r marrying a
cousin, which was forbidden by the canons of the church.

Fulbert was for some time head of the Theological College at Chartres, a
cathedral town of France, anciently the capital of Celtic Gaul, and
afterwards he was consecrated as Bishop of that diocese. He died about
1029.

_THE TUNE._

The modern tone-interpreter of Fulbert's hymn bears the name "La Spezia"
in some collections, and was composed by James Taylor about the time the
hymn was translated into English by Robert Campbell. Research might
discover the ancient tune--for the hymn is said to have been sung in the
English church during Fulbert's lifetime--but the older was little
likely to be the better music. "La Spezia" is a choral of enlivening but
easy chords, and a tread of triumph in its musical motion that suits the
march of "Judah's Lion":

His ransomed hosts pursue their way
Where Jesus goes before.

James Taylor, born 1833, is a Doctor of Music, organist of the
University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Philharmonic Society.

Robert Campbell, the translator, was a Scotch lawyer, born in Edinburgh,
who besides his work as an advocate wrote original hymns, and in other
ways exercised a natural literary gift. He compiled the excellent
Hymnal of the diocese of St. Andrews, and this was his best work. The
date of his death is given as Dec. 29, 1868.

THOMAS OF CELANO.

Dies irae! dies illa,
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sybilla.

Day of wrath! that day of burning,
All the world to ashes turning,
Sung by prophets far discerning.

Latin ecclesiastical poetry reached its high water mark in that awful
hymn. The solitaire of its sphere and time in the novelty of its
rhythmic triplets, it stood a wonder to the church and hierarchy
accustomed to the slow spondees of the ancient chant. There could be
such a thing as a trochaic hymn!--and majestic, too!

It was a discovery that did not stale. The compelling grandeur of the
poem placed it distinct and alone, and the very difficulty of staffing
it for vocal and instrumental use gave it a zest, and helped to keep it
unique through the ages.

Latin hymnody and hymnography, appealing to the popular ear and heart,
had gradually substituted accent for quantity in verse; for the common
people could never be moved by a Christian song in the prosody of the
classics. The religion of the cross, with the song-preaching of its
propag