De musica.
The Threefold Harmony of Creation
Hugh introduces the three kinds of music — worldly, human, and instrumental — and unfolds the cosmic and bodily dimensions of worldly and human music in rich detail.
There are three kinds of music: worldly, human, and instrumental. Worldly music has three forms: one in the elements, another in the planets, another in the times. In the elements, one form is in weight, another in number, another in measure. In the planets, one is in position, another in motion, another in nature. In the times, one is in days — by the alternation of light and night — another in months, by the waxing and waning of the moon, another in years, by the change of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Human music has three forms: one in the body, another in the soul, another in the connection of the two. In the body, one form is in growth — that by which the body grows, which belongs to all living things — another is in the humors, from whose temperament the human body is sustained, which is common to all sentient beings, and another is in the operations, which belongs especially to rational beings, over which the mechanical arts preside. These operations, as long as they do not exceed proper measure, are good — so that desire is not nourished from the very source from which weakness ought to be fostered — just as Lucan reports in praise of Cato:
Cato's Restraint as a Lesson in Measure
A Lucan passage praising Cato's temperance illustrates how bodily operations remain good only when they do not exceed proper measure.
For him, a feast conquered hunger; the great household gods drove winter from under the roof; and a precious garment clothed Hirtam's limbs over him — in the Roman manner, after the fashion of the Quirites — he put on the toga.
The Music of Soul, Body, and Their Union
Hugh completes human music by describing the soul's music in virtues and powers, the natural friendship binding soul to body, and the harmony that loves the flesh but loves the spirit more.
The music within the soul is of two kinds: one resides in the virtues, such as justice, piety, and temperance; the other in the powers, such as reason, anger, and desire. The music between body and soul is that natural friendship by which the soul is bound to the body — not by physical chains, but by certain affections — in order to move and give sensation to the body itself. By this friendship, no one has ever hated their own flesh.✦1 This is what that harmony achieves: the flesh is loved, but the spirit more; the body is cared for, but virtue is not destroyed.
Instruments, Voices, and the Three Musicians
Instrumental music is classified by striking, blowing, and voice, and three roles are distinguished: the composer, the performer, and the judge.
Instrumental music is of three kinds: one produced by striking, as on drums and strings; another by blowing, as on flutes and organs; and another by the voice, as in songs and melodies. There are also three kinds of musicians: one that composes songs, another that performs on instruments, and a third that judges the work of instruments and song.
Read the original Latin
Tres sunt musicae: mundana, humana, instrumentalis. Mundana, alia in elementis, alia in planetis, alia in temporibus; in elementis, alia in pondere, alia in numero, alia in mensura; in planetis, alia in situ, alia in motu, alia in natura; in temporibus, alia in diebus, vicissitudine lucis et noctis, alia in mensibus, crementis detrimentisque lunaribus, alia in annis, mutatione veris, aestatis, autumni, et hiemis. humana musica, alia in corpore, alia in anima, alia in connexu utriusque; in corpore, alia est in vegetatione, secundum quam crescit quae omnibus nascentibus convenit, alia est in humoribus, ex quorum complexione humanum corpus subsistit, quae sensibilibus communis est, alia in operationibus, quae specialiter rationalibus congruit, quibus mechanica praeest, quae, si modum non excesserint bonae sunt, ut inde non nutriatur cupiditas unde infirmitas foveri debet, sicut Lucanus in laudem Catonis refert:
Huic epulae vicisse famem, magnique penates Submovisse hiemem tecto: pretiosaque vestis Hirtam membra super, Romani more Quiritis, Induxisse togam.
musica in anima alia est in virtutibus, ut est iustitia, pietas, et temperantia, alia in potentiis, ut est ratio, ira, et concupiscentia. musica inter corpus et animam est illa naturalis amicitia qua anima corpori non corporeis vinculis, sed affectibus quibusdam colligatur, ad movendum et sensificandum ipsum corpus, secundum quam amicitiam nemo carnem suam odio habuit. musica haec est, ut ametur caro, sed plus spiritus, ut foveatur corpus, non perimatur virtus. musica instrumentalis alia in pulsu, ut fit in tympanis et chordis, alia in flatu, ut in tibiis et organis, alia in voce, ut in carminibus et cantilenis. tria quoque sunt genera musicorum: unum quod carmina fingit, aliud quod instrumentis agitur, tertium quod instrumentorum opus carmenque diiudicat.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.5.29 — For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.
Notes
- 1 ↩The closing clause echoes Ephesians 5:29 (Vulgate: 'nemo enim umquam carnem suam odio habuit'). Final resolution deferred to Moses stage.
Didascalicon de Studio Legendi (On the Study of Reading) companion
Hugh said begin with small daily portions. Start tomorrow.
Chosen Portion serves one short, ordered devotional reading each day — the medieval lectio pattern, free on iOS.
Hugh taught that formation comes from ordered, incremental daily reading, and Chosen Portion is that ordered daily portion delivered to your phone.
- A curated daily portion in 2-3 minutes, no decision fatigue about what to read
- Progress through complete historic works in order, the way Hugh prescribed
- Free app plus a weekly email unpacking one reading in depth