Of nearly equal antiquity with the Provençal, songs and melodies, are the lyric compositions of Thibaut, king of Navarre, who lived in the early part of the thirteenth century. The two specimens of this king's poetry and music, which are preserved in our histories, when written in modern characters, accompanied by a bass, and the measure regulated by bars, remind us strongly of the popular French airs of the present day;" and," says Dr. Burney, in 1782, prove that vocal melody has continued nearly stationary in France ever since the beginning of the thirteenth century.” But to return to the musical annals of our own country, to which our narrative must almost exclusively be devoted. It is a matter of dispute as to the period when the degree of Doctor in Music was instituted in this country. Wood, in his "History of Oxford," affirms, that it was conferred by Henry II.; but Spelman thinks that degrees were not granted to students in any science in England till the reign of John, about A.D. 1207. It is certain, however, that music was very early honoured amongst us by the application of this distinction to its professors. In the reign of Henry III., Walter Odington, a monk of Evesham, in Worcestershire, flourished, and was celebrated for his profound knowledge and skill in the art. He wrote a treatise on music, the fifth and sixth books of which treat of its state in England in the author's time. The other books prove that we were not behind our continental neighbours in theoretical lore; this work being the oldest on the subject of measured music, except Franco's, before alluded to. Our countryman seems to have been the first that suggested a shorter note than the semibreve. All our early poets, and particularly Chaucer, seem to have received great pleasure from the music of their time, and never to have lost an opportunity of describing its beauties and effects. Nearly all the characters in Chaucer's " Canterbury Tales" are amateur musicians, and more or less devoted to the practice of the art; his contention between "the cuckow and the nightingale," and "the flower and the leaf," may be consulted for passages relative to music. At the coronation of Henry V. in 1413, we hear of no other instruments than harps; but one of that prince's historians tells us, that their number in the hall was prodigious. Henry, however, was either so modest or so tasteless, as to discourage, and even prohibit, the musicians and poets from celebrating his victories, and recording his valiant deeds. Dr. Burney observes, that in spite of Henry's edicts, the only English song of so early a date that has come to his knowledge, of which the original music has been preserved, is one that was written on the victory at Agincourt, in 1415. At this period, the English people frequently had music at their weddings, banquets, and other solemnities; and even the lowest class were not without it in their humble amusements. The theory of the art was little known beyond the clergy, who were the composers of the songs (for the most part, at least) which formed the diversion of the laity. Music had also become an essential part of the choral service of the Church: it was used in all cathedral and collegiate churches; and in most of the latter there were large endowments for the canons, minorcanons, and choristers. Josquin des Pres, the founder of the Flemish school, has been justly styled the father of modern harmony. He flourished in the latter part of the fifteenth century, and was maestro di capella to Louis XII. of France. Many of his works are still extant, consisting of masses and motets for the Church, and secular songs. His harmony is ingenious and profound, full of combinations and contrivances previously unattempted. Old musical writers represent Jos quin as a man of shrewdness and humour, as the following incident will attest. It appears that he was an ecclesiastic; and that he had been promised some benefice, which the king had neglected to confer on him. Louis was reminded of his omission by hearing in his chapel a motet on the psalm, beginning "Memor esto verbi tui servo tuo;" and that having by this device, and his exquisite setting of the words, obtained the favour he looked for, Josquin thanked the king by another motet, on the words "Bonitatem fecisti cum servo tuo, Domine." In the earlier part of the sixteenth century, Josquin's works were very generally known and practised throughout Europe. Among musicians, he was the giant of his age, as Handel was of the eighteenth cen tury, and will be in all future ages. But little of our secular music prior to the sixteenth century has been preserved, though there must have been abundance of it, such as it was; for the nobility still kept a number of musicians in their service, under the name of minstrels; and these travelled about to the houses of great personages, as well as to the neighbouring monasteries. The magnificence of Cardinal Wolsey's chapel establishment, as described by his biographer, Cavendish, seems to have surpassed even that of the Roman pontiff. First, he had there a deane, a great divine, and a man of excellent learning; a sub-dean; a repeatour of the quire; a gospeller and epistoler; of singing-priests, ten; a master of the children. The seculars of the chapel, being singing-men, twelve; singingchildren, ten, with one servant to wait upon them. In the vestry, a yeoman and two grooms, over and besides other retainers that came hither at principal feasts. And for the furniture of his chapel, it passeth my weak capacity to declare the number of the costly ornaments and rich jewels that were occupied in the same. For I have seen in procession about the hall, fortyfour rich copes, besides the rich candlesticks, and other necessary ornaments to the furniture of the same." King Henry VIII. had studied music very seriously in his youth, being, it is said, "destined to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury during the life of his elder brother, Prince Arthur." "So that besides being an able Latinist, philosopher, and divine, he was, which one might wonder at in a king, a curious musician, as two entire masses composed by him, and often sung in his chapel, did abundantly witness." There is an anthem by this prince in Dr. Boyce's Cathedral Music, which fully bears out the above account, being a masterly and elaborate piece of harmony. Holingshed, in his Chronicle, likewise says, in describing the manner in which Henry employed his time during his progress from one palace to another, that "he exercised himself daily in shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, casting of the barre, plaieing at the recorders, flute, virginals, in setting of songs, and making of ballades." His fondness for choral music may be gathered from the regulations of the royal household in the year 1526; in which it is said, that "when the king is on journeys, or progresses, only six singing-boys and six gentlemen of the quire shall make a part of the royal retinue: who, daylie, in absence of the residue of the chapel, shall have a masse of our Lady before noon, and on Sondaies and holidaies, masse of the daie, besides our Lady masse, and an anthempe in the afternoon; for which purpose no great carriage of either vestments or books shall require." The greatest attention was paid to choral music during this reign: indeed, we owe the very existence of our majestic Cathedral Service to King Henry VIII. and his children, who were all not only admirers, but practical proficients in the art. It is generally allowed, that Henry could not only perform the music of others, but was sufficiently skilled in the science to compose the pieces that bear his name. To be able to sing a part in the full pieces of the times, was considered a necessary accomplishment in this age, not only for a private gentleman, but for a prince. In the life of the Emperor Charles V., we are told that "he was a great friend to the science of music, and, after his abdication, would have the church offices only accompanied by the organ, and sung by fourteen or fifteen Friars, who were good musicians, and had been selected from the most expert performers of the order; he was himself so skilful, that he knew if any other singer intruded; and if any one made a mistake, he would cry out, " such a one is wrong,' and immediately point out the man. "The emperor," it is added, " understood music, felt, and tasted its charms;" the Friars often discovered him behind the door, as he sate in his own apartment, near the high altar, beating time, and singing in parts with the performers; and if any one was out, they could overhear him call the offender names, as "red-headed blockhead," &c. Another historian says, "that both Charles IX. and his brother, Henry III. of France, in imitation of their father, used frequently to quit their places at mass, in order to join the choirmen in performing the service at their desks, and were able to sing either the treble or counter-tenor very correctly." The i French historians speak of the attachment of several of their sovereigns to church music, from the time of Pepin and Charlemagne to the monarchs just mentioned, many of whom used to put on a surplice, in order to sing with the canons and chanters by profession. A similar instance is related of Sir Thomas More: "On Sundays, even when he was Lord High Chancellor, he wore a surplice, and sung with the singers at the high mass and matins in the church at Chelsea." When Henry, says Dr. Burney, determined to free himself and his subjects from papal restraints, passion operated more than reason, and a regular and general plan of reformation, so far from being digested, seems never to have been in meditation during his lifetime; at least with respect to ecclesiastical music no other change was made than that of applying it to English words. Collier tells us that Archbishop Cranmer himself first adjusted the translation of the Litany to a chant. But the entire English Cathedral Service was set to musical notes, and first published in 1550, by John Merbecke, organist of Windsor. This work of Merbecke's forms the basis of the choral service which is used in all our cathedrals and collegiate churches. Before this period of which we now speak, the invention of printing, and its application to musical purposes, had greatly improved our notation. The extent of this improvement will be apparent from the following explanation of the characters made use of in Marbecke's invaluable book. "In this booke is conteyned so much of the order of Common Prayer as is to be song in churches: wherein are used only these iiii sortes of notes. a strene note, a breve, a semibreve, and a minim. The first note is a strene note, and is a breve; the second is a square note, and is a semybreve; the third, a prycke, and is a mynymme. And when there is a prycke by the square note, that prycke is halfe as muche as the note that goeth before it. The fourth is a close, and is only used at the end of a verse." This may, therefore, be considered as the old ecclesiastical notation. In secular pieces, soon after, we find eight characters of notes used, but little ingenuity being requisite to carry out improvements and additions of this kind. Marbecke, or Merbecke (for his name is spelt both ways), was a man of meek and harmless temper, and highly esteemed for his skill in music. He was the author of six theological works; but his intemperate zeal as a reformer very narrowly cost him his life. He was pardoned, however, at the intercession of his friends. As it was, he found a corner in “Foxe's Book of Martyrs," which is the more singular, since he was a personal friend of that writer. In the second edition, the mistake was corrected in the following words: "He is not yet (1583) dead, but liveth, God be praised, and yet to this present singeth merrily, and playeth on the organs." funeral was attended, not only by all the musi cians of Rome, but by an infinite concourse of people, when Libera me, Domine' was sung by the whole College." The Motett Society, established in London a few years ago, has done something towards making the works of Palestrina known in England. It is yet, however, to be lamented that his style, which constitutes the very perfection of what church music should be, is so little understood and appreciated by English musicians. Another Italian composer of this century must not be passed over: Luca Marenzio, a most delightful writer of madrigals, and whose efforts in this style reached a perfection which has never been surpassed. All the ecclesiastical music of the period set to Latin words, was produced before the Reformation; some during the reign of Henry VII.; but more in those of his son, and Queen Mary. In the music school at Oxford a set of books are preserved, full of masses and services by our countrymen. The most notable names amongst these early church composers, are those of Dr. Fayrfax, John Taverner, John Marbecke, Dr. Tye, John Shepard, Richard Farrant, and Thomas Tallis. These may be said to have been the founders of the sublime style of music in this country, who laid the foundation of that school of vocal harmony, which not only equalled, but surpassed that of any other country, not excepting Italy. "The compositions of During the sixteenth century, music made rathese early English masters," says Dr. Burney, pid progress in England. The names of Tye, "have an appearance of national originality, Tallis, Byrd, and Gibbons, have acquired an free from all imitations of the choral productions undying fame, and will always be recorded of the continent." among the great fathers of ecclesiastical har We must not, however, overlook the illus-mony. Dr. Christopher Tye was musical pretrious names of Cipriano di Rore, Orlando de ceptor to the children of Henry VIII. He took Lasso, and Palestrino. The two former be his Doctor's degree at Cambridge, in 1545, and longed to the Flemish school of Josquin; many was soon afterwards appointed organist of the of their works are still extant, and exhibit many Chapel Royal, for which he composed the novelties in harmony and modulation, which greater part of his services and anthems. His were adopted by their successors; in particular style is always grave, and often severe; but the they were the first who hazarded what are now lack of melody in the parts, of an attractive chacalled chromatic passages, which they used with racter, has rendered his works unpopular at the great freedom and boldness. The very earliest, present day. and at the same time some of the most charming, specimens of the madrigal (of which we shall speak hereafter), which we possess, are by these two masters. Amongst all the masters of Italy, or any other country, the name of Palestrina stands eminently and deservedly high. He was born in 1529, and died in 1594. His most celebrated composition is a mass called Missa Papa Marcelli, which is the admiration of musicians to this day. Of this production it has been related, that the above Pope, being offended at the absurd and unmeaning complication of sounds of which such compositions then consisted, determined to banish them altogether from the church; but that Palestrina, then a young man, entreated his Holiness to suspend the execution of his decree till he should have heard a mass of his composition; and that this request being complied with, the Pope was so delighted with the grave and dignified simplicity of Palestrina's mass, that music was restored to the favour it had lost. This mass is always sung on Holy Saturday, in the Pope's chapel. Palestrina, like our own Purcell, was one of those gifted individuals whose genius penetrates far beyond their own time; and his music has the appearance of being much more modern than anything that was composed for many years after his death. The following account of his death and burial was entered in the register of the Pontifical Chapel:--" Feb, 2, 1591. This morning died the most excellent musician, Signor Giovanni Palestrina, our dear companion, and Maestro di Capella of St. Peter's Church, whither his In the latter part of his life, Tye is described by Anthony à Wood as "a peevish, humoursome old man; and sometimes," continues this amusing writer," playing on the organ in the Chapel of Queen Elizabeth; what contained much music, but little to delight the ear, she would send the verger to tell him that he played out of tune; whereupon he sent word that her ears were out of tune." Dr. Boyce's Collection of Cathedral Music contains some admirable specimens of his style. Thomas Tallis, the master of Byrd, and one of the greatest musicians not only of this country but of Europe, during the sixteenth century, in which so many eminent contrapuntists were produced, was born early in the reign of King Henry VIII.; but though it has been frequently asserted that he was organist of the Chapel Royal during the reigns of that monarch, Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, yet it would be difficult to prove that in the three first of these reigns laymen were ever appointed to that office. When the Roman religion prevailed, the organ in convents was usually played by monks; and in cathedral and colle giate churches and chapels, by the canons, and others of the priesthood. The first lay-organists of the Chapel Royal upon record are Dr. Tye, Blithman, the master of Dr. Bull, Tallis, and Byrd, all during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Tallis first enriched the plain-song of Marbecke with harmony: his sublime service and responses are sung in most of our cathedrals on feast-days; at Westminster Abbey, especially, they are well performed; and to listen to their end. Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum.' "Since singing is so good a thig, unworldly and majestic harmonies, rolling voyce of man is chiefly to be employed to that through the aisles of that glorious fabric, can hardly fail to awaken, even in minds ordinarily indifferent to sweet sounds, emotions of the most happy and salutary kind. "The genius of our Cathedral Service," says an able writer on the subject, “and that of the Roman Church, is essentially different; in the one, all is holy, abstracted, and sublime; in the other, human passions are awakened, the eye and the ear administer to voluptuous sensations." One of the greatest musical curiosities extant is Tallis's celebrated Song of forty Parts," which Dr. Burney regards as a "stupendous specimen of human labour and intellect." In 1836, it was sung by the Madrigal Society, at Freemason's Hall; and the effect is said to have been novel, beautiful, and grand. Tallis died in 1585, and was buried in the old parish church of Greenwich. His epitaph, preserved by Strype, is remarkable for its quaint simplicity, as well as the pleasing view it gives of the character of this venerable musician. William Byrd, perhaps best known as the composer of the celebrated canon, "Non nobis, Domine," was the scholar and friend of Tallis. He was a voluminous composer, both for the church and the chamber; many of his admirable services and anthems are yet sung in our cathedrals. From the specimens of his abilities as a writer for the organ and virginals contained in Queen Elizabeth's "Virginal Book," he must have been a performer on these instruments of extraordinary power and skill. We shall notice this famed music-book of our maiden queen as we proceed. One of Byrd's publications is "Psalms, Sonnets, and Songs of Sadnes and Pietie, of 5 parts, 1598." The preface contains the following reasons for learning to sing, the amusing quaintness of which is mingled with much good sense:- "Reasons briefly set downe by th' auctor to persuade everie one to learn to sing. "1. It is a knowledge easilie taught and quicklie learned, when there is a good master and an apt scholar. "2. The exercise of singing is delightful to nature, and good to preserve the health of man. "3. It doth strengthen all parts of the heart, and doth open the pipes. I wish all men would learn to sing." The compositions of Orlando Gibbons are perhaps oftener heard at the present day than those of any other master of equal antiquity. This is to be attributed to their unrivalled simplicity and grandeur, and to the easy flow of melody in the parts; notwithstanding which his writings abound with the most profound combinations of harmony, and evince a perfect mastery over all the resources of counterpoint. His services will probably continue to be heard in our cathedrals for ages to come; for these grave and solemn strains are far above the influence of the mutability of taste and fashion, and, like the gothic piles in which they are heard, only become more and more venerable as they are more and more deeply impressed with the marks of antiquity. Dr. O. Gibbons was organist of the Chapel Royal, and died at the early age of 42, in 1625. He was the author of several volumes of madigrals, many of which are universal favourites. (To be continued.) And sadness at least, who so lofty canst sing. "4. It is a singular good remedy for a stut- Ah! what joy for you poor simple fool, could she tering and stammering in the speech. "5. It is the best means to preserve a perfect pronunciation, and to make a good orator. "6. It is the onlie way to know wher nature hath bestowed the benefit of a good voyce; which gift is so rare, as there is not one amongst a 1000 that hath it; and in manie that excellent gift is lost, because they want an arte to express nature. "7. There is not any musicke of instruments whatsoever comparable to that which is made of the voyces of men, where the voyces are good, and the same well sorted and ordered. I borrow One note from thy song or one plume from thy wing!" pass'd on in silence. Her hymn being ended, (For now the gay sunbeams enchantingly shone), To her nest in the furrows the blithe bird descended, Then I said, "So our God hath decreed to the lowly And soarer, and songster, and builder were one. The brightest and best of his boons should be given: Search the fameless obscure for the high and the holy The heart builds the humblest sings nearest to heaven! "s. The better the voyce is, the meeter it is to honour and serve God therewith; and the Rome, 1848. A MARRIAGE FOR THE OTHER WORLD. (From the French.) BY MISS M. S. WATSON. CHAP. XII. (Continued from page 210.) The day following that on which Mauricette quitted Paris to join Sauvegrain-delivered from prison by means of Honoré Fauvel, without however its being in the least suspected that he was privy in any way to his escape-the newlyelected inember demanded and obtained an audience of his Royal Highness the Regent. What occurred in this tête-à-tête did not transpire-no one could find out, which circumstance greatly annoyed the courtiers and hangers-on who peopled the ante-rooms: it was only known for certain that it lasted two hours, and that loud tones were heard to issue from the cabinet, but not always in the Prince's voice. At length the audience terminated, Honoré Fauvel came out, and as he passed along, announced to one of his colleagues that a seat in the Chamber would be vacant on the morrow, as the Prince had condescended to permit his resigning. The giving up a post of so much honour voluntarily, and that after having only so recently been appointed to it, would have no doubt created much animadversion and many conjectures among the gownsinen, had not Honoré Fauvel explained his reason to the chief magistrate. His aim, he said, in obtaining the situation, had been solely with the view of advancing his son; but Edouard having chosen the army, contrary to his wishes, his ambition had now no object, and he wished therefore to return to his old habits and old friends. His reasons appeared plausible and natural-no one thought of doubting them; and eight days after, Honoré Fauvel and old Charlotte once again found themselves on the road to Nantes. Reinstated in his old house, the old magistrate (persuaded that his daughter was gone with her husband into Holland) secluded himself from all and every society, and living in the most complete solitude, passed nearly the whole month following his return, in an oratory situated at the further end of the same garden Rosemadoc had traversed the night he was delivered by the daughter of his judge. This oratory, which we shall have occasion to visit again, was as ancient as the house. Charlotte and Mauricette had been accustomed to make their morning and evening prayer there; but Mr. Fauvel on his return had forbidden the old servant to go near it: he had caused a strong lock to be placed on the door, and wore the key tied to a ribbon round his neck. We will explain another time the reason for all this precaution: for the present we can only say that each time the old man prepared to visit the sanctuary, it appeared to be a great conflict within himself, before he could summon resolution to go in; and when he came out he was always so pale, and so feeble, that at times his voice was scarcely audible. A month after Honoré Fauvel's return to Nantes and his old habitations, and quite alone, as he imagined, for the rest of his days, he had adopted the sad existence detailed, he received by the post from the little town of Senlis, the following epistle : "DEAR FATHER-IN-LAW, “I should be very ungrateful if I did not employ my earliest leisure in proving my gratitude towards you. No doubt it has often occurred to you to wonder why your daughter's husband did not write; no doubt you have felt very uneasy at my long silence; but I could not do otherwise. You must know, my dear father-in-law, that the day you were kind enough to send my wife to me, she was, poor girl, so overcome with the sight of me that she was seized with a violent fever, and for three weeks hovered on the brink of the grave; so much so, that I was nearly ordering my mourning. Be consoled, however; the danger is past, but she is still so weak she requires the sion to Holland; but we shall not go there, as the greatest care. You had projected for us a little excurdoctor who attends my wife imperatively recommends her native air, in order to promote her recovery. This is much more agreeable to me also, as it gives me the opportunity of making your acquaintance. I have so ordered our movement that we shall be at Nantes almost as soon as this letter. Passover, I entreat of you, any little annoyance this change of route may give you, and consider Mauricette's life depends on her return to you. I dare say you would have preferneither prudent nor proper; so the long and the red I should not accompany her; but that would be short of it is-Mauricette is coming to Nantes, and I along with her; any counter-order from you will be needless, as I shall not receive it, since we set off this day. Counting, dear father-in-law, on your indulgence, I act as sure of your welcome; and, indeed, all things considered, why should I doubt it? I have told you Mauricette is too weak to travel alone; neither would it be respectable that she, as a married woman, should return alone to your house; it would raise a host of conjectures--and how would you anfrom Nantes? You have not much love for me, I swer them? How account for her long absence can easily believe; indeed I do not see how you can; but however disagreeable may seem an alliance to you, it cannot be denied: it is positive, it is legal: the register at Havre, and that on board the ship Emerald, confirm the fact. These considerations have determined me in coming to Nantes. The first |