TEXTS ON MUSIC IN ENGLISH
School of Music
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
(phone: [402] 472-2507; Internet: plefferts1@unl.edu)

Data entry: Peter M. Lefferts
Checked by: Peter Slemon
Approved by: Peter M. Lefferts

Fn and Ft: CAXMIR1_TEXT
Author: Gautier (or Gossouin) de Metz
Title: Mirror of the World (excerpt)
Source: Oliver H. Prior, ed., Caxton's Mirrour of the World, Early English Text Society, Extra Series, 110 (London: Richard Clay, 1913; reprint ed., London: Oxford University Press, 1966), 38-40. By permission of Oxford University Press.
Graphics: CAXMIR1 01GF

[-38-] Here foloweth of musyque. capi[tulo XIIo].

The sixthe of the VII sciences is called musyque, the whiche fourmeth hym of Arsmetryque.

Of this science of musyque cometh alle attemperaunce, and of this arte procedeth somme phisyque; ffor like as musyque accordeth alle thinges that dyscorde in them, and remayne them to concordaunce, right so in lyke wyse trauaylleth phisyque to brynge Nature to poynt that disnatureth in mannes body, whan ony maladye or sekenes encombreth hit. But phisyque is not of the nombre of the VII sciences of philosophye. But it is a mestier or a crafte that entendeth to the helthe of mannes body, and for to preserue it fro alle maladyes and sekenesses as longe as the lyf is in the body. And therfor it is not liberal, ffor it serueth to hele mannes body whiche ellis oftentymes myght lightly perysshe. And ther is nothyng liberal ne free that groweth of therthe; and for as moche as science that serueth to mannes body leseth his franchise, but science that serueth to the soule deserueth [-39-] in the world to haue name liberal; ffor the sowle ought to be liberal as thyng that is of noble beyng, as she that cometh of God, and to God wille and ought retorne; and therfor ben the VII sciences liberall, ffor they make the soule all free. And on that other part they teche and

[Caxton, Mirrour, 39] [CAXMIR1 01GF]

enseygne alle that in euery thyng ought proprely to be don. And this is the very reson why thise artes alle VII ben called VII sciences liberall, ffor they make the soule liberall and delyuer it fro alle euyll.

Of this arte is musyque thus comune that she accordeth her to euerich so well that by her the VII sciences were sette in concorde that they yet endure. By this science of musyque ben extrayt and drawen alle the songes that ben songen in holy chirche, and alle the accordaunces of alle the instruments that haue dyuerse accordes and dyuerse sownes. And where ther is reson and entendement of somme thinges, certes who can [-40-] wel the science of musyque, he knoweth the accordance of alle thinges. And alle the creatures that payne them to doo wel remayne them to concordance.