To the Apostles' Creed, Merbecke assigns the monotone. The monotone is the clerk-tone-the service of the parochial Song-tone in the English Church. Where there was no clerk, the priest was formerly directed to say all things appointed for the clerk to sing,' in order that this unity of note might be preserved; and hence it was that Bishop Bedell was accustomed to say the whole of the Psalms himself, in the character of precentor, which it would be well for some of our priests, in country parishes, to imitate. The Nicene Creed, Merbecke sets to the usual antiphon, and the 'Te Deum' is as near as may be, from the most authentic copy known.

Merbecke's Directorium Chori' is (as is, indeed, all other Directories, whether of Rome, Venice, Milan, Spain, or France,)

a manual of ferial rather than festival song. The Responses, Psalm, Canticle, and Hymn Songs, were given without harmony; and this practice was continued for nearly two centuries in the English Church on all the every-day services. But the High Churches, and Chapels Royal, would naturally have retained some sort of festival song; and the peculiarity of the Reformed service, and its singular action on our ancient Church song consisted in the manufacture of a quasi festival song out of the ferial forms, by the addition of quire harmonies. Thus, for example, we find the irregular tone given to the Benedictus, by Causton, in Edward the Sixth's reign. The tune stands-

This is the form known in England as a variety,' or as we should now term it a development,' and which Gaffurius describes as a modulatio.' Causton's harmony is as follows: -the chant in the tenor.*

In this genuine specimen of Tudor chanting there is neither chatter nor gabble. It is in the spirit and character of the

Catholic song, and similar to that retained by the Lutherans. For example, the Milan Manual commences the Benedictus thus:

quia vi si ta - vit et fecit Redemp- Plebis

The English Version :

tionem,

6

Such are some few illustrations of the Canticle and Psalter music, proper for bishops, deans, and priests and people to sing in one common acclamation. And although a little out of chronological position, we quote a few Anglican,' Protestant,' and Cathedral' chants, by way of contrast: and which we are strongly recommended in some quarters to consider beautiful music, and of a more holy and devotional character than any class of music ever admitted into the sanctuary. We select them at random from the little periodical called The Parish Choir.'

Dr. Blow.

Henry Purcel.

John Farrant.

Thomas Purcel.

Heywood.

Dr. Croft.

Henry Purcel.

Tomlinson.

Weldon.

Travers.

Dr. P. Hayes.

Hindle.

Dr. Wm. Hayes.

Aidrich

Edward Purcel.

Langdon.

-e

We firmly believe no other church in Christendom can disclose such a strange collection of musical absurdities in so short a compass. These sixteen chants are really such plagiaries one upon the other that they may nearly all be sung together. What difference is there between No. 1 and No. 2? between No. 3 and 4? or, 5 and 6? or, 7 and 9, 10 and 11? If there be any merit in any particular one, which composer is to lay claim to it? Can any thing be more frightful than No. 7, by Henry Purcel? We open Mr. Hullah's most objectionable Psalter: yes, here is one in page 76, ascribed to Mr. Battishill, of St. Paul's.

3

Battishill in G.

The platitude of a modern ballad is a veritable inspiration in comparison. Would these Church musicians ever have been heard of, were it that their reputations were built on such slender inanities? If the names of Blow and Purcel are to live by such perversities, the sooner they fade away from all good men's minds the better for Church psalmody. Is it to be wondered at that Handel held all these men in scorn: he who had been bred up in the atmosphere of real Church Music, and who had nursed the Directorium of Lossius as his musical horn-book? Would not Mendelssohn hold in ridicule each and all of these Protestant' or 'Anglican' excrescences? And what priest is there of our true Catholic Church who dare hazard the singing of the dolefully merry song ascribed to Edward Purcel? Think of the Dean of Westminster commencing the strain: