Sixth. Nineteen of the psalms in rhyme are extant by Francis Seagar*, printed by William Seres in 1553, with musical notes, and dedicated to Lord Rusself.

Archbishop Parker also versified the psalter; not from any

opposition to our liturgy, but, either for the private amusement and exercise of his religious exile, or that the people, whose predilection for psalmody could not be suppressed, might at least be furnished with a rational and proper translation. It was finished in 1557. And a few years afterwards printed by Day, the archbishop's printer, in quarto, with this title, “The whole Psalter translated into English metre, which contayneth an hundredth and fifty psalmes. The first Quinquagene 8. Quoniam omnis terræ deus, psallite sapienter. Ps. 14. 47. Imprinted at London by John Daye, dwelling over Aldersgate beneath Saint Martyn's. Cum privilegio per decennium 1." Without date of the printer, or name of the translator. In the metrical preface prefixed, he tries to remove the objections of those who censured versifications of Scripture, he pleads the comforts of such an employment to the persecuted theologist who suffers voluntary banishment, and thus displays the power of sacred music.

The psalmist stayde with tuned songe

The rage of myndes agast,

As David did with harpe among
To Saule in fury cast.

With golden stringes such harmonie

His harpe so sweete did wrest,

That he relievd his phrenesie

Whom wicked sprites possest*.

Whatever might at first have been his design, it is certain that his version, although printed, was never published: and notwithstanding the formality of his metrical preface above

The second quinquagene follows, fol. 146. The third and last, fol. 280.

In black letter. Among the prefaces are four lines from lord Surrey's ECCLESIASTES. Attached to every psalm is a prose collect. At the end of the psalms are versions of Te Deum, Benedictus, Quicunque vult, &c. &c.

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Day had a license, June 3, 1561, to print the psalms in metre. Ames, p. 238. * He thus remonstrates against the secular ballads,

Ye songes so nice, ye sonnets all,

Of lothly lovers layes,
Ye worke mens myndes but bitter gall
By phansies peevish playes.

mentioned, which was professedly written to shew the spiritual efficacy or virtue of the psalms in metre, and in which he directs a distinct and audible mode of congregational singing, he probably suppressed it, because he saw that the practice had been abused to the purposes of fanaticism, and adopted by the puritans in contradiction to the national worship; or at least that such a publication, whatever his private sentiments might have been, would not have suited the nature and dignity of his high office in the church. Some of our musical antiquaries, however, have justly conjectured, that the archbishop, who was skilled in music, and had formerly founded a music-school in his college of Stoke Clare*, intended these psalms, which are adapted to complicated tunes of four parts probably constructed by himself and here given in score, for the use of cathedrals; at a time, when compositions in counterpoint were uncommon in the church, and when that part of our choir-service called the motet or anthem, which admits a more artificial display of harmony, and which is recommended and allowed in queen Elisabeth's earliest ecclesiastical injunctions, was yet almost unknown, or but in a very imperfect state. Accordingly, although the direction is not quite comprehensible, he orders many of them to be sung by the rector chori, or chantor, and the quier, or choir, alternately. That at least he had a taste for music, we may conclude from the following not inelegant scale + of modulation, prefixed to his eight tunes above mentioned.

[In the county of Suffolk. From the statutes of which college, as framed by Dr. Parker, Sir John Hawkins has given the following curious extract: "Item to be found in the college, henceforth a number of quiristers, to the number of eight or ten or more, as may be horne conveniently of the stock, to have sufficient meat, drink, broth, and learning. Of which said quiristers, after their breasts (i.e. voices) be changed, we will the most apt of wit and capacity be helpen with exhibition of forty shillings, four marks, or three pounds a-piece, to be students in some college in Cambridge." Hist. of Music, iii. 508.PARK.]

+["This scale, however elegant," says Mr. Ashby, "will not alone prove Archbishop Parker's right to this version of the psalms: because it is not only likely in general, that the translator would be a lover of music, but it so happens that the other claimant, John Keeper, had studied music and poetry at Wells." I presume that the following extract from the archbishop's diary will establish his claim to the performance. "This 6 August (his birth-day), Ann. Dom. 1557, I persist in the same constancy, upholden by the grace and goodness of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; by whose inspiration I have finished the Book of Psalms, turned

"THE NATURE OF THE EYGHT TUNES.

The first is meke, devout to see,
The second sad, in maiesty:

The third doth rage, and roughly brayth,
The fourth doth fawne, and flattry playth:
The fifth deligth, and laugheth the more,
The sixt bewayleth, it wepeth full sore.
The seventh tredeth stoute in froward race,
The eyghte goeth milde in modest pace."

What follows is another proof, that he had proposed to introduce these psalms into the choir-service. "The tenor of these partes be for the people when they will syng alone, the other partes put for the greater quiers, or to suche as will syng or play them privately 1."

How far this memorable prelate, perhaps the most accomplished scholar that had yet filled the archbishoprick of Canterbury, has succeeded in producing a translation of the psalter preferable to the common one, the reader may judge from these stanzas of a psalm highly poetical, in which I have exactly preserved the translator's peculiar use of the hemistic punc

tuation.

into vulgar verse." (Strype's Life of Archbishop Parker.) "Vulgar" here means vernacular; as in the ministration of baptism, the sponsors are directed to let the child be taught the creed &c. in the "vulgar tongue." And in the prefix to Drant's version of the Satires of Horace "I have englished thinges not accordyng to the vain of the Latin proprietie, but of our own vulgar tongue."-PARK.]

As the singing-psalms were never a part of our liturgy, no rubrical directions are any where given for the manner of performing them. In one of the PREFACES, written about 1550, it is ordered, "Whereas heretofore there hath been great diversitie of saying and singing in churches within this realm, some follow

ing Salisbury use, some Hereford use, soine the use of Bangor, some of York, some of Lincoln; now from henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use." But this is said in reference to the chants, responds, suffrages, versicles, introites,kyrie-eleeysons, doxologies, and other melodies of the Book of Common Prayer, then newly published under lawful authority, with musical notes by Marbeck, and which are still used; that no arbitrary variations should be made in the manner of singing these melodies, as had been lately the case with the Roman missal, in performing which some cathedrals affected a manner of their own. The Salisbury missal was most famous and chiefly followed.

To feede my neede: he will me leade
To pastures greene and fat:

He forth brought me: in libertie,
To waters delicate.

My soule and hart: he did convart,
To me he shewth the path:
Of right wisness: in holiness,

His name such vertue hath.

Yea though I go through Death his wo
His vale and shadow wyde:

I feare no dart: with me thou art

With rod and staffe to guide.

Thou shalt provyde: a table wyde,
For me against theyr spite:

With oyle my head: thou hast bespred,

My cup is fully dight.

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I add, in the more sublime character, a part of the eighteenth psalm, in which Sternhold is supposed to have exerted his powers most successfully, and without the interruptions of the pointing which perhaps was designed for some regulations of the music, now unknown.

The earth did shake, for feare did quake,

The hils theyr bases shooke;
Removed they were, in place most fayre,
At God's ryght fearfull looke.
Darke smoke rose to hys face therefro,
Hys mouthe as fire consumde,
That coales as it were kyndled bright
When he in anger fumde.

The heavens full lowe he made to bowe,
And downe dyd he ensue";

And darkness great was undersete
His feete in clowdy hue.