[Illustration:  Music]

In this example, before I come nearer to particulars in general, observe first, that those Characters you observe at the beginning of the Lines, are termed Cliffs or Claves, Keys to open and signify what part or pitch of Voice, viz. the Treble, Mean, or Basse properly the Notes belong to; as likewise on what Line or Space the Seven letters expressing the Notes is placed.  And then again, the five Lines and Spaces between them are useful, as Steps or Gradations whereon the degrees of Sound are to be expressed, or the Notes ascending and descending:  Then Thirdly, the Characters placed on the five Lines, express the Notes themselves, or stand for them; and their difference in form, signify their quality, whether they be longer or shorter.

Your care must therefore be in this, and the Chapters following, to consider well in the first place, the Gam-ut, to learn the use of the Cliffs:  Next to that, the Names of the Lines and Spaces, whereby you may readily know how to call a Note, as it stands on any of the Lines; and Thirdly, How you should Sing those Notes in right Tune, as well by degrees, as leaps; and last of all, to give each Note its due Quantity of Time.

This in general, being observed, and seriously weighed; that you may take a prospect of your task, I from it proceed to the Gam-ut, so far as I think necessary to my present design, which is to let you understand by it the use of the Cliffs, with the order and distances of the Notes, as the Parts in a Body lye together.

[Illustration:  The Gamut or Scale of MUSIC]

The consistence of this Scale is of Eleven Lines, with the Intermediate Spaces, and contains the places of all the Notes that are made use of Ordinarily in Vocal Musick.  In the first Column you will find placed the Old Notes, being set down, that you may see what they are.  And in the Second Column you are shewed which of the Seven letters properly belongs to each Line and Space.  The Third Column contains the Cliffs, or signed Keys, demonstrating how many degrees of Notes they are one above another, which once Circumspectly observed and known, the other degrees of Distance are with more ease computed.  And here

Five of these Lines, with their Spaces, are usually sufficient for the pricking down any Tune, for which reason this Scale is divided into Three Parts or Staves, compassed in with Arched Lines; and of these the lowermost five are proper and belonging to the Bass, and are known by this mark [Symbol:  Bass Clef] on the Line of F. usually, therefore called the F.  Fa-ut Cliff or Key; because it opens to us the letters standing on the other Lines and Spaces, as in the ensuing Chapter will appear.  As for the uppermost five Lines, they contain the highest of the Notes, and so belong to the Treble or highest Part.  The Key to which is marked in this manner, [Symbol:  G clef] and sometimes G S. on the lower Line but one.