TIs many years since I proposed unto a Sove­raign Prince the con­g [...]uity, that as their [...]ersons, so their Mu­sick should be elevated above the Vulgar, and made not only to de­light the ea [...] but also their under­standings; not patcht up with Songs of different subjects, but all of one piece, with design and plot, accom­modated [Page] to their several dispositi­ons, and ocasions; which they then gratiously pleased to be inclined to hearken to, when the intervening of certain unexpected accidents, di­verted their ears from it, and me from farther thought thereof, till travelling into Italy I found that Mu­sick I intended to introduce, excee­dingly in vogue, and far advanced towards its perfection, which made me also more study the perfectio­ning my self therein, I mean Reci­tative Musick, being a compound of Musick and Poetry together, affe­cting the mind and sense with re­doubled delight, since if a thing but [Page] barely pronounced has such force to move the Soul, how much more forcible must it be, when the Har­mony of Musick is added to the pronuntiation?

And this Musick it is, (and no o­ther) that hath wrought all those miracles recorded in antient Story; this tis that preserv [...]d Penelope chast, and Alexander valorous, that expels evil spirits, and appeases troubled minds; and that finally hath caus'd all those admirable effects of Musick (whether real, or figurative) per­form'd by Amphion, Arton, and Or­pheus, &c.

All your antient Musicians having [Page] been Poets too, as your Poets Musi­cians, (having by it a main advan­tage of best expressing their own fancies and conceptions) and so they were called Lyricks, and the Muses and Musick, perhaps, were but reci­proque denominations: Nay, not only almost all the Erudition of those Times, but even the Religion too was delivered in Musick▪ witnes the Canticles of Mo [...]ses, the Psalms of Da­vid, the Hymnes of Orpheus, and fi­nally the Druads Songs, and the Bal­lads of the British Bards, &c.

Which Ballads (such was the Bar­barism of insuing times) was in manner the sole relict of this divine [Page] Science, untill Claudio Montanendo (in our Fathers days) principally, revived, it shall I say? or renewed it again by his admirable Skill (like another Prometheus) conjoyning in one body again the scattered limbs of Orpheus (Musick & Poetry) which the ignorance of Poets and Musici­ans had separated, and disseered: The Italian of all other Languages being most happy in it, in having their Tongue and Genius apted to it; the Spanish Genius not lying that way, though there Tongue be fit enough; nor our Tongue fit for it, though the Genius be not wan­ting. Now the advantage the [Page] Italian tongue hath of ours in it, is chiefly, as I conceive, in the strength of their words, they be­ing composed more of the A, and O, (the sinewousness of a Tongue) as also the length of them, where­by each one is able to sustain it self; whereas our Language is so debile and weak, as our words die in a manner as soon as born, not being able scarcely to brook the air; En­ding also so faintly and feebly for want of length, as they are forced to fall upon the next following for their support, whence comes the difficulty of pronouncing our words distinctly, or understanding our [Page] Language when it is sung; which Inconvenience to Remedy, I con­cluded first, That your long dis­courses, and periods, were careful­ly to be avoided by us, in Recitative Musick, that so the often coming to a close, might make up in the full stop, our words want of length, and by severall reprises more strengthen them. Next, your cu­rious recerched words out of the way of common understanding, were carefully to be avoided, since the main Reason, why commonly we understand not so well when one sings, as when they write, is, because the delightsomness of the [Page] Harmony, takes part of the Attenti­on away from the understandin [...] of the words; whence the words consequently are to be made as fa­cile as may be, the better to be un­derstood.

Where I cannot but note their want of judgment, who have en­devoured to imitate at all parts in our language the Italian Recita­tive Musick, not considering, that the Musick of all Nations is cast in the mould of their language, whence there being great diffe­rence betvvixt their verbosity, and our concised speech, it consequently follows, that that difference should [Page] also be betwixt their Musick and Poetry, and ours.

To conclude then, you may ob­serve in this composition of mine, a particular way of Recitative, dif­ferent from the Italian, as our lan­guage is different; insomuch, as though others, both in Italian and English, have composed upon this subject, I am confident yet, whosoe­ver peruses them wil absolve me of theft frō either, so have I endevour'd short periods, and frequent rithmes, with words smooth and facile, such as most easily might enter into the mind, and be digested by the understanding; studying nothing so [Page] much, as that my words should not at all appear studious, your diffici­les nugae, or difficil toyes, being in nothing more ridiculous than in this; with finally a pathetickness in lieu of all other Rhetorick, ha­ving observ'd, that your Italian O­rators, with an Oh or a Misericordia, do more move their Auditors to tears and compunction, than with all their curious Rhetorick besides.

Of the composition of the Mu­sick, I shall defer to speak, untill the publishing of it, as shortly I intend to do▪ with a Treatise of the Air of Musick, and of this in particular, to shew, that as no composition seems [Page] more easy to the ignorant than it, so none is more hard to those who understand it.

Hoping that I shall not appear to have ill merited of my Country, in studying Musick and Concord, whilst others study only discord & dissention; and in striving to delight ra [...]her than contristat it, in the sad and sorrowfull condition wherein it is.