19. "Her beginneth tretises diverse of musical proporcions and of their naturis and denominacions, ferst in Englissh and than in Latyne." Beg. "Now passid al maner sightis of descant." fo. 116.
Scope & Content:
The author was one Chilston, of whom nothing more is known. Nearly the whole of this article has been inserted in Sir J. Hawkins's Hist. of Musick, ii. 229; and see Burney, ii. 426.
7. "Speculum cantantium sive psallentium, scil. de affectu musice moralis secundum tradiciones antiquorum et sanctorum patrum." Inc. "Quia omnes 7 scientie liberales." fo. 58 b.
Scope & Content:
See an abstract of it in Hawking, ii. 218. See also Burney, ii. 417. In this treatise are the following very curious satirical verses upon those clerical chanters who in performing the church service not only corrupt the singing psalms, but hurry them over in a very disgraceful ,manner. They hav...
2. "Tractatus de octo tonis." Inc. "Septem orbes septem planetarum cum duleissima armonia volvuntur." fo. 49.
Scope & Content:
This short treatise, in which the musical tones are assimilated to the sun and planets, occupies little more than a single page. The author's name no where appears. See an abstract of it in Hawkins's Hist. of Musick, ii. 214.
10. A treatise intitled "Tonale." Inc. "De origine musice artis quia rudem lectorem vidimus." fo. 68.
Scope & Content:
It contains some account of the discovery of the consonances by Pythagoras, and much relating to the nature of tones, plagal modes, &c. evidently extracted from the Micrologus of Guido.
16. "Regule Magistri Thome Walsingham de figuris compositis et non compositis et de cantu perfecto et imperfecto, et de modis." Inc. "Cum sit necessarium juvenilibus ad facultatem organicam tendentibus." fo. 97 b.
Scope & Content:
The account in this treatise of the musical notes will be found curious and interesting. There can be no doubt that the author of it as Walsingham the historian, who was a monk and also precentor of the abbey of Saint Alban; but it has escaped the notice of Leland, Bale, Pitts, Tanner and Fabric...
20. A short treatise on proportion in Latin, being a continuation of an addition to the preceding article; with some exemplifications in musical notes. fo. 122.
Scope & Content:
See Burney, ii. 426. We have seen that this valuable manuscript belonged originally to John Wylde the precentor of Waltham Abbey; and not only such part of it as was composed by himself, but all the other treatises that it contains were written by his own hand, in all probability about the year ...
18. "Her folwith a litil tretise according to the ferst tretise of the sight of descant; and also for the sight of countir, and for the syght of the countirtenor, and of faburdon." fo. 112.
Scope & Content:
This is probably written by the author of the next article. See the substance of it in Hawkins, ii. 227; and see Burney, ii. 425.