By John Lambert, Esq. 325 
easily discovered, that in a short time there was no necessity either 
to continue to distinguish the lines by colours, or to multiply 
letters, or Clefs; and for many centuries past it has been found 
sufficient to mark one line only with the Clef. 
The Stave of Guido, consisting of four lines, which continues to 
be used in the Gregorian Chant at the present time, was also intro- 
duced into the secular Music of the period; but within two centuries 
afterwards we find the number of lines increased, sometimes to 
five, and sometimes even to six or more, according to the compass 
of the piece, as at that time they had no idea of writing above or 
below the Stave, as we do now. 
But whilst the system of Guido gave a clear idea of each note, 
as regarded its position in the Scale, still it was deficient in indi- 
cating either the rhythm or measure of the Music; and this remark 
brings me to the principal object of this Lecture, which is to 
endeavour to throw some new light on its mode of execution. 
At the outset I must mention to you, that the ancient Music was 
neither divided into Bars, nor indicated by a particular measure, 
nor did the formation of the notes mark their exact relative pro- 
portions, as is the case in our modern musical compositions. It is 
quite true that in what was termed measured Music, in the 13th 
and two subsequent centuries, the Long, the Breve, and the Semi- 
breve, had a distinct value attached to them; but this was confined 
chiefly to secular Music, such as Canons, and other Music sung in 
parts; and from this circumstance, almost all the writers on the 
subject, from the 16th century to the present time, have treated the 
Plain Chant as if it were destitute of rhythm or measure, and con- 
sisted entirely of notes of equal duration. 
Glarien says of it: 
“The Plain Chant, as regards the notes, is simple and uniform.” 
“The old and Plain Gregorian Music,” I quote the words of 
Alstedius, ‘‘ preserves an equal measure in its notes.” 
Franchinus tells us that “ Musicians have disposed the notes of 
Plain Chant by an equal measure of time.” 
Cardinal Bona, in his great work, “De Divina Psalmodia,” in 
the 16th century, says that “St. Gregory instituted the Plain Chant, 
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