Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hothby, John

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1386923Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 27 — Hothby, John1891William Barclay Squire

HOTHBY, JOHN (fl. 1470), Carmelite and writer on music, although reckoned by Tanner an Englishman by birth, spent most of his life at Ferrara, but went to Lucca in 1467. From a passage in a manuscript (Cod. Palat. 472) at Florence he seems to have studied at Pavia, and in his letter against Ramis de Pareja he himself says that he had travelled in France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, and Spain. His name was occasionally spelt Otteby, Ottobi, and Octobi.

Many of Hothby's works are still extant. Of these the British Museum (Add. MS. 10336) and Lambeth Palace Libraries possess copies of a treatise beginning ‘Quid est Proportio.’ The Liceo Comunale of Bologna has (A. 32): 1. ‘Regule super Proportionem et Cantum Figuratum.’ 2. ‘De Cantu Figurato.’ 3. ‘Regule super Contrapunctum.’ 4. ‘Manus per genus diatonicum declarata.’ 5. ‘Regule de Monocordo manuali.’ All these were copied by Padre Martini from a manuscript (now lost) at Ferrara, which also contained a Kyrie, Magnificat, and other compositions by Hothby. In the National Library at Florence (MS. Cod. Magliabechianus, class. xix. n. 36) are ‘Regule Contrapuncti’ and an Italian letter against Ramis de Pareja (of both of which there are copies, A. 5.1 and B. 5, in the Liceo Communale of Bologna); ‘Ars plana Musice’ (beginning ‘Regule Monocordii sunt XXII.’). ‘Dialogus in Arte Musica’ (beginning ‘Nos te nostrum carmen’); and ‘Calliopea Legale.’ In Palatino MS. E. 5.2, in the same library, is ‘Tractatus quarundam regularum Artis Musice,’ and a second copy of the ‘Calliopea,’ translations of which were printed in ‘Cäcilia. Organ für Kirchenmusik’ (No. 5, 1874), and together with the original in Coussemaker's ‘Histoire de l'Harmonie au Moyen Age’ (p. 295, &c). The library of St. Mark's at Venice contains: 1. Another copy of the ‘Calliopea Legale.’ 2 and 3. Copies of the ‘Regule super Proportionem’ and ‘Regule super Contrapunctum,’ which are at Bologna. At Paris is a third copy of the ‘Regule super Proportionem,’ and a second treatise on ‘Counterpoint,’ beginning ‘Consonantia interpretatur sonus.’ Coussemaker (‘Scriptores, III’) has printed the treatises on ‘Proportion,’ ‘Cantus Figuratus,’ and ‘Counterpoint’ all from the Bologna manuscripts.

[Gasparo's Catalogo della Biblioteca del Liceo Musicale di Bologna, i. 90, 225, 299; Grove's Dict. of Music, i. 754, iv. 679–80; Fétis's Biog. des Musiciens, iv. 373; information from Professor Gentile, Signor Parisini, and Signor Castellani; Tanner's Bibl. Brit. sub. ‘Otteby;’ works quoted above.]

W. B. S.