metre, in the second line. We find further that as the translation of the Psalter proceeded towards completion, Keith and Whittingham, residents in Geneva, rendered some of the later psalms into special metres, and re-translated others—among them the 100th, in order to provide for the adoption of the most admired French tunes intact: these will be mentioned in detail, so far as they have been as yet identified, later on. The question of authorship is of secondary interest. There were at this time, no doubt, many English musicians capable of composing them, among the organists or singing men in the Cathedrals and Chapels Royal, who are known to have entered almost as warmly as the clergy into the religious discussions of the time, and of whom many took refuge at Geneva along with the clergy. Immediately upon the death of Mary, in 1558, this work found its way to England. The tunes at once became popular, and a strong and general demand was made for liberty to sing them in the churches. In the following year permission was given, in the 49th section of the injunctions for the guidance of the clergy; where, after commanding that the former order of service (Edward's) be preserved, Elizabeth adds:—
And yet nevertheless, for the comforting of such as delight in music, it may be permitted, that in the beginning or in the end of Common Prayer, either at morning or evening, there may be sung an hymn, or such like song, to the praise of Almighty God, in the best melody and music that may be conveniently devised, having respect that the sentence of the hymn may be understood and perceived.
This permission, and the immediate advantage that was taken of it, no doubt did much to increase the popular taste for psalm-singing, and to hasten the completion of the Psalter. For in the course of the next year, 1560, a new edition appeared, in which the number of Psalms is raised to 64, with the following title:[1]—
Psalmes of David in Englishe Metre, by Thomas Sterneholde and others: conferred with the Ebrue, and in certeine places corrected, as the sense of the Prophete required: and the Note joyned withall. Very mete to be used of all sorts of people privately for their godly solace & comfort, laying aparte all ungodly songes & ballades, which tende only to the nourishing of vice, and corrupting of youth. Newly set foarth and allowed, according to the Quenes Maiesties Iniunctions. 1560.
There is no name either of place or of printer, but in all probability it was an English edition. Although no mention is made of them in the title, this work includes metrical versions of three of the Evangelical Hymns, the ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed. It may have included a few more of the same kind, but the only known copy of the work is imperfect at the end, where these additions are printed as a kind of supplement. The practice of repeating the tunes begins here, for though the number of psalms has been increased, the number of tunes has diminished. There are only 44, of which 23 have been taken on from the previous edition; the rest are new. Among the new tunes will be found five adopted from the French Psalter, in the manner, described above. They are as follows:—The tunes to the French 121st, 124th, and 130th, have been set to the same psalms in the English version; the French 107th has been compressed to suit the English 120th; and the French 124th, though set to the same psalm in the English version, has been expanded by the insertion of a section between the third and fourth of the original; the French psalm having four lines of eleven to the stanza, the English five. The tune for the metrical commandments is the same in both versions.
By the following year 23 more translations were ready; and another edition was brought out, again at Geneva:[2]—
Foure score and seven Psalmes of David in English Mitre, by Thomas Sterneholde and others: conferred with the Hebrewe, and in certeine places corrected, as the sense of the Prophet requireth. Whereunto are added the Songe of Simeon, the then commandments and the Lord's Prayer. 1561.
From the 'Forme of Prayers,' etc., bound up with it, we gather that it was 'printed at Geneva by Zacharie Durand.' The number of tunes had now been largely increased, and raised to a point beyond which we shall find it scarcely advanced for many years afterwards. The exact number is 63; of which 22 had appeared in both previous editions, 14 in the edition of 1560 only, and 2 in the edition of 1556 only. The rest were new. Among the new tunes will again be found several French importations. The tunes for the English 50th and 104th are the French tunes for the same psalms. The 100th is the French 134th, the 113th the French 36th, the 122nd the French 3rd, the 125th the French 21st, the 126th the French 90th. The 145th and 148th are also called 'French' by Ravenscroft.[3] Thus far there is no sign of any other direct influence. The imported tunes, so far as can be discovered, are all French; and the rest are English imitations in the same style.
Before we enter upon the year 1562, which saw the completion of Sternhold's version, it is necessary that some account should be given of another Psalter, evidently intended for the public, which had been in preparation for some little time, and was actually printed, probably in 1560, but which was never issued;—the Psalter of Archbishop Parker. The title is as follows:—
The whole Psalter translated into English metre, which contayneth an hundreth and fifty psalmes, Imprinted at London by John Daye, dwelling over Aldersgate beneath S. Martyn's. Cum gratia et privilegio Regiæ maiestatis, per decennium.
The privilege sufficiently proves the intention to publish. It seems at first sight curious, that while it has been necessary to speak of the copies of published works hitherto referred to as unique, it should be possible to say of this, which was never given to the public, that at least four or five examples are in existence. The reason, however, is no doubt to be found in the fact that
- ↑ The unique copy of this work is in the library of Christ Church, Oxford. Thanks are due to the College for permission to examine it.
- ↑ The unique copy of this book is in the Library of S. Paul's Cathedral. Thanks are due to the Dean and Chapter for permission to examine it.
- ↑ The imported tunes sometimes underwent a slight alteration, necessitated by the frequency of the feminine rhymes in the French version. By this method a new character was often given to the tune.
