he Geneva
Psalter, and used by English Protestants for the 100th about 1562. It
was Haendel's opinion that Luther composed it, and to Claude Goudimel,
who was assassinated in the St. Bartholomew of Lyons, the honour has
also been attributed; but local patriotism insists upon le Franc, and
after reading the specimen of local musical talent I shall give you, I
believe you will be readier to allow that Guillaume le Franc may have
done what his fellow-citizens believe.

The madrigal I have printed here was written in a rare old book I
found in the Library of Rouen.[72] It was most kindly copied out for
me on the spot by M. Baurain, and Mr J.A. Fuller-Maitland was so good
as to decipher the ancient notation and provide me with a score that
anyone can play and sing to-day. He has also written the last
paragraph of this chapter, and with his learned explanation I may
leave you to the enjoyment of a song that has never been published
since 1551, and that will reproduce for you, for the first time since
then, the sound of the welcome given to Henri II. and Catherine de
Medicis as they entered their good town of Rouen in 1550.

[Footnote 72: Its title-page is too good to be lost, and runs as
follows, without the charming spacing and lettering of the original:--

"Cest La Deduction du sumptueux ordre plaisantz spectacles et
magnificques theatres dresses et exhibes par les citoiens de Rouen
ville Metropolitaine du pays de Normandie, A la sacree Maieste du
Treschristian Roy de France Henry sec[=o]d leur souverain seigneur, Et
a Tresillustre dame, maDame Katharine de Medicis, La Royne son
espouse, lors de leur triumphant joyeux et nouvel advenement en icelle
ville, Qui fut es iours d'Octobre, Mil cinq cens cinquante, Et pour
plus expresse intelligence de ce tant excellent triumphe, Les figures
et pourtraictz des principaulx aornements d'iceluy y sont apposez
chascun en son lieu comme l'on pourra veoir par le discours de
l'histoire.... Avec priuilege du Roy. On les vend a rouen chez Robert
le Hoy Robert et Jehan dictz du Gord tenantz leur Boutique Au portail
des Libraires. 1551."]

In the history of music this four-part song is interesting as giving
evidence of the general cultivation in music that must have prevailed
among the French people at the time. In the present day we are apt to
think of the madrigal or motet writers as a class of specialists
working at elaborate harmonic and contrapuntal problems for their own
delight, b