POPULAR SONGS. 



Definition and Classification of Popular Sjng. Songs of the Germans, the Gauls, the Goths, and 

 the Franks. They are collected by Order of Charlemagne. Vestiges of the most Ancient 

 Songs. The Historical Songs of France down to the Sixteenth Century Romanesque Songs. 

 Religious Songs.- The Christmas Carols and the Canticles. Legendary Songs. Domestic 

 Songs. The Music of the Popular Songs. Provincial Songs. The Songs of Germany. The 

 Minnesingers and the Meistersingers. The Songs of England, of Scotland, and of Northern 

 Countries. The Songs of Greece, of Italy, and of Spain. 



Y the words Popular Song we mean a sort of 

 poetry born spontaneously amongst the people, 

 and therefore anonymous, and which, instead 

 of being ascribed to such and such a poet, is, 

 on the contrary, the work of certain unknown 

 authors. We may also look upon it as the 

 collective and successive work of whole genera- 

 tions, which, by the adoption of this poetry set 

 to music in which is reflected the feeling of the 

 mass, have preserved it more or less intact as a 

 traditional souvenir of early ages. Montaigne 

 characterized, with striking truth, this kind of popular poetry, which is 

 contemporary with the origin of nations and of languages, when he said, 

 " Poetry which is popular and wholly natural possesses charms of simplicity 

 and grace which are worthy to be compared with the highest of artificial 

 beauties, as may be seen by the pastoral poetry (villanelles) of Gascony and the 

 songs coming to us from foreign parts." 



M. Eugene Fennin, the commentator of the "Burgundy Christmas 

 Carols " of La Monnoye, says, " Every nation possesses its popular songs ; 

 and as with all of them these songs must have had their origin in analogous 

 causes, it follows that these songs must possess a certain analogy with each 

 other. They were always inspired either by public occurrences, or by religious 



