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that the male crieth and not the female. As the Cocke and males of Quailes. Speaking is appropried to mankinde: Men that bée kindly dombe be deafe: they haue voice, & all vndiſtinct as ſaith Ariſtotle. Alſo in Eodem liber, he ſaith, that all females haue ſmaller and ſharper voice then males, except the cowe, that hath greater voice then the bull. Alſo there he ſaith, that paſſing of ſpearme in males is in the time of chaunging of the voice, and that is in the time and end of 14 yeares yet ſometime the voice changeth ſooner in ſome men, which ſignifieth the ſtirring of Venus. And there he ſaith, When horſe beginne to gender, theyr voice is greater, and likewiſe the Mare, but the voice of the Mare is more cleere: alſo the voice of the Males change when they be enamoured. Alſo in lib. 8. it is ſayd, that the voice of all foure footed beaſts chaunge, & bée made lyke the voice of women when they be gelded. And liber. 19. it is ſaid, that the cauſe of ſharpeneſſe and of chaunging of voyce, is by chauging of age. For the voyce of young beaſtes is ſharper then the voice of olde: and the voice of women is ſharper then the voice of men: and the voice of all beaſts is ſharper in youth then in age. And he ſayth, that many females and many younglings crie with a ſharpe voice, for by féebleſs they moue but little and ſcarce aire, and that that is little and ſcarce, is mooued ſwiftly, and ſwift is ſharpe: The heauineſſe of the voyce followeth the ſlowneſſe thereof, & much aire is ſlowly moued. Males and olde men moue much aire, and therfore they haue greater voice. Males haue ſtronger ſinewes and ſtrings then females: and olde men haue ſtronger then children, & vngelded haue ſtronger then gelded. Hitherto ſpeaketh Ariſtotle. Then an euen, cloſe and ſtrong binding and a pliant voice, meane betwéene heauie and ſharp, is good & pleaſant. As contrariwiſe a voice quaking, hoarſe, and rough, féeble, and diſcording too heauie, or too ſharpe, is euill and diſpraiſed. For a diſcording voice & an inordinate, troubleth the accorde of many voices. But according voice ſwéete and ordinate gladdeth and moueth to loue, and ſheweth out the paſſions of the ſoule, and witheſſeth the ſtrength and vertue of the ſpirituall members, and ſheweſh pureneſſe and good ſpeak on of al them, and reléeueth trauaile, & putteth of diſeaſe & ſorrow. And maketh to be known the male and the female, and getteth, and winneth praiſing, and chaungeth the affection of the hearers: as it ſaid in ye fables of one Orpheus,[1] that pleaſed trees, woods, hills, and ſtones with ſwéete melodie of his voice. Alſo a faire voice is according and friend to kinde, and pleaſeth not onely men, but alſo bruite beaſts, as it fareth in Oxen that hée tired to trauaile more by ſwéete ſong of the herde, then by ſtrokes and prickes. Alſo birdes and foules haue liking in melody of ſwéete voice, in ſo much that oft by ſwéete noiſe the fouler bringeth them to grinnes and ſnares, as the Poet ſayth. The pipe ſingeth ſwéetly while the ſouler deceiueth the bird.

Alſo by ſwéet ſongs of harmony and accord of Muſicke, ſicke men and frantike come oft to their witte againe and health of body. Wherevpon Conſtatinus in viatico particula. 2. cap. 1. de amore, que dicitus hereos, ſic dicit.

Some men haue tolde that Orpheus reporſed: Emperours deſire mée to feaſts, to haue liking of me, but I haue liking of them, which would bend theyr hearts from wrath to mildneſſe, from ſorrow to gladneſſe, from couetouſneſſe to largeneſſe, from dreade to boldneſſe. This is the ordinaunce of Muſitions, that is knowne aboue the ſwéetneſſe of the ſoule. And with ſwéete melody ſometime fiends be put of, & compelled to paſſe out of bodies: as it fared in Saule, out of whom an euill ſpirit was compelled to paſſe by the voice of Dauid, as it is written. 2. Reg. 17.

Now it is knowne by theſe foreſayd things; how profitable[2] is a merry voice and ſwéete; And contrarywiſe is of an vnordinate voice & horrible, that gladdeth not, neither comforteth: but is noifull and diſcomforteth, and grieueth the eares and the wit. Therefore Capitulo ſupra dicto Conſtantine ſaith: That a

  1. ↑ Orpheus, a Thraciā born, very cunning on the harp: As for his muſicke to trees, ſtones, & beaſts, was Antithecin, it tended to check idle, euill, and vnſeemly manners. Fevv ſuch handlers of muſick in theſe daies, for then the Coūters, Priſons, Marſhalſe, and Kings Bench, vvold not be ſo ſull of poore oppreſſed debters. A preordinaunce of God not common to nature
  2. ↑ As profitable as an eloquent tongue with good conditions.
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