only jingling prose. finable element which we call poetic-that happiness and compactness of phrase which catches the ear, lingers in the memory, and kindles the imagination; not in the larger and freer sense in which it is used in poetry of a secular kind; but within narrower limits and of a more sober type, the poetic element must be present, or the verses remain prose and cannot rightly be called a Hymn. The hymn belongs to Lyric rather than Didactic or Epic Poetry, and should have such aptness and melody of expression that the words when said, as well as when sung, shall be musical, shall, as the name Lyric' implies, have the ring of the harp through them. almost any metre may be allowed. congregations have grown accustomed to a vast variety of metres which have been skilfully utilised by hymnists in their verse. This has given to composers a wider musical field in which to work and has been one great factor in rendering hymns so popular an element in our modern worship. There must be that unde Given this and In recent years Perhaps the limits which are desirable, as to variety in metre, have now been reached Future hymn-writers should find quite sufficient scope for the exercise of their gifts within the very great variety of metres in which their predecessors have worked. If it should be extended much farther, the number of tunes necessary for congregations to learn in order to sing the hymns included in their collections, will exceed the capacity of all but select and exceptionally musical ones, and perhaps of only a certain number, even in such congregations. It is not desirable that Psalmody should be thus restricted; it should rather be within the capacity of all worshippers to bear a part therein. As a general rule, it is well that each hymn should be associated with a particular tune-not of necessity the same one in every congregation, since taste and capacity greatly differ-but this principle should not be made too rigid, since a congregation tires more quickly of a tune than a hymn, and a change of tune will often give a new lease of life to, and keep in use, a well-loved hymn, of which, if it were always sung to the same tune, the people would tire. Those who are responsible for the conduct of Psalmody in the Church should be as familiar with the Hymn-book as the Tune-book, so that, where they possess liberty to set hymns to any tunes they desire, their selection of tunes may be determined by the substance and spirit of the hymns, and even where the fixed-tune system is in vogue, they may render the tune in a style in full sympathy with the sentiment of each verse of the hymn. The pleasant duty remains of acknowledging the valuable aid I have received from Mr. W. T. Brooke, who has read the proof sheets of this volume as they were passing through the press, and to whose wide knowledge of Hymnody I am indebted, both for valuable suggestions and correction of the proofs. I am also indebted to my friend the Rev. Robert Ricards, who has felt the deepest interest in my task, and helped me greatly to make my story more clear to its readers. For information embodied in the chapter on the Hymns of other religions, I am indebted to kind communications from Sir Wm. Muir, Professors Max Muller and Dr. James Legge, of Oxford, Professor Owen, C. Whitehouse, M.A., of Cheshunt College, the Rev. G. O. Newport, of India, and the late Mr. Paul Isaac Hershon. I have to thank my friend, Mr. Arthur Boutwood, for preparing the Indices. Some small portions of this book had previously made their appearance in the pages of The Sunday Magazine, The Christian World, and the Theological Monthly. I am indebted to the proprietors of these periodicals for permission to include such portions in this work. I trust that these pages will lead many to take a more intelligent interest in the hymns they so often sing-and serve to introduce hitherto unknown hymns to their notice, and even do some little to elevate the public taste which often has not been any too discriminating. I shall be abundantly repaid for the labour expended on this book if it should bear a part, however small, in enabling any to comply with |