1 and teach
 to sing them4     ,,chap4 ,,vii4  ,of  
,airs4   ,if whoever introduced the     
,custom of repeating the first ,part of 
the ,air 7which is called ,da ,capo7 did
 it out of a ,motive to show the        
,capacity of the ,singer1 in varying the
 ,repetition1 the ,invention cannot be  
blam'd by ,lovers of ,musick2 though in 
respect of the ,words it is sometimes an
 ,impropriety4#ef  ,sec4 #b4 ,by the    
,ancients beforementioned1 ,airs were   
sung in three different ,manners2 for   
the ,theatre1 the ,stile was lively and 
various2 for the ,chamber1 delicate and 
finish'd2 and for the ,church1 moving   
and grave4 ,this ,difference1 to very   
many ,moderns1 is quite unknown4  ,sec4 
#c4 ,a ,singer is under the greatest    
,obligation to the ,study of the ,airs2 
for by them he gains or loses his       
,reputation4 ,to the acquiring this     
valuable1 ,art1 a few verbal ,lessons   
cannot suffice2 nor would it be of any  

great ,profit to the ,scholar1 to have a
 great ,number of ,airs1 in which a     
,thousand of the most exquisite         
,passages of different ,sorts were      
written down3 ,for they would not serve 
for all ,purposes1 and there would      
always be wanting that ,spirit which    
accompanies extempore ,performances1 and
 is preferable to all servile           
,imitations4 ,all 7,i think7 that can be
 said1 is to recommend to him an        
attentive ,observation of the ,art1 with
 which the best ,singers regulate       
themselves to the ,bass1 whereby he will
 become acquainted with their           
,perfections1 and improve by them4 ,in  
order to make his ,observations with the
 greater ,exactness1 let him follow the 
,example of a ,friend of mine1 who never
 went to an ,opera without a ,copy of   
all the ,songs1 and1 observing the      
finest ,graces1 confin'd to the most    
exact ,time of the ,movement of the     
,bass1 he made thereby a great          
,progress4#eg  ,sec4 #d4 ,among the     

,things worthy of ,consideration1 the   
first to be taken ,notice of1 is the    
,manner in which all ,airs divided into 
three ,parts are to be sung4 ,in the    
first they require nothing but the      
simplest ,ornaments1 of a good ,taste   
and few1 that the ,composition may      
remain simple1 plain1 and pure2 in the  
second they expect1 that to this ,purity
 some artful ,graces#eh be added1 by    
which the ,judicious may hear1 that the 
,ability of the ,singer is greater2 and1
 in1 repeating the ,air1 he that does   
not vary it for the better1 is no great 
,master4  ,sec4 #e4 ,let a ,student     
therefore accustom himself to repeat    
them always differently1 for1 if ,i     
mistake not1 one that abounds in        
,invention1 though a moderate ,singer1  
deserves much more ,esteem1 than a      
better who is barren of it2 for this    
last pleases the ,connoisseurs but for  
once1 whereas the other1 if he does not 
surprise by the ,rareness of his        
,productions1 will at least gratify your

 ,attention with ,variety4#ei  ,sec4 #f4
 ,the most celebrated among the         
,ancients piqued themselves in varying  
every ,night their ,songs in the        
,opera's1 not only the ,pathetick1 but  
also the ,allegro4 ,the ,student1 who is
 not well grounded1 cannot undertake    
this important ,task4  ,sec4 #g4        
,without varying the ,airs1 the         
,knowledge of the ,singers could never  
be discovered2 but from the ,nature and 
,quality of the ,variations1 it will be 
easily discerned in two of the greatest 
,singers which is the best4  ,sec4 #h4  
,returning from this ,digression to the 
abovementioned1 repeating the first     
,part of the ,air with ,variation1 the  
,scholar will therein find out the      
,rules for ,gracing1 and introducing    
,beauties of his own ,invention3 ,these 
will teach him1 that ,time1 ,taste1 and 
,skill1 are sometimes of but small      
,advantage to one who is not ready at   
extempore ,embellishments2 but they     
should not allow1 that a ,superfluity of

 them should prejudice the ,composition1
 and confound the ,ear4#fj  ,sec4 #i4   
,let a ,scholar provide himself with a  
,variety of ,graces and ,embellishments1
 and then let him make use of them with 
,judgment2 for if he observes1 he will  
find that the most celebrated ,singers  
never make a ,parade of their ,talent in
 a few ,songs2 well knowing1 that if    
,singers expose to the ,publick all they
 have in their ,shops1 they are near    
becoming ,bankrupts4  ,sec4 #aj4 ,in the
 ,study of ,airs1 as ,i have before     
said1 one cannot take ,pains enough2    
for1 though certain ,things of small    
,effect may be omitted1 yet how can the 
,art be called perfect if the ,finishing
 is wanted4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,in ,airs       
accompanied only a ,bass1 the           
,application of him who studies ,graces 
is only subject to ,time1 and to the    
,bass2 but in those1 that are           
accompanied with more ,instruments1 the 
,singer must be also attentive to their 
,movement1 in order to avoid the ,errors

 committed by those who are ignorant of 
the ,contrivance of such                
,accompaniments4  ,sec4 #ab4 ,to prevent
 several false ,steps in singing the    
,airs1 ,i would strongly inculcate to a 
,student1 first1 never to give over     
practising in private1 till he is secure
 of committing no ,error in ,publick2   
and next1 that at the first ,rehearsal  
the ,airs be sung without any other     
,ornaments than those which are very    
natural2 but with a strict ,attention1  
to examine at the same time in his      
,mind1 where the artificial ones may be 
brought in with ,propriety in the       
second2 and so from one ,rehearsal to   
another1 always varying for the better1 
he will by ,degrees become a great      
,singer4  ,sec4 #ac4 ,the most necessary
 ,study for singing ,airs in            
,perfection1 and what is more difficult 
than any other1 is to seek for what is  
easy and natural1 as well as of         
beautiful ,inventions4 ,one who has the 
good ,fortune to unite such two rare    

,talents1 with an agreeable putting     
forth of the ,voice1 is a very happy    
,singer4  ,sec4 #ad4 ,let him1 who      
studies under the ,disadvantage of an   
ungrateful ,genius1 remember for his    
,comfort1 that singing in ,tune1        
,expression1 ,messa di ,voce1 the       
,appoggiatura's1 ,shakes1 ,divisions1   
and accompanying himself1 are the       
principal ,qualifications2 and no such  
insuperable ,difficulties1 but what may 
be overcome4 ,i know1 they are not      
sufficient to enable one to sing in     
,perfection2 and that it would be       
,weakness to content one's self with    
only singing tolerably well2 but        
,embellishments must be called in to    
their aid1 which seldom refuse the      
,call1 and sometimes come unsought4     
,study will do the business4  ,sec4 #ae4
 ,let him avoid all those ,abuses which 
have overspread and established         
themselves in the ,airs1 if he will     
preserve ,musick in its ,chastity4      
,sec4 #af4 ,not only a ,scholar1 but    

every ,singer ought to forbear          
,caricatura's1 or mimicking others1 from
 the very bad ,consequences that attend 
them4 ,to make others laugh1 hardly     
gains any one ,esteem1 but certainly    
gives ,offence2 for no-body likes to    
appear ridiculous or ignorant4 ,this    
,mimicking arises for the most part from
 a concealed ,ambition to shew their own
 ,merit1 at another's ,expence2 not     
without a ,mixture of ,envy and ,spight4
 ,examples shew us but too plainly the  
great ,injury they are apt to do1 and   
that it well deserves ,reproof2 for     
,mimickry has ruin'd more than one      
,singer4  ,sec4 #ag4 ,i cannot          
sufficiently recommend to a ,student the
 exact keeping of ,time2 and if ,i      
repeat the same in more than one place1 
there is more than one ,occasion that   
moves me to it2 because1 even among the 
,professors of the first ,rank there are
 few1 but what are almost insensibly    
deceived into an ,irregularity1 or      
hastening of ,time1 and often of both2  

which though in the ,beginning is hardly
 perceptible1 yet in the ,progress of   
the ,air becomes more and more so1 and  
at the last the ,variation1 and the     
,error is discovered4  ,sec4 #ah4 ,if ,i
 do not advise a ,student to imitate    
several of the ,moderns in their ,manner
 of singing ,airs1 it is from their     
,neglect of keeping ,time1 which ought  
to be inviolable1 and not sacrificed to 
their beloved ,passages and ,divisions4 
,sec4 #ai4 ,the ,presumption of some    
,singers is not to be borne with1 who   
expect that an whole ,orchestre should  
stop in the midst of a well-regulated   
,movement1 to wait for their            
ill-grounded ,caprices1 learned by      
,heart1 carried from one ,theatre to    
another1 and perhaps stolen from some   
applauded female ,singer1 who had better
 ,luck than ,skill1 and whose ,errors   
were excused in regard to her           
,sex4----,softly1 softly with your      
,criticism1 says one2 this1 if you do   
not know it1 is called ,singing after   

the ,mode----,singing after the         
,mode8----,i say1 you are mistaken4 ,the
 stopping in the ,airs at every second  
and fourth1 and on all the sevenths and 
sixths of the ,bass1 was a bad ,practice
 of the ancient ,masters1 disapproved   
fifty ,years ago by ,rivani1 called     
,ciecolino1#fa who with invincible      
,reasons shewed the proper ,places for  
,embellishments1 without begging        
,pauses4 ,this ,percept was approved by 
several eminent ,persons1 among whom was
 ,signer ,pistochi1#fb the most famous  
of our1 and all preceding ,times1 who   
has made himself immortal1 by shewing   
the way of introducing ,graces without  
transgressing against ,time4 ,this      
,example alone1 which is worth a        
,thousand 7,o my rever'd ,moderns67     
should be sufficient to undeceive you4  
,but if this does not satisfy you1 ,i   
will add1 that ,sifacio#fc with his     
mellifluous ,voice embrac'd this ,rule2 
that ,buzzolini#fd of incomparable      
,judgment highly esteemed it3 ,after    

them ,luigino#fe with his soft and      
amorous ,stile followed their ,steps2   
likewise ,signora ,boschi#ff who1 to the
 ,glory of her ,sex1 has made it appear1
 that ,women1 who study1 may instruct   
even ,men of some ,note4 ,that ,signora 
,lotti1#fg strictly keeping to the same 
,rules1 with a penetrating ,sweetness of
 ,voice1 gained the ,hearts of all her  
,hearers4 ,if ,persons of this ,rank1   
and others at present celebrated all    
over ,europe1 whom ,i forbear to name2  
if all these have not ,authority enough 
to convince you1 that you have no ,right
 to alter the ,time by making ,pauses1  
consider at least1 that by this ,error  
in respect of ,time1 you often fall into
 a greater1 which is1 that the ,voice   
remains unaccompanied1 and deprived of  
,harmony2 and thereby becomes flat and  
tiresome to the best ,judges4 ,you will 
perhaps say in ,excuse1 that few        
,auditors have this ,discernment1 and   
that there are ,numbers of the others1  
who blindly applaud every thing that has

 an ,appearance of ,novelty4 ,but whose 
fault is this8 ,an ,audience that       
applauds what is blameable1 cannot      
justify your ,faults by their           
,ignorance2 it is your ,part to set them
 right1 and1 laying aside your          
ill-grounded ,practice1 you should own1 
that the ,liberties you take are against
 ,reason1 and an insult upon all those  
instrumental ,performers that are       
waiting for you1 who are upon a ,level  
with you1 and ought to be subservient   
only to the ,time4 ,in short1 ,i would  
have you reflect1 that the              
abovementioned ,precept will always be  
of ,advantage to you2 for though under  
the neglecting of it1 you have a ,chance
 to gain ,applause of the ,ignorant     
only2 by observing it1 you will justly  
merit that of the ,judicious1 and the   
,applause will become universal4  ,sec4 
#bj4 ,besides the ,errors in keeping    
,time1 there are other ,reasons1 why a  
,student should not imitate the modern  
,gentlemen in singing ,airs1 since it   

plainly appears that all their          
,application now is to divide and       
subdivide in such a ,manner1 that it is 
impossible to understand either ,words1 
,thoughts1 or ,modulation1 or to        
distinguish one ,air from another1 they 
singing them all so much alike1 that1 in
 hearing of one1 you hear a             
,thousand4----,and must the ,mode       
triumph8 ,it was thought1 not many      
,years since1 that in an ,opera1 one    
rumbling ,air1 full of ,divisions was   
sufficient for the most gurgling ,singer
 to spend his ,fire#fh2 but the ,singers
 of the present ,time are not of that   
,mind1 but rather1 as if they were not  
satisfied with transforming them all    
with a horrible ,metamorphosis into so  
many ,divisions1 they1 like ,racers1 run
 full ,speed1 with redoubled ,violence  
to their final ,cadences1 to make       
,reparation for the ,time they think    
they have lost during the ,course of the
 ,air4 ,in the following ,chapter1 on   
the tormented and tortured ,cadences1 we

 shall shortly see the good ,taste of   
the ,mode2 in the mean while ,i return  
to the ,abuses and ,defects in ,airs4   
,sec4 #ba4 ,i cannot positively tell1   
who that ,modern ,composer1 or that     
ungrateful ,singer was1 that had the    
,heart to banish the delightful1        
soothing1 ,pathetick from ,airs1 as if  
no longer worthy of their ,commands1    
after having done them so long and      
pleasing ,service4 ,whoever he was1 it  
is certain1 he has deprived the         
,profession of its most valuable        
,excellence4 ,ask all the ,musicians in 
general1 what their ,thoughts are of the
 ,pathetick1 they all agree in the same 
,opinion1 7a thing that seldom happens7 
and answer1 that the ,pathetick is what 
is most delicious to the ,ear1 what most
 sweetly affects the ,soul1 and is the  
strongest ,basis of ,harmony4 ,and must 
we be deprived of these ,charms1 without
 knowing the ,reason why8 ,oh6 ,i       
understand you3 ,i ought not to ask the 
,masters1 but the ,audience1 those      

capricious ,protectors of the ,mode1    
that cannot endure this2 and herein lies
 my ,mistake4 ,alas6 the ,mode and the  
,multitude flow like ,torrents1 which1  
when at their ,height1 having spent     
their ,violence1 quickly disappear4 ,the
 ,mischief is in the ,spring itself2 the
 ,fault is in the ,singers4 ,they praise
 the ,pathetick1 yet sing the ,allegro4 
,he must want common ,sense that does   
not see through them4 ,they know the    
first to be the most ,excellent1 but    
they lay it aside1 knowing it to be the 
most difficult4  ,sec4 #bb4 ,in former  
times divers ,airs were heard in the    
,theatre in this delightful ,manner1    
preceded and accompanied with harmonious
 and well-modulated ,instruments1 that  
ravished the ,senses of those who       
comprehended the ,contrivance and the   
,melody2 and if sung by one of those    
five or six eminent ,persons            
abovementioned1 it was then impossible  
for a human ,soul1 not to melt into     
,tenderness and ,tears from the violent 

,motion of the ,affections4 ,oh6        
powerful ,proof to confound the idoliz'd
 ,mode6 ,are there in these ,times any1 
who are moved with ,tenderness1 or      
,sorrow8----,no1 7say all the ,auditors7
 no2 for1 the continual singing of the  
,moderns in the ,allegro ,stile1 though 
when in ,perfection ,that deserves      
,admiration1 yet touches very slightly  
one that hath a delicate ,ear4 ,the     
,taste of the ,ancients was a ,mixture  
of the ,lively and the ,cantabile the   
,variety of which could not fail giving 
,delight2 but the ,moderns are so       
pre-possessed with ,taste in ,mode1     
that1 rather than comply with the       
former1 they are contented to lose the  
greatest ,part of its ,beauty4 ,the     
,study of the ,pathetick was the        
,darling of the former2 and ,application
 to the most difficult ,divisions is the
 only ,drift of the latter4 ,those      
perform'd with more ,judgment2 and      
,these execute with greater ,boldness4  
,but since ,i have presum'd to compare  

the most celebrated ,singers in both    
,stiles1 pardon me if ,i conclude with  
saying1 that the ,moderns are arrived at
 the highest ,degree of ,perfection in  
singing to the ,ear2 and that the       
,ancients are inimitable in singing to  
the ,heart4  ,sec4 #bc4 ,however1 it    
ought not to be denied1 but that the    
best ,singers of these times have in    
some ,particulars refined the preceding 
,taste1 with some ,productions worthy to
 be imitated2 and as an evident ,mark of
 ,esteem1 we must publicly own1 that if 
they were but a little more ,friends to 
the ,pathetick and the ,expressive1 and 
a little less to the ,divisions1 they   
might boast of having brought the ,art  
to the highest ,degree of ,perfection4  
,sec4 #bd4 ,it may also possibly be1    
that the extravagant ,ideas in the      
present ,compositions1 have deprived the
 abovementioned ,singers of the         
,opportunity of shewing their ,ability  
in the ,cantabile2 in as much as the    
,airs at present in vogue go ,whip and  

,spur with such violent ,motions1 as    
take away their ,breath1 far from giving
 them an ,opportunity of shewing the    
,exquisiteness of their ,taste4 ,but1   
good ,god6 since there are so many      
modern ,composers1 among whom are some  
of ,genius equal1 and perhaps greater   
than the best ,ancients1 for what       
,reason or ,motive do they always       
exclude from their ,compositions1 the   
so-much-longed-for ,adagio8 ,can its    
gentle ,nature ever be guilty of a      
,crime8 ,if it cannot gallop with the   
,airs that are always running ,post1 why
 not reserve it for those that require  
,repose1 or at least for a compassionate
 one1 which is to assist an unfortunate 
,hero1 when he is to shed ,tears1 or die
 on the ,stage8----,no1 ,sir1 ,no2 the  
grand ,mode demands that he be quick1   
and ready to burst himself in his       
,lamentations1 and weep with            
,liveliness4 ,but what can one say8 ,the
 ,resentment of the modern ,taste is not
 appeased with the ,sacrifice of the    

,pathetick and the ,adagio only1 two    
inseparable ,friends1 but goes so far1  
as to prescribe those ,airs1 as         
,confederates1 that have not the ,sharp 
third4 ,can any thing be more absurd8   
,gentlemen ,composers1 7,i do not speak 
to the eminent1 but with all due        
,respect7 ,musick in my ,time has       
chang'd its ,stile three times3 ,the    
first which pleased on the ,stage1 and  
in the ,chamber1 was that of ,pier4     
,simone#fi1 and of ,stradella#gj2 the   
second is of the best that now          
living#ga2 and ,i leave others to judge 
whether they are ,modern4 ,but of your  
,stile1 which is not quite established  
yet in ,italy1 and which has yet gained 
no ,credit at all beyond the ,alps1     
those that come after us will soon give 
their ,opinion2 for ,modes last not     
long4 ,but if the ,profession is to     
continue1 and end with the ,world1      
either you yourselves will see your     
,mistake1 or your ,successors will      
reform it4 ,wou'd you know how8 ,by     

banishing the ,abuses1 and recalling the
 first1 second1 and third ,mood#gb1 to  
relieve the fifth1 sixth1 and eighth1   
which are quite jaded4 ,they will revive
 the fourth and seventh now dead to you1
 and buried in ,churches1 for the final 
,closes4 ,to oblige the ,taste of the   
,singers and the ,hearers1 the ,allegro 
will now and then be mixed with the     
,pathetick4 ,the ,airs will not always  
be drowned with the ,indiscretion of the
 ,instruments1 that hide the artful     
,delicacy of the ,piano1 and the soft   
,voices1 nay1 even all ,voices which    
will not bawl3 ,they will no longer bear
 being teased with ,unisons#gc1 the     
,invention of ,ignorance1 to hide from  
the ,vulgar the ,insufficiency and      
,inability of many ,men and ,women      
,singers3 ,they will recover the        
instrumental ,harmony now lost3 ,they   
will compose more for the ,voice than   
the ,instruments3 ,the part for the     
,voice will no more have the            
,mortification to resign its ,place to  

the ,violins3 ,the ,soprano's and       
,contr',alto's will no more sing the    
,airs in the ,manner of the ,bass1 in   
,spight of a thousand ,octaves3 ,and1   
finally1 their ,airs will be more       
affecting1 and less alike2 more studied1
 and less painful to the ,singer2 and so
 much the more grand1 as they are remote
 from the ,vulgar4 ,but1 methinks1 ,i   
hear it said1 that the theatrical       
,licence is great1 and that the ,mode   
pleases1 and that ,i grow too bold4 ,and
 may ,i not reply1 that the ,abuse is   
greater1 that the ,invention is         
pernicious1 and that my ,opinion is not 
singular4 ,am ,i the only ,professor who
 knows that the best ,compositions are  
the ,cause of singing well1 and the     
worst very prejudicial8 ,have we not    
more than once heard that the ,quality  
of the ,compositions has been capable1  
with a few ,songs1 of establishing the  
,reputation of a middling ,singer1 and  
destroying ,that of one who had acquired
 one by ,merit8 ,that ,musick1 which is 

composed by one of ,judgment and ,taste1
 instructs the ,scholar1 perfects the   
,skilful1 and delights the ,hearer4 ,but
 since we have opened the ,ball1 let us 
dance4  ,sec4 #be4 ,he that first       
introduced ,musick on the ,stage1       
probably thought to lead her to a       
,triumph1 and raise her to a ,throne4   
,but who would ever have imagined1 that 
in the short ,course of a few ,years1   
she should be reduced to the fatal      
,circumstance of seeing her own         
,tragedy8 ,ye pompous ,fabricks of the  
,theatres6 ,we should look upon you with
 ,horror1 being raised from the ,ruins  
of ,harmony3 ,you are the ,origin of the
 ,abuses1 and of the ,errors3 ,from ,you
 is derived the modern ,stile and the   
,multitude of ,ballad-makers3 ,you are  
the only ,occasion of the ,scarcity of  
judicious and well-grounded ,professors1
 who justly deserve the ,title of       
,chapel-,master#gd2 since the poor      
,counterpoint#ge has been condemned1 in 
this corrupted ,age1 to beg for a ,piece

 of ,bread in ,churches1 whilst the     
,ignorance of many exults on the ,stage1
 the most part of the ,composers have   
been prompted from ,avarice1 or         
,indigence1 to abandon in such ,manner  
the true ,study1 that one may foresee   
7if not succoured by those few1 that    
still gloriously sustain its dearest    
,precepts7 ,musick1 after having lost   
the ,name of ,science1 and a ,companion 
of ,philosophy1 will run the ,risque of 
being reputed unworthy to enter into the
 sacred ,temples1 from the ,scandal     
given there1 by their ,jiggs1 ,minuets1 
and ,furlana's#gf2 and1 in fact1 where  
the ,taste is so deprav'd1 what would   
make the ,difference between the        
,church-,musick1 and the ,theatrical1 if
 ,money was received at the ,church     
,doors8  ,sec4 #bf4 ,i know that the    
,world honours with just ,applause some1
 tho' few ,masters1 intelligent in both 
,stiles1 to whom ,i direct the ,students
 in order to their singing well2 and if 
,i confine the ,masters to so small a   

,number1 ,i do beg ,pardon of those who 
should be comprehended therein2 hoping  
easily to obtain it1 because an         
involuntary ,error does not offend1 and 
an eminent ,person knows no other ,envy 
but virtuous ,emulation4 ,as for the    
,ignorant1 who for the most part are not
 used to indulge any1 but rather despise
 and hate every thing they do not       
comprehend1 they will be the ,persons   
from whom ,i am to expect no ,quarter4  
,sec4 #bg4 ,to my ,misfortune1 ,i asked 
one of this sort1 from whom he had      
learned the ,counterpoint8 he answered  
immediately from the ,instrument1 7i4e41
 the ,harpsichord7--,very well4 ,i asked
 farther1 in what ,tone have you        
composed the ,introduction of your      
,opera8----,what ,tone6 what ,tone6     
7breaking in upon me abruptly7 with what
 musty ,questions are you going to      
disturb my ,brains8 ,one may easily     
perceive from what ,school you come4    
,the ,moderns1 if you do not know it1   
acknowledge no other ,tone but one#gg2  

they laugh1 with ,reason1 at the silly  
,opinion of those who imagine there are 
two1 as well as at those who maintain1  
that their being divided into           
,authentick and ,plagal1 they become    
,eight1 7and more if there were need7   
and prudently leave it to everybody's   
,pleasure to compose as they like best4 
,the ,world in your ,time was asleep1   
and let it not displease you1 if our    
merry and brisk ,manner has awakened it 
with a ,gayety so pleasing to the       
,heart1 that it incites one to dance4 ,i
 would have you likewise be lively      
before you die1 and1 abandoning your    
uncouth ,ideas1 make it appear1 that old
 ,age can be pleased with the           
,productions of ,youth2 otherwise you   
will find1 that you will be condemned by
 your own ,words1 that ,ignorance hates 
all that is excellent4 ,the polite ,arts
 have advanced continually in           
,refinement1 and if the rest were to    
give me the ,lie1 ,musick would defend  
me ,sword in ,hand2 for she cannot      

arrive at a higher ,pitch4 ,awake       
therefore1 and1 if you are not quite out
 of your ,senses1 hearken to me2 and you
 will acknowledge that ,i speak candidly
 to you2 and for a ,proof be it known to
 you----  ,sec4 #bh4 ,that our delicious
 ,stile has been invented to hide with  
the fine ,name of ,modern the too       
difficult ,rules of the ,counterpoint1  
cannot be denied4  ,sec4 #bi4 ,that     
there is an inviolable ,rule amongst us1
 to banish for ever the ,pathetick1 is  
very true2 because we will have no      
,melancholy4  ,sec4 #cj4 ,but1 that we  
should be told by the old ,bashaws1 that
 we strive who can produce most         
extravagant ,absurdities never heard    
before1 and that we brag to be the      
,inventors of them ourselves1 are the   
malign ,reflections of those who see us 
exalted4 ,let ,envy burst4 ,you see1    
that the general ,esteem which we have  
acquired1 gives it for us2 and if a     
,musician is not of our ,tribe1 he will 
find no ,patron or ,admirer4 ,but since 

we are now speaking in ,confidence and  
with ,sincerity1 who can sing or compose
 well1 without our ,approbation8 ,let   
them have ever so much ,merit 7you know 
it7 we do not want ,means to ruin him2  
even a few ,syllables will suffice3 ,it 
is only saying1 ,he is an ,ancient4     
,sec4 #ca4 ,tell me1 ,i beseech you1    
who1 without us1 could have brought     
,musick to the ,height of ,happiness1   
with no greater ,difficulty than taking 
from the ,airs that tiresome ,emulation 
of the first and second ,violin1 and of 
the ,tenor8 ,is there any that ever     
durst usurp the ,glory of it8 ,we1 we   
are those1 who by our ,ingenuity have   
raised her to this ,degree of           
,sublimity1 in taking also from her that
 noisy murmuring of the fundamental     
,basses1 in such ,manner1----7mark me   
well1 and learn7 that if in an          
,orchestre there were an hundred        
,violins1 we are capable of composing in
 such a ,manner1 that all and every one 
shall play the very ,air which the      

,voice sings4 ,what say you to that8    
,can you have the ,face to find ,fault  
with us8  ,sec4 #cb4 ,our most lovely   
,method1 that obliges none of us to the 
painful ,study of the ,rules2 which does
 not disquiet the ,mind with the        
,anxiety of ,speculation1 nor delude us 
with the ,study of reducing them into   
,practice2 that does not prejudice the  
,health2 that enchants the ,ear a la    
,mode2 that finds those who love it1 who
 prize it1 and who pay for it the       
,weight in ,gold2 and dare you to       
criticise upon it8  ,sec4 #cc4 ,what    
shall we say of the obscure and tedious 
,compositions of those whom you         
celebrate as the ,top of the ,universe1 
tho' your ,opinion goes for nothing8    
,don't you perceive that those          
old-fashioned ,crabbednesses are        
disgustful8 ,we should be great ,fools  
to grow pale1 and become paralytick in  
studying and finding out in the ,scores1
 the ,harmony1 the ,fugues1 their       
,reverses1 the ,double ,counterpoint1   

the ,multiplication of ,subjects1 to    
contract them closer1 to make ,canons1  
and such other dry ,stuff1 that are no  
more in ,mode1 and 7what is worse7 are  
of little ,esteem1 and less ,profit4    
,what say you now to this1 ,master      
,critick8 ,have you comprehended        
me8----,yes1 ,sir4 ,well1 what ,answer  
do you make me8----,none4  ,sec4 #cd4   
,really1 ,i am astonished1 ,o beloved   
,singers1 at the profound ,lethargy in  
which you remain1 and which is so much  
to your ,disadvantage4 ',tis ,you that  
ought to awaken1 for now is the ,time1  
and tell the ,composers of this ,stamp1 
that your ,desire is to ,sing1 and not  
to ,dance4     ,,chap4 ,,viii4  ,of     
,cadences4#gh   ,the ,cadences1 that    
terminate the ,airs1 are of two ,sorts4 
,the ,composers call the one ,superior1 
and the other ,inferior4 ,to make myself
 better understood by a ,scholar1 ,i    
mean1 if a ,cadence were in ,c natural1 
the ,notes of the first would be ,la1   
,sol1 ,fa2 and those of the second ,fa1 

,mi1 ,fa4 ,in ,airs for a single ,voice1
 or in ,recitatives1 a ,singer may chuse
 which of these ,closes or ,cadences    
pleases him best2 but if in ,concert    
with other ,voices1 or accompanied with 
,instruments1 he must not change the    
,superior for the ,inferior1 nor this   
with the other4#gi  ,sec4 #b4 ,it would 
be superfluous to speak of the broken   
,cadences1 they being become familiar   
even to those who are not ,professors of
 ,musick1 and which serve at most but in
 ,recitatives4#hj  ,sec4 #c4 ,as for    
those ,cadences that fall a fifth1 they 
were never composed in the old ,stile   
for a ,soprano1 in an ,air for a single 
,voice1 or with ,instruments1 unless the
 ,imitation of some ,words had obliged  
the ,composer thereto4 ,yet these1      
having no other ,merit1 but of being the
 easiest of all1 as well for the        
,composer as for the ,singer1 are at    
present the most prevailing4#ha  ,sec4  
#d4 ,in the ,chapter on ,airs1 ,i have  
exhorted the ,student to avoid that     

,torrent of ,passages and ,divisions1 so
 much in the ,mode1 and did engage      
myself also1 to give my weak ,sentiments
 on the ,cadences that are now current2 
and ,i am now ready3 ,but1 however1 with
 the usual ,protestation of submitting  
them1 with all my other ,opinions1 to   
the ,tribunal of the ,judicious1 and    
those of ,taste1 from whence there is no
 ,appeal2 that they1 as sovereign       
,judges of the ,profession1 may condemn 
the ,abuses of the modern ,cadences1 or 
the ,errors of my ,opinion4  ,sec4 #e4  
,every ,air has 7at least7 three        
,cadences1 that are all three final4    
,generally speaking1 the ,study of the  
,singers of the present ,times consists 
in terminating the ,cadence of the first
 ,part with an overflowing of ,passages 
and ,divisions at ,pleasure1 and the    
,orchestre waits2 in that of the        
second#hb the ,dose is encreased1 and   
the ,orchestre grows tired2 but on the  
last ,cadence1 the ,throat is set a     
going1 like a ,weather-cock in a        

,whirlwind1 and the ,orchestre yawns4   
,but why must the ,world be thus        
continually deafened with so many       
,divisions8 ,i must 7with your leave1   
,gentlemen ,moderns7 say in ,favour of  
the ,profession1 that good ,taste does  
not consist in a continual ,velocity of 
the ,voice1 which goes thus rambling on1
 without a ,guide1 and without          
,foundation2 but rather1 in the         
,cantabile1 in the putting forth the    
,voice agreeably1 in ,appoggiatura's1 in
 ,art1 and in the true ,notion of       
,graces1 going from one ,note to another
 with singular and unexpected           
,surprizes1 and stealing the ,time      
exactly on the true ,motion of the      
,bass4 ,these are the principal and     
indispensible ,qualities which are most 
essential to the singing well1 and which
 no musical ,ear can find in your       
capricious ,cadences4 ,i must still add1
 that very anciently the ,stile of the  
,singers was insupportable1 7as ,i have 
been informed by the ,master who taught 

me to ,sol-fa7 by reason of the ,number 
of ,passages and ,divisions in their    
,cadences1 that never were at an end1 as
 they are now2 and that they were always
 the same1 just as they are now4 ,they  
became at last so odious1 that1 as a    
,nusance to the ,sense of ,hearing1 they
 were banished without so much as       
attempting their ,correction4 ,thus will
 it also happen to ,these1 at the first 
,example given by a ,singer whose       
,credit is established1 and who will not
 be seduced by a vain popular ,applause4
 ,this ,reformation the succeeding      
,professors of ,eminence prescribed to  
themselves as a ,law1 which perhaps     
would not have been abolished1 were they
 in a ,condition to be heard2 but the   
,opulency of some1 ,loss of the ,voice1 
,age and ,death of others1 has deprived 
the ,living from hearing what was truly 
worthy our ,admiration in ,singing4 ,now
 the ,singers laugh at the ,reformers1  
and their ,reformation of the ,passages 
in the ,cadences2 and on the contrary1  

having recalled them from their         
,banishment1 and brought them on the    
,stage1 with some little ,caricatura to 
boot1 they impose them on the ,ignorant 
for rare ,inventions1 and gain          
themselves immense ,sums2 it giving them
 no ,concern that they have been        
abhorr'd and detested for fifty or sixty
 ,years1 or for an hundred ,ages4 ,but  
who can blame them8 ,however1 if ,reason
 should make this ,demand of them1 with 
what unjust ,pretence can you usurp the 
,name of ,moderns1 if you sing in a most
 ,ancient ,stile8 ,perhaps1 you think   
that these overflowings of your ,throat 
are what procure you ,riches and        
,praises8 ,undeceive yourselves1 and    
thank the great ,number of ,theatres1   
the ,scarcity of excellent ,performers1 
and the ,stupidity of your ,auditors4   
,what could they answer8 ,i know not4   
,but let us call them to a stricter     
,account4  ,sec4 #f4 ,gentlemen         
,moderns1 can you possibly deny1 but    
that you laugh among yourselves1 when   

you have ,recourse to your long-strung  
,passages in the ,cadences1 to go a     
begging for ,applause from the blind    
,ignorant8 ,you call this ,trick by the 
,name of an ,alms1 begging for ,charity 
as it were for those ,e ,viva's1 which1 
you very well know1 you do not deserve  
from ,justice4 ,and in return you laugh 
at your ,admirers1 tho' they have not   
,hands1 ,feet1 nor ,voice enough to     
applaud you4 ,is this ,justice8 ,is this
 ,gratitude8----,oh6 if they ever should
 find you out6 ,my beloved ,singers1    
tho' the ,abuses of your ,cadences are  
of use to you1 they are much more       
prejudicial to the ,profession1 and are 
the greatest ,faults you can commit2    
because at the same time you know       
yourselves to be in the ,wrong4 ,for    
your own ,sakes undeceive the ,world1   
and employ the rare ,talent you are     
endowed with on ,things that are worthy 
of you4 ,in the mean while ,i will      
return with more ,courage to my         
,opinions4  ,sec4 #g4 ,i should be very 

desirous to#hc know1 on what ,foundation
 certain ,moderns of ,reputation1 and   
great ,name1 do on the superior         
,cadences always make the ,shake on the 
third in ,alt to the final ,note2 since 
the ,shake 7which ought to be resolved7 
cannot be so in this ,case1 by reason of
 that very third1 which being the sixth 
of the ,bass hinders it1 and the        
,cadence remains without a ,resolution4 
,if they should go so far as to imagine1
 that the best ,rules depended on the   
,mode1 ,i should notwithstanding think1 
they might sometimes appeal to the ,ear1
 to know if ,that was satisfied with a  
,shake beaten with the seventh and the  
sixth on a ,bass which makes the        
,cadence2 and ,i am sure it would       
answer4 ,no4 ,from the ,rules of the    
,ancients we learn1 that the ,shake is  
to be prepared on the sixth of the      
,bass1 that after it the fifth may be   
heard1 for that is its proper ,place4   
,sec4 #h4 ,some others of the same ,rank
 make their ,cadences in the ,manner of 

the ,basses1 which is1 in falling a     
fifth1 with a ,passage of ,swift ,notes 
descending gradually1 supposing that by 
this ,means they cover the ,octaves1    
which1 tho' disguised1 will still       
appear4  ,sec4 #i4 ,i hold it also for  
certain1 that no ,professor of the first
 ,rank1 in any ,cadence whatsoever1 can 
be allowed to make ,shakes1 or          
,divisions1 on the last ,syllables but  
one of these                            
,words1--,confondero--,amero1 c4 for    
they are ,ornaments that do not suit on 
those ,syllables which are short1 but do
 well on the ,antecedent4#hd  ,sec4 #aj4
 ,very many of the second ,class end the
 inferior ,cadences in the ,french      
,manner without a ,shake#he1 either for 
want of ,ability to make one1 or from   
its being easy to copy them1 or from    
their ,desire of finding out something  
that may in ,appearance support the name
 of ,modern4 ,but in ,fact they are     
mistaken2 for the ,french do not leave  
out the ,shake on the inferior          

,cadences1 except in the ,pathetick     
,airs2 and our ,italians1 who are used  
to over-do the ,mode1 exclude it every  
where1 tho' in the ,allegro the ,shake  
is absolutely necessary4 ,i know1 that a
 good ,singer may with ,reason abstain  
from the ,shake in the ,cantabile2      
however1 it should be rarely2 for if one
 of those ,cadences be tolerable without
 that pleasing ,grace1 it is absolutely 
impossible not to be tired at length1   
with a ,number one after another that   
die suddenly4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,i find that  
all the ,moderns 7let them be ,friends  
or ,foes to the ,shake7 in the inferior 
,cadences beforementioned go with an    
,appoggiatura to the final ,note1 on the
 penultimate ,syllable of a ,word2 and  
this likewise is a ,defect1 it appearing
 to me1 that on such ,occasions the     
,appoggiatura is not pleasing but on the
 last ,syllable1 after the ,manner of   
the ,ancients1 or of those who know how 
to sing4#hf  ,sec4#ab4 ,if1 in the      
inferior ,cadences1 the best ,singers of

 these ,days think they are not in the  
wrong in making you hear the final ,note
 before the ,bass#hg1 they deceive      
themselves grossly2 for it is a very    
great ,error1 hurts the ,ear1 and is    
against the ,rules2 and becomes doubly  
so1 going 7as they do7 to the same ,note
 with an ,appoggiatura1 the which either
 ascending or descending1 if not after  
the ,bass#hh1 is always very bad4  ,sec4
 #ac4 ,and is it not worst of all1 to   
torment the ,hearers with a thousand    
,cadences all in the same ,manner8 ,from
 whence proceeds this ,sterility1 since 
every ,professor knows1 that the surest 
way of gaining ,esteem in ,singing is a 
,variety in the ,repetition8  ,sec4 #ad4
 ,if among all the ,cadences in the     
,airs1 the last allows a moderate       
,liberty to the ,singer1 to distinguish 
the end of them1 the ,abuse of it is    
insufferable4 ,but it grows abomable1   
when the ,singer persists with his      
tiresome ,warbling1 nauseating the      
,judicious1 who suffer the more1 because

 they know that the ,composers leave    
generally in every final ,cadence some  
,note1 sufficient to make a discreet    
,embellishment2 without seeking for it  
out of ,time1 without ,taste1 without   
,art1 and without ,judgment4#hi  ,sec4  
#ae4 ,i am still more surprised when ,i 
reflect1 that the modern ,stile1 after  
having exposed all the ,cadences of the 
theatrical ,airs to the ,martyrdom of a 
perpetual ,motion1 will likewise have   
the ,cruelty to condemn to the same     
,punishment not ,those in the ,cantata's
 only1 but also the ,cadences of their  
,recitatives4 ,do these ,singers        
pretend1 by their not distinguishing the
 ,chamber-,musick from the immoderate   
,gargling of the ,stage1 to expect the  
vulgar ,e ,viva's in the ,cabinet of    
,princes8  ,sec4 #af4 ,let a sensible   
,student avoid this ,example1 and with  
this ,example the ,abuses1 the ,defects1
 and every other ,thing that is mean and
 common1 as well in the ,cadences as    
elsewhere4  ,sec4 #ag4 ,if1 the         

inventing particular ,cadences without  
injuring the ,time1 has been one of the 
worthy ,employments of the ,ancients 7so
 call'd7 let a ,student revive the ,use 
of it2 endeavouring to imitate them in  
their ,skill of somewhat anticipating   
the ,time2 and remember1 that ,those1   
who understand the ,art of ,gracing1 do 
not wait to admire the ,beauty of it in 
a ,silence of the ,bass4  ,sec4 #ah4    
,many and many other ,errors are heard  
in the ,cadences that were ,antique1 and
 which are now become ,modern2 they were
 ridiculous then1 and are so now2       
therefore considering1 that to change   
the ,stile is not always to improve it1 
,i may fairly conclude1 that what is bad
 is to be corrected by ,study1 and not  
by the ,mode4  ,sec4 #ai4 ,now let us   
for a while leave at ,rest the ,opinions
 of the aforesaid ,ancients1 and the    
supposed ,moderns1 to take notice what  
,improvement the ,scholar has made1     
since he is desirous of being heard4    
,well then1 let him attend1 before we   

part with him1 to ,instructions of more 
,weight1 that he may at least deserve   
the ,name of a good ,singer1 though he  
may not arrive at that of an eminent    
one4     ,,chap4 ,,ix4  ,observations   
for a ,singer4#ij   ,behold the ,singer 
now appearing in ,publick1 from the     
,effects of his ,application to the     
,study of the foregoing ,lessons4 ,but  
to what ,purpose does he appear8        
,whoever1 in the great ,theatre of the  
,world1 does not distinguish himself1   
makes but a very insignificant ,figure4 
,sec4 #b4 ,from the cold ,indifference  
perceived in many ,singers1 one would   
believe that the ,science of ,musick    
implored their ,favour1 to be received  
by them as their most humble ,servant4  
,sec4 #c4 ,if too many did not persuade 
themselves that they had studied        
sufficiently1 there would not be such a 
,scarcity of the ,best1 nor such a      
,swarm of the ,worst4 ,these1 because   
they can sing by ,heart three or four   
,kyrie's#ia1 think they are arrived at  

the ,non plus ultra2 but if you give    
them a ,cantata to sing1 that is even   
easy1 and fairly written1 they1 instead 
of complying as they ought1 will tell   
you with an impudent ,face1 that        
,persons of their ,degree are not       
obliged to sing in the vulgar ,tongue at
 ,sight4 ,and who can forbear laughing8 
,for a ,musician knowing that the       
,words1 let them be either ,latin or    
,italian1 do not change the ,form of the
 ,notes1 must immediately conclude1 that
 this pert ,answer of the great ,man    
proceeds from his not being able to sing
 at ,sight1 or from his not knowing how 
to read2 and he judges right4  ,sec4 #d4
 ,there are an infinite ,number#ib of   
others1 who wish and sigh for the       
,moment that eases them from the painful
 ,fatigue of their first ,studies1      
hoping to have a ,chance to make one in 
the ,crowd of the second ,rate2 and     
stumbling by good ,luck on something    
that gives them ,bread1 they immediately
 make a ,legg to ,musick and its ,study1

 not caring whether the ,world knows    
they are1 or are not among the ,living4 
,these do not consider that ,mediocrity 
in a ,singer means ,ignorance4  ,sec4   
#e4 ,there are also several who study   
nothing but the ,defects1 and are       
endow'd with a marvelous ,aptness to    
learn them all1 having so happy a       
,memory as never to forget them4 ,their 
,genius is so inclined to the ,bad1 that
 if by ,gift of ,nature they had the    
best of ,voices1 they would be          
discontented if they could not find some
 ,means to make it the worst4  ,sec4 #f4
 ,one of a better ,spirit will endeavour
 to keep better ,company4 ,he will be   
sensible of the ,necessity of farther   
,discoveries1 of farther ,instructions1 
and even of another ,master1 of whom1   
besides the ,art of ,singing1 he would  
be glad to learn how to behave himself  
with good ,breeding4 ,this1 added to the
 ,merit acquired by his ,singing1 may   
give him ,hopes of the ,favour of       
,princes1 and of an universal ,esteem4  

,sec4 #g4 ,if he aims at the ,character 
of a young ,man of ,wit and ,judgment1  
let him not be vulgar or too bold4      
,sec4 #h4 ,let him shun low and         
disreputable ,company1 but1 above all1  
such as abandon themselves to scandalous
 ,liberties4  ,sec4 #i4 ,that ,professor
 ought not to be frequented1 though     
excellent in this ,art1 whose behaviour 
is vulgar and discreditable1 and who    
cares not1 provided he makes his        
,fortune1 whether it be at the ,expence 
of his ,reputation4  ,sec4 #aj4 ,the    
best ,school is the ,nobility1 from whom
 every thing that is genteel is to be   
learned2 but when a ,musician finds that
 his ,company is not proper1 let him    
retire without repining1 and his        
,modesty will be to his ,commendation4  
,sec4 #aa4 ,if he should not meet with a
 ,gratification from the ,great1 let him
 never complain2 for it is better to get
 but little1 than to lose a great deal1 
and that is not seldom the ,case4 ,the  
best he can do1 is to be assiduous in   

serving them1 that at least he may hope 
for the ,pleasure of seeing them for    
once grateful1 or be convinced for ever 
of their being ungrateful4  ,sec4 #ab4  
,my long and repeated ,travels have     
given me an ,opportunity of being       
acquainted with most of the ,courts of  
,europe1 and ,examples1 more than my    
,words1 should persuade every able      
,singer to see them also2 but without   
yielding up his ,liberty to their       
,allurements3 ,for ,chains1 though of   
,gold1 are still ,chains2 and they are  
not all of that precious ,metal3        
,besides1 the several ,inconveniencies  
of ,disgrace1 ,mortifications1          
,uncertainty2 and1 above all1 the       
,hindrance of ,study4  ,sec4 #ac4ic ,the
 golden ,age of ,musick would be already
 at an ,end1 if the ,swans did not make 
their ,nests on some ,theatres in       
,italy1 or on the royal ,banks of the   
,thames4 ,o dear ,london6----,on the    
other ,streams1 they sing no more as    
they used to do their sweet ,notes at   

their expiring2 but rather sadly lament 
the ,expiration of those august and     
adorable ,princes1 by whom they were    
tenderly belov'd and esteemed4 ,this is 
the usual ,vicissitude of ,things in    
this ,world2 and we daily see1 that     
whatever is sublunary must of ,necessity
 decline4 ,let us leave the ,tears to   
the ,heart1 and return to the ,singer4  
,sec4 #ad4 ,a discreet ,person will     
never use such affected ,expressions as1
 ,i cannot sing ,to-day2--,i've got a   
deadly ,cold2 and1 in making his        
,excuse1 falls a ,coughing4 ,i can truly
 say1 that ,i have never in my ,life    
heard a ,singer own the ,truth1 and say1
 ,i'm very well to-day3 ,they reserve   
the unseasonable ,confession to the next
 ,day1 when they make no ,difficulty to 
say1 ,in all my ,days my ,voice was     
never in better ,order than it was      
,yesterday4 ,i own1 on certain          
,conjunctures1 the ,pretext is not only 
suitable1 but even necessary2 for1 to   
speak the ,truth1 the indiscreet        

,parsimony of some1 who would hear      
,musick for ,thanks only1 goes so far1  
that they think a ,master is immediately
 obliged to obey them gratis1 and that  
the ,refusal is an ,offence that        
deserves ,resentment and ,revenge4 ,but 
if it is a ,law human and divine1 that  
every ,body should live by their honest 
,labour1 what barbarous ,custom obliges 
a ,musician to serve without a          
,recompence8 ,a cursed ,over-bearing2 ,o
 sordid ,avarice6  ,sec4 #ae4 ,a        
,singer1 that knows the ,world1         
distinguishes between the different     
,manners of ,commanding2 he knows how to
 refuse without disobliging1 and how to 
obey with a good ,grace2 not being      
ignorant1 that one1 who has his         
,interest most at ,heart1 sometimes     
finds his ,account in serving without a 
,gratification4  ,sec4 #af4 ,one who    
sings with a ,desire of gaining ,honour 
and ,credit1 cannot sing ill1 and in    
time will sing better2 and one1 who     
thinks on nothing but ,gain1 is in the  

ready way to remain ignorant4  ,sec4    
#ag4 ,who would ever think 7if          
,experience did not shew it7 that a     
,virtue of the highest ,estimation      
should prejudice a ,singer8 ,and yet1   
whilst ,presumption and ,arrogance      
triumph 7,i'm shock'd to think on't7    
amiable ,humility1 the more the ,singer 
has of it1 the more it depresses him4   
,sec4 #ah4 ,at first ,sight1 ,arrogance 
has the ,appearance of ,ability2 but1   
upon a nearer ,view1 ,i can discover    
,ignorance in ,masquerade4  ,sec4 #ai4  
,this ,arrogance serves them sometimes1 
as a politick ,artifice to hide their   
own ,failings3 ,for ,example1 certain   
,singers would not be unconcern'd1 under
 the ,shame of not being able to sing a 
few ,barrs at ,sight1 if with ,shrugs1  
scornful ,glances1 and malicious shaking
 of their ,heads1 they did not give the 
,auditors to understand that those gross
 ,errors are owing to him that          
accompanies1 or to the ,orchestre4      
,sec4 #bj4 ,to humble such ,arrogance1  

may it never meet with that ,incense    
which it expects4  ,sec4 #ba4 ,who could
 sing better than the ,arogant1 if they 
were not ashamed to study8  ,sec4 #bb4  
,it is a ,folly in a ,singer to grow    
vain at the first ,applauses1 without   
reflecting whether they are given by    
,chance1 or out of ,flattery2 and if he 
thinks he deserves them1 there is an    
,end of him4  ,sec4 #bc4 ,he should     
regulate his ,voice according to the    
,place where he sings2 for it would be  
the greatest ,absurdity1 not to make a  
,difference between a small ,cabinet and
 a vast ,theatre4#id  ,sec4 #bd4 ,he is 
still more to be blam'd1 who1 when      
singing in two1 three1 or four ,parts1  
does so raise his ,voice as to drown his
 ,companions2 for if it is not          
,ignorance1 it is something worse4      
,sec4 #be4 ,all ,compositions for more  
than one ,voice ought to be sung        
strictly as they are written2 nor do    
they require any other ,art but a noble 
,simplicity4 ,i remember to have heard  

once a famous ,duetto torn into ,atoms  
by two renown'd ,singers1 in ,emulation2
 the one proposing1 and the other by    
,turns answering1 that at last it#ie    
ended in a ,contest1 who could produce  
the most ,extravagancies4  ,sec4 #bf4   
,the ,correction of ,friends1 that have 
,knowledge1 instructs very much2 but    
still greater ,advantage may be gain'd  
from the ill-natur'd ,criticks2 for1 the
 more intent they are to discover       
,defects1 the greater ,benefit may be   
receiv'd from them without any          
,obligation4  ,sec4 #bg4 ,it is certain1
 that the ,errors corrected by our      
,enemies are better cur'd1 than those   
corrected by ourselves2 for we are apt  
to indulge our ,faults1 nor can we so   
easily perceive them4  ,sec4 #bh4 ,he   
that sings with ,applause in one ,place 
only1 let him not have too good an      
,opinion of himself2 let him often      
change ,climates1 and then he will judge
 better of his ,talent4  ,sec4 #bi4 ,to 
please universally1 ,reason will tell   

you1 that you must always sing well2 but
 if ,reason does not inform you1        
,interest will persuade you to conform  
to the ,taste of that ,nation 7provided 
it be not too deprav'd7 which pays you4 
,sec4 #cj4 ,if he that sings well       
provokes ,envy1 by singing better he    
will get the ,victory over it4  ,sec4   
#ca4 ,i do not know if a perfect ,singer
 can at the same time be a perfect      
,actor2 for the ,mind being at once     
divided by two different ,operations1 he
 will probably incline more to one than 
the other2 ,it being1 however1 much more
 difficult to sing well than to act     
well1 the ,merit of the first is beyond 
the second4 ,what a ,felicity would it  
be1 to possess both in a perfect        
,degree6#if  ,sec4 #cb4 ,having said1 a 
,singer should not copy1 ,i repeat it   
now with this ,reason2 that to copy is  
the part of a ,scholar1 that of a       
,master is to invent4  ,sec4 #cc4 ,let  
it be remembered by the ,singer1 that   
copying comes from ,laziness1 and that  

none copy ill but out of ,ignorance4    
,sec4 #cd4 ,where ,knowledge with ,study
 makes one a good ,singer1 ,ignorance   
with one single ,copy makes a thousand  
bad ones2 however1 among these there are
 none that will acknowledge her for a   
,teacher4  ,sec4 #ce4 ,if many of the   
female ,singers 7for whom ,i have due   
,respect7 would be pleased to consider1 
that by copying a good one1 they are    
become very bad ones1 they would not    
appear so ridiculous on the ,stage for  
their ,affectation in presuming to sing 
the ,airs of the ,person they copy1 with
 the same ,graces4 ,in this great       
,error1 7if it does not proceed from    
their ,masters7 they seem to be governed
 by ,instinct1 like the inferior        
,creatures1 rather than by ,reason2 for 
,that would shew them1 that we may      
arrive at ,applause by different ways1  
and past ,examples1 as well as one at   
this present make us sensible1 that two 
,women would not be equally eminent if  
the one copy'd the other4#ig  ,sec4 #cf4

 ,if the ,complaisance1 which is due to 
the fair ,sex1 does not excuse the      
,abuse of copying when it proves        
prejudicial to the ,profession1 what    
ought one then to say of those ,men1    
who1 instead of inventing1 not only copy
 others of their own ,sex1 but also     
,women4 ,foolish and                    
shameful6----,supposing an              
,impossibility1 viz4 that a ,singer has 
arrived at copying in such a ,manner as 
not to be distinguished from the        
,original1 should he attribute to       
himself a ,merit which does not belong  
to him1 and dress himself out in the    
,habits of another without being afraid 
of being stripp'd of them8  ,sec4 #cg4  
,he1 that rightly knows how to copy in  
,musick1 takes nothing but the ,design2 
because that ,ornament1 which we admire 
when natural1 immediately loses its     
,beauty when artificial4  ,sec4#ch4 ,the
 most admired ,graces of a ,professor   
ought only to be imitated1 and not      
copied2 on ,condition also1 that it does

 not bear not even so much as a ,shadow 
of ,resemblance of the ,original2       
otherwise1 instead of a beautiful       
,imitation1 it will become a despicable 
,copy4  ,sec4 #ci4 ,i cannot decide1    
which of the two deserves most to be    
despised1 one who cannot imitate a good 
,singer without ,caricatura's1 or ,he   
that cannot imitate any well but bad    
ones4  ,sec4 #dj4 ,if many ,singers     
knew1 that a bad ,imitation is a        
contagious ,evil1 to which one who      
studies is not liable1 the ,world would 
not be reduc'd to the ,misfortune of    
seeing in a ,carnaval but one ,theatre  
provided with eminent ,performers1      
without ,hopes of#ih an approaching     
,remedy4 ,let them take it for their    
,pains4 ,let the ,world learn to applaud
 ,merit2 and 7not to use a more harsh   
,expression7 be less complaisant to     
,faults4  ,sec4 #da4 ,whoever does not  
know how to steal the ,time in ,singing1
 knows not how to ,compose1 nor to      
,accompany himself1 and is destitute of 

the best ,taste and greatest            
,knowledge4#ii  ,sec4 #db4 ,the stealing
 of ,time1 in the ,pathetick1 is an     
honourable ,theft in one that sings     
better than others1 provided he makes a 
,restitution with ,ingenuity4  ,sec4    
#dc4 ,an ,exercise1 no less necessary   
than this1 is ,that of agreeably putting
 forth of the ,voice1 without which all 
,application is vain4 ,whosoever        
pretends to obtain it1 must hearken more
 to the ,dictates of the ,heart1 than to
 those of ,art4  ,sec4 #dd4 ,oh6 how    
great a ,master is the ,heart6 ,confess 
it1 my beloved ,singers1 and gratefully 
own1 that you would not have arrived at 
the highest ,rank of the ,profession if 
you had not been its ,scholars2 own1    
that in a few ,lessons from it1 you     
learned the most beautiful ,expressions1
 the most refin'd ,taste1 the most noble
 ,action1 and the most exquisite        
,graces3 ,own1 7though it be hardly     
credible7 that the ,heart corrects the  
,defects of ,nature1 since it softens a 

,voice that's harsh1 betters an         
indifferent one1 and perfects a good    
one3 ,own1 when the ,heart sings you    
cannot dissemble1 nor has ,truth a      
greater ,power of persuading3 ,and1     
lastly1 do you convince the ,world1     
7what is not in my ,power to do7 that   
from the ,heart alone you have learn'd  
that ,je ne scai quoy1 that pleasing    
,charm1 that so subtily passes from     
,vein to ,vein1 and makes its way to the
 very ,soul4  ,sec4 #de4 ,though the way
 to the ,heart is long and rugged1 and  
known but to few1 a studious            
,application will1 notwithstanding1     
master all ,obstacles4  ,sec4 #df4 ,the 
best ,singer in the ,world continues to 
study1 and persists in it as much to    
maintain his ,reputation1 as he did to  
acquire it4  ,sec4 #dg4 ,to arrive at   
that glorious ,end1 every body knows    
that there is no other ,means than      
,study2 but ,that does not suffice2 it  
is also necessary to know in what       
,manner1 and with whose ,assistance1 we 

must pursue our ,studies4  ,sec4 #dh4ajj
 ,there are now-a-days as many ,masters 
as there are ,professors of ,musick in  
any ,kind2 every one of them teaches1 ,i
 don't mean the first ,rudiments only1  
7,that would be an ,affront to them27 ,i
 am now speaking of those who take upon 
them the part of a ,legislator in the   
most finished part in ,singing2 and     
should we then wonder that the good     
,taste is near lost1 and that the       
,profession is going to ,ruin8 ,so      
mischievous a ,pretension prevails not  
only among those1 who can barely be said
 to sing1 but among the meanest         
instrumental ,performers2 who1 though   
they never sung1 nor know how to sing1  
pretend not only to teach1 but to       
perfect1 and find some that are weak    
enough to be imposed on4 ,but1 what is  
more1 the instrumental ,performers of   
some ,ability imagine that the beautiful
 ,graces and ,flourishes1 with their    
nimble ,fingers1 will have the same     
,effect when executed with the ,voice2  

but it will not do#aja4 ,i should be the
 first to condemn the magisterial       
,liberty ,i take1 were it meant to give 
,offence to such ,singers and           
instrumental ,performers of ,worth1 who 
know how to sing1 perform1 and instruct2
 but my ,correction aims no farther than
 to the ,petulancy of those that have no
 ,capacity1 with these few ,words1 ,age 
quod agis2 which 7for those who do not  
understand ,latin7 is as much as to     
say1-----,do ,you mind your ,sol-fa2 and
 ,you1 your ,instrument4  ,sec4 #di4 ,if
 sometimes it does happen1 that an      
indifferent ,master should make an      
excellent ,disciple1 it is then         
incontestable1 that the ,gift of ,nature
 in the ,student is superior to the     
,sufficiency of the ,instructor3 and it 
is not to be wonder'd at1 for1 if from  
time to time1 even great ,masters were  
not outdone1 most of the finest ,arts   
would have sunk before now4  ,sec4 #ej4 
,it may seem to many1 that every perfect
 ,singer must also be a perfect         

,instructor1 but it is not so2 for his  
,qualifications 7though ever so great7  
are insufficient1 if he cannot          
communicate his ,sentiments with ,ease1 
and in a ,method adapted to the ,ability
 of the ,scholar2 if he has not some    
,notion of ,composition1 and a manner of
 instructing1 which may seem rather an  
,entertainment than a ,lesson2 with the 
happy ,talent to shew the ,ability of   
the ,singer to ,advantage1 and conceal  
his ,imperfections2 which are the       
principal and most necessary            
,instructions4  ,sec4 #ea4 ,a ,master1  
that is possessed of the abovementioned 
,qualifications1 is capable of          
,teaching2 with them he will raise a    
,desire to study2 will correct ,errors  
with a ,reason2 and by ,examples incite 
a ,taste to imitate him4  ,sec4 #eb4 ,he
 knows1 that a ,deficiency of ,ornaments
 displeases as much as the too great    
,abundance of them2 that a ,singer makes
 one languid and dull with too little1  
and cloys one with too much2 but1 of the

 two1 he will dislike the former most1  
though it gives less ,offence1 the      
latter being easier to be amended4      
,sec4 #ec4 ,he will have no ,manner of  
,esteem for those who have no other     
,graces than gradual ,divisions#ajb2 and
 will tell you1 ,embellishments of this 
,sort are only fit for ,beginners4      
,sec4 #ed4 ,he will have as little      
,esteem for those who think to make     
their ,auditors faint away1 with their  
,transition from the sharp ,third to the
 ,flat4  ,sec4 #ee4 ,he'll tell you1    
that a ,singer is lazy1 who on the      
,stage1 from ,night to ,night1 teaches  
the ,audience all his ,songs2 who1 by   
hearing them always without the least   
,variation1 have no ,difficulty to learn
 them by ,heart4  ,sec4 #ef4 ,he will be
 affrighted at the ,rashness of one that
 launches out1 with little ,practice1   
and less ,study2 lest venturing too far1
 he should be in great ,danger of losing
 himself4  ,sec4 #eg4 ,he will not      
praise one that presumes to sing two    

,parts in three of an ,opera1 promising 
himself never to be tiresome1 as if that
 divine ,privilege of always pleasing   
were allowed him here below4 ,such a one
 does not know the first ,principle of  
musical ,politicks2 but ,time will teach
 it him4 ,he1 that sings little and     
well1 sings very well4  ,sec4 #eh4 ,he  
will laugh at those who imagine to      
satisfy the ,publick with the           
,magnificence of their ,habits1 without 
reflecting1 that ,merit and ,ignorance  
are equally aggrandized by ,pomp4 ,the  
,singers1 that have nothing but the     
outward ,appearance1 pay that ,debt to  
the ,eyes1 which they owe to the ,ears4 
,sec4 #ei4 ,he will nauseate the        
new-invented ,stile of those who provoke
 the innocent ,notes with coarse        
,startings of the ,voice4 ,a            
disagreeable ,defect2 however1 being    
brought from#ajc beyond the ,alps1 it   
passes for a modern ,rarity4  ,sec4 #fj4
 ,he will be astonished at this         
bewitched ,age1 in which so many are    

paid so well for singing ill4 ,the      
,moderns would not be pleas'd to be put 
in ,mind1 that1 twenty ,years ago1      
indifferent ,singers had but mean ,parts
 allotted them1 even in the second-rate 
,theatres2 whereas at present1 those1   
who are taught like ,parrots1 heap up   
,treasures beyond what the ,singers of  
the first ,degree then did4#ajd  ,sec4  
#fa4 ,he will condemn the ,ignorance of 
the ,men most1 they being more obliged  
to study than the ,women4  ,sec4 #fb4   
,he will not bear with one who imitates 
the ,women1 even in sacrificing the     
,time1 in order to acquire the ,title of
 ,modern4  ,sec4 #fc4 ,he will marvel at
 that#aje ,singer1 who1 having a good   
,knowledge of ,time1 yet does not make  
use of it1 for want of having apply'd   
himself to the ,study of ,composition1  
or to accompany himself4 ,his ,mistake  
makes him think that1 to be eminent1 it 
suffices to sing at ,sight2 and does not
 perceive that the greatest ,difficulty1
 and the whole ,beauty of the           

,profession consists in what he is      
ignorant of2 he wants that ,art which   
teaches to anticipate the ,time1 knowing
 where to lose it again2 and1 which is  
still more charming1 to know how to lose
 it1 in order to recover it again2 which
 are the ,advantages of such as         
understand ,composition1 and have the   
best ,taste4  ,sec4 #fd4 ,he will be    
displeased at the ,presumption of a     
,singer who gets the ,words of the most 
wanton ,airs of the ,theatre rendered   
into ,latin1 that he may sing them with 
,applause in the#ajf ,church2 as if     
there were no ,manner of ,difference    
between the ,stile of the one and the   
other2 and1 as if the ,scraps of the    
,stage were fit to offer to the ,deity4 
,sec4 #fe4 ,what will he not say of him 
who has found out the prodigious ,art of
 ,singing like a ,cricket8 ,who could   
have ever imagin'd1 before the          
,introduction of the ,mode1 that ten or 
a dozen ,quavers in a ,row could be     
trundled along one after the other1 with

 a ,sort of ,tremor1 of the ,voice1     
which for some time past has gone under 
the name of ,mordente ,fresco8#ajg      
,sec4 #ff4 ,he will have a still greater
 ,detestation for the ,invention of     
,laughing in ,singing1 or that screaming
 like a ,hen when she is laying her     
,egg4 ,will there not be some other     
little ,animal worth their ,imitation1  
in order to make the ,profession more   
and more ridiculous8  ,sec4 #fg4 ,he    
will disapprove the malicious ,custom of
 a ,singer in ,repute1 who talks and    
laughs on the ,stage with his           
,companions1 to induce the ,publick to  
believe that such a ,singer1 who appears
 the first time on the ,stage1 does not 
deserve his ,attention2 when in reality 
he is afraid of1 or envies1 his gaining 
,applause4  ,sec4 #fh4 ,he cannot endure
 the ,vanity of that ,singer1 who1 full 
of himself from the little he has       
learned1 is so taken with his own       
,performance1 that he seems falling into
 an ,extasy2 pretending to impose       

,silence and create ,wonder1 as if his  
first ,note said to the ,audience1 ,hear
 and ,die3 ,but they1 unwilling to die1 
chuse not to hear him1 talk loud1 and   
perhaps not much to his ,advantage4 ,at 
his second ,air the ,noise encreases1   
and still encreasing1 he looks upon it  
as a manifest ,injury done him2 and1    
instead of correcting his conceited     
,pride by ,study1 he curses the deprav'd
 ,taste of that ,nation that does not   
esteem him1 menacing never to return    
again2 and thus the vain ,wretch        
comforts himself4  ,sec4 #fi4 ,he will  
laugh at one who will not act unless he 
has the ,choice of the ,drama1 and a    
,composer to his liking2 with this      
additional ,condition1 not to sing in   
,company with such a ,man1 or without   
such a ,woman4  ,sec4 #gj4 ,with the    
like ,derision1 he will observe some    
others1 who with an ,humility worse than
 ,pride1 go from one ,box to another1   
gathering ,praises from the most        
illustrious ,persons1 under a ,pretence 

of a most profound ,obsequiousness1 and 
become in every ,representation more and
 more familiar4 ,humility and ,modesty  
are most beautiful ,virtues2 but if they
 are not accompanied with a little      
,decorum1 they have some ,resemblance to
 ,hypocrisy4  ,sec4 #ga4 ,he will have  
no great ,opinion of one1 who is not    
satisfied with his ,part1 and never     
learns it2 of one1 who never sings in an
 ,opera without thrusting in one ,air   
which he always carries in his ,pocket2 
of one1 who bribes the ,composer to give
 him an ,air that was intended for      
another2 of one1 who takes ,pains about 
,trifles1 and neglects ,things of       
,importance2 of one1 who1 by procuring  
undeserved ,recommendations1 makes      
himself and his ,patron ridiculous2 of  
one1 who does not sustain his ,voice1   
out of ,aversion to the ,pathetick2 of  
one1 who gallops to follow the ,mode2   
and of all the bad ,singers1 who1 not   
knowing what's good1 court the ,mode to 
learn its ,defects4  ,sec4 #gb4 ,to sum 

up all1 he will call none a ,singer of  
,merit1 but him who is correct2 and who 
executes with a ,variety of ,graces of  
his own1 which his ,skill inspires him  
with unpremeditately2 knowing1 that a   
,professor of ,eminence cannot1 if he   
would1 continually repeat an ,air with  
the self-same ,passages and ,graces4 ,he
 who sings premeditately1 shews he has  
learn'd his ,lesson at ,home4  ,sec4    
#gc4 ,after having corrected several    
other ,abuses and ,defects1 to the      
,advantage of the ,singer1 he will      
return with stronger ,reasons to        
persuade him to have ,recourse to the   
fundamental ,rules1 which will teach him
 to proceed on the ,bass from one       
,interval to another1 with sure ,steps1 
and without ,danger of erring4 ,if then 
the ,singer should say1 ,sir1 you       
trouble yourself in vain2 for the bare  
,knowledge of the ,errors is not        
sufficient2 ,i have need of other ,help 
than ,words1 and ,i know not where to   
find it1 since it seems that there is at

 present such a ,scarcity of good       
,examples in ,italy3 ,then1 shrugging   
his ,shoulders1 he will answer him1     
rather with ,sighs than ,words2 that he 
must endeavour to learn of the best     
,singers that there are2 particularly by
 observing two of the fair ,sex1#ajh of 
a ,merit superior to all ,praise2 who   
with equal ,force1 in a different       
,stile1 help to keep up the tottering   
,profession from immediately falling    
into ,ruin4 ,the one is inimitable for a
 privileg'd ,gift of ,singing1 and for  
enchanting the ,world with a prodigious 
,felicity in executing1 and with a      
singular ,brilliant 7,i know not whether
 from ,nature or ,art7 which pleases to 
,excess4 ,the delightful1 soothing      
,cantabile of the other1 joined with the
 ,sweetness of a fine ,voice1 a perfect 
,intonation1 ,strictness of ,time1 and  
the rarest ,productions of a ,genius1   
are ,qualifications as particular and   
uncommon1 as they are difficult to be   
imitated4 ,the ,pathetick of the one1   

and the ,allegro of the other1 are the  
,qualities the most to be admired       
respectively in each of them4 ,what a   
beautiful ,mixture would it be1 if the  
,excellence of these two angelick       
,creatures could be united in one single
 ,person6 ,but let us not lose ,sight of
 the ,master4  ,sec4 #gd4 ,he will also 
convince the ,scholar1 that the         
,artifice of a ,professor is never more 
pleasing1 than when he deceives the     
,audience with agreeable ,surprizes2 for
 which reason he will advise him to have
 ,recourse to a seeming ,plainness1 as  
if he aim'd at nothing else4  ,sec4 #ge4
 ,but when the ,audience is in no       
farther ,expectation1 and 7as ,i may    
say7 grows indolent1 he will direct him 
to rouse them that ,instant with a      
,grace4  ,sec4 #gf4 ,when they are again
 awake1 he will direct him to return to 
his feigned ,simplicity1 though it will 
no more be in his power to delude those 
that hear him1 for with an impatient    
,curiosity they already expect a second1

 and so on4  ,sec4 #gg4 ,he will give   
him ample ,instructions concerning      
,graces of all sorts1 and furnish him   
with ,rules and profitable ,documents4  
,sec4 #gh4 ,here should ,i inveigh      
7though ,i could not enough7 against the
 ,treachery of my ,memory1 that has not 
preserved1 as it ought1 all those       
peculiar ,excellencies which a great    
,man did once communicate to me1        
concerning ,passages and ,graces2 and to
 my great ,sorrow1 and perhaps to the   
,loss of others1 it will not serve me to
 publish any more than these few poor   
,remains1 the ,impressions of which are 
still left1 and which ,i am now going to
 mention4     ,,chap4 ,x4  ,of ,passages
 or ,graces4   ,passages or ,graces     
being the principal ,ornaments in       
,singing1 and the most favourite        
,delight of the ,judicious1 it is proper
 that the ,singer be very attentive to  
learn this ,art4  ,sec4 #b4 ,therefore1 
let him know1 that there are five       
principal ,qualifications1 which being  

united1 will bring him to admirable     
,perfection1 viz4 ,judgment1 ,invention1
 ,time1 ,art1 and ,taste4  ,sec4 #c4    
,there are likewise five subaltern      
,embellishments viz4 the ,appoggiatura1 
the ,shake1 the putting forth of the    
,voice1 the ,gliding1 and ,dragging4    
,the principal ,qualifications teach1   
,sec4 #d4 ,that the ,passages and       
,graces cannot be form'd but from a     
profound ,judgment4  ,sec4 #e4 ,that    
they are produced by a singular and     
beautiful ,invention1 remote from all   
that is vulgar and common4  ,sec4 #f4   
,that1 being govern'd by the rigorous1  
but necessary1 ,precepts of ,time1 they 
never transgress its regulated ,measure1
 without losing their own ,merit4  ,sec4
 #g4 ,that1 being guided by the most    
refined ,art on the ,bass1 they may     
,there 7and no where else7 find their   
,center2 there to sport with ,delight1  
and unexpectedly to charm4  ,sec4 #h4   
,that1 it is owing to an exquisite      
,taste1 that they are executed with that

 sweet putting forth of the ,voice1     
which is so enchanting4  ,from the      
accessory ,qualities is learned1  ,sec4 
#i4 ,that the ,graces or ,passages be   
easy in appearance1 thereby to give     
universal ,delight4  ,sec4 #aj4 ,that in
 effect ,they be difficult that thereby 
the ,art of the ,inventor be the more   
admired4  ,sec4 #aa4 ,that ,they be     
performed with an equal regard to the   
,expression of the ,words1 and the      
,beauty of the ,art4  ,sec4 #ab4 ,that  
,they be gliding or dragging in the     
,pathetick1 for ,they have a better     
,effect than those that are mark'd4     
,sec4 #ac4 ,that ,they do not appear    
studied1 in order to be the more        
regarded4  ,sec4 #ad4 ,that ,they be    
softened with the ,piano in the         
,pathetick1 which will make them more   
affecting4  ,sec4 #ae4 ,that in the     
,allegro ,they be sometimes accompanied 
with the ,forte and the ,piano1 so as to
 make a sort of ,chiaro ,scuro4  ,sec4  
#af4 ,that ,they be confin'd to a ,group

 of a few ,notes1 which are more        
pleasing than those which are too       
numerous4  ,sec4 #ag4 ,that in a slow   
,time1 there may be a greater ,number of
 them 7if the ,bass allows it7 with an  
,obligation upon the ,singer to keep to 
the ,point propos'd1 that his ,capacity 
be made more conspicuous4  ,sec4 #ah4   
,that ,they be properly introduc'd1 for 
in a wrong ,place ,they disgust4  ,sec4 
#ai4 ,that ,they come not too close     
together1 in order to keep them         
distinct4  ,sec4 #bj4 ,that ,they should
 proceed rather from the ,heart than    
from the ,voice1 in order to make their 
way to the ,heart more easily4  ,sec4   
#ba4 ,that ,they be not made on the     
second or fourth ,vowel1 when closely   
pronounc'd1 and much less on the third  
and fifth4  ,sec4 #bb4 ,that ,they be   
not copied1 if you would not have them  
appear defective4  ,sec4 #bc4 ,that     
,they be stol'n on the ,time1 to        
captivate the ,soul4  ,sec4 #bd4 ,that  
,they never be repeated in the same     

place1 particularly in ,pathetick ,airs1
 for there they are the most taken      
,notice of by the ,judicious4  ,sec4    
#be4 ,and1 above all1 let them be       
improv'd2 by no means let them lose in  
the ,repetition4  ,sec4 #bf4 ,many      
,professors are of ,opinion1 that in    
,graces there is no room for the marked 
,divisions1 unless mix'd with some of   
the aforesaid ,embellishments or some   
other agreable ,accidents4  ,sec4 #bg4  
,but it is now time that we speak of the
 ,dragging1 that1 if the ,pathetick     
should once return again into the       
,world1 a ,singer might be able to      
understand it4 ,the ,explanation would  
be easier understood by ,notes of       
,musick than by ,words1 if the ,printer 
was not under great ,difficulty to print
 a few ,notes2 notwithstanding which1   
,i'll endeavour1 the best ,i can1 to    
make myself understood4  ,sec4 #bh4     
,when on an even and regular ,movement  
of a ,bass1 which proceeds slowly1 a    
,singer begins with a high ,note1       

dragging it gently down to a low one1   
with the ,forte and ,piano1 almost      
gradually1 with ,inequality of ,motion1 
that is to say1 stopping a little more  
on some ,notes in the ,middle1 than on  
those that begin or end the ,strascino  
or ,dragg4#aji ,every good musician     
takes it for granted1 that in the ,art  
of ,singing there is no ,invention      
superior1 or ,execution more apt to     
touch the ,heart than this1 provided    
however it be done with ,judgment1 and  
with putting forth of the ,voice in a   
just ,time on the ,bass4 ,whosoever has 
most ,notes at ,command1 has the greater
 ,advantage2 because this pleasing      
,ornament is so much the more to be     
admired1 by how much the greater the    
,fall is4 ,perform'd by an excellent    
,soprano1 that makes use of it but      
seldom1 it becomes a ,prodigy2 but as   
much as it pleases descending1 no less  
would it displease ascending4  ,sec4    
#bi4 ,mind this1 ,o my beloved ,singers6
 ,for it is to ,you only1 who are       

inclined to study1 that ,i have         
addressed myself4 ,this was the         
,doctrine of the ,school of those       
,professors1 whom1 by way of ,reproach1 
some mistaken ,persons call ,ancients4  
,observe carefully its ,rules1 examine  
strictly its ,precepts1 and1 if not     
blinded by ,prejudice1 you will see that
 this ,school ought to sing in ,tune1 to
 put forth the ,voice1 to make the      
,words understood1 to express1 to use   
proper ,gesture1 to perform in ,time1 to
 vary on its ,movement1 to compose1 and 
to study the ,pathetick1 in which alone 
,taste and ,judgment triumph4 ,confront 
this ,school with yours1 and if its     
,precepts should not be sufficient to   
instruct you1 learn what's wanting from 
the ,modern4  ,sec4 #cj4 ,but if these  
my ,exhortations1 proceeding from my    
,zeal1 have no ,weight with you1 as the 
,advice of ,inferiors is seldom         
regarded1 allow at least1 that whoever  
has the ,faculty of ,thinking1 may once 
in sixty ,years think right4 ,and if you

 think1 that ,i have been too partial to
 the ,times past1 then would ,i persuade
 you1 7if you have not a shaking ,hand7 
to weigh in a just ,ballance your most  
renowned ,singers2 who you take to be   
,moderns 7but are not so1 except in     
their ,cadences27 and having undeceived 
yourselves1 you will perceive in them1  
that instead of ,affectations1 ,abuses1 
and ,errors1 ,they sing according to    
those powerful ,lessons that give       
,delight to the ,soul1 and whose        
,perfections have made ,impressions on  
me1 and which ,i shall always remember  
with the greatest ,pleasure4 ,do but    
consult them1 as ,i have done1 and they 
will truly and freely tell you1 ,that   
,they sell their ,jewels where they are 
understood2 ,that the ,singers of       
,eminence are not of the ,mode1 and that
 at present there are many bad ,singers4
  ,sec4 #ca4 ,true it is1 that there are
 some1 tho' few1 very good ,singers1    
who1 when the ,vehemence of their       
youthful fire is abated1 will by their  

,examples do ,justice to their          
delightful ,profession1 in keeping up   
the ,splendor of it1 and will leave to  
,posterity a lasting and glorious ,fame 
of their ,performances4 ,i point them   
out to you1 that1 if you find yourselves
 in an ,error1 you may not want the     
,means to correct it1 nor an ,oracle to 
apply to whenever you have occasion4    
,from whence ,i have good ,grounds to   
hope1 that the true ,taste in ,singing  
will last to the ,end of the ,world4    
,sec4 #cb4 ,whoever comprehends what has
 been demonstrated to him1 in these and 
many other ,observations1 will need no  
farther ,incitement to study4 ,stirred  
up by his own ,desire1 he will fly to   
his beloved ,instrument1 from which1 by 
continued ,application1 he will find he 
has no ,reason to sit down satisfied    
with what he has learn'd before4 ,he    
will make new ,discoveries1 inventing   
new ,graces1 from whence after comparing
 them well together1 he will chuse the  
best1 and will make use of them as long 

as he thinks them so2 but1 going on in  
refining1 he will find others more      
deserving his ,esteem4 ,to conclude1    
from these he will proceed on to an     
almost infinite ,number of ,graces1 by  
the means whereof his ,mind will be so  
opened1 that the most hidden ,treasures 
of the ,art1 and most remote from his   
,imagination1 will voluntarily present  
themselves2 so that1 unless ,pride      
blinds him1 or ,study becomes tiresome  
to him1 or his ,memory fails him1 he    
will increase his ,store of             
,embellishments in a ,stile which will  
be entirely his own3 ,the principal ,aim
 of one that strives to gain the highest
 ,applause4  ,sec4 #cc4 ,finally1 ,o ye 
young ,singers1 hearken to me for your  
,profit and ,advantage4 ,the ,abuses1   
the ,defects1 and the ,errors divulged  
by me in these ,observations1 7which in 
,justice ought not to be charg'd on the 
,modern ,stile7 were once almost all    
,faults ,i myself was guilty of2 and in 
the ,flower of my ,youth1 when ,i       

thought myself to be a great ,man1 it   
was not easy for me to discover them4   
,but1 in a more mature ,age1 the slow   
,undeceit comes too late4 ,i know ,i    
have sung ill1 and would ,i have not    
writ worse6 but since ,i have suffered  
by my ,ignorance1 let it at least serve 
for a ,warning to amend those who wish  
to sing well4 ,he that studies1 let him 
imitate the ingenious ,bee1 that sucks  
its ,honey from the most grateful       
,flowers4 ,from those called ,ancients1 
and those supposed ,moderns1 7as ,i have
 said7 much may be learn'd2 it is enough
 to find out the ,flower1 and know how  
to distill1 and draw the ,essence from  
it4  ,sec4 #cd4 ,the most cordial1 and  
not less profitable ,advice1 ,i can give
 you1 is the following3  ,sec4 #ce4     
,remember what has been wisely observed1
 that ,mediocrity of ,merit can but for 
a short time eclipse the true ,sublime1 
which1 how old soever it grows1 can     
never die4  ,sec4 #cf4 ,abhor the       
,example of those who hate ,correction2 

for like ,lightning to those who walk in
 the ,dark1 tho' it frightens them1 it  
gives them ,light4  ,sec4 #cg4 ,learn   
from the ,errors of others3 ,o great    
,lesson6 it costs little1 and instructs 
much4 ,of every one something is to be  
learned1 and the most ,ignorant is      
sometimes the greatest ,master4         
,,finis4     ,,plates  ,pl4 ,i  ,chap4  
#a4st  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #aa ,page   
#ag ,n4 #a  ,illustration3 ,page #ag ,n4
 #b  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #ab ,page #ah 
,n4 #c ,exachords ,transposed a ,fifth  
lower  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #bi ,page   
#bh ,n4 #d ,messa di ,voce  ,pl4 ,,ii   
,chap4 #b;d4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #b   
,page #cb ,n4 #a ,semitones ,major      
,semitones ,minor  ,illustration3 ,sec4 
#c ,page #cb  #cc ,n4 #b  ,illustration3
 ,sec4 #d ,page #cd ,n4 #c              
,illustration3 ,sec4 #e ,page #cd ,n4 #d
  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #f ,page #cd ,n4 
#e  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #g ,page #ce   
,n4 #f  ,pl4 ,,iii  ,illustration3 ,sec4
 #h ,page #ce ,n4 #g4  ,illustration3   

,sec4 #i ,page #ce ,n4 #h4              
,illustration3 ,sec4 #ad ,page #cg ,n4  
#i4  ,illustration3 ,page #cg ,n4 #aj4  
,illustration3 ,page #cg ,n4 #aa4       
,illustration3 ,page #cg ,n4 #ab4       
,illustration3 ,page #cg ,n4 #ac4       
,illustration3 ,sec4#ae ,page #ch ,n4   
#ad4  ,illustration3 ,page #ch ,n4 #ae4 
per ,messe di ,voce  ,pl4 ,,iv  ,chap4  
#c;d4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #f ,page #dc
 ,n4 #a4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #g ,page 
#dc ,n4 #b4  ,illustration3 ,flat ,key  
,illustration3 sharp key ,page #dc ,n4  
#c4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #h ,page #de  
,n4 #d4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #i ,page  
#de ,n4 #e4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #aj   
,page #de ,n4 #f4  ,illustration3 ,sec4 
#aa ,page #df ,n4 #g4  ,illustration3   
,sec4 #ab ,page #df ,n4 #h4             
,illustration3 ,sec4 #ac ,page #dg ,n4  
#i4  ,chap #dth  ,illustration3 ,sec4   
#bi ,page #fb ,n4 #aj4 ,bad  ,chap4 #eth
  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #ac ,page #gd ,n4
 #a4 affann31 ,n4 #b4 affan-ni  ,chap   
#hth  ,illustration3 ,sec4 #a ,page #abf

 ,n4 #c4 ,superior ,cadence  ,la ,sol   
,fa  ,inferior ,cadence  ,fa me ,fa     
,illustration3 ,sec4 #c ,page #abg  ,n4 
#d4 ,n4 #e4  nel fondo  ,illustration3  
,sec4 #g ,page #acb ,n4 #f41 not        
,resolved ,n4 #g ,resolved              
,illustration3 ,sec4 #i ,page #acd ,n4  
#h ,confondve-ro amve-ro   ,,footnotes3 
#a ,when ,arts and ,sciences were       
retrieving from the ,barbarism in which 
they were buried1 ,musick chiefly took  
its ,rise in ,flanders1 and the         
,composers of ,musick of that ,nation   
were dispersed all over ,europe1 to the 
,improvement of others4 ,in ,italy there
 arose from that ,school1 among several 
others1 ,p4 ,alis4 ,palestrina1 a       
,genius so extraordinary1 that he is    
looked upon as the ,raphael among the   
,musicians4 ,he lived in ,pope ,leo the 
,tenth's ,time2 and no ,musick1 that we 
know of1 is performed at the ,pope's    
,chapel1 to this ,day1 but of his       
,composition1 except the famous         
,miserere of ,allegri1 who liv'd a      

little time after ,palestrina4  #b ,our 
,author seems to be a little too partial
 in ,favour of the ,singer1 all         
momentary ,productions being the same2  
though it must be allowed1 that by      
reason of the ,expression of the ,words1
 any ,error in ,singing will be more    
capital1 than if the same were committed
 on an ,instrument4  #c ,the ,author    
directs this for the ,instruction of a  
,soprano1 or a treble ,voice1 because   
,youth possesses that ,voice mostly1 and
 that is the ,age when they should begin
 to study ,musick4 ,it may not be amiss 
to mention1 that the ,soprano is most   
apt to perform the ,things required by  
your ,author1 and that every different  
,scale of ,voice has something          
peculiarly relative to its ,kind as its 
own ,property2 for a ,soprano has       
generally most ,volubility1 and becomes 
it best2 and also equally the           
,pathetick4 ,the ,contr',alto more of   
the ,pathetick than the ,volubility2 the
 ,tenor less of the ,pathetick1 but more

 of the ,volubility than the            
,contr',alto1 though not so much as the 
,soprano4 ,the ,bass1 in general more   
pompous than any1 but should not be so  
boisterous as now too often practised4  
#d ,by this section1 and mostly         
throughout the ,work1 one sees1 the     
,author calculated this ,treatise       
chiefly for the ,advantage of           
,professors of ,musick2 but1            
notwithstanding1 it appears in several  
,places1 that his ,intention is1 that   
all ,lovers of ,musick should also be   
the better for it4  #e ,the ,explanation
 of ,sic vos non vobis1 c41 for the     
,satisfaction of those who do not       
perfectly remember it4  ,virgil having  
composed a ,distich1 containing the     
,praise of ,augustus1 and a ,compliment 
on his good ,fortune1 fix'd it on the   
,palace ,gate1 without any ,name        
subscrib'd4 ,augustus1 making strict    
,enquiry after the ,author1 and         
,virgil's ,modesty not suffering him to 
own the ,verses1 one ,bathillus1 a ,poet

 of a mean ,reputation1 owned himself   
the ,author1 and received ,honour and   
,reward from the ,emperor4 ,virgil1     
somewhat scandalized at this ,accident1 
fixed an ,hemistich in these ,words     
7,sic vos non vobis7 four times repeated
 under the other1 where he had placed   
the former ,verses4 ,the ,emperor was as
 diligent to have these ,hemistichs     
filled up1 but no-body appearing to do  
it1 at length ,virgil supplied them     
thus3      ,hos ego ,versiculos feci1   
tulit alter ,honores2       ,sic vos non
 vobis nidificatis aves4       ,sic vos 
non vobis vellera fertis oves4          
,sic vos non vobis mellificatis apes4   
,sic vos non vobis fertis aratra boves4 
i4e4 ,these ,verses ,i made1 but another
 has taken the ,applause of them4       
,so ye ,birds build not your ,nests     
,for yourselves4     ,so ye ,sheep bear 
not your ,wool         ,for yourselves4 
,so ye ,bees make not your ,honey       
,for yourselves4     ,so ye ,oxen submit
 to the ,plow         ,not for          

yourselves4  ,upon this ,discovery1     
,bathillus became the ,ridicule of      
,rome1 and ,virgil acquired a double    
,reputation4  ,the ,distich1 which      
,bathillus claim'd for his1 was this3   
,nocte plut tota1 redeunt spectacula    
mane1   ,divisum ,imperium cum ,jove    
,caesar habet4  i4e4 ,it rain'd all     
,night2 in the ,morning the publick     
,shews return3 ,jove and ,caesar divide 
the ,rule of the ,world4 ,the           
,compliment is1 that ,caesar designing  
to exhibit ,sports to the ,people1      
though the preceding ,night was rainy   
and unpromising1 yet such ,weather      
returned with the ,morning1 as did not  
disappoint the ,solemnity4  #f ,alla    
,capella1 ,church-,musick where the     
,flats and ,sharps are not mark'd4  #g  
,seven ,cliffs necessary to be known4   
,pl4 ,i4 ,numb4 #a4 ,by the ,help of    
these ,cliffs any ,line or ,space may be
 what ,note you please4 ,pl4 ,i4 ,numb4 
#b4  #h ,it is necessary to understand  
the ,sol-,fa-ing1 and its ,rules1 which 

shew where the two ,semitones lie in    
each ,octave1 ,pl4 ,i4 ,numb4 #c4 ,where
 ,flats or ,sharps are marked at the    
,cliff1 the ,rule is1 if one ,flat1     
,that is ,fa2 if more ,flats1 the last4 
,if one ,sharp1 ,that is ,mi2 if more   
,sharps1 the last4  #i ,his meaning is1 
that the ,french are not in the right4  
#aj ,see ,sec4 #b1 and the following1 in
 ,chap4 ,,iii4 where the ,difficulty of 
the ,semitone ,major and ,minor are     
cleared4  #aa ,voce di ,petto is a full 
,voice1 which comes from the ,breast by 
,strength1 and is the most sonorous and 
expressive4 ,voce di ,testa comes more  
from the ,throat1 than from the ,breast1
 and is capable of more ,volubility4    
,falsetto is a feigned ,voice1 which is 
entirely formed in the ,throat1 has more
 ,volubility than any1 but of no        
,substance4  #ab ,register2 a ,term     
taken from the different ,stops of an   
,organ4  #ac ,the ,pitch of ,lombardy or
 ,venice1 is something more than half a 
,tone higher than at ,rome4  #ad ,a     

,messa di ,voce is the holding out and  
swelling a ,note4 ,vide ,pl4 ,i4 ,numb4 
#d4 ,this being a ,term of ,art1 it is  
necessary to use it1 as well as ,piano  
for soft1 and ,forte for loud4 ,n4,b4   
,our ,author recommends here to use any 
,grace sparingly1 which he does in      
several other ,places1 and with ,reason2
 for the finest ,grace too often        
repeated grows tiresome4  #ae ,see for  
,appoggiatura in the next ,chapter4  #af
 ,this ,chapter contains some ,enquiries
 into ,matters of ,curiosity1 and       
demands a little ,attention4 ,the       
,reader therefore is desired to postpone
 it to the last4  #ag ,appoggiatura is a
 ,word to which the ,english ,language  
has not an ,equivalent2 it is a ,note   
added by the ,singer1 for the arriving  
more gracefully to the following ,note1 
either in rising or falling1 as is shewn
 by the ,examples in ,notes of ,musick1 
,pl4 ,,ii4 ,numb4 #b4 ,the ,french      
express it by two different ,terms1     
,port de ,voix and ,appuyer2 as the     

,english do by a ,prepare and a ,lead4  
,the ,word ,appoggiatura is derived from
 ,appoggiare to lean on4 ,in this       
,sense1 you lean on the first to arrive 
at the ,note intended1 rising or        
falling2 and you dwell longer on the    
,preparation1 than the ,note for which  
the ,preparation is made1 and according 
to the ,value of the ,note4 ,the same in
 a ,preparation to a ,shake1 or a ,beat 
from the ,note below4 ,no ,appoggiatura 
can be made at the ,beginning of a      
,piece2 there must be a ,note preceding1
 from whence it leads4  #ah ,here begins
 the ,examination of the ,semitones     
,major and ,minor1 which he promised in 
,sec4 #ae4 ,ch4 #a4 ,it may be of       
,satisfaction to the ,studious1 to set  
this ,matter at once in a true ,light2  
by which our ,author's ,doubts will be  
cleared1 and his ,reasoning the easier  
understood4 ,a ,semitone ,major changes 
,name1 ,line1 and ,space3 ,a ,semitone  
,minor changes neither4 ,pl4 ,,ii4      
,numb4 #a4 ,to a ,semitone ,major one   

can go with a ,rise or a ,fall          
distinctly2 to a ,semitone ,minor one   
cannot ,n4,b4 ,from a ,tone ,minor the  
,appoggiatura is better and easier than 
from a ,tone ,major4  #ai ,these are all
 ,tones ,major and ,minor1 and          
,semitones ,major4 ,pl4 ,,ii4 ,numb4 #b4
  #bj ,because they are ,semitones      
,major4 ,pl4 ,,ii4 ,numb4 #c4  #ba      
,because they are ,semitones ,major4    
,pl4 ,,ii4 ,numb4 #d4  #bb ,because they
 are all ,semitones ,minor1 which may be
 known by the abovementioned ,rule1 of  
their not changing ,name1 ,line1 nor    
,space4 ,pl4 ,,ii4 ,numb4 #e4 and which 
makes it manifest1 that a ,semitone     
,minor cannot bear an ,appoggiatura4    
#bc ,for the same ,reason1 these being  
,semitones ,minor4 ,pl4 ,,ii4 ,numb4 #f4
  #bd ,because one is a ,semitone       
,major1 and the other a ,semitone       
,minor4 ,pl4 ,,iii4 ,numb4 #g4  #be     
,because they are ,semitones ,minor4    
,pl4 ,,iii1 ,numb4 #h4  #bf ,the ,tone1 
or ,mood1 you are in1 will determine    

which is a ,tone ,major or ,minor2 for  
if you change the ,mood or ,tone1 that  
which was the ,tone ,major may become   
the ,tone ,minor1 and so ,vice ,versa3  
,therefore these two ,examples from ,c  
to ,d1 and from ,f to ,g1 do not hold   
true4  #bg ,his ,perplexity comes from a
 wrong ,notion1 in not distinguishing   
those two ,semitones4  #bh ,all         
,intervals1 rising with an              
,appoggiatura1 arise to the ,note with a
 sort of ,beat1 more or less3 and the   
same1 descending1 arrive to the ,note   
with a sort of ,shake1 more or less4    
,pl4 ,,iii4 ,numb4 #i1 #aj4 ,one cannot 
agreeably ascend or descend the         
,interval of a third ,major or ,minor1  
,pl4 ,,iii4 ,numb #aa4 ,but gradually   
very well4 ,pl4 ,,iii4 ,numb4 #ab4      
,examples of false or deceitful         
,intervals4 ,pl4 ,,iii4 ,numb4 #ac4  #bi
 ,so in all ,cases where the ,interval  
is deceitful4 ,pl4 ,,iii4 ,numb4 #ad4   
,with a ,messa di ,voce4 ,pl4 ,,iii4    
,numb4 #ae4 ,see for ,messa di ,voce1   

,chap4 ,i4 ,sec4 #bi1 and its ,note4    
#cj ,in all the modern ,italian         
,compositions the ,appoggiatura's are   
mark'd1 supposing the ,singers to be    
ignorant where to place them4 ,the      
,french use them for their ,lessons on  
the ,harpsichord1 c41 but seldom for the
 ,voice4  #ca ,see for the several      
,examples of the ,shakes1 ,pl4 ,,iv4    
#cb ,the first ,shake of a ,tone1 ,pl4  
,,iv4 ,numb4 #a4  #cc ,see for the      
,meaning of superior and inferior       
,cadences1 ,chap4 ,,viii4 ,sec4 #a4 ,pl4
 ,v4 ,numb4 #c4 ,n4,b4 ,prom the        
inferior or lower ,cadences1 the first1 
or full1 ,tone ,shake1 is not always    
excluded2 for in a sharp ,key it is     
always a ,tone1 and in a flat ,key a    
,semitone1 ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,numb4 #c4  #cd   
,the second ,shake of a ,semitone       
,major1 ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,numb4 #b4  #ce ,the 
third the short ,shake4 ,pl4 ,,iv4      
,numb4 #d4  #cf ,the fourth the rising  
,shake4 ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,numb4 #e4  #cg ,the 
fifth the descending ,shake4 ,pl4 ,,iv4 

,numb4 #f4  #ch ,the sixth the slow     
,shake4 ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,numb4 #g4  #ci ,the 
seventh the redoubled ,shake4 ,pl4 ,,iv4
 ,numb4 #h4  #dj ,the eighth the        
,trillo-,mordente1 or ,shake with a     
,beat4 ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,numb4 #i4  #da       
,shakes are generally proper from       
preceding ,notes descending1 but not    
ascending1 except on particular         
,occasions4 ,never too many1 or too near
 one another2 but very bad to begin with
 them1 which is too frequently done4    
,the using so often ,beats1 ,shakes1 and
 ,prepares1 is owing to ,lessons on the 
,lute1 ,harpsichord1 and other          
,instruments1 whose ,sounds discontinue1
 and therefore have ,need of this ,help4
  #db ,the mark'd ,divisions should be  
something like the ,staccato on the     
,violin1 but not too much2 against which
 a ,caution will presently be given4    
#dc ,the ,gliding ,notes are like       
several ,notes in one ,stroke of the    
,bow on the ,violin4  #dd ,the          
pronouncing ,eror instead of ,error2 or 

,dally instead of ,daly4 ,the not       
distinguishing2 the double ,consonants  
from the single1 is an ,error but too   
common at present4  #de ,see for the    
syncopated1 ,ligatura1 or binding       
,notes1 ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,numb4 #aj4  #df     
,madrigals are ,pieces in several       
,parts2 the last in ,practice were about
 threescore ,years ago2 then the        
,opera's began to be in ,vogue1 and good
 ,musick and the ,knowledge of it began 
to decline4  #dg ,musica di ,camera4    
,chamber1 or private1 ,musick2 where the
 ,multitude is not courted for          
,applause1 but only the true ,judges2   
and consists chiefly in ,cantata's1     
,duetto's1 c4 ,in the ,recitative of    
,cantata's1 our ,author excelled in a   
singular ,manner for the pathetick      
,expression of the ,words4  #dh ,cortona
 liv'd above forty ,years ago4          
,balarini1 in ,service at the ,court of 
,vienna1 much in ,favour with the       
,emperor ,joseph1 who made him a ,baron4
  #di ,see ,broken ,cadences1 ,pl4 ,v4  

,numb4 #a4  ----,final ,cadences1 ,pl4  
,v4 ,numb4 #b4  #ej ,motets1 or         
,anthems4  #ea ,the ,proverb is1 ,lingua
 ,toscana in bocca ,romana4--,this      
regards the different ,dialects1 in     
,italy2 as ,neapolitan1 ,venetian1 c4   
the same1 in ,comparison1 ,london to    
,york1 or ,somersetshire4  #eb ,the     
,church-,musick in ,italy is all in     
,latin1 except ,oratorio's1 which are   
,entertainments in their ,churches4 ,it 
is therefore necessary to have some     
,notion of the ,latin ,tongue4  #ec ,the
 first ,caution against imitating       
injudiciously the ,instrumental with the
 ,voice4  #ed ,the ,italians have a     
,saying1 ,voce di ,compositore1 to      
denote a bad or an indifferent ,voice4  
#ee ,cantabile1 the ,tender1            
,passionate1 ,pathetick2 more ,singing  
than ,allegro1 which is ,lively1 ,brisk1
 ,gay1 and more in the executive ,way4  
#ef ,suppose the first ,part expressed  
,anger1 and the second relented1 and was
 to express ,pity or ,compassion1 he    

must be angry again in the ,da ,capo4   
,this often happens1 and is very        
ridiculous if not done to a real        
,purpose1 and that the ,subject and     
,poetry require it4  #eg ,it is         
supposed1 the ,scholar is arrived to the
 ,capacity of knowing ,harmony and      
,counterpoint4  #eh ,the general        
dividing of ,airs described1 to which   
the ,author often refers4  #ei ,with due
 ,deference to our ,author1 it may be   
feared1 that the ,affectation of        
,singing with ,variety has conduced very
 much to the introducing a bad ,taste4  
#fj ,continuation of the general        
dividing ,airs in ,sec4 #d4 ,the ,end of
 this ,section is a seasonable          
,corrective of the ,rule prescribed in  
the foregoing fifth ,section4  #fa      
,rivani1 called ,ciecolino1 must have   
written some ,treatise on ,time1 which  
is not come to us1 therefore no further 
,account can be given of him4  #fb      
,pistochi was very famous above fifty   
,years ago1 and refined the ,manner of  

singing in ,italy1 which was then a     
little crude4 ,his ,merit in this is    
acknowledged by all his ,countrymen1    
contradicted by none4 ,briefly1 what is 
recounted of him1 is1 that when he first
 appeared to the ,world1 and a ,youth1  
he had a very fine treble ,voice1       
admired and encouraged universally1 but 
by a dissolute ,life lost it1 and his   
,fortune4 ,being reduced to the utmost  
,misery1 he entered into the ,service of
 a ,composer1 as a ,copyist1 where he   
made use of the ,opportunity of learning
 the ,rules of ,composition1 and became 
a good ,proficient4 ,after some ,years1 
he recovered a little ,glimpse of       
,voice1 which by ,time and ,practice    
turned into a fine ,contr',alto4 ,having
 ,experience on his ,side1 he took ,care
 of it1 and as ,encouragement came      
again1 he took the ,opportunity of      
travelling all ,europe over1 where      
hearing the different ,manners and      
,tastes1 he appropriated them to        
himself1 and formed that agreeable      

,mixture1 which he produced in ,italy1  
where he was imitated and admired4 ,he  
at last past many ,years1 when in an    
affluent ,fortune1 at the ,court of     
,anspach1 where he had a ,stipend1 and  
lived an agreeable easy ,life2 and at   
last retired to a ,convent in ,italy4   
,it has been remark'd1 that though      
several of his ,disciples shewed the    
,improvement they had from him1 yet     
others made an ill use of it1 having not
 a little contributed to the            
,introduction of the modern ,taste4  #fc
 ,sifacio1 famous beyond any1 for the   
most singular ,beauty of his ,voice4    
,his ,manner of ,singing was remarkably 
plain1 consisting particularly in the   
,messa di ,voce1 the putting forth his  
,voice1 and the ,expression4  ,there is 
an ,italian ,saying1 that an hundred    
,perfections are required in an         
excellent ,singer1 and he that hath a   
fine ,voice has ninety-nine of them4    
,it is also certain1 that as much as is 
allotted to ,volubility and ,tricks1 so 

much is the ,beauty of the ,voice       
sacrificed2 for the one cannot be done  
without ,prejudice to the other4        
,sifacio got that ,name from his acting 
the ,part of ,syphax the first time he  
appeared on the ,stage4 ,he was in      
,england when famous1 and belonged to   
,king ,james the ,second's ,chapel4     
,after which he returned to ,italy1     
continuing to be very much admired1 but 
at last was waylaid1 and murthered for  
his ,indiscretion4  #fd ,buzzolini1 the 
,name known1 but no ,particulars of him4
  #fe ,litigino1 in the ,service of the 
,emperor ,joseph1 and a ,scholar of     
,pistochi4  #ff ,signora ,boschi was    
over in ,england in ,queen ,anne's      
,time2 she sung one ,season in the      
,opera's1 returned to ,venice1 and left 
her ,husband behind for several ,years2 
he sung the ,bass4 ,she was a ,mistress 
of ,musick1 but her ,voice was on the   
,decay when she came here4  #fg         
,santini1 afterwards ,signora ,lotti4   
,she was famous above forty ,years ago1 

and appeared at several ,courts in      
,germany1 where she was sent for2 then  
retired to ,venice1 where she married   
,signor ,lotti1 ,chapel-,master of ,st4 
,mark4  ,all these ,singers1 though they
 had a ,talent particular to themselves1
 they could1 however1 sing in several   
sorts of ,stile2 on the contrary1 one   
finds few1 but what attempt nothing that
 is out of their ,way4 ,a modern ,singer
 of the good ,stile1 being asked1       
whether such and such ,compositions     
would not please at present in ,italy8  
,no doubt1 said he1 they would1 but     
where are the ,singers that can sing    
them8  #fh ,those tremendous ,airs are  
called in ,italian1 un ,aria di         
,bravura2 which cannot perhaps be better
 translated into ,english1 than a       
,hectoring ,song4  #fi ,pierre ,simone  
,agostini lived about threescore ,years 
ago4 ,several ,cantata's of his         
,composition are extant1 some of them   
very difficult1 not from the ,number of 
,divisions in the vocal ,part1 but from 

the ,expression1 and the surprising     
,incidents1 and also the ,execution of  
the ,basses4 ,he seems to be the first  
that put ,basses with so much ,vivacity2
 for ,charissimi before him composed    
with more ,simplicity1 tho' he is       
reckoned to be one of the first1 who    
enlivened his ,musick in the ,movements 
of his ,basses4 ,of ,pierre-,simone     
nothing more is known but that he loved 
his ,bottle1 and when he had run up a   
,bill in some favourite ,place1 he      
composed a ,cantata1 and sent it to a   
certain ,cardinal1 who never failed     
sending him a fixed ,sum1 with which he 
paid off his ,score4  #gj ,alessandro   
,stradella lived about ,pier4 ,simone's 
,time1 or very little after4 ,he was a  
most excellent ,composer1 superior in   
all ,respects to the foregoing1 and     
endowed with distinguishing personal    
,qualifications4 ,it is reported1 that  
his favourite ,instrument was the ,harp1
 with which he sometimes accompanied his
 ,voice1 which was agreeable4 ,to hear  

such a ,composer play on the ,harp1 must
 have been what we can have no ,notion  
of1 by what we now hear4 ,he ended his  
,life fatally1 for he was murthered4    
,the ,fact is thus related4 ,being at   
,genoa1 a ,place where the ,ladies are  
allowed to live with more ,freedom than 
in any other ,part of ,italy1 ,stradella
 had the honour of being admitted into a
 noble ,family1 the ,lady whereof was a 
great ,lover of ,musick4 ,her ,brother1 
a wrong-headed ,man1 takes ,umbrage at  
,stradella's frequent ,visits there1 and
 forbids him going upon his ,peril1     
which ,order ,stradella obeys4 ,the     
,lady's ,husband not having seen        
,stradella at his ,house for some ,days1
 reproaches him with it4 ,stradella1 for
 his ,excuse1 tells him his             
,brother-in-,law's ,order1 which the    
,nobleman is angry with1 and charges him
 to continue his ,visits as formerly2 he
 had been there scarce three or four    
,times1 but one ,evening going ,home1   
attended by a ,servant and a ,lanthorn1 

four ,ruffians rushed out1 the ,lady's  
,brother one among them1 and with       
,stiletts or ,daggers stabb'd him1 and  
left him dead upon the ,place4 ,the     
people of ,genoa all in a ,rage fought  
for the ,murtherer1 who was forced to   
fly1 his ,quality not being able to     
protect him4 ,in another ,account of    
him1 this ,particularity is mentioned2  
that the ,murderers pursued him to      
,rome1 and on ,enquiry learned1 that an 
,oratorio of his ,composition was to be 
performed that ,evening2 they went with 
an ,intent to execute their ,design1 but
 were so moved with his ,composition1   
that they rather chose to tell him his  
,danger1 advised him to depart1 and be  
upon his ,guard4 ,but1 being pursued by 
others1 he lost his ,life4 ,his ,fate   
has been lamented by every ,body1       
especially by those who knew his ,merit1
 and none have thought him deserving so 
sad a ,catastrophe4  #ga ,when ,tosi    
writ this1 the ,composers in ,vogue were
 ,scarlatti1 ,bononcini1 ,gasparini1    

,mancini1 c4 ,the last and modern ,stile
 has pretty well spread itself all over 
,italy1 and begins to have a great      
,tendency to the same beyond the ,alps1 
as he calls it4  #gb ,the ,moods1 here  
spoken of1 our ,author has not well     
explained4 ,the ,foundation he goes upon
 are the eight ,church ,moods4 ,but his 
,meaning and ,complaint is1 that        
commonly the ,compositions are in ,c1 or
 in ,a1 with their ,transpositions1 and 
that the others are not used or known4  
,but to particularise here what the     
,moods are1 and how to be used1 is      
impossible1 for that ,branch only would 
require a large ,treatise by itself4    
#gc ,the ,airs1 sung in ,unison with the
 ,instruments1 were invented in the     
,venetian ,opera's1 to please the       
,barcaroles1 who are their ,watermen3   
and very often their ,applause supports 
an ,opera4 ,the ,roman ,school always   
distinguished itself1 and required      
,compositions of ,study and ,care4 ,how 
it is now at ,rome is doubtful2 but we  

do not hear that there are any          
,corelli's4  #gd ,maestro di ,capella1  
,master of the ,chapel1 the highest     
,title belonging to a ,master of        
,musick4 ,even now the ,singers in      
,italy give the ,composers of ,opera's  
the ,title of ,signior ,maestro as a    
,mark of their ,submission4  #ge        
,contrapunto1 ,counterpoint1 or ,note   
against ,note1 the first ,rudiments of  
,composition4  #gf ,furlana4 ,a sort of 
,country ,dance1 or ,cheshire-,round4   
,it is reported1 that the               
,church-,musick in ,italy1 far from     
keeping that ,majesty it ought1 is      
vastly abused the other way2 and some   
,singers have had the ,impudence to have
 other ,words put to favourite ,opera   
,airs and sung them in ,churches4 ,this 
,abuse is not new1 for ,st4 ,augustine  
complains of it2 and ,palestrina        
prevented in his ,time ,musick from     
being banished the ,churches4  #gg      
,tono1 or ,mood1 and sometimes means the
 ,key4 ,our ,author in this ,section is 

fond of a ,pun1 which cannot well be    
translated4 ,tono is sometimes writ     
,tuono and ,tuono signifies ,thunder2   
therefore the ,ignorant answers1 he     
knows no other ,tuono but that which is 
preceded by ,lightning4  #gh ,cadences2 
or1 principal ,closes in ,airs4  #gi    
,for superior and inferior ,cadences1   
see ,pl4 ,v4 ,numb4 #c4  #hj ,broken    
,cadences1 see ,example1 ,chap4 ,v4     
,sec4 #ac1 and its ,note4  #ha ,cadences
 that fall a ,fifth1 with and without   
,words1 ,pl4 ,v1 ,numb4 #d and #e4  #hb 
,by the ,final ,cadences here mentioned1
 the first is at the ,end of the first  
,part of the ,air2 the ,second at the   
,end of the second ,part3 and the ,third
 at the end of the first ,part when     
repeated again1 or at the ,da ,capo1 as 
it is always expressed in ,italian4  #hc
 ,for the resolved and unresolved       
,cadences1 see ,pl4 ,v4 ,numb4 #f and   
#g4  #hd ,see for the ,examples1 ,pl4   
,v4 ,numb4 #h4  #he ,see ,example1 ,pl4 
,,vi4 ,numb4 #a4  #hf ,see ,example1    

,pl4 ,,vi4 ,numb4 #b4  ,n4,b4 ,an       
,appoggiatura cannot be made on an      
unaccented ,syllable4  #hg ,see for     
,examples1 ,pl4 ,,vi4 ,numb4 #c4  #hh   
,see for ,examples1 ,pl4 ,,vi4 ,numb4   
#d4  #hi ,some1 after a tender and      
passionate ,air1 make a lively merry    
,cadence2 and1 after a brisk ,air1 end  
it with one that is doleful4  #ij       
,though this ,chapter regards ,singers  
who make it their ,profession1 and      
particularly those who sing on the      
,stage1 yet there are many excellent    
,precepts interspersed1 that are of ,use
 to ,lovers of ,musick4  #ia ,kyrie1 the
 first ,word of the ,mass-,musick in the
 ,cathedral ,stile1 is not so difficult 
to them as the ,cantata's2 and the      
,latin in the ,service1 being familiar  
to them1 saves them the ,trouble of     
attending to the ,words4  #ib ,thomas   
,morley 7who lived above an hundred     
,years ago7 in the third ,part of his   
,treatise1 pag4 #agi1 speaking of       
,motetts or ,anthems1 complains         

thus3--',but ,i see not what ,passions  
or ,motions it can stir up1 being as    
most ,men doe commonlie ,sing1--leaving 
out the ,ditty--as it were a ,musick    
made onely for ,instruments1 which will 
indeed shew the ,nature of the ,musick1 
but never carry the ,spirit and 7as it  
were7 that lively ,soule which the      
,ditty giveth2 but of this enough4 ,and 
to return to the expressing of the      
,ditty1 the ,matter is now come to that 
,state1 that though a ,song be never so 
wel made1 and never so aptly applyed to 
the ,words1 yet shall you hardly find   
,singers to expresse it as it ought to  
be2 for most of our ,church-men1 7so    
they crie louder in the ,quire then     
their ,fellowes7 care for no more2      
whereas1 by the contrarie1 they ought to
 study how to vowel and sing clean      
expressing their ,words with ,devotion  
and ,passion1 whereby to draw the       
,hearer as it were in ,chaines of ,gold 
by the ,eares to the ,consideration of  
holy ,things4 ,but this1 for the most   

part1 you shall find amongst them1 that 
let them continue never so long in the  
,church1 yea though it were twentie     
,years1 they will never study to sing   
better than they did the first ,day of  
their ,preferment to that ,place2 so    
that it seems1 that having obtained the 
,living which they sought for1 they have
 little or no ,care at all1 either of   
their own ,credit1 or well discharging  
of that ,dutie whereby they have their  
,maintenance4'  #ic ,in ,italy1 the     
,courts of ,palma1 ,modena1 ,turin1 c4  
and in ,germany1 the ,courts of ,vienna1
 ,bavaria1 ,hanover1 ,brandenbourg1     
,palatine1 ,saxony1 c4  #id ,there have 
been such1 who valued themselves for    
shaking a ,room1 breaking the ,windows1 
and stunning the ,auditors with their   
,voice4  #ie ,the renowned ,abbot       
,steffani1 so famous for his ,duetto's1 
would never suffer such luxuriant       
,singers to perform any of them1 unless 
they kept themselves within ,bounds4    
#if ,nicolini1 who came the first time  

into ,england about the ,year #agjh1 had
 both ,qualities1 more than any that    
have come since4 ,he acted to           
,perfection1 and did not sing much      
inferior4 ,his ,variations in the ,airs 
were excellent2 but in his ,cadences he 
had a little of the antiquated ,tricks4 
,valentini1 7who was here at the same   
,time7 a ,scholar of ,pistochi1 though  
not so powerful in ,voice or ,action as 
,nicolini1 was more chaste in his       
,singing4  #ig ,the two ,women1 he      
points at1 are ,cuzzoni and ,faustina4  
#ih ,the ,carnaval is a ,festival in    
,italy1 particularly celebrated at      
,venice from ,christmas to ,lent1 when  
all ,sorts of ,diversions are permitted2
 and at that ,time there are sometimes  
three different ,theatres for ,opera's  
only4  #ii ,our ,author has often       
mentioned ,time2 the ,regard to it1 the 
,strictness of it1 and how much it is   
neglected and unobserv'd4 ,in this      
,place speaking of stealing the ,time1  
it regards particularly the ,vocal1 or  

the ,performance on a single ,instrument
 in the ,pathetick and ,tender2 when the
 ,bass goes an exactly regular ,pace1   
the other ,part retards or anticipates  
in a singular ,manner1 for the ,sake of 
,expression1 but after ,that returns to 
its ,exactness1 to be guided by the     
,bass4 ,experience and ,taste must teach
 it4 ,a mechanical ,method of going on  
with the ,bass will easily distinguish  
the ,merit of the other ,manner4  #ajj  
,a farther ,animadversion against       
imitating ,instruments with the ,voice4 
#aja ,many ,graces may be very good and 
proper for a ,violin1 that would be very
 improper for a ,hautboy2 and so with   
every ,species of ,instruments that have
 something peculiar4 ,it is a very great
 ,error 7too much in ,practice7 for the 
,voice1 7which should serve as a        
,standard to be imitated by             
,instruments17 to copy all the ,tricks  
practised on the several ,instruments1  
to its greatest ,detriment4  #ajb ,passo
 and ,passagio4 ,the ,difference is1    

that a ,passo is a sudden ,grace or     
,flight1 not uniform4 ,see ,pl4 ,,vi4   
,numb4 #e4 ,a ,passagio is a ,division1 
a ,continuation1 or a ,succession of    
,notes1 ascending or descending with    
,uniformity4 ,see ,pl4 ,,vi4 ,numb4 #f4 
#ajc ,this alludes to the ,french       
,manner of ,singing1 from whence that   
,defect is copy'd4  #ajd ,the ,time he  
alludes to1 is at present between thirty
 and forty ,years ago4  #aje ,compare   
this ,section with ,section #da in this 
,chapter and the ,note4  #ajf ,this is a
 ,fault more than once heard of1 in     
,oratario's or ,motetts4  #ajg ,see     
,example1 ,pl4 ,,vi4 ,numb4 #g4  #ajh   
,faustina and ,cuzzoni1 they both having
 within these few ,years been in        
,england1 there needs no other ,remark  
to be made on them1 but to inform       
,futurity1 that the ,english ,audience  
distinguish'd them ,both and at the same
 time1 according to their ,merit1 and as
 our ,author has describ'd them4  ,it   
may be worth remarking1 that            

,castilione1 who lived above two hundred
 ,years ago1 in his ,cortegiano1        
describes ,bidon1 and ,marchetto ,cara1 
two famous ,singers in his ,time1 with  
the same distinguishing ,qualifications4
  #aji ,see ,examples1 ,pl4 ,,vi4 ,numb4
 #h and #i4