Giuseppe Tartini - Lettere e documenti / Pisma in dokumenti / Letters and Documents - Volume / Knjiga / Volume II

325 LETTERS Doge and in consideration of the importance of the question, this matter is addressed to the glory of the said sovereign, to whom it is intended to dedicate it, for it is worthy of him alone; and I say ‘of him alone’ for he stands out from others not only for the many things that are publicly celebrated and that give him lustre, but also most particularly for the refinement of his mind and the favour that he bestows on the sciences. Here then we have one of the most unique combinations that can providentially occur in human affairs: namely that such a sovereign is to be found in the present century; that in that same period what has been sought in vain for thousands of years has been discovered; that I, your servant, am the author of this discovery; that you, my kindest patron, are at present with this sovereign; and that our Most Serene Doge, who is also a supporter of the sciences, sage in his counsels, a boundless admirer of your person, and most clement patron of myself, should command me in this way and not otherwise; and that he bids me to inform you of his most distinct wishes on this matter. Up until here you will see that the matter has been conducted by a superior power, on which all such coincidences depend, and rightly so. Let us now come to the matter. It is the discovery of the physical harmonic science: a science once known to the ancient philosophers, but always concealed as an inviolable secret. References to this science are made plain in Plato. His words in Timaeus are clear: “the formation of the world soul cannot be unknown to anyone who knows the harmonic science.” And the following are the precise words of another dialogue: “the sciences necessary to a philosopher are physics, mathematics and the harmonic science”. In the Fragments (falsely assumed by critics today to be spurious) of Hermes Trismegistus we find these clear words: “musicen nosce est cunctarum rerum ordinem scire, et quae sit divina ratio sortita” (either in The Pymander or The Asclepius). Most certainly these philosophers referred to something completely different from vocal and instrumental music. It is music and harmony, but of the universe; and this is the physical harmonic science. This science is founded entirely on physical things, for nothing is, or could be, determined by the will of man. Its subject is physical-acoustic phenomena, and demonstrations inseparably accompany the phenomena, so that nothing can be deduced from these unless demonstratively. The demonstrations are in part deduced from geometry, and specifically from the circle, and in general from a demonstrative science founded on the arithmetic common number. This is the true science of the proportions, for hitherto it has been most imperfect, because restricted within narrow boundaries and because the proportions have never been properly regulated. Many are the essential parts that make up the physical harmonic science, and they are inseparable from one another if one considers the system as a whole. As a result, my whole work consists of a single volume, though I am well aware that I have not covered everything in it. However, with equal, indeed greater, conviction I can claim to have laid its foundations in such a way that it will not perish and will, in due time, progress towards its perfection. Of these essential parts there is fortunately one