1904 HYMNS-ANCIENT' AND 'MODERN' These are Thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty! Thine this universal frame, Thus wondrous fair: Thyself how wondrous then! SUCH are the opening words of the splendid morning hymn which Milton puts into the mouths of our first parents in their sinless Paradise, 'when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.' A poet's dream, perchance; yet we can hardly refuse to believe that a song not unlike this burst from the hearts of the first beings who on this globe of ours found themselves with eyes. to see the glories of Nature, with intellects to soar through realms of space, and with souls to adore the All-Father who had made them lords of that fair earth. Nor do any records of old belie such imaginings. In all we find the same recognition of an all-creating First Cause, the same appeal for protection against evil, the same aspiration of the spirit towards reunion with the central flame from which its divine spark was kindled. Then from adoration of the Spirit of the Cosmos the bard of old passes to the glorification of the divine in man, and as he chants the deeds of demigods and heroes the hymn proper merges into the epic : First hymn they the Father Of all things; and then It is, however, the hymn, and not the epic, which we have here to consider. It would be hard to decide between the relative antiquity of the sacred verses which have descended to us. The worshippers of ancient Egypt have left their ritual chants on the papyri guarded by their dead, while in the libraries of Babylonia are found clay tablets showing the kinship of their devotion to that of their Hebrew brothers. The Vedic hymns emerge from the primal mists of Indian history; while the devotees of Zoroaster hardly hesitate to claim that the Gâ thas, or first hymns of his followers, date from ten or fifteen hundred years before Christ, and that the copies still existing are amongst the earliest inscribed on parchment. Says the Gâtha: The Almighty numbers our words, The Vedic hymns, praising the Almighty in His countless revelations of Himself in Nature, still have the underlying instinct of unity. 'Who is the God,' say they, to whom we shall offer sacrifice?' And the answer comes: He who gives breath, He who gives strength, whose command all the bright gods revere, whose shadow is immortality, whose shadow is death . . . He who by His sun first looked even over the waters which held power, and generated the sacrifice-He who alone is God above all gods. And why should we hesitate to hold these hymns as addressed to the God of Abraham when St. Paul claims for the Eternal the song of his own fellow-countryman? Aratus was born in Cilicia about 260 years before Christ, and he began his Phenomena' with the famous invocation from which the Apostle quoted when addressing the philosophers at Athens. It has been thus rendered : 1 Let us begin from God. Let every mortal raise ... To Him—the First-the Last-all homage yield, We must not linger over the countless songs, choral, dramatic, and didactic, addressed to the Power recognised as Alpha and Omega by so-called Pagans, but rather hasten on to the Christian era. Though the early Christians doubtless took the first sacred songs used in their services from the Hebrews, the name 'hymn' is the Greek 6 hymnos,' and no special distinction seems to have been drawn between the psalms and hymns' which St. Paul recommended to the Church. . Many references to hymns used in religious services are found in the early Fathers, and tradition says that Ignatius, who suffered martyrdom about 107 A.D., introduced antiphonal singing into the Church of Antioch after a vision of angels who were thus glorifying the Almighty. Tertullian describes the ' Agapæ,' or love-feasts, of his day, and says that after hand-washing and bringing in lights, each man was invited 'By Dr. Lamb. He, however, translates Dios ''Jove.' to come forward and sing verses of praise either from Holy Scripture or of his own composition. It is not recorded whether a limit was put to the length or frequency of any individual poet's performance! Translations of some of these very early hymns are sung in our day, notably the 'Gloria in excelsis' in our Communion service. This was originally a Greek morning hymn, dating at least from the fourth and possibly from the second century. It was subsequently translated into Latin and imported into the Roman liturgy. Unfortunately hymnody could not remain untainted by theological controversy, but fell a prey to the disputes of Arius and Athanasius. Early in the fourth century the latter had rebuked his rival for certain hymns by which he had endeavoured to popularise his doctrines. Towards the close of the same century the defeated Arians, though still numerous in Constantinople, were allowed no place of worship within the city walls. They avenged themselves by assembling at sunset on Saturdays, Sundays, and great festivals, and, gathering in porticos and other places of public resort, they sang all night songs expressing their own views, and often adding taunts and insults to the orthodox. Chrysostom, who was then bishop, was not to be outdone. At the expense of the Empress Eudoxia, who was then his friend, he organised counter-processions, with hymns, silver crosses, wax tapers, and other spectacular attractions. As a natural consequence riots ensued, there was bloodshed on both sides, and, the Empress's chief eunuch being injured, public singing by Arians was suppressed by edict. Nevertheless, the custom of nocturnal hymnsinging on special occasions, though introduced in this stormy manner, was continued in the Church. Hymns were extremely popular in the Eastern Church before they made their way to the Western communities. The Arian disputes played their part here also. St. Augustine tells us that when Justina, mother of the Emperor Valentinian, who favoured these heretics, wished to remove Bishop Ambrose from his see, devout people assembled to protect him, and kept guard in the church. Then it was first appointed that, after the manner of the Eastern churches, hymns and psalms should be sung, lest the people should grow weary and faint through sorrow, which custom has ever since been retained, and has been followed by almost all congregations in other parts of the world.' Ambrose was himself a distinguished writer of Latin hymns; and tradition attributes to him the authorship of the Te Deum. From this time onwards hymns appropriate to the canonical hours, to the ecclesiastical fasts and festivals, to commemorations of saints, and to other offices of the Church rapidly multiplied, and were collected in the various breviaries used in different dioceses and religious houses by the authority of bishops or ecclesiastical superiors. At the time of the Reformation, when the old Latin service-books were revised, translated, and adapted to the requirements of the English Church, little provision was made for the musical tastes of congregations. The Veni Creator' in the Ordination services, and the creeds and canticles in the daily prayers and at Holy Communion, might be said or sung'; but nothing was definitely ordered to replace the hymns in the old breviaries. Luther, fond of music, and well acquainted with popular taste, had taken care to make full provision of hymns in the vulgar tongue for German Protestants; and Cranmer appears to have made some attempt to follow his example, and to introduce English hymns into the services of the Reformed Anglican Church; but before the Prayerbook took its present form a new fashion in hymnody had arisen. Clement Marot, a servant of the French King, Francis the First, with the aid of a youth called Theodore Beza, translated the Psalms of David into French verse; and these verses, dedicated to the French King and to the ladies of France, and set to cheerful tunes, became exceedingly popular. Calvin promptly perceived that metrical translations from the words of the Bible were more conducive to the spread. of Reformation doctrines than versions of Latin hymns, and seizing upon Marot's Psalter appended it to his catechism, while it was with equal promptitude interdicted by the Roman Catholic priesthood. The example set in France was followed in England. Thomas Sternhold began a translation of the Psalms, which was continued by John Hopkins, a Suffolk clergyman, who added, amongst others, the everfamous Old Hundredth.' The work was carried on by English refugees at Geneva during the Marian persecution, and brought into use in England after the accession of Queen Elizabeth. As many as six thousand persons are described as singing together from its pages after sermons at St. Paul's Cross, with thrilling effect. Queen Elizabeth, by an injunction issued in the first year of her reign, after allowing the use of a modest and distinct song in all parts of the common prayer of the Church, so that the same may be as plainly understanded as if it were read without singing,, proceeds to permit, 'for the comforting of such that delight in music, the singing of a hymn or suchlike song to the praise of Almighty, God' at the beginning or end either of Morning or Evening Prayer, in the best sort of melody and music that may be conveniently devised,' always providing that the sense of the hymn may be 'understanded and perceived.' This injunction, and the insertion, a hundred. years later, of the words in the rubric after the third collect at Morning, and Evening Prayer, 'in quires and places where they sing, here followeth the anthem,' are generally considered to be the only authorities for singing metrical hymns whose words are not taken from Holy Scripture. How far the metrical version of the Psalms by Sternhold and Hopkins was regularly authorised has often been debated. It certainly claimed such authority. I possess a copy printed in 1629 for the Companie of Stationers,' bearing on its title-page the words 'Cum privilegio Regis Regali,' and stating that it is Set forth and allowed to be sung in all churches, of all the people together, before and after Morning and Evening Prayer, and also before and after sermons and moreover in private houses for their godly solace and comfort, laying apart all ungodly songs and ballades: which tend onely to the nourishing of vice and corrupting of youth. This copy of the Psalms and metrical versions of the Canticles is also enriched with apt notes to sing them withall,' and has some quaint little hymns which are omitted in later copies of the collection. The New Version,' made by William the Third's chaplain, Dr. Brady, and the poet laureate, Nahum Tate, was published with an Order in Council dated the 3rd of December, 1696, permitting it 'to be used in all churches, chapels, and congregations as shall think fit to receive the same'; and in May 1698 the Bishop of London-Dr. Comptonrecommends it as a work done with so much judgment and ingenuity' as he is persuaded 'may take off that unhappy objection which has hitherto lain against the singing psalms.' What that unhappy objection' may have been is not stated, but it is clear that the new version never entirely displaced the old in popular estimation. So late as 1852 copies of the Prayer-book were published with both versions appended, though others of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries exist, some with the old and some with the new version only. A German, Charles Moritz, who travelled in England in 1782, gives an interesting account of a Sunday spent in the village of Nettlebed. Having borrowed a Prayer-book from the landlord of his inn, he studied it during breakfast, and comments as follows: It being called a prayer-book, rather than, like ours, a hymn-book, arises from the nature of the English service, which is composed very little of singing, and almost entirely of praying. The Psalms of David, however, are here translated into English verse, and are generally printed at the end of English prayerbooks. The service began at half-past nine, and the village boys were drawn up as if they had been recruits to be drilled,' to salute the parson, who arrived on horseback. They are described as 'welllooking, healthy boys, neat and decently dressed, with their hair cut. short and combed on the forehead, according to the English fashion. Their bosoms were open, and the white frills of their shirts turned back on each side.' The English service, Moritz thinks, must be very fatiguing to the minister, so large a part falling to his share. Before the sermon there was a little stir, several musical instruments appeared, and the clerk said, in a loud voice: Let us sing, to the praise and glory of God, |