The Last Lesson

1589-04-12
Beside a Forest Stream

What the art is

• Keep the art free. Teach for love, not for coin. Copy with a steady hand.
• Spare when you can. The point is restraint.
• Honor the Four Voices
  Wind for agility. Stone for ground. Flame for timing. Water for flow.
  Let them sing together.

The rule

Sing before you draw. Say it when the hand nears the hilt.

A memory peg:

S I N G

S — Set breath and stance
One calm breath. Heels sure. Edge aligned in the mind first.

I — Intend the outcome
Ask what good you mean to do. Protect, not punish.

N — Notice measure
Name the distance. See exits, ground, bystanders.

G — Give grace
Offer words. Offer a pause. If you must act, stop at the inch.

A practice to carry

1. Step to safe measure on the eight pointed star.
2. Take one breath and let it set your tempo.
3. Lift the empty hand and name the measure if they will hear it.
4. Show the bind before the cut.
5. Spend only the spark that ends the danger, then return to Stone.

If you must teach

Begin with measure and breath. End with a copied page. Sweep before and after. Hold the lantern when light fails.

If you must judge yourself

• Did I spare where I could
• Did I speak before I struck
• Did I stop at the inch

Close the book. Feel the star under your feet though you cannot see it. When the world asks for the fifth song, remember our vow.

Sing before you draw.