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"Yes; the Grand Duke yielded so far to the entreaties of the English ambassador," (Lord Burghersh I suppose,) "as to permit him to copy four of the drawings last year." "Would the volume never be published in any part of the Continent, or in England ?* No; the Grand Duke had positively declared that it should not be published.". Here is question and answer for you, you may draw your own conclusion. What a pity it is that this curious volume is condemned to remain unpublished? It is a very thick volume, and the one half of it consists of drawings. How many changes have taken place in the face of England since 1669! Not satisfied with what I heard about Cosmo's journey, I made the following extract from Galluzzi's History of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

"Indirizzò in seguito Cosimo 3o, il suo cammino verso la Galizia, e dopo aver sodisfatto in Compostella alla sua devozione passò alla Corugna dove era preparato l'imbarco per l'Inghilterra. Fra disagi sofferti dal Principe in tutti questi viaggi mancava solo quella della tempesta di mare, e questa appena fu staccato dalla Corugna sopragiunse improvvisamente, e deviandolo dalla direzione presa verso Plymouth lo costrinse a prender terra in Irlanda nel porto di Kinsale, e a Santa Maria delle sorlinghe. Calmato di poi il vento, giunse felicemente a Plymouth il primo di Aprile 1669, atteso in questo porto con impazienza dai Fiorentini che dimoravano in Lond

ra.

Oltre le salve delle Fortezze ed ì complimenti dovuti al suo rango, restò sorpre so il principe Cosimo in vedersi accogliere in Plymouth in mezzo alle acclamazioni e grida festose di un popolo numerossissimo, e ben si avvedde esser questo un effetto dei buoni trattamenti che quella nazione riceveva a Livorno. Accompagnato e servito dai principali gentiluomini della provincia giunse in Londra incontrato da un gran numero di personaggi che la fama e la curiosita vi aveva attirati. L'Inghilterra sotto il regno fortunato di Carlo Secondo era nel punto delle sue maggiore prosperità. L'affluenza del commercio estinguendo il fanatismo e sgombrando l'antica barbarie facea rinascere le arti e fiorire le scienze; si propagavano le cognizioni, si elevavano gli spiriti, e finalmente sulle tracce del Galileo si preparava all'Europa un Isacco Newton. In tale stato trovo il Principe Cosimo quella nazione, la quale gia prevenuta dalla gloria del padre (Ferdinando 2) e della famiglia, lo ricevè con gli atti della più sin ecra osservanza e stima particolare. 11 re to invito subito a Newmarket, dove col

pretesto di farlo assistere ad una corsa di cavalli tratto con esso con la massima familiarita e fuori d'ogni formale etichetta. I principali fra ì Lordi fecero a gara per trattarlo alle loro magnefiche e deliziose fatto spogliato di quella ferocia che gli ville, e il popolo tutto, sebbene non afaveano inspirata le guerre civili,) si mostro rispettoso ammiratore di un principe della casa Medici. Con questo favore scorse tutte le vicinanze di Londra, e si porto a Cambridge, dove ascoltando nell' Universita una lezione sulla dottrina di Galileo, senti ancora gli elogi della propria famiglia. Ritornato a Londra, ebbe dal re nuovi contrassegni di confidente amicizia e familiarita, e nell' atto del congedo volle por: tarsi al di lui allogjamento e cenare con esso all'uso Italiano. Dimoro il principe in Inghilterra per quasi tre mesi con indici. bile soddisfazione, e partito da Londra con gran desiderio di tutti, accompagnato per ordine del Re da due principali gentiluomini della sua corte fino al porto di Harwich, quivi imbarcossi per passare in Olanda. Dopo un tragitto di venti ore arrivato a Rotterdam ebbe il piacere di trovarvi il Feroni, e gli altri Fiorentini che lo attendevano,"* &c.

* Cosmo then went to Galicia, and, after having performed his devotions in Com. postella, he crossed over to Corunna, where every thing was prepared for his passage to England. In order to complete the ca talogue of disagreeable occurrences which the Prince had met with in the course of his travels, a storm at sea only was awanting, and he had scarcely left Corunna, when one came suddenly on, which drove him from his course towards Plymouth, and forced him to land in Ireland, at the port of Kinsale, at Santa Maria delle Sorlinghe. The storm having abated, he ar rived safely at Plymouth on the 1st of April 1669, where he was expected with great impatience by the Florentines who were settled in London. Besides the salutes of the batteries, and the compliments due to his rank, the Prince was surprised to find himself received in Plymouth with the shouts and exclamations of joy of an immense concourse of people, which he perceived to be an effect of the favourable manner in which the English were treated at Leghorn. Accompanied and served by the principal gentry of the country, he ar rived in London, where he was met by a great number of persons of distinction, whom rumour and curiosity had attracted thither. England, under the fortunate reign of Charles the Second, was at the height of its prosperity. The affluence of commerce, by extinguishing fanaticisin, and softening the ancient barbarism of the

I went on Sunday last to hear the destruction of Jerusalem sung and played by Florentine amateurs in the church of San Firenze. It appeared to me to be a kind of Pasticcio not very well put together. I staid half an hour and had enough. The singers (men) had some of them good voices, and that kind of flexibility and natural taste which is common to the Italians. The instrumental performers were tolerably good, one or two respectable; but what spoiled all, and would have spoiled the music of the spheres, was the wretched sound of an old cracked spinet or harpsichord (heaven knows which) that was dashed upon by the

people, had revived the arts, and encouraged the sciences,-knowledge was gradu. ally extending,—the minds of the people were becoming more elevated,--and finally, a Sir Isaac Newton was preparing for Europe, in the footsteps of Galileo. In this state did Cosme find the English nation, which, already prepossessed in his favour by the glory of his father (Ferdinand the Second) and of his family, received him with every mark of the most sincere respect and regard. The King invited him immediately to Newmarket, where, under pretence of making him assist at a horse race, he laid aside all formal etiquette, and treated him with the greatest familiarity. The principal lords vied with each other in entertaining him at their magnificent and delightful country seats; and the whole people (although not completely freed from that ferocity which the civil wars had inspired) showed themselves respectful admirers of a Prince of the house of Medici. Thus favoured, he visited all the environs of London, and went to Cambridge, where, listening in the University to a lecture on the doctrine of Galileo, he heard at the same time an eulogium upon his own family. Upon his return to London, he received from the King new proofs of confidential friendship and familiarity; and, upon taking leave, he accompanied him to his lodgings, and supped with him after the Italian fashion. The Prince remained in England for almost three months, with unspeakable satisfaction; and having set out from London with the great love of all, accompanied, by the King's orders, by two of the principal gentlemen of his Court, as far as the port of Harwich, he embarked there for Holland. After a passage of twenty hours, he arrived at Rotterdam, where he had the pleasure of finding il Feroni and the other Flozentines who awaited him."

outrageous fists of the thorough bass accompanier. At every aberration from the time (very frequent) this generalissimo came down souse upon the rattling bones, like a pair of old jack boots forsaking their ancient rusty nail, and lumbering down among all the jingling paraphernalia of the kitchen itself, and then the belaboured wires of the instrument responded in a faint and dolorous tone, like that of a child's sixpenny organ. The performers were in the gallery, at one end of the church above the altar.

This concert goes on every Sunday evening during Lent, and as it costs nothing to the audience, it is generally pretty well attended. Women are not admitted either to hear or to perform. Last night I went to the Pergola to hear the performers from Rome, who have just come. The opera was entitled I Baccanali di Roma, the music by Pietro Generali The principal singers were Signora Teresa Bertinotti, (our old acquaintance,) Signora Adelaide Malanotti, and Signor Botticelli; the principal tenor singer was ill, so could not ap pear, and his place was filled by a Signora N. N. Bertinotti is not able to do what she attempts, although her voice is still sweet. She understands her art well, but age has impaired her strength, and the flexibility of her voice. Signora Malanotti is a good counter-tenor singer, but I do not like the quality of her voice, it is too reedy and instrumental; she is old too, about 50. Botticelli is a good enough bass. The substitute tenor was nothing at all, had no voice, and sung out of tune. The music was good and pleasing. The scenery and decorations likewise good. But what can you expect for 2 Pauls (1s.) ahead paid by the audience?

To-day walking up to Bello Sguardo, from which you have a very fine and complete view of Florence and the surrounding country, I saw beds of French beans and peas in blossom. The sun was very warm, and the day clear and beautiful. Friday and Sa turday last were perfect winter. The mountain tops all covered with snow, and snow falling in small quantities in the town, accompanied with a most biting north wind. Such is the variableness of the Florentine climate at this season. The Mal di Petto is a common enough disorder here, a vio

lent inflammation in the lungs, which generally carries off the patient in 48 hours. Observe, that the cold north wind is frequent here in the winter months, and often at the same time that this piercing wind freezes your blood on one side, the powerful rays of the sun set it a boiling on the other; no wonder then that severe colds are caught by careless people.

ferent dialects, without any established rule, without any prevailing mode of speech, for every one wrote his own provincial dialect,-and when he used other dialects, was guided by mere caprice. Luther it was, who acquired the immortal honour of reducing this chaos to a regular whole, and of constructing a written language common to all the German provinces,-that which is now called High German. Luther's hymns were, with one ex

ON LUTHER'S MERITS IN REGARD TO ception, all destined for the service of

PSALMODY AND CHURCH-MUSIC.

(Continued from p. 307.)

I SHALL confine my notice of Luther's merits as a poet to a short history of his hymn book, which, independently of its value in a religious point of view, was equalled by few, if any, of the literary productions of the same period.

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Luther regretted that his countrymen had almost no sacred songs in their vernacular tongue. "I am willing," he writes to Spalatin, according to the example of the prophets and the old fathers of the church, to compose German psalms for the people, that is, spiritual songs, that the word of God may also remain with them through the means of song. We are looking every where for poets. As you are so eloquent and so great a master of the German language, I beg you to put to your hand along with us, and endeavour to make a song of one of the psalms, as you have here a model, or rather a trial by me. But I wish that the new language of the court be avoided, and that the words be all suited to the understanding of the people, (according to the comprehension of the multitude,) quite common and vulgar, but withal pure and appropriate, so that the meaning of the psalms be given clearly and judiciously. We must, therefore, translate freely, and when we have got the sense, express it by other fit words. I have not the gift to execute them as I would wish them to be done." But Luther has greatly undervalued his own talents, for not only his friends and contemporaries looked upon his hymns as unrivalled, but, along with his translation of the Bible, they had great influence in fixing a standard language in Germany. And what was the language of Germany at this time? A mixture of very dif

the church, and they were derived from various sources, so that they may be divided into four classes: 1. old hymns in the German language, improved and extended by him; 2. Hymns translated from the Latin church service; 3. Translations of portions of the Bible, both in prose and verse; and, 4. Original hymns.

They were first published singly, many of them in 1523, but he continued to compose occasionally till 1542.

The earliest collection of hymns in which any of Luther's hymns were inserted, was published at Wittenberg in 1524, in three sheets 4to, under the title "Etliche Christlich Lieder Lobgesang, und Psalm, dem rainen wort Gottes gemess, auss der heyligen schrifft durch mancherley hochgelerter gemacht, in den Kirchen zu singen, wie es dann zum tayl berayt zu Wittenberg in übing ist; or, Some Christian songs, hymns, and psalms, conformable to the pure word of God, taken from the sacred scriptures by different learned men, to sing in churches, as is now partly practised in Wittenberg. This very scarce tract, with its supplement of 1525, was carefully reprinted, but without the musical notes, by Olearius, at Arnstadt, in 1717. But although four of the eight hymns which it contains were by Luther, yet it has been established by Riederer, that they were not prepared for the press or printed by his own direction. As, contrary to the custom at that time, the name of the printer and place is not in the colophon, it is even probable that it was not printed at Wittenberg, but that the insertion of that place on the title-page, was an imposition by a speculating bookseller, and that it was probably printed at Erfurt, as the supplement is also stated in the titlepage to have been published at Wit

tenberg in 1525, whereas it appears from the colophon, that it was print

ed at Erfurt.

In 1525, however, John Walther, master of the chapel to the Elector of Saxony, published a collection of sacred songs by Luther, for four voices. This edition is utterly lost, but it was reprinted in 1544, during Luther's life, with the title "Wittembergisch Deudsch Geistlich Gesangbüchlein. Mit vier und fünff stimmen. Durch Joh. Walthern, Churfurstlichen von Sachsen Sengenmeistern, auffs new mit vleis corrigirt, und mit vielen schönen Liedern gebessert und gemehret. Gedruckt zu Wittemberg, durch Georgen Rhaw, Anno M. D. xliiii." The work when complete is in four volumes longish quarto, as the hymns are printed separately for each voice. The preface deserves to be translated, not only as a curiosity, but on account of the sentiments it contains.

"I consider that no Christian can be ignorant, that the singing of spiritual songs is good and agreeable to God, since every person knows not only the example of the Prophets and Kings in the Old Testament, who praised the Lord with singing and sounding, with organs and all manner of stringed instruments, but also its common use among Christians from the beginning, especially with psalms. Even St Paul mentions it, 1 Corinth. xiv.; and orders the Colossians to sing from their hearts spiritual songs and psalms to the Lord, that thereby God's word and the doctrine of Christ may be promoted and practised in

all ways.

"Therefore I and some others, to give a beginning, and set the example to others who are more capable, have collected some spiritual songs to further and bring into use the sacred gospel, which, by the grace of

God, is again arisen, so that we might rejoice, as Moses does in his song, Exod. xv. that Christ is our strength and song; and know to sing or say nothing, save Christ our Saviour, as St Paul says, 1 Corinth. ii. "And they are arranged for four voices, for no other reason, than that I am anxious that young people, who should and must be educated in music, and other good arts, should have wherewith to get rid of their lascivious and carnal songs, and instead of them, learn something salutary, and receive what is good with pleasure, as to youth is meet. Also, that I am not of the opinion, that, by the gospel, all arts should be beat down and overthrown, as some zealots pretend; but I would willingly see all arts, especially music, in the service of him who created and bestowed them. I therefore beg every pious Christian to receive them wil

ingly, and where God has given more, or the like, to give assistance. The world, alas! is otherwise too indolent and forgetful in educating and instructing the poor youth, that one should not, in the first place, give occasion to it. God be gracious unto us. Amen."

Luther also wrote a preface to his funeral hymns, which he published in 1542, with the title, Christliche Geseng Lateinish und Deudsch zum Begrebniss. D. Martinus Luther, Wittemberg, Anno MDXLII." printed by Joseph Klug.

In the following year the same printer produced an enlarged edition of Luther's hymns, with a new preface; and, for the first time, the following caution on the title-page:

Viel falscher Meister itzt Lieder tichten, Sihe dich für, und lern sie recht richten, Wo Gott hin bawet sein Kirch und sein Wort,

Da will der Teufel schon mit Trug und Mord. Many false teachers hymns now write, Take care their worth to judge aright, Where God erects his church and word, The devil contends with guile and sword.

In the preface he admits that many good hymns have been written by. he remarks, that, by the daily and inothers, which surpass his own. But discriminate additions, the good is buried and lost among the bad. To counteract this as much as possible, he states that he has carefully revised the present edition, and prefixed his name; and prohibits henceforth from augmenting or improving it without his consent.

He was not, however, long in giving this consent to another bookseller, Valentin Pabst of Leipzig, who published, in 1545, a new edition, in octavo, printed with the greatest care, and, in every respect, preferable to the others. Its title runs thus:

Geystliche Lieder. Mit einer newen Vorrede D. Mart. Luth. Warnung D. M. L. Meister itzt Lieder tichten, &c. as already quoted. The printer spared no expence to give it the most agreeable and attractive appearance, according to the taste of the times; and his arrangement pleased Luther so well, that he furnished it with a new preface, in which he says,

"The printers are to be commended for their activity in printing good songs, and making them attractive to the people.

with all manner of decoration, that they may be excited to such joy of faith, and to sing them willingly. As then this impression of Valentin Pabst is very gaily got up, God grant that, through it, the Roman Pope, who has caused throughout the world nothing but howling, lamentation, and suffering, by his damned, intolerable, and hurtful laws, may suffer great loss and injury. Amen."

But Luther was a composer of music, as well as an amateur and a poet. He composed melodies for the hymns he wrote. Every person has heard the hundredth psalm sung to what is called Martin Luther's hymn. But the reformer has, in this instance, got credit for what he did not do, for the melody alluded to does not occur in a complete collection of his hymn tunes now lying before nie; and, indeed, Dr Burney has quoted the melody of our hundredth psalm, harmonized for four voices, as a specimen of the manner of Claude le Jeune, a native of Valenciennes, who published his Dodecachorde on twelve psalms of David, according to the twelve ancient modes, in 1598.*

Luther, however, both adapted to his hymns the chaunts of the church, and old melodies, with improvements, and composed himself many original melodies. It has, indeed, been alleged that Luther was much indebted to some of his musical friends for their assistance, but there is direct and positive evidence that he himself was the composer.

Sleidan expressly says that he composed music to his hymns, remarkably adapted to their sense, and calculated to excite devotion. Chytraeus, Professor in Rostock, in the preface to his "Cantica sacra in usum Ecclesiæ et Juventutis Hamburgensis, (Hamb. 1588,) makes the same assertion, "Lutherus præcipuas doctrinæ Christianæ partes et totam Christi historiam.....lectissimis verbis expositas, et rhythmis concinnis comprehensas et melodiis elegantibus et aptissimis, quæ rebus et verbis textus subjecti apposite congruunt, illustra

vit.'

But the strongest and most unequivocal testimony is that of John Walther, one of the masters of the

A General History of Music, by Charles Burney, Mus. D. F. R. S. 4 vole. 4to. London, 1789. Vol. III. p. 46

chapel to the Elector of Saxony, and the friend of Luther, who states precisely how far he gave his assistance. He says that Luther sent for him, and Wittenberg, when he was preparing an old teacher of singing, Rupff, to the German mass, to converse with them about it, and that he explained to them the mode in which he thought the various chaunts for the epistle, gospel, &c. should be composed; that he himself composed the notes for the gospel, epistle, and on the words of the song then before him. "And it is easy to see, hear, and understand, that the Holy Ghost inspired (assisted) both the authors who composed the Latin chaunts, and Luther who wrote the words and melodies of the German hymns; as, among others, from the German Sanctus, one may see how well and masterly he has ar ranged all the notes to the text, according to their right accent and con cent, so that I was induced to ask his reverence at the time whence and where he had got these pieces or instruction, upon which the dear man smiled at my simplicity, and said, The poet Virgil taught me, who ap plies so artfully his lines and words to the history which he describes; so also should music regulate all its notes and airs by the text."

There cannot, therefore, remain a doubt that Luther was actually the composer of such of the melodies attached to his hymns at the time of their publication, as were not borrowed from the Latin chaunts, or cannot be traced to some old tune.

The following quotation from one of his letters to Agricola of Eisleben, proves the same thing, and also shews that our grave reformer could occasionally indulge himself with quizzing his friends: "I send you here for practice a song; for, not having been able to do any thing for three whole days, I accidentally found in a corner a piece of paper, on which this old song is set for three voices, which I have since revised and improved, and augmented by a fourth voice, and also written words to it on the spur of the moment. My object is as follows: I wish much to mislead your chaplain, M. George, and make him believe that this song was sung by the choir at Augsburgh, on the entrance of the Emperor and Ferdinand, and sent by you to me as a novelty. But

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