Mediæval Hymns and Sequences

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MEDIÆVAL HYMNS

AND

TRANSLATED BY THE LATE

Pange lingua gloriosi

MEDIÆVAL HYMNS,

ETC.

Venantius Fortunatus, whose life extended from 580 to 609, is the connecting link between the poetry of Sedulius and Prudentius, and that of the middle ages. The friend of S. Gregory of Tours and S. Radegund, he long wandered over the South of France, the fashionable poet of his day. The latter half of his life, however, raised him to a higher post, and to a holier character. He died Bishop of Poitiers. The following is in the very first class of Latin Hymns: and is retained, with a few ill-judged retouchings, in the Roman Breviary.

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle, With completed victory rife: And above the Cross's trophy Tell the triumph of the strife: How the world's Redeemer conquer'd By surrendering of His Life.

God his Maker, sorely grieving That the first-made Adam fell, When he ate the fruit of sorrow, Whose reward was death and hell, Noted then this Wood, the ruin Of the ancient wood to quell.

For the work of our Salvation Needs would have his order so, And the multiform deceiver's Art by art would overthrow, And from thence would bring the med'cine Whence the insult of the foe.

Wherefore, when the sacred fulness Of th' appointed time was come, This world's Maker left His Father, Sent the Heavenly Mansion from, And proceeded, God Incarnate, Of the Virgin's Holy Womb.

Weeps the Infant in the manger That in Bethlehem's stable stands; And His Limbs the Virgin Mother Doth compose in swaddling bands, Meetly thus in linen folding Of her God the feet and hands.

Thirty years among us dwelling, His appointed time fulfill'd, Born for this, He meets his Passion, For that this He freely will'd: On the Cross the Lamb is lifted, Where His life-blood shall be spilled.

He endured the nails, the spitting, Vinegar, and spear, and reed; From that Holy Body broken Blood and water forth proceed: Earth, and stars, and sky, and ocean, By that flood from stain are freed.

Faithful Cross! above all other, One and only noble tree! None in foliage, none in blossom, None in fruit thy peers may be: Sweetest Wood, and sweetest Iron! Sweetest Weight is hung on thee.

Bend thy boughs, O Tree of Glory! Thy relaxing sinews bend; For awhile the ancient rigour, That thy birth bestowed, suspend; And the King of Heavenly Beauty On thy bosom gently tend!

Thou alone wast counted worthy This world's ransom to uphold; For a shipwrecked race preparing Harbour, like the Ark of old; With the sacred Blood anointed From the smitten Lamb that roll'd.

To the Trinity be glory Everlasting, as is meet: Equal to the Father, equal To the Son, and Paraclete: Trinal Unity, Whose praises All created things repeat. Amen.

Vexilla Regis prodeunt

This world-famous hymn, one of the grandest in the treasury of the Latin Church, was composed by Fortunatus, on occasion of the reception of certain relics by S. Gregory of Tours and S. Radegund, previously to the consecration of a church at Poitiers. It is therefore strictly and primarily a processional hymn, though very naturally afterwards adapted to Passiontide.

The Royal Banners forward go; The Cross shines forth in mystic glow; Where He in flesh, our flesh Who made, Our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

Where deep for us the spear was dy'd, Life's torrent rushing from His side, To wash us in that precious flood Where mingled Water flow'd, and Blood.

Fulfill'd is all that David told In true Prophetic song of old; Amidst the nations God, saith he, Hath reign'd and triumph'd from the Tree.

O Tree of Beauty! Tree of Light! O Tree with royal purple dight! Elect on whose triumphal breast Those holy limbs should find their rest!

On whose dear arms, so widely flung, The weight of this world's ransom hung: The price of human kind to pay, And spoil the Spoiler of his prey.

[O Cross, our one reliance, hail! This holy Passiontide, avail To give fresh merit to the Saint, And pardon to the penitent.

To Thee, Eternal Three in One, Let homage meet by all be done; Whom by the Cross Thou dost restore, Preserve and govern evermore.]

Apparebit repentina magna Dies Domini

This rugged, but grand Judgment Hymn, is at least as early as the 7th century, because quoted by V. Bede. It manifestly contains the germ of the Dies Iræ, to which, however inferior in lyric fervour and effect, it scarcely yields in devotion and simple realisation of its subject. In the original it is acrostic.

That great Day of wrath and terror, That last Day of woe and doom, Like a thief that comes at midnight, On the sons of men shall come; When the pride and pomp of ages All shall utterly have pass'd, And they stand in anguish, owning That the end is here at last; And the trumpet's pealing clangour, Through the earth's four quarters spread, Waxing loud and ever louder, Shall convoke the quick and dead: And the King of heavenly glory Shall assume His throne on high, And the cohorts of His angels Shall be near Him in the sky: And the sun shall turn to sackcloth, And the moon be red as blood, And the stars shall fall from heaven, Whelm'd beneath destruction's flood. Flame and fire, and desolation At the Judge's feet shall go: Earth and sea, and all abysses Shall His mighty sentence know. Then the elect upon the right hand Of the Lord shall stand around; But, like goats, the evil doers Shall upon the left be found: "Come, ye Blessed, take the kingdom," Shall be there the King's award, "Which for you, before the world was, Of My Father was prepared: I was naked, and ye clothed Me; Poor, and ye relieved Me; hence Take the riches of My glory For your endless recompense," Then the righteous shall make question,— "When have we beheld Thee poor, Lord of glory? When relieved Thee Lying needy at our door?" Whom the Blessed King shall answer,— "When ye showed your charity, Giving bread and home, and raiment, What ye did was done to Me." In like manner to the left hand That most righteous Judge shall say, "Go, ye cursed, to Gehenna, And the fire that is for aye: For in prison ye came not nigh Me,— Poor, ye pitied not My lot; Naked, ye have never clothed Me; Sick, ye visited Me not."— They shall say: "O Christ, when saw we That Thou calledst for our aid, And in prison, or sick, or hungry, To relieve have we delayed?" Whom again the Judge shall answer: "Since ye never cast your eyes On the sick, and poor, and needy, It was Me ye did despise." Backward, backward, at the sentence, To Gehenna they shall fly, Where the flame is never-ending, Where the worm can never die; Where are Satan and his angels In profoundest dungeon bound; Where are chains and lamentation, Where are quenchless flames around. But the righteous, upward soaring, To the heavenly Land shall go, Midst the cohorts of the angels, Where is joy for evermo: To Jerusalem, exulting, They with shouts shall enter in; That true "sight of peace" and glory That sets free from grief and sin. Christ shall they behold for ever, Seated at the Father's hand, As in Beatific Vision His elect before Him stand. Wherefore, man, while yet thou mayest, From the dragon's malice fly; Give thy bread to feed the hungry, If thou seek'st to win the sky; Let thy loins be straitly girded, Life be pure, and heart be right; At the coming of the Bridegroom, That thy lamp may glitter bright.

Sancti, venite, Corpus Christi sumite

Rugged and unpoetical as this hymn is, it has a certain pious simplicity about it which renders it well worthy of preservation. It is an early example of a metrical composition, sung during the communion of the people. The Communio of the Latin, like the Koinonicon of the Eastern, Church, never now appears but as prose.—The present hymn seems not later than the seventh century.

Draw nigh, and take the Body of the Lord, And drink the Holy Blood for you outpoured.

Saved by that Body, hallowed by that Blood, Whereby refreshed, we render thanks to God.

Salvation's Giver, Christ the Only Son, By that His Cross and Blood the victory won.

Offered was He for greatest and for least: Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest.

Victims were offered by the Law of old, That, in a type, celestial mysteries told.

He, Ransomer from death, and Light from shade, Giveth His holy grace His Saints to aid.

Approach ye then with faithful hearts sincere, And take the safeguard of salvation here.

He That in this world rules His Saints, and shields, To all believers Life Eternal yields:

With Heavenly Bread makes them that hunger whole; Gives Living Waters to the thirsty soul.

Alpha and Omega, to Whom shall bow All nations at the Doom, is with us now.

Hymnum Canentes Martyrum

A Hymn for the Holy Innocents, the composition of Venerable Bede. Although it stands in unfavourable contrast with the Salvete flores Martyrum of Prudentius, it is somewhat strange that no part of it should have been introduced into any English Breviary. It will be observed that the first and last line of every verse are identical. This somewhat frigid conceit, (Epanalepsis, as the grammarians call it,) V. Bede seems to have borrowed from the Elegy of Sedulius, which is composed on a similar plan. Other mediaeval writers, however, as Peter Damiani, Eugenius of Toledo, Theodulph of Orleans, have employed it.—I have omitted some of the stanzas.

The Hymn for conquering Martyrs raise: The Victor Innocents we praise: Whom in their woe earth cast away, But heaven with joy received to-day. Whose Angels see the Father's Face World without end, and hymn His Grace: And while they chant unceasing lays, The Hymn for conquering Martyrs raise.

By that accursed monarch slain, Their loving Maker bade them reign: With Him they dwell, no more distressed, In the fair Land of light and rest: He gives them mansions, one and all, In that His Heavenly Father's Hall: —Thus have they changed their loss for gain, By that accursed Monarch slain.

A voice from Ramah was there sent, A voice of weeping and lament: When Rachel mourned the children's care Whom for the tyrant's sword she bare. Triumphal is their glory now Whom earthly torments could not bow: What time, both far and near that went, A voice from Ramah was there sent.

Fear not, O little flock and blest, The lion that your life oppressed! To heavenly pastures ever new The heavenly Shepherd leadeth you; Who, dwelling now on Sion's hill The Lamb's dear footsteps follow still: By tyrant there no more distressed, Fear not, O little flock and blest!

And every tear is wiped away By your dear Father's bands for aye; Death hath no power to hurt you more, Whose own is Life's eternal store,— Who sow their seed, and, sowing, weep, In everlasting joy shall reap: What time they shine in heavenly day, And every tear is wiped away.

O City blest o'er all the earth, Who gloriest in the Saviour's birth! Whose are His earliest Martyrs dear, By kindred and by triumph here. None from henceforth may call thee small;— Of rival towns thou passest all; In whom our Monarch had His Birth,— O City blest o'er all the earh!

Urbs beata Jerusalem

This grand Hymn of the eighth century, was modernised in the reform of Pope Urban VIII., into the Cœlestis Urbs Jerusalem: and lost half of its beauty in the process.

Blessed City, Heavenly Salem, Vision dear of Peace and Love, Who, of living stones upbuilded, Art the joy of Heav'n above, And, with angel cohorts circled, As a Bride to earth dost move!

From celestial realms descending, Ready for the nuptial bed, To His presence, deck'd with jewels, By her Lord shall she be led: All her streets, and all her bulwarks, Of pure gold are fashioned.

Bright with pearls her portal glitters; It is open evermore; And, by virtue of His merits, Thither faithful souls may soar, Who for Christ's dear Name, in this world Pain and tribulation bore.

Many a blow and biting sculpture Polish'd well those stones elect, In their places now compacted By the Heavenly Architect, Who therewith hath will'd for ever That His Palace should be deck'd.

Christ is made the sure Foundation, And the precious Corner-stone, Who, the two-fold walls surmounting, Binds them closely into one: Holy Sion's help for ever, And her confidence alone.

All that dedicated City, Dearly lov'd by God on high, In exultant jubilation Pours perpetual melody; God the One, and God the Trinal, Singing everlastingly.

To this Temple, where we call Thee, Come, O Lord of Hosts, to-day! With Thy wonted loving-kindness Hear Thy people as they pray; And Thy fullest benediction Shed within its walls for aye.

Here vouchsafe to all Thy servants That they supplicate to gain: Here to have and hold for ever Those good things their prayers obtain; And hereafter in Thy Glory With Thy blessed ones to reign.

Laud and honour to the Father; Laud and honour to the Son; Laud and honour to the Spirit; Ever Three, and ever One: Consubstantial, Co-eternal, While unending ages run. Amen.

Gloria, laus, et honor

This processional Hymn for Palm Sunday is said to have been composed by S. Theodulph at Metz, or as others will have it, at Angers, while imprisoned on a false accusation: and to have been sung by him from his dungeon window, or by choristers instructed by him, as the Emperor Louis and his Court were on their way to the Cathedral. The good Bishop was immediately liberated. In the original composition there were ten stanzas besides the Chorus. The Roman Missal retains only the first five. Others add, as I have here added, the sixth and the tenth. The remaining three are utterly unworthy of the general beauty of the Hymn.—I have to acknowledge the assistance of a friend in the translation.

Glory, and honour, and laud be to Thee, King Christ the Redeemer! Children before Whose steps raised their Hosannas of praise. Glory, and honour, &c.

Israel's Monarch art Thou, and the glorious Offspring of David, Thou that approachest a King blessed in the Name of the Lord. Glory, and honour, &c.

Glory to Thee in the highest the heavenly armies are singing: Glory to Thee upon earth man and creation reply. Glory, and honour, &c.

Met Thee with Palms in their hands that day the folk of the Hebrews: We with our prayers and our hymns now to Thy presence approach. Glory, and honour, &c.

They to Thee proffered their praise for to herald Thy dolorous Passion; We to the King on His Throne utter the jubilant hymn. Glory, and honour, &c.

They were then pleasing to Thee, unto Thee our devotion be pleasing; Merciful King, kind King, Who in all goodness art pleas'd. Glory, and honour, &c.

They in their pride of descent were rightly the children of Hebrews: Hebrews are we, whom the Lord's Passover maketh the same. Glory, and honour, &c.

Victory won o'er the world be to us for our branches of Palm tree: So in the Conqueror's joy this to Thee still be our song: Glory, and honour, and laud be to Thee, King Christ the Redeemer, Children before Whose steps raised their Hosannas of Praise.

Tibi, Christe, Splendor Patris

A Hymn of S. Hrabanus Maurus, Archbishop of Mayence; born in 777, and deceased in 850. It was so completely altered in the Te Splendor et Virtus Patris of the modern Roman Breviary, that scarcely a trace of the original remains. The Christe qui sedes Olympo of Santolius Victorinus in the Parisian Breviary imitates, without equalling, the present hymn. This is one of the few that have no rhyme.

Thee, O Christ, the Father's Splendour, Life and virtue of the heart, In the presence of the Angels Sing we now with tuneful art: Meetly in alternate chorus Bearing our responsive part.

Thus we praise with veneration All the armies of the sky: Chiefly him, the warrior Primate Of celestial chivalry: Michael, who in princely virtue Cast Abaddon from on high.

By whose watchful care, repelling, King of everlasting grace! Every ghostly adversary, All things evil, all things base; Grant us of Thine only goodness In Thy Paradise a place.

Laud and honour to the Father; Laud and honour to the Son; Laud and honour to the Spirit; Ever Three, and ever One: Consubstantial, Co-eternal, While unending ages run. Amen.

[Adopted in the Hymnal Noted.]

Sancti Spiritus adsit nobis gratia

We now come to the age of Notkerian Sequences; about which a few words must be said.

It is well known that the origin of sequences themselves is to be looked for in the Alleluia of the Gradual, sung between the Epistle and Gospel. During this melody it was necessary that the deacon should have time to ascend from his place at the altar to the rood-loft, that he might thence sing the Gospel. Hence the prolongation of the last syllable in the Alleluia of the Gradual, in thirty, forty, fifty, or even a hundred notes; the neuma of which ritualistic writers speak so much. True, there was no sense in this last syllable and its lengthening out, but the mystical interpreters had their explanation: 'the way in which we praise in our Country is yet unknown.'

And good people were content for some three hundred years with this service; and, as it has been very truly observed, the attempt itself, if one may use the expression, to explain the sound into sense, manifests a little of the rationalism with which the Eastern has always taunted the Western Church. But, towards the beginning of the eleventh century, there was a certain Swiss monk, by name Notker. The defects of every religious person were well known in the house where he resided; and a slight lisp in his speech gave him the surname of Balbulus. He had resided for some years in that marvellous monastery of S. Gall; the church of which was the pattern of all monastic edifices, till it was eclipsed by a church, the description of which now reads like a most glorious dream—Cluny. While watching the samphire-gatherers on the precipitous cliffs that surrounded S. Gall, Notker had composed the world-famous hymn, 'In the midst of life we are in death.' But, desirous of obtaining the best education which Christendom could afford, he afterwards betook himself to the Monastery of Jumièges, and there formed an acquaintance with many of its monks. With one of them he had, it seems, a friendly discussion, whether the interminable ia of the Alleluia might not be altered into a religious sense; a discussion which, for the time, had no result. But Jumièges, in common with so many other French monasteries, was desolated by the barbarian Normans. Whereupon Notker's friend, bethinking himself of S. Gall, took refuge in that great house; and the discussion which years before had commenced was again carried on between the two associates. At length Notker determined to put words to the notes which had hitherto only interminably prolonged the Alleluia. He did so; and as a first attempt produced a sequence which began with the line—

'Laudes Deo concinat orbis universus:'

and which has lately been republished. He brought this, notes and all, on a parchment rolled round a cylinder of wood, to Yso, precentor of what we should now call the Cantoris side. Yso looked kindly on the composition, but said that be most refer it to Marcellus, the precentor on the Decani side. These two sang the sequence over together, and observed that sometimes two notes went to one syllable in a slur, sometimes three or four syllables went to one note in a kind of recitative. Yso thereupon was charged with the message that the verses would not answer their purpose. Notker, not much discouraged, revised his composition; and now, instead of (for the first line) Laudes Deo concinat orbis universus, he substituted, Laudes Deo concinat orbis ubique totus: instead of the second line, Coluber Adæ deceptor, he now wrote, Coluber Adæ male-suasor: which as he himself tells us, when the good-natured Yso had sung over to himself, he gave thanks to , he commended the new composition to the brethren of the monastery, and more especially to Othmar, Yso's brother by blood. Such then was the origin of sequences, at first called Proses, because written rather in rhythmical prose than with any attention to metre.

It is impossible in this place to enter into the extremely elaborate rules of the Notkerians; they may be seen in my Epistola de Sequentiis, prefixed to the fifth volume of my friend Dr. Daniel's Thesaurus Hymnologicus.

S. Notker died about 912. The following sequence, of his composition, was in use all over Europe: even in those countries, (like Italy and Spain,) which usually rejected sequences. In the Missal of Palencia the Priest is ordered to hold a white dove in his hands, while intoning the first syllables, and then to let it go.

1. The grace of the Holy Ghost be present with us;

2. And make our hearts a dwelling place to itself;

3. And expel from them all spiritual wickedness.

4. Merciful Spirit, Illuminator of men,

5. Purge the fearful shades of our mind.

6. O holy Lover of thoughts that are ever wise,

7. Of Thy mercy pour forth Thine Anointing into our senses.

8. Thou purifier of all iniquities, O Spirit,

9. Purify the eye of our inner man,

10. To the end that the Father of all things may be seen by us,

11. He, Whom the eyes of none save the pure in heart can behold.

12. Thou didst inspire the Prophets to chant aforehand their glorious heralding of Christ.

13. Thou didst confirm the Apostles, so that they shall bear Christ's glorious trophy through the whole world.

14. When, by His Word, made the system of heaven, earth, seas,

15. Thou didst stretch out Thy Godhead over the waters, and didst cherish them, O Spirit!

16. Thou dost give virtue to the waters to quicken souls;

17. Thou, by Thine Inspiration, grantest to men to be spiritual.

18. Thou didst unite the world, divided both in tongues and rites, O Lord!

19. Thou recallest idolaters to the worship of God, best of Masters!

20. Wherefore of Thy mercy hear us who call upon Thee, Holy Ghost:

21. Without Whom, as the faith teaches, all our prayers are in vain, and unworthy of the ears of God.

22. Thou, O Spirit, Who by embracing the Saints of all ages, dost teach them by the impulse of Thy Divinity;

23. Thyself, by bestowing on the Apostles of Christ a gift immortal, and unheard of from all ages,

24. Hast made this day glorious.

Laus Tibi, Christe

Next to S. Notker himself, the most famous writer of the Proses named from him, was Godescalcus—to be carefully distinguished from his predestinarian namesake. The following sequence for S. Mary Magdalene is his composition; and has an interesting notice in the Lives of the Brothers of the Common Life, by Thomas à Kempis. It occurs in that of Lubert ten Bosche.

"It fell out also that Master Lubert was seized with the same plague. And, behold, in the month of July, three days before the feast of the blessed Mary Magdalene, he fell ill, and took to his bed, and said that he was not long for this world. We, on the other hand, laboured with many prayers, and sought remedies from God, and from intelligent surgeons, because his life was desirable to all.

"But his prayers were heard beyond ours, and they were full of desires to be admitted among the heavenly citizens. One of the brethren said, 'We shall not be separated so quickly, but we shall hold our conversations in the room of Master Florentius.' 'No,' said he, 'not any more here, but in the heavenly places with the Saints,' for he desired to depart, and to be with Christ. On the feast of S. Mary Magdalene he asked that the sequence 'Laus Tibi, Christe,' might be sung in his room.

"When it had been sung, he said, 'What devout words are these!' And he repeated to himself this verse, ruminating upon it,—'What, sick one, could she have possessed, if she had not received it, if the Physician had not been present.'"

1. Praise be to Thee, O Christ, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Saviour.

2. Of the heaven, the earth, the sea, angels, and men.

3. Whom alone we confess to be God and Man.

4. Who didst come that Thou mightest save sinners,

5. Without sin assuming the likeness of sin.

6. From the number of which sinners as Thou didst visit the Canaanitish woman, as also Mary Magdalene,

7. At the same table of the Divine Word, Thou didst refresh the one with crumbs, the other with drink,

8. In the house of Simon the leper, sitting down at the Typical Feast.

9. The Pharisee murmurs, where the woman, conscious of her sin, laments.

10. The sinner despiseth his fellow-sinner: Thou that knewest no sin, hearest her, penitent—cleansest her, defiled—lovest her, that Thou mayest make her fair.

11. She embraceth the feet of the Lord, washeth them with her tears, wipeth them with her hair: by washing, by wiping, by ointment, she anointeth them,—with kisses she encircleth them.

12. These are the banquets which are well-pleasing to Thee, O Wisdom of the Father!

13. O Thou born of a Virgin, Who disdainest not to be touched by a woman that was a sinner!

14. Thou wast invited by the Pharisee: Thou wast banqueted by Mary.

15. Much Thou forgivest to her that loved much, and repeated not her sin in time to come.

16. From seven devils Thou cleansest her, by Thy sevenfold Spirit.

17. From the dead Thou didst grant her to see Thee again before the others.

18. By her, O Christ, Thou signifiest Thy proselyte Church; whom albeit alien-born, Thou callest to the table of Thy sons.

19. Whom at the feast of the law and grace, the pride of the Pharisees contemns, the leprosy of heresy vexes.

20. What she is Thou knowest; she toucheth Thee because she is a sinner, because she is a desirer of pardon.

21. What, sick one, could she have possessed, if she had not received it, if the Physician had not been present?

22. King of kings, rich unto all, save us; Thou that wipest away all the crimes of sinners, Thou that art the hope and glory of Saints.

Cœli enarrant

Also by Godescalcus. Written for the Festival of the Division of the Apostles (July 16.)

1. The Heavens declare the glory of the Son of God, the Incarnate Word, made Heavens from earth.

2. For this glory befitteth that Lord alone

3. Whose Name is the Angel of the Great Counsel.

4. This Counsel, the assistance of fallen man, is ancient, and profound, and true, made known to the Saints alone,

5. When this Angel, made Man of a woman, made an immortal out of a mortal; out of men, angels; out of earth, heaven.

6. This is the Lord God of Hosts, Whose angels sent into the earth are the Apostles.

7. To whom He exhibited Himself alive after His Resurrection by many arguments, announcing peace as the victor of death.

8. Peace be unto you, saith He; I am He; fear not; preach the word of Christ to every creature, before kings and princes.

9. As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you into the world; be ye therefore prudent as serpents, be ye harmless as doves.

10. Hence Peter, Prince of Apostles, visited Rome; Paul, Greece, preaching grace everywhere: hence these twelve chiefs in the four quarters of the world, preached as Evangelists the Threefold and the One.

11. Andrew, either James, Philip, Bartholomew, Simon, Thaddeus, John, Thomas, and Matthew, twelve Judges, not divided from unity, but for unity, collected into one those that were divided through the earth:

12. Their sound is gone out into all lands,

13. And their words into the ends of the world.

14. How beautiful are the feet of them that proclaim good tidings—that preach peace;

15. That speak thus to them that are redeemed by the Blood of Christ: Sion, thy God shall reign;

16. Who made the worlds by the Word; Which Word was for us, in the end of the world, made Flesh:

17. This Word Which we preach, Christ crucified, Who liveth and reigneth, God in heaven.

18. These are the Heavens which, O Christ, Thou inhabitest; in whose words Thou thunderest; in whose deeds Thou lightenest; in whose grace Thou sendest Thy dew:

19. To these Thou hast said: Drop down, O ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One; let the earth be opened and bud.

20. Raise up a Righteous Branch, Thou Who causest our earth to bring forth, sowing it with the seed of Apostolic words: through whose words grant, O Lord, that we, holding the Word of the Father, may bring forth fruit to Thee, O Lord, in patience.

21. These are the Heavens which Thou, Angel of the great Counsel, inhabitest, whom Thou callest not servants, but friends; to whom Thou tellest all things that Thou hast heard from the Father.

22. By whose Division mayest Thou preserve Thy flock, collected and undivided, and in the bond of peace; that in Thee we may be one, as with the Father Thou art One.

23. Have mercy on us, Thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Cantemus Cuncti

THE ALLELUIATIC SEQUENCE.

We shall have another occasion to speak of the "Deposition of Alleluia" at Septuagesima, for which this famous Sequence was written by Godescalcus.

It was first translated by me for the Hymnal Noted,—copied thence into the Sarum Hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern, and Chope's Hymns,—and, miserably inferior as it is to the original, seems thus to have obtained great popularity. But, most unhappily, those hymnals ignored the glorious melody, contemporaneous with the Sequence. There, for the first time since the words were written, they were, in the accompanying melodies, cramped, tortured, tamed down into a chant, the very kind of music for which the original sense and the English words are least adapted. It is because Mr. Troyte was the author of a chant which, to anyone who has heard the original melody, is utterly destructive of the whole prose, that the "Alleluiatic Sequence" is now sometimes called "Troyte's Chant."