notions not only of those already mentioned, but against the heresies also of Sabellius, who confounded the three persons in the Godhead, and of Apollinarius, who denied that Christ was a perfect

man.

1

The singing of psalms or hymns was sanctioned by the Act that confirmed the first liturgy. In the interval, before the revision, the practice seems to have become popular, I mean the plain congregational singing in parish churches of psalms in metre, as distinguished from the choral service in cathedrals and collegiate chapels, which was of the prosaic, but infinitely more solemn, form. Cranmer appears to have paid attention, 2 long before, to the subject of religious song. The translation of the psalms into French rhymes by Clement Marot, groom of the bed-chamber to Francis the First, was now well known in England. The translator, too, was a friend to the Reformation. His psalms had been also introduced by Calvin into his congregation at Geneva, after having been in France sung by the king and his courtiers upon ordinary occasions, not in churches, to some favourite or fashionable tune. Him it

3

1 See before, in the present vol. p. 68.

2 See vol. i. p. 356.

3 "The dauphin prince Henry, who delighted in hunting, was fond of Ainsi qu' on oit le cerf bruire, or, Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, which he constantly sung in going out to the chace. Madame de Valentinois, between whom and

2

had been the object of Sternhold, groom of the robes to the English sovereign, to imitate; hoping that the courtiers here would sing his versions, instead of their own sonnets; "but," says Anthony Wood, "they did not, only some few excepted." A second edition of his psalms, however, with a few more by his coadjutor Hopkins, was published in 1551; and in the following year a third; a sign that they were very acceptable, when the liturgy was reviewed, to the common people, and that, like Luther and Calvin, the reviewers considered such labours as useful in familiarizing Scriptural information.

As of the first liturgy there had been a French translation for the use of our sovereign's subjects at Calais and its dependencies, so now of the second a version was made by a learned French divine. This employment had been sought by

the young prince there was an attachment, took Du fond de ma pensée, or, From the depth of my heart, O Lord. The queen's favourite was, Ne vueilles pas, O Sire, that is, O Lord, rebuke me not, which she sung to a fashionable jig. Anthony, king of Navarre sung, Revenge moy, pren le querelle, or, Stand up, O Lord, to revenge my quarrel, to the air of a dance of Poitou.” Warton, Hist. of Eng. Poetry, sect. 45.

1 Ath. Ox. i. 76.

* The first edition consisted of thirty-seven psalms, and was published in 1549. The version of all the psalms, by Sternhold and his friends, appeared not till the year 1562.

'Belonging to Cranmer's diocese. See vol. i. p. 174.

others, who proposed to print it, for the use of the isles of Jersey and Guernsey. The secretary Cecil was entreated to procure a royal licence to this purpose. He communicated the request to Cranmer, who returned the following answer.

"After my very hearty commendations, I thank you for your news, but specially for that you advertise me that the king's Majesty is in good health, wherein I beseech God long to continue his Highness, as He hath twice, as I trust, restored me to the same.

2

"It seemeth by your letters, that a peace should be concluded betwixt the emperor and duke Maurice, which, whether it be according to the articles that afore you sent unto me, or otherwise, I would gladly understand.

"The commodity that might arise by printing the Book of Common Prayer and Administration Strype, Append. No. 106.

1

2 "The memorable treaty of Passau, that overturned the vast fabric, in erecting which Charles had employed so many years, and had exerted the utmost efforts of his power and policy; that annulled all his regulations with regard to religion, defeated all his hopes of rendering the imperial authority absolute and hereditary in his family, and established the Protestant Church, which had hitherto subsisted precariously in Germany, through connivance, or by expedients, upon a firm and secure basis. Maurice reaped all the glory of having concerted and completed this unexpected revolution." Robertson, Charles V. This treaty of peace was signed, Aug. 2, 1552. The conditions varied little from former propositions made by Maurice.

of the Sacraments in the French tongue, if any be, I reckon it were meet that it should come to them who have already taken pains in translating the same; which was first done by 1 Sir Hugh Paulet's commandment, and overseen by my lord chancellor and others at his appointment; and now altered according to that which must be put in execution at the feast of All Saints next, at the appointment of my lord chancellor, by a learned Frenchman, a doctor in divinity; and therefore needless of any other to be travailed in. Aug. 26, 1552."

2

A Greek and Latin version of the Common Prayer, it may be added, appeared in 1553

In the preceding letter the archbishop speaks of recovery from two fits of illness. One of these is described in a letter to Cecil, dated the day only before the last, in which he recommends to the secretary's consideration four eminent divines as fit to adorn the Irish prelacy. He then entreats Cecil to inform Sir John Cheke, the friend of both, that "a quotidian, or double tertian ague (his physicians not determining which it was) had left him two days, but that, if it returned that night, it would probably become a quartan; yet, that, however it might be, his greatest grief was that he could not proceed, as he desired, in such matters as he had in hand, this terrenum domici

1 Governor of Calais.

2 The first day appointed for the use of the second liturgy. Sec before, p. 272. Strype, Append. No. 65.

3

99

lium being such an obstacle to all good purposes.' In this letter he also wisely stated how the Protestant preacher might benefit Ireland. One of those, whom he now recommended to fill the see of Armagh, hesitated to accept it, because his preaching, he had said, to persons who understood not the English language, would be useless. True," Cranmer observes to Cecil," but if they do not, then I say, that if he will take the pains to learn the Irish tongue-then both his person and doctrine shall be more acceptable not only unto his diocese, but also throughout all Ireland."

1

66.

In the preceding year too the archbishop had been disordered in his health, as John à Lasco 2 informed his friend Albert Hardenberg. At that time he was resident in his palace at Croydon, when an earthquake threw all the books from their shelves, and broke all the windows, in it, without further injury; while in the town some houses fell. Of another malady he had been in danger, the sweating sickness (as it was called) being in the autumn of the same year prevalent, and à Lasco and his wife, who were then his visitors at Croydon, being both attacked by it.

1

Among the Carew MSS. in Lambeth Library, (No. 602.) there are several curious letters addressed to Cranmer's friend Cromwell, respecting the civil affairs of Ireland, and one from the archbishop of Dublin concerning its ecclesiastical state.

2

Epist. Joh. à Lasco, Maji. 31, 1551. Gerdesii Miscell.

ii. 676-679.