59 



" cantilenas rythmatice, metrice, vel profaice, quas fecerant, authenticavit." 

 {Ekerhardus, in Vit. Notkeri, Cap. ly.J 



Yet the Cathemerimn, or body of hymns, compofed by Prudentius, in 

 the fourth century, is not diflinguiflied by any rhime :* perhaps that 

 ratio had not then obtained in Spain, who, while other countries were 

 murdering the mufe, difdained to be their accompHce. In faft, it is 

 difficult to fay, whether the piety or the elegance of this admirable 

 poet more deferve our efteem. Certain, however, it is, that fo early as 

 the fixth century, St. Gregory, after the Goths had deflroycd whatever 

 of the fine arts remained, coUefted with great induftry, all the ancient 

 hymnal mufic, which he incorporated for the ufe of the Roman church, 

 into one grave and dignified Antiphone. At this period, the ftate of 

 French mufic was deplorable, being little better than the bowlings of 

 wild beafts, particularly in the northern and more remote parts of Gaul, 

 where it refembled the barbarous and ferocious {houts, with which the 

 leaders of her armies animated their foldiers to battle. And, indeed, 

 fuch then was the flate of Gallic mufic, that in Italy its barbarifm was 

 a proverb, raWvw): y.ai gapgafu!®' Mso-a n-foo-wai^Ei. Yet before the ninth cen- 

 tury, France had learned the value of a civilized mufic, and adopting 

 the Italian mode, foon became the rival of her neighbour; Charle- 

 magne himfelf becoming the arbiter in their mufical conteflis. Many of 

 her hymns at this period are compofed in rhyme, and, until lately, were 

 performed on fefiivals in her cathedrals, under their old titles of triomphes 

 and laudes, being probably fome of thofe, that Notkerus of Saint-Gall, in the 

 tenth century, had confecrated to the fervice of the church : " fanft^ ecclefise 

 " Chrifti per mundi climata in laudem Dei canonizavit." (Ekerhard. hoc. cit.) 

 As the fiate of Italian mufic improved, the old hymns and Antiphones of St. 

 Gregory were new fet ; fome of which, in their ancient rhymes, are yet fung 

 at Rome, on extraordinary occafions. They need not here be further 



H 2 infifted 



* Yet in this very century, viz. anno 386, certain Latin hymns in rhime, had been 

 compofed at Rome. Of this I am well aflured, by the fame learned friend I have fo 

 often mentioned, who had feen them of that date. 



