33-IN COMMEMORATION OF THE DEAD. DE PROFUNDIS.

THE One Hundred and Thirtieth Psalm, used by the Roman Catholics on going and returning from funerals, is declared by Jeremy Taylor to be the Psalm of Psalms for the sick. It was the last psalm of Mary Queen of Scots, and was quoted at the last by the judicious Richard Hooker. It was the peculiar delight of Luther, whose version Aus tiefer noth schrei ich zu Dir was only less popular than his "Ein' feste Burg." It was sung at his funeral, and many a time it rallied him and his followers in the midst of despair. It was the singing of this psalm at St. Paul's that paved the way for the conversion of John Wesley.

UT of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O
Lord.

Lord, hear my voice; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning; I say more than they that watch for the morning.

Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.

And He shall redeem Israel from all His iniquities.

DE profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: Domine,

exaudi vocem meam.

Fiant aures tuæ intendentes in vocem deprecationis meæ.

Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine: Domine, quis sustinebit?

Quia apud te propitiatio est: et propter legem tuam sustinuite, Domine.

Sustinuit anima mea in verbo ejus: speravit anima mea in Domino.

A custodia matutina usque ad noctem: speret Israel in Domino.

Quia apud Dominum misericordia: et copiosa apud eum redemptio.

Et ipse redimet Israel, ex omnibus iniquitatibus ejus.

V. Requiem æternam dona eis Domine.
R. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

V. Requiescant in pace.

R. Amen.

34-THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
DIES IRAE.

THIS most famous and awful of all the hymns of the Church is supposed to have been written in the thirteenth century by Thomas of Celano, the friend and biographer of St. Francis of Assisi. Originally used as an advent hymn, it is now used as the sequence in the mass for the dead. Goethe uses it in "Faust." Sir Walter Scott, who muttered it on his death-bed, translated part of it in "The Lay of the Last Minstrel." There are said to be one hundred and sixty translations into English and ninety into German. Archbishop Trench says: "It holds a foremost place among the masterpieces of sacred song." I quote Sir Walter Scott's translation, of which Mr. Gladstone says: "I know nothing so sublime in any portion of the sacred poetry of modern times."

THAT day of wrath, that dreadful day,

THA

When heaven and earth shall pass away, What power shall be the sinner's stay? How shall he meet that dreadful day?

When, shriveling like a parched scroll,
The flaming heavens together roll;
When louder yet, and yet more dread,
Swells the high trump that wakes the dead:
Oh! on that day, that wrathful day,
When man to judgment wakes from clay,
Be Thou the trembling sinner's stay,
Though heaven and earth shall pass away

!

Sir Walter did not carry his translation further. Dr. Irons' translation was prompted by the effect produced by the singing of "Dies Ira," when the heart of the Archbishop of Paris, who had been killed on the barricades in 1848, was displayed in the choir of Notre Dame.

DAY of wrath! O day of mourning!

See fulfilled the prophet's warning!
Heaven and earth in ashes burning.

O what fear man's bosom rendeth !
When from heaven the Judge descendeth,
On whose sentence all dependeth!
Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth,
Through earth's sepulchres it ringeth,
All before the throne it bringeth.

Death is struck, and nature quaking,
All creation is awaking,

To its Judge an answer making,

Lo, the Book, exactly worded,
Wherein all hath been recorded!
Thence shall judgment be awarded.
When the Judge His seat attaineth,
And each hidden deed arraigneth,
Nothing unavenged remaineth.

What shall I, frail man, be pleading,
Who for me be interceding,
When the just are mercy needing?

King of majesty tremendous,
Who dost free salvation send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us!

Think, good Jesus, my salvation
Caused Thy wondrous incarnation;
Leave me not to reprobation.

Faint and weary Thou hast sought me,
On the cross of suffering bought me ;
Shall such grace be vainly brought me?
Righteous Judge! for sin's pollution
Grant Thy gift of absolution,
Ere that day of retribution.

Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
All my shame with anguish owning;
Spare, O God, Thy suppliant groaning!

Thou the sinful woman savedst;
Thou the dying thief forgavest;
And to me a hope vouchsafest.

Worthless are my prayers and sighing,
Yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
Rescue me from fires undying.

With Thy favoured sheep O place me,
Nor among the goats abase me;
But to Thy right hand upraise me.
While the wicked are confounded,
Doomed to flames of woe unbounded,
Call me with Thy saints surrounded.

Low I kneel, with heart submission:
See, like ashes, my contrition;
Help me in my last condition.

Ah, that day of tears and mourning!
From the dust of earth returning,
Man for judgment must prepare him;

Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!
Lord all-pitying, Jesus blest,
Grant them Thine eternal rest!

DIES iræ, dies illa

Solvet sæclum in favilla;

Teste David cum Sybilla.

Quantus tremor est futurus
Quando Judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulchra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus judicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet, apparebit:
Nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus?
Cum vix justus sit securus.