Page:John Dowland - First Book of Airs.djvu/13



HAT harmony (Right honorable) which is skilfullie exprest by Instruments, albeit, by reason of the variety of number & proportion of it selfe, it easily stirs up the minds of the hearers to admiration & delight, yet for higher authority any power hath been euer worthily attributed to that kind of Musicke, which to the sweetnes of instrument applies the liuely voice of man, expressing some worthy sentence or excellent Poeme. Hence (as all antiquity can witnesse) first grew the heauenly Art of musicke: for Linus Orpheus and the rest, according to the number and time of the Poemes, first framed the numbers and times of musicke: So that Plato defines melody to consist of harmony, number and words; harmony naked of it selfe: wordes the ornament of harmony, number the common friend and uniter of them both. This small booke containing the consent of speaking harmony, ioined with the most musicall instrument the Lute, being my first labour, I haue presumed to dedicate to your Lordship, who for your vertue and nobility are best able to protect it, & for your honorable fauors towards me, best deseruing my duety and seruice. Besides your noble inclination and loue to all good Arts, and namely the deuine science of musicke, doth challenge the patronage of all learning, then which no greater title can be added to Nobility. Neither in these your honours may I let passe the dutifull remembrance of your vertuous Lady my honorable mistris, whose singular graces towards me haue added spirit to my unfortunate labours. What time and diligence I haue bestowed in the search of Musicke, what trauell in forreine countries, what successe and estimation euen among strangers I haue found, I leaue to the report of others. Yet all this in vaine were it not that your honourable hands have vouchsaft to uphold my poore fortunes, which I now wholy recommend to your gratious protection, with these my first endeuors, humbly beseeching you to accept and cherish them with your continued fauours.

Your Lordships most humble servant,

iohn Dowland