p 



2-4 S. VI. 155., Dec. 18. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



493 



LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18. 1868. 



NOTES ON HYMN-BOOKS AND HYMN WE1TEE8. — 



KO. in. 

 (^Concluded from p. 454.) 



Tbe metres of English hymns are few. Iambics 

 are by far the oldest, and most common. Of 

 these we have about six varieties in general use ; 

 those known as long, common, and short measures, 

 and those that are made up of six lines, of four 

 iambuses each, with the rhymes variously ar- 

 ranged ; or the third and sixth lines containing 

 only three iambuses. Another form that is find- 

 ing its way into some modern hymn-books con- 

 sists of three heroic couplets ; the last containing 

 double syllables, with the rhymes variously dis- 

 posed. Anapasstic metres seem scarcely fitted for 

 devotional singing. The most popular consists of 

 three anapaests in each line, with the first short 

 syllable of each line omitted ; — 



" To Jesus, the crown of my hope, 



My soul is in haste to be gone," &e., 

 instead of — 



" Unto Jesus, the crown of my hope," &c. 

 Trochaic metres are more numerous. The most 

 used is what is commonly called sevens : — 



" Jesus, lover of my soul," &c. 

 This admits of several varieties : four, six, or eight 

 lines, and rhymes arranged accordingly. Another 

 much used measure consists of four trochees in 

 the first and third lines, and three and a half in 

 the second and fourth : — 



" Come thou fount of ev'r}' blessing, 



Tune my heart to sing thy praise," Sec. 



All these metres admit of many variations and 

 arrangements. Luther's hymn is a specimen of 

 iambic adaptation ; and by a judicious mixture of 

 feet, a pleasing variety is produced : — 

 " The rooted mountains grand 



All reverently stand, 



And by silent awe express 



Lowly-hearted loftiness ; 



Sometimes veiled, and sometimes bare, 



Now for praises, now for prayer." 



The opportunities for such arrangements are 

 numberless. 



Some of the defects of our hymn-collections are 

 want of variety in measures, the omission of trans- 

 lated ancient hymns, the introduction of diffuse 

 religious rhymes and of sacred poems that have 

 none of the characteristics of liymns, and the ab- 

 sence of early English hymns. The first of these 

 faults, want of variety in measures, is so closely 

 connected with sacred music that, until tunes 

 which are now considered peculiar and unfit for 

 congregational singing are introduced into general 

 use, we can do little towards effecting any great 

 improvement in this matter. The second defect, 

 the omission of ancient hymns, has latterly at- 



tracted considerable attention. Religious rhymes, 

 however, still usurp the place of deserving hymns ; 

 with many sacred poems, some of which possess 

 great intrinsic excellence, but which ai'e utterly 

 unfitted for general worship. Respecting the ab- 

 sence of many of our best early hymns we shall 

 have to speak by and by. 



In speaking of hymns we cannot .confine our- 

 selves exclusively to sacred songs that are really 

 hymns. Perhaps as good a general division as we 

 can get is into hymns of praise, of prayer, and of 

 religious experience. But the distinctions be- 

 tween these are by no means clearly marked. The 

 three elements are often found united in the same 

 poem. All these must be again divided into those 

 for public, and those for private use : but this is 

 a distinction seldom, if ever, made in our common 

 hymn-books. 



Most of our translated hymns have come to us 

 from the Hebrew, the Latin, and the German. 

 The Psalms, and some imitations of the prophets, 

 are specimens of Hebrew hymns. Some hymns 

 in common use have been traced up to Latin 

 originals : as an instance, we may take the well- 

 known verses beginning, 



" Jerusalem, my happy home." 

 Several writers have shown that the poem from 

 which this is altered or imitated exists in a MS. 

 volume of verses in the British Museum, of about 

 the time of James I. This poem has been traced 

 still farther back to a Latin hymn, 



" Cselestis urbs, Jerusalem," 

 the original of which is to be found in Augustine's 

 Meditations. The poem of the time of James L, 

 which is called A Song made by F. B. P., contains, 

 amongst others, the following curious verses : — 

 " There David stands with harp in hand. 

 As muster of the quire ; 

 Ten thousand times that man were blest 

 That might this musing (music?) hear. 

 " Our Lady sings Magnificat, 

 With tune surpassing sweet ; 

 And all the virgins bear their parts, 

 Sitting above (about?) her feet. 

 " Te Deum doth Saint Ambrose sing. 

 Saint Austin doth the like; 

 Old Simeon and Zachary, 

 Have not their songs to seek." 



Our hymns from the German were introduced 

 principally by the Moravian Church and the 

 Wesleys. One of the earliest Moravian Hymn- 

 books* shows how far well-meaning people, de- 



* London : Second Edition, 1744. Tin's verse, from the 

 same book, would puzzle a modern clerk : — 



" The word, the small word, lilood, 

 Makes all the Churches good. 



May that still more adorn 

 Ilcrrnliaag, Herrndyk, Ilerrnhuth, 

 Bethriiem, and Marienborn, 

 Niesky, Gnaadental!, 

 liuhrow, Montmiral, 

 Sitenshrine, and all." 



