ustration: two diagrams: Concord in Plaine compasse, has four lines
with 1 and 4 connected and 2 and 3 connected;
Concord in Entertangle, has alternating lines connected - 1 and 3, 2 and
4, 3 and 5, etc.]

And first in a _Quadreine_ there are but two proportions, for foure verses
in this last sort coupled, are but two _Disticks_, and not a staffe
_quadreine_ or of foure.

[Illustration: three diagrams of four lines each:
first, with lines 1 and 4 connected and lines 2 and 3 connected;
second, with lines 1 and 3 connected and lines 2 and 4 connected;
third, with lines 1 and 2 connected and lines 3 and 4 connected.]

The staffe of fiue hath seuen proportions, whereof some of them be harsher
and vnpleasaunter to the eare then other some be.

[Illustration: seven diagrams of five lines each:
first, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 3, 2 with 4, 3 with 5;
second, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 4, 2 with 5, 3 with 4;
third, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 2, 2 with 5, 3 with 4;
fourth, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 4, 2 with 3, 4 with 5;
fifth, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 5, 2 with 3, 3 with 4;
sixth, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 3, 2 with 4, 4 with 5;
seventh, connecting these pairs of lines - 1 with 2, 2 with 4, 3 with 5.]

The _Sixaine_ or staffe of sixe hath ten proportions, whereof some be
vsuall, some not vsuall, and not so sweet one as another.

[Illustration: ten diagrams of six lines each:
first, connecting these lines - 1 with 6, 2 with 5, 3 with 4;
second, connecting these lines - 1 with 3, 2 with 4, 5 with 6;
third, connecting these lines - 1 with 3, 2 with 6, 3 with 4 and 5;
fourth, connecting these lines - 1 with 4, 2 with 5, 3 with 6;
fifth, connecting these lines - 1 with 6, 2 with 4, 3 with 5;
sixth, connecting these lines - 1 with 6, 2 with 3, 4 with 5;
seventh, connecting these lines - 1 with 5, 2 with 6, 3 with 4;
eighth, connecting these lines - 1 with 2, 5 and 6, 3 with 4;
ninth, connecting these lines - 1 with 3, 2 with 5, 4 with 6;
tenth, connecting these lines - 1 with 2 and 4, 3 with 5 and 6.]

The staffe of seuen verses hath seuen proportions, whereof one onley is
the vsuall of our vulgar, and kept by our old Poets _Chaucer_ and other in
their historicall reports and other ditties: as in the last part of them
that follow next.

[Illustration: eight diagrams of seven lines each:
first, connecting these lines - 1 with 3, 2 with 4,