more præfationis." But the ecclesiastical tones to which these rubrics refer, either immediately follow, or precede or they might be, as especially in the case of the 66 tone of the lection" or " the tone of the Preface," wellknown and fixed, yet nevertheless not the same tone in every diocese which adhered strictly to the Use of the Church of Sarum or of York. They do not prove that the same music was necessarily to be followed, as were the integral portions of the public offices which made up the "Use."

I do not deny therefore that the title "secundum usum Sarum," or "ad usum ecclesiæ Eboracensis," or Herfordensis," prefixed to a Breviary, or Hymnal, or Psalter, signifies sometimes in the printed books, not the prayers only but the mode of singing authorized at the time in those dioceses; but then such books must be noted if they do not contain the music (which is not unfrequently the case even of Psalters and Graduals) they would still be, quite as properly and with the title also, "secundum usum," as the case may be: and this in its proper sense, relating solely to the variety and arrangement of the prayers, hymns, and Psalter, rites and ceremonies.

Some have said that "the Hymnarium, the Psalter, the Gradual, and the Pontifical," are Choral Books, and noted, and therefore that we cannot exclude music from the notion of the term "Use." But not to speak of the utter absurdity of calling a Pontifical a choral book, the others did not necessarily contain the notation: and the Psalter, for example, according to the Use of any Church, is entirely independent of the tones which may accompany it. Hence, when printing became general, we find many examples of the Psalter "secundum usum" of whatever Church it might be, with the lines ruled for the music, which however is not printed also, but left to be filled in with manuscript. This of course would seldom happen in earlier ages, when the entire volumes were

manuscript: and therefore, affords an additional and not a light proof why we must not argue hastily from such expressions, as "cum tono sequenti," and "dicatur hic cantus." Yet, in the same way, in MSS. we occasionally find the services of festivals of late institution, such as of S. Osmund, or of the Transfiguration, or of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, fully arranged and determined upon "secundum Usum:" but the music not written in, although the proper lines and

left for it.

spaces may be

And it is in the sense in which I have above explained it, that we find the term Use employed by the ritualists : it will be unnecessary for me to cite more than one example, from Gavantus: who, describing what is meant by the Breviary according to the Use of the Church of Rome, says it is so called, because it contains the Prayers authorized by that Church and immediately before, in a fuller explanation, he particularizes the Lessons, the Psalms, Hymns, Legends, &c. and the Rubrics by which each day's Office is to be ascertained; but not one word which has reference to the music.3

It is not improbable that much of the doubt which has been thrown over the term Use, has arisen from the frequent occurrence of the verb canto: "cantare missam secundum usum," &c. But nothing is more certain than that Canto does not always, especially in the earlier writers, mean to sing in the modern acceptation. To adopt the words of a most eminent writer: "Cantare missam priscorum phrasi illi dicebantur, qui sine cantu, et privatim celebrabant." And so again Mabillon, after citing a particular Canon, adds: "Verbum canendo interpretor de privata recitatione, nec aliam interpreta

3 Thesaurus Sacr. Rit. tom. ii. p. 10. Compare Mabillon. Disquisitio de Cursu Gallicano. §. 1.

De Lit. Gall. p. 379.

4 Bona. Rerum Liturg. lib. i. cap. xiii. 5.

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tionem sequentia patiuntur."5 Thus an old "Expositio Missæ," edited by Cochlæus, says: "Prima autem oratio super corpus Christi futurum, secreta dicitur, et secrete canitur." Which the margin explains to be "secreta oratio legitur." And, once more, a passage in the "Defensorium Directorii" of the Church of Sarum, is very much to the point. "Item illa duo verba quæ ponuntur in multis festis, sic: Invitatorium triplex, nihil oneris imponunt sacerdotibus qui dicunt officium suum sine nota: sed solum pertinent ad illos qui cantant officium cum nota."7 Here the Use whether with or without music would continue equally and perfectly the Use of Sarum; and no distinction as regards it, either depends upon, or is involved in the addition of a chant.

But there would be no end of accumulating examples of this sort; and if the reader wishes to examine further the whole subject which I have been discussing, I would recommend him, among other books, especially to read the dissertation of Mabillon "De Cursu Gallicano," to which reference has already been made, and I think he will be satisfied that music does not form, except in an extended and improper sense, any part of what we ought to understand by the term "Use" of a Church.

One word also, before I pass on, upon the expression in the passage in the Preface to the Common Prayer Book; "the great diversity in saying and singing," and "now from henceforth all the whole Realm shall have but one Use." It is possible that the reformers, among their multiplicity of plans, did intend to enforce an uniformity in singing also throughout the realm: but, what

5 De Cursu Gallicano. §. 46. Gerbert de Musica, tom. i. p. 326. cites the same canon, and explains it "de privata horarum canonicarum recitatione." See also p. 355. 559. &c.

6

140.

Speculum Ant. Devotionis. p.

"Monumenta Ritualia. vol. i. p. 344. The reader will there find the whole of that important treatise.

ever they may have meant by the words just quoted, I think that it is quite clear that the First Common Prayer Book of K. Edward, and all succeeding ones, were not in fact aimed at the abolition of varieties of music, but of a variety of prayers, and rites, and ceremonies. This object was effected. A diversity of singing nevertheless continued, not only in different dioceses, but also in different churches of the same diocese: and I am not aware that at present, there is any rule, except the Precentor's pleasure, even for the daily singing in a cathedral. However, we do not conceive the Preface to the Common Prayer to be evaded, or the Act of Uniformity to be broken by this, whatever may be said of other practices. Merbecke, as is well known, about a year after the publication of the First Book, tried something of the sort which the reformers hinted at; but his book was unauthorized, limited in its impression, and never reached a second edition: which it necessarily must have done, if either the demand for it had been great, or an attempt made to recommend it. Elizabeth in her Injunctions, which were supplemental to her Act of Uniformity, and were grounded upon an especial clause in that Act, attempted to supply the deficiency: yet they did not enjoin a particular or one mode of singing, but simply that there be "a modeste and destyncte songe used in all partes of the common prayers in the Churche.9

The portions of the Missals which are reprinted and arranged in this edition, form but a very small portion of their respective volumes: but by far the most important.

8 See however a note in the Dissertation on the Service Books, Monumenta Ritualia. vol. i. p.

21.

9 The 49th of these Injunctions declares that "because in dyvers Collegiate and also some paryshe

Churches heretofore, there hath ben levynges appointed for the mayntenaunce of men & chyldren to use synging in the church, by meanes whereof the lawdable science of musicke hath ben had in estimation and preserved in knowledge: the Quenes maiestie

:

In examining them the student must bear in mind, that although he may have expected to find greater and more numerous variations between them, such variations were not likely to occur, even in so large a proportion, in the Ordinary and the Canon. These, especially the last, were parts of the Divine Service which were studiously guarded against alterations, additions, or omissions: and even changes of single words, and differences of arrangement which he will find in them, constitute as decidedly as far more considerable differences in other parts of the books would, a variety of Use. And I do not hesitate to say, that the distinctions of the ancient liturgies of the Church of England, both between themselves, and the modern Roman Use, in the Ordinary and the Canon, are not only as great but greater, and more in number, and involving points of higher consequence, than a previous acquaintance with these matters, before an actual examination of the English missals would have authorized us to expect.

It would be far too extensive a subject of enquiry, for me to attempt even a sketch of the innumerable variations which existed in other parts of the English missals. But, take for example the beginning of the Sanctorale according to the Uses of the Churches of Salisbury and York. The first is the service of the Vigil of S. Andrew. In this, the Psalm, the verse after the gradual, one of the secrets, and one of the post-communions are different. Upon S. Andrew's day, the Psalm again differs. Upon S. Thomas's day, the gradual, the offer

wylleth and commaundeth, that fyrste no alteration be made of such assignementes of levynge but that the same so remayne. And that there bee a modeste and destyncte songe so used in all partes of the common prayers in the Churche : that the same maye be as playnelye

understanded, as if it were read without singing."

Injunctions geven by the Quenes Maiestie. Imprinted by Jugge and Cawood. Anno. M.D.LIX. Reprinted in Cardwell. Doc. Annals. i. 196.