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CHAPTER XIX.

FRENCH AND OTHER HYMNS.

OUR English Hymnals owe comparatively little to any of the continental nations except the German. This is probably due in part to the fact, that all the Latin races are under the sway of the Roman See, whose doctrine differs largely from ours, whilst in their church worship little space is left for the use of hymns. Had France been Protestant, and therefore psalm-singing, as her lyric gift is quite as strong, if not stronger than that of Germany, she would probably have furnished us with as large, if not a larger, proportion than we have drawn from Germany, especially if her Protestantism had been of the Lutheran rather than the Calvinistic type. Even the hymns we have taken from France were chiefly written in the Latin tongue for use in French Breviaries. Of some of these I have spoken in earlier chapters of this book in my account of the hymns of Adam of St. Victor, the Bernards, and King

*

*"In Switzerland, in the Protestant Church of France, and to some extent in Holland, the spread of the German hymns has been checked by the influence of the Calvinistic churches, which have always feared to give a prominent place to Art of any kind in the worship of God-rather, indeed, have allowed it to creep in on sufferance, than delighted to introduce it as a freewill offering of beauty."-Winkworth's "Christian Singers of Germany,' p. 4.

Robert of France; but to later times belong the following, from whose Latin hymns, translations have passed into some of our English Hymnals :--

From Claude de Santeüil, otherwise known as Santolius Maglorianus (1628-1684) we have "Thrice Holy God, of wondrous might" (Ter sancte, ter potens Leus); whilst from his brother, J. B. de Santeüil (Santolius Victorinus), (1630-1697), we have "In stature grows the Heavenly Child" (Divine, crescebas, Puer), "O Christ, who hast prepared a place" (Nobis, Olympo redditus), "Long time the fallen human race" (Pulsum supernis sedibus), translated by J. Chandler; and "Not by the Martyr's death alone" (Non parta solo sanguine), translated by Isaac Williams.

To Charles Coffin (1676-1749), we owe "God from on high hath heard" (Jam desinant susperia), translated by Bishop Woodford; "Great Mover of all hearts, whose hand" (Supreme Motor cordium), translated by Isaac Williams; and "As now the sun's declining rays' (Labente jam solis rota), “On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry" (Jordanis oras prævia), "What star is this, more glorious far" (Quae stella sole pulchrior), "O Lord, how joyful 'tis to see" (0 quam jurat fratres, Deus), translated by John Chandler.

From Nicolas le Tourneaux, of the latter part of the 17th century, we have "Morn's roseate hues have decked the sky" (Aurora lucis dum novae), translated by W. Cooke.

William Cowper translated certain of the Cantiques Spirituels of Madame Guyon, which contained about 900 pieces, mostly written to popular ballad tunes.

The

finest of these is the following, touched with the peculiar
and beautiful mysticism of that devoted woman :—
O Thou by long experience tried,
Near whom no grief can long abide,
My Lord! how full of sweet content
My years of pilgrimage are spent.
All scenes alike engaging prove
To souls impressed with sacred love;
Where'er they dwell, they dwell with Thee,
In heaven, in earth, or on the sea.
To me remains nor place nor time;
My country is in every clime;
I can be calm and free from care
On any shore, since God is there.
While place we seek or place we shun,
The soul finds happiness in none;
But with my God to guide my way,
'Tis equal joy to go or stay.

Could I be cast where Thou art not,
That were indeed a dreadful lot:

But regions none remote I call,
Secure of finding God in all.

Then let me to His throne repair,
And never be a stranger there:
Then love divine shall be my guard,

And peace and safety my reward.

Most of the hymns drawn from and written in the French language come to us, as was to be expected, from Protestant sources in Switzerland. Cæsar Malan (17871864) was a voluminous hymnist, exceeding Dr. Watts in the number of his compositions, but being more akin to Charles Wesley in their character. He is said by his biographer to have written at least a thousand hymns! They were translated into English in 1825 by Ingram Cobbin ("Hymns by the Rev. Cæsar Malan translated into English verse"); and in 1866 by Miss Arnold (Lyra Evangelica). The best known is the following, translated by G. W. Bethune :

:

It is not death to die

To leave this weary road,

And 'midst the brotherhood on high,

To be at home with God.

It is not death to close
The eye long dimmed by tears,
And wake in glorious repose

To spend eternal years.

It is not death to bear

The wrench that sets us free

From dungeon-chain to breathe the air
Of boundless liberty.

It is not death to fling
Aside this mortal dust,
And rise on strong exulting wing,
To live among the just.

Jesus, Thou Prince of Life,

Thy chosen cannot die:

Like Thee they conquer in the strife,
To reign with Thee on high.

Malan was also a musician, and set his hymns to music.

To Jean Frederic Oberlin (1740-1826) is usually ascribed the fine hymn (translated by Lucy Wilson) " O Lord, Thy heavenly grace impart "; but there is reason to believe that it was neither Oberlin's composition nor translation.

The religious movement started by Robert Haldane in the earliest years of the present century gave rise to a School of Swiss Hymnody, to which Dr. Merle D'Aubigne, Felix Neff, and others contributed. At a somewhat later period (1834) the "Chants Chretiens were published in Paris by Henri Lutteroth, in which were included extracts from Racine, Corneille, and Pictét, and hymns by Adolphe Monod, Alexander Vinet, and others. This is still the most popular Hymnal in the Reformed Church.

To Adolphe Monod (1812-1856), the saintly and accomplished Pastor of Paris, we owe the striking hymn, "Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow," which has found its way into certain English Hymnals. The following translation of his "Que ne puis-je, ô mon Dicu," by Mr. Downton, deserves notice :

God of my health! I would Thy praise proclaim
And tell to earth and heaven Thy wondrous Name,
Declare the transports of my thankful breast,
And say to all the world that I am blest!

Blest-when I hear Thee speak, and when that word
Which said, "Let there be light," within me heard,
Stoops to instruct me, calms my spirit's strife,
And guides my footsteps in the path of life.

Blest-when I speak to Thee, and though but dust,
Lift to Thy throne my worship and my trust,
With freedom to my Father, as a child;
With trembling to my God, as sin defiled.

Blest, when Thy day, which saw from Chaos' mount
Thy work come forth, Thy First-born from the fount,
Gathers within Thy courts th' adoring throng,
Our zeal's weak flame re-kindling, bright and strong!

Blest-when, beneath Thy strokes, my faithful God,
Smitten in love, in love I kiss the rod :

Weeping, but waiting Thy returning smile,
And near the Cross, and for a little while.

Blest-when, assaulted by the tempter's power,
The Cross my armour, and the Lamb my tower,
Kneeling I triumph-issuing from the fray
A bleeding conqueror-my life a prey!

Blest-ever blest! my Brother, He who died;
His Father mine; His Spirit still my Guide:
What can earth give? what can hell take away,
When God and heaven are mine, are mine for aye?

Alexander Vinet (1797-1867), the devout and thoughtful Professor of Theology at Lausanne, wrote many hymns, most of which appeared first in the "Semeur," a paper to which he often contributed. They are marked by the devout thoughtfulness and delicate phrasing which are characteristic of his discourses. Seven of these have been translated by the Rev. Henry Downton, M.A., for many years the English Chaplain at Geneva, and included in his "Hymns and Verses: Original and Translated," 1873. The following is a specimen. It is a translation of his "Roi des Anges":