Of the Usefulness That One Has From Music, and of the Study We Should Give to It, and in What Manner to Use It

The Natural Delight in Music

Great indeed is the usefulness that is taken from Music when we use it temperately — for it is a manifest thing that not only man, who is capable of reason, but also many of the other animals, which lack it, are understood to take delight and pleasure. Every animal, delighting and rejoicing in the proportion and temperament of things, and such qualities being found in harmonies, there follows immediately the pleasure and delight common to all living things. And it is truly a reasonable thing, since nature consists in such proportion and temperament, that every like delights in its like and desires it. Clear indication of this is given by infants barely born, who, taken by the sweetness of the song of the voices of their nurses, not only after long crying calm down, but become cheerful, making also very often some festive gestures.

Man’s Natural Inclination to Music

And Music is so natural to us, and joined to us in such a way, that we see everyone in a certain way wanting to give some judgment of it, even if imperfectly. For which reason one could say that he is not composed with harmony who takes no delight in Music — for (as we have said) since every delight and pleasure is born from likeness, it is necessary that he who has no pleasure in harmony, in a certain way does not find it in himself, and is ignorant of it. And if one will examine the matter well, one will find such a person to be of very low intelligence and without any judgment; and one could say that nature has failed him, not having proportionately formed his organ — that part which lies in the middle of the brain and is nearest to the ear, when it is proportionately composed, serving in a certain way for the judgment of harmony, by which man, as by a kindred thing, is seized and overcome, and in it greatly delights. But if it happens that it is deprived of such proportion, he takes much less delight in it than any other; and is in such a way apt for speculative and ingenious things as the Ass is for the Lyre.

And if we wish in this to follow the opinion of the Astrologers, we shall say that at his birth Mercury was made his enemy — just as Mercury is favorable to those who not only take delight in harmony, but who, for the relief of their labors, sing and play themselves, thereby refreshing the spirit and recovering their lost forces.

Music as Remedy for Body, Spirit, and Soul

And therefore nature has well ordained that, having joined together in us through the spirit (as the Platonists hold) the Body and the Soul, to each of them, being weak and infirm, it has provided opportune remedies: for the languid and infirm Body comes to be healed with remedies which Medicine offers it; and the Spirit, afflicted and weak, by the aerial spirits and by the sounds and songs which are its proportionate remedies; the Soul then, enclosed in this corporeal prison, consoles itself by way of the high and divine mysteries of holy Theology.

Such usefulness then does Music bring us — and more: that by driving away the tedium that is taken from labors, it makes us cheerful, and doubles and preserves that cheerfulness. We see soldiers going to assail the enemy much more ferociously, incited by the sound of Trumpets and Drums; and not only they, but Horses too moving with great force. This excites the mind, moves the affections, mitigates and calms fury, makes time pass virtuously, and has the power to generate in us a habit of good customs — especially when with the proper modes and temperately it is used.

The Proper and Improper Use of Music

For since the proper office of Music is to delight, not dishonestly but honestly we should use it; so that there does not happen to us what is used to happen to those who immoderately drink Wine — who, then heated, harm themselves and, doing a thousand foolish things, move to laughter whoever sees them. Not because the nature of Wine is so malign that when it is drunk temperately it works a similar effect in man; but it shows itself such to him who drinks it greedily. Since all things are good when temperately they are used for that purpose for which they have been invented and ordained; but when intemperately used and not according to the due purpose, they harm and are pernicious.

So much so that we may hold this for true: that not only natural things, but every art and every science can be good or bad, according to how they are used — good, I say, when they are directed toward that end for which they were made and ordained; and bad when they are removed from that end.

Music Must Be Joined to Speculative Study

Man being born for things much more excellent than singing, or playing the lyre or other instruments merely to satisfy the sense of hearing alone, makes ill use of his nature and deviates from his proper end, taking little care to give nourishment to the intellect, which always desires to know and understand new things.

One should therefore not merely learn the art of Music and withdraw from the other sciences, abandoning his end — which would be great folly — but should learn it for that end for which it was ordained. Nor should he spend his time solely in it; but should accompany it with the study of the speculative, so that aided by that, he may come to greater knowledge of the things pertaining to its use; and through such use be able to bring into act that which through long study of speculation he has investigated. For accompanied in this way it brings usefulness to every science and to every art, as we have seen at other times.

And if it were done otherwise, it would not be of much usefulness or of much glory to him; rather it would be attributed to him as a vice — for to exercise oneself continually in it without any other study induces drowsiness and idleness, and renders the soul soft and effeminate. Recognizing which, the ancients wished that the study of Music should be joined to that of Gymnastics; and they did not want one to be able to give oneself to the one without the other. This they did so that, through giving oneself too much to Music, the soul should not come to make itself base; and that, giving oneself solely to Gymnastics, the souls should not become beyond measure fierce, cruel, and inhuman — but that, joined together by these two exercises, they should become well-disposed, modest, and temperate.

The Two Errors: Effeminacy and Arrogance

And for this reason they moved with reason, for it can be clearly seen that those who in their youth, leaving aside studies of things of greater importance, have given themselves solely to conversing with instruments, always frequenting the schools of games, dances, and follies, playing the Lyre and the Lute and singing songs less than honest — are soft, effeminate, and without any good custom. For Music used in this way renders the souls of young men ill-composed, as Ovid well showed, saying:

Enervant animos citharae cantusque lyraeque, Et vox, et numerus, brachia mota sui.

Nor do they know how to reason of anything but such things; nor is anything other than dishonest words heard to come from their foul mouths.

On the contrary, there are some who, through such a study, are not soft and effeminate, but troublesome, unpleasant, proud, obstinate, and inhuman — such that, seeing themselves arrived at a certain point and judging themselves excellent above all others, they glory, exalt themselves, and praise themselves; and, disparaging others in order to appear themselves full of wisdom and judgment, they stand with the greatest reputation and pride in the world. Nor can they ever be brought to show a little of their learning, unless by great insistence of prayers and with praises much greater than are fitting to them. For which reason, for all these Tigellius, the saying of Horace is verified, who says:

Omnibus hoc vitium est cantoribus, inter amicos Ut numquam inducant animum cantare rogati Iniussi numquam desinant.

Such persons would have needed their fathers to have had them sooner taught some other trade, however vile — for perhaps they would not have fallen into such errors, and would have acquired better manners.

Conclusion: Music Joined to Learning

All this I have wished to say so that those who wish to make profession of the art of Music should fall in love with the science, and give themselves to the study of the speculative — for I do not doubt that, joining these things together, they must become virtuous, honest, and well-mannered. And in this way they will come to imitate the ancients, who (as has been said) accompanied Music with Gymnastics — for so it will be powerful enough to bring each one onto the straight path of good customs.

Nor should anyone believe that what I have said of the art of Music I have said either to disparage it, or those who exercise themselves in such a manner — a thing that has never entered my mind. But rather I have said it so that, joined in this way to other honorable sciences full of learning, we may defend it from the vagabond and idle rogueries of charlatans, and restore it to its true place; so that it may not have to serve those who are given solely to pleasures, but may be for the use of those studious of good sciences and of those who follow virtue, living virtuously and civilly.