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: DEPRPB3_TEXT
Author: Anonymous
Title: On the denominations of proportions
Source: Sir John Hawkins, A General History of the Science and Practice of Music, 2 vols. [1776] (London: Novello, 1853), 1:251.

[-251-] Here folowyth a breve tretise of proporcions, and of their denominacions, with a litil table folwing:--

The proporcion betwene 1 and 1, 2 and 2, 3 and 3, and so in more numbir, is callid evyn proporcion, for euery parcell be himselfe is evyn in nombir, and the same.

Betwene 8 and 4 is callid dowble proporcion, for the more nombir conteynyth twice the lasse. Betwene 5 and 4 is Sesquiquarta, for the more numbir conteynyth the lasse, and the fourthe parte of him over. Betwene 5 and 3 is Superbiparciens tercias, for the more numbir conteynythe the lasse, and 2 parties over, of the whech eche be himselfe, is the thyrde parte of the lasse. Betwene 14 and 4 is dupla sesquialtera, for the more numbir conteynyth thries the lesse, and the halfe over. Betwene 8 and 3 is dupla superbiparciens tercias, for the more numbir conteynyth twies the lasse, and his two parties over; of the whech Pars aliquota is not made be the lesse numbir, but ech be himselfe is the thyrde parte of the lesse numbir. Betwene 3 and 2 is Sesquialtera, for the more numbir conteynyth the lesse, and the halfe of him over; betwene 4 and 3 is Sesquitercia, for the more numbir conteynyth the lasse, and thries one parte over, the whech is the thyrde parte of the lesse numbir. Betwene 6 and 2 is Tripla, for the more numbir conteynyth thries the lesse numbir. Betwene 6 and 3 is Dupla, for the more numbir conteynyth twies the lesse. Betwene 3 and 1 is Tripla, ut supra. Betwene 5 and 2 is Dupla Sesquialtera, for the more numbir conteynyth twies the lesse, and the halfe parti of him over. Betwene 6 and 5 is Sesquiquinta, for the more numbir conteynyth thries the lasse, and his fifth part over. Betwene 7 and 2 is Tripla Sesquialtera, for the more numbir conteynyth thries the lasse, and halfe him over. Betwene 7 and 3 is Sesquitercia, ut supra. Betwene 8 and 5 is Supertriparciens quintas, for the more numbir conteynyth the lasse, and three parties over, of the whech pars aliquota is not made. Betwene 9 and 2 is Quadrupla Sesquialtera, for the more numbir conteynyth the lesse, [four times] and his halfe over.