Early, O CHRIST, to find Thy Tomb, The weeping Ointment-bearers come : The Angel, cloth'd in white, hath said, "Why seek the LIVING with the dead? "The LORD of Life hath burst death's chain, "Whom here ye mourn and seek in vain." The Apostles, on Thy Vision bent, They should disciple and baptise. We praise the FATHER, GOD on High, Nor less our praises shall adore This grace, Blest TRINITY, we crave; S. John Damascene. Died circ. A.D. 780. S. John Damascene has the double honour of being the last but one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little is known of his life. That he was born of a good family at Damascus,-that he made great progress in philosophy,that he administered some charge under the Caliph, that he retired to the monastery of S. Sabas, in Palestine,-that he was the most learned and eloquent with whom the Iconoclasts had to contend,-that at a comparatively late period of life he was ordained Priest of the Church of Jerusalem, and that he died after 754, and before 787, seems to comprise с all that has reached us of his biography. His enemies, from an unknown reason, called him Mansur; whether he were the same with John Arklas, also an ecclesiastical poet, is not so certain. As a poet, he had a principal share in the Octoechus, of which I have already spoken. His three Great Canons are those on Easter, the Ascension, and S. Thomas's Sunday, the first and third of which I shall give either wholly or in part. Probably, however, many of the Idiomela and Stichera which are scattered about the office-books under the title of John, and John the Hermit, are his. His eloquent defence of Icons, has deservedly procured him the title of The Doctor of Christian Art. CANON FOR EASTER DAY, CALLED THE GOLDEN CANON, OR, THE QUEEN OF CANONS. The circumstances under which the Canon is sung are thus eloquently described by a modern writer. The scene is at Athens. "As midnight approached, the Archbishop, with his priests, accompanied by the King and Queen, left the Church, and stationed themselves on the platform, which was raised considerably from the ground, so that they were distinctly seen by the people. Everyone now remained in breathless expectation, holding their unlighted tapers in readiness when the glad moment should arrive, while the priests still continued murmuring their melancholy chant in a low half-whisper. Suddenly a single C 2 report of a cannon announced that twelve o'clock had struck, and that Easter day had begun; then the old Archbishop elevating the cross, exclaimed in a loud exulting tone, 'Christos anesti, CHRIST is risen!' and instantly every single individual of all that host took up the cry, and the vast multitude broke through and dispelled for ever the intense and mournful silence which they had maintained so long, with one spontaneous shout of indescribable joy and triumph, 'CHRIST is risen!' CHRIST is risen !' At the same moment, the oppressive darkness was succeeded by a blaze of light from thousands of tapers, which communicating one from another, seemed to send streams of fire in all directions, rendering the minutest objects distinctly visible, and casting the most vivid glow on the expressive faces full of exultation, of the rejoicing crowd; bands of music struck up their gayest strains; the roll of the drum through the town, and further on the pealing of the cannon announced far and near |