Evrart de Conty, Le Livre des Echez amoureux moralisés,

ed. Françoise Guichard-Tesson and Bruno Roy, Montréal, CERES, 1993. Translation (c) Jeay and Garay. pp.100-102.

The nine sciences.

How the nine muses represent the main nine sciences.

It is to be understood that the nine muses represent the nine sciences which are the most valuable among all human sciences, and which correspond to the nine spheres of the sky. These nine sciences are grammar, logic, rhetoric, astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and music; the eighth one is philosophy and the ninth is metaphysics which surpasses and rules all the others, according to The Philosopher [Aristotle]. Among these nine sciences, seven are the liberal arts which correspond to the seven planets.

Grammar, the first science of the trivium.

First, it is said that Grammar belongs to Saturn because of the similarity between this science and the planet. Saturn is the first planet, which is above and beyond the others: this is why the first god and father of the others was named Saturn. Saturn means also what is ancient, and generally what is rude, crude and dark. It is slow and heavy in its motion so that all the other planets pursue and join it, but it cannot pursue and join them, since it cannot reach them.

In the same way, Grammar is the first science, preceding the others according to the order of Nature, because it teaches children first to talk, then to organize correctly their words and assemble their letters, what all the other sciences presuppose. Without correct and adequate expression, no human science could be developed. This is why one can say that it is the mother of them all, and the oldest. Truly, all the others pursue it and borrow something from it. But it does not pursue, nor borrow from them, but can be learned by itself without them.

We can see also that those who are pure grammarians, and who like this science and study it, are usually rude, slow, heavy, and not gifted for deep and subtle sciences. Anyone considering this would find that they share many of the ways and conditions of Saturn. This is why it seems that grammar is especially related to Saturn.

Logic, the second science of the trivium.

Logic has been related to Jupiter, not only because logic is the second science as Jupiter is the second planet after Saturn, but for a much more substantial cause. Jupiter, among many good significations attributed to it, means justice and truthful speech. This is why the astronomers call it "the star of truth", and why the Greeks called it "the just". Logic is related to Jupiter because it is a science which determines what is true and false, and teaches discrimination between truth and falsehood with its argumentations, syllogisms, and demonstrations; also because it helps to achieve proper conclusions, in accordance with the truth, in all the sciences. Logic has a bearing on all the sciences; this is why the ancients called it the science of sciences.

Rhetoric, the third science of the trivium.

The third science is rhetoric which helps to adorn and embellish the speech, because, with a better speech, one expresses oneself more clearly. The Ancients related it to Mars. The reason may be that Mars has a nature prone to battles, fights, trials, debates and all kinds of dissensions. It also connotes deceitfulness, fraud, falseness, cheating, lies, betrayal, and other such things.

It is true that one often sees that many debates, disputes, and many great dissensions which may last for a long time, occur in rhetoric. They sometimes come from its beautiful speech, as lawyers and orators often demonstrate. It happens often also in disputes about logic, where one can see great quarrels and arguments between the opponents, to the extent that it seems to be a sort of battle.

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It is certain that much falsehood and deceit, great lies and cheating have been and are very often committed with the beautifully adorned language of rhetoric; this in spite of all the good things, benefits and marvels that have been done by rhetoric, things that are still done or could be done in the future, because of the great virtue and efficacy - for good or bad - of beautiful, well-organized words. This is why Cicero said that sometimes things have been done with beautiful speech and words, that could not have been achieved with force or the power of arms. In this way rhetoric can be related to Mars.

It appears that among the seven liberal arts, the three first are like sisters, helping one another. They help to correct and perfect human speech, since, as we have said, grammar assists in speaking accurately, logic in speaking truly, and rhetoric in speaking beautifully.