it roughly. In the Nonconformist Churches of England, the transition from Psalm-singing in the versions of Sternhold and Hopkins, Patrick, Barton, and others, to hymn-singing was, as we have said, brought about by the labours of Dr. Watts, whose version of the Psalms forms a kind of connecting link between the two, partaking as they do of the characteristics of both. The elements in them drawn from the Book of Psalms connect them with the age of the metrical versions, whilst the elements drawn from the New Testament connect them with the hymn-singing era which followed, and of which Dr. Watts was the real pioneer.

Many other metrical versions of the Psalms were made in early times by Sir Philip Sidney and his sister Mary, Countess of Pembroke, Bishop King, George Sandys, Lord Bacon of seven of the Psalms, and others; some of these were highly poetic, but not cast in a form suitable or public worship, and never came into use in the Church.

Those who desire to pursue the subject further should consult "The Story of the Psalters," by Henry Alexander Bell (Kegan Paul & Co., 1888) who gives an account of 123 complete versions of the Psalms, and specimens from each, of renderings of the 1st and 23rd Psalm. In the following table of editions now in the British Museum Library, the relative popularity of the principal versions is clearly seen:

CHAPTER VII.

EARLY ENGLISH HYMNS.

THERE are few, if any, English hymns to be found before the beginning of the seventeenth century. To the fifteenth century belong a few hymns addressed to the Virgin and Christ. These have been edited from the Lambert MS., No. 853, by Mr. Furnivall, for the Early English Text Society. One of these, on "The Sweetness of Jesus," is very tender and beautiful; another, on "The Love of Jesus," likens love to a fire which cleanses us from sin, and joins man to God. But since worship had not yet come to be offered through the vernacular, it is all but certain that such hymns were only for private reading and meditation.

Before the seventeenth century, there is much noble sacred English poetry, but few, if any hymns capable of being sung in the congregation. And these poems, as it has been well said, were "too subtle and fanciful ever to come home to the hearts of the people. They were written for a choice few to enjoy. They were full of those subtle allusions, half the pleasure of which consists in the ingenuity required to understand as well as to invent them. Such hymns could never be sung, like Luther's, by little children at Christmas, or become a

nation's battle-song, or sweetly distil peace at moments when heart and flesh failed, and mortal effort was impossible; when the soul had lost its power to cling to anything. The verses of this period bear witness to the piety or the poetical power of the writers rather than to the faith of the times." This is true, especially when the general ignorance of the people of that time is taken into account. The spread of education has, however, now quickened intelligence, and made men capable of appreciating a style of hymn which, in earlier times, would have been beyond them. This will account for the presence, in our hymnals, of verses known in early times only to those of the literary class; whilst, in addition to this, it must be remembered that the habit of these earlier times was to look to one hymnist rather than to a multitude for the provision of hymns for worship. Indeed, the really hymn-singing age was not yet, and did not begin till the time of Watts. But still, scattered over the then existing English literature, there were the materials for a good, if not a large book of worship-song. It remained for our own age to search out and utilise these overlooked and neglected treasures.

The hymn, "O Lord, turn not Thy face from me," attributed [by some to John Mardley, and by others to John Marckant, and belonging to about the middle of the 16th century, is probably the earliest really English hymn to be found in our present-day hymnals. Sir Egerton Brydges is inclined to attribute some versions of the Psalms in Sternhold and Hopkins signed M. to Mardley. The hymn to which we have referred is not without merit. It is usually given in the variation of Bishop Heber. Here is the original :

O Lord, turn not Thy face from me,
Who lie in woeful state,
Lamenting all my woeful life,
Before Thy mercy-gate;

A gate which opens wide to those
That do lament their sin:

Shut not that gate against me. Lord,
But let me enter in.

And call me not to strict account,
How I have sojourned here,
For then my guilty conscience knows
How vile I shall appear.

So come I to Thy mercy gate,
Where mercy doth abound;
Imploring pardon for my sin,
To heal my deadly wound.

Mercy, good Lord, mercy I ask,
This is the total sum;

For mercy, Lord, is all my suit:
O let Thy mercy come.

George Sandys (1577-1643), is a much more notable contributor to hymnody. Dryden called him "the best versifier of his age." He wrote "a Paraphrase upon the Psalms of David, and upon the hymns dispersed throughout the Old and New Testaments," and a poetical version of the Song of Solomon. The most notable of his renderings is of the 61st Psalm, beginning "Happy sons of Israel."

George Wither (1588-1667), wrote too much, it is true, but scattered over his writings are hymns that are likely to retain their place in the song of the Church. The best known are 'Come, O come, with sacred lays;" "The Lord is King, and weareth," a version of the 93rd Psalm; and "Lord, living here are we," a hymn for the anniversary of marriage-quaint and beautiful, and not unlike to George Herbert. It is so little known that I append it :

Lord, living here are we,
As fast united yet,

As when our hands and hearts by Thee
Together first were knit!

And in a thankful song

Now sing we will Thy praise,
For that Thou dost as well prolong
Our loving as our days.

Together we have now
Begun another year,

But how much time Thou wilt allow
Thou mak'st it not appear.
We therefore do implore
That live and love we may
Still so, as if but one day more
Together we should stay.

Let each of other's wealth
Preserve a faithful care,

And of each other's joy and health
As if one soul we were.
Such conscience let us make
Each other not to grieve,

As if we daily were to take
Our everlasting leave.

The frowardness that springs
From our corrupted kind,

Or from those troublous outward things
Which may distract the mind;
Pern.it Thou not, O Lord,
Our constant love to shake,

Or to disturb our true accord,
Or make our hearts to ache.

But let these frailties prove
Affection's exercise,

And that discretion teach our love
Which wins the noblest prize.
So time which wears away
And ruins all things else,

Shall fix our love on Thee for aye,
In whom perfection dwells.

Robert Herrick (born 1591) is better known by the secular poetry of his "Hesperides," than by his contributions to sacred song, which are included in "Noble Numbers," but his "Litany to the Holy Spirit," though