The Anatomy of Abuses, Part 14
Of Musick in Ailgna, and how it allureth to vanitie.
Philo.
I Say of Musick, as Plato, Aristotle, Galen and many others hauehave said of it, that it is very il for yung heds, for a certaine kinde of nice, smoothe swéetnes in alluring the auditorie to nicenes, effeminacie, pusilla…mitie, A comparison betwixt hony and dancing.& lothsōnes of life, so as it may not improperly be compared to a swéet electuarie of honie, or rather to honie it self, for as honie and such like swéet things receiued into y• stomack, dooth delight at the first, but afterward they make the stomack so quasie, nice and weake, that it is not able to admit meat of hard digesture. So swéet Musick, at the first delighteth the eares, but afterward corrupteth and depraueth the minde, making it weake, and quasie, and inclined to all licenciousnes of lyfe whatsoeuer.Wits dulled by Musick.
And right as good edges are not sharpned, (but obtused) by béeing whetted vponupon softe stones, so good wits by hearing of soft musick are rather dulled then sharpned, and made apt to all wantonnes and sinne. And therfore Writers affirme Sappho to hauehave béen expert in musick,Authors of the bringing in of musick. and therfore whorish.
Tyrus Maximius saith, the bringing in of musick, was a cup of poyson to all the world.
Clytomachus, if hee euer heard any talking of looue, or playing vponupon musicall Instruments, would run his way and bidde them farwel.
Plutarchus, complaineth of Musick, and saith, that it dooth rather femenine the minde as pricks vntounto vice, then conduce to godlines as spurres vntounto Uertue.
Pythagoras, condemnes them for fooles, and bequeathes them a cloke-bag, that measure Musick by sound and eare. Thus you heare the iudgement of the wise, concerning Musick, now iudge therof as y…u list your self.
Spud.
I hauehave heard it said, (and I thought it very true) that Musick dooth delight bothe man and beast, reuiueth the spirits, comforteth the hart, and maketh it apter to the seruice of GOD.
Philo.
I graunt Musick is a good gift of GOD,Musick the good gift of God. and that it delighteth bothe man and beast, reuiueth the spirits, comforteth y• hart, and maketh it redyer to serue GOD, and therfore did Dauid bothe vse musick him self, & also commend the vse of it to his posteritie (and béeing vsed to that end, for mans priuat recreation musick is very laudable.)
But béeing vsed in publique assemblies and priuate conuenticlesOf musick in publique assemblies, and conuenticles. as directories to filthie dauncing, thorow the swéet harmonie & smoothe melodie therof, it estraungeth ye mind stireth vp filthie lust, womannisheth ye minde rauisheth the hart, enflameth concupisence, and bringeth in vncleannes. But if musick openly were vsed (as I hauehave said) to ye prasie and glory of God as our Fathers vsed it,How musicke were tollerable & good. and as was intended by it at the first, or priuatly in a mans secret Chamber or house for his owne solace or comfort to driue away the fantasies of idle thoughts, solicitude, care, sorrowe and such other perturbations and molestations of the minde, the only ends wherto true Musick tends, it were very commendable and tollerable. If Musick were thus vsed it would comfort man wunderfully, and mooue his hart to serue God the better, but beeing vsed as it is, it corrupteth good minds, maketh them womannish and inclined to all kinde of whordome and mischéef.
Spud,
What say you then of Musitions, & Minstrels who liue only vponupon the same art?
Philo.
I thinke that all good minstrelles,The scarsity of good musitions and minstrelles. sober and chast musicions (speking of suche drunken sockets, and bawdye parasits as rā ge the Cuntreyes, ryming and singing of vncleane, corrupt, and filthie songs in Tauernes, Ale-houses, Innes, and other publique assemblies) may daūce ye wild Moris thorow a néedles eye. For how should thei bere chaste minds, séeing that their exercyse is the pathway to all vncleanes. Their is no ship,The marchā dise of minstrelles, and musi…ions. so balanced with massie matter, as their heads …re fraught with all kind of bawdie songs, filthie ballads, and scuruie rymes, seruing for eueryevery purpose, and for eueryevery Cumpanie.
Who be more bawdie than they? who vncleaner than they, who more licentious, and loose minded? who more incontinent thā they? and briefely, who more inclyned to all kind of insolencie and lewdnes than they?The wickednes of musitions and minstrels. wherfore, if you wold hauehave your sonne, softe, womannish, vncleane, smoth mouthed, affected to bawdrie, scurrilitie, filthie rimes, and vnsemely talking: brifly, if you wold hauehave him, as it weare transnatured into a womā, or worse, and inclyned to all kind of whordome and abhomination, set him to dauncing school, and to learn musicke, and than shall you not faile of your purpose.How to hauehave Children le… ned in all wickedne…. And if you would hauehave your daughter whoorish, bawdie, and vncleane, and a filthie speaker, and such like, bring her vp in duplicate page duplicate page musick and dauncing, and my life for youres, you hauehave wun the goale.
And yet notwithstanding it weare better (in respecte of acceptation) to be a Pyper,The scarcytie of dyuines. or bawdye minstrell, than a deuyne, for the one is looued for his ribauldrie, the other hated for his grauitie, wisdome, and sobrietie.
EueryEvery towne, Citie and Countrey is full of these minstrelles to pype vp a dance to the Deuill, but of dyuines, so few there be as they maye hardly be séene.
But some of them will reply and say, what Sir? we hauehave lycenses from iustices of peace to pype, & vse our minstralsie to our best commoditie? Cursed be those licences, which lycense any man to get his lyuing, with the destruction of many thousands.
But hauehave you a lycence from the Arch-iustice of peace Christe Iesus? If you hauehave so, you may be glad,Licences graunted to musitions & minstrels to exercyse their mistery or facultie of mischief. if you hauehave not (for the Worde of GOD is against your vngodly exercyses, and condemneth them to Hell) than may you as rogues, extrauagantes, and straglers from the Heauenlye Country be arrested of the high iustice of peace Christ Iesus, and be punished with eternall death, notwithstanding your presented licēces of earthly men. Who shall stand betwixt you, and the Iustice of GOD at the daye of Iudgement? Who shall excuse you, for drawing so manye thousandes to Hell? shall the Iustices of peace? shall their licenses? Oh no: For neither ought they to graunt anye licencens to anie to doo hurt withall,No lycences to do hurte withall are to be graunted. neither (if they would) ought any to take them.
GiueGive ouer therfore your Occupations, you Pypers, you Fidlers, you minstrelles, and you musitions, you Drummers, you Tabretters, you Fluters, and all other of that wicked broode, for the blood of all those, whome you drawe to destruction thorow your prouocations, A Cauet to musitions, minstrelles & all others of twat stampe.and intysing allurementes shalbe powred vppon your heads, at the day of Iudgement, but hereof enough, and perchaunce more than will like their humour.
Spud.
Is it not lawfull vppon the Sabaoth daye to playe at Dice, Cardes, Tables, Bowles, Tennisse, and suche other pleasaunt exercyses, wherein Man taketh pleasure and delight?