Page:The seven great hymns of the mediaeval church - 1902.djvu/129

Rh . On the other hand, I was compelled to write in a Pariian aloon, amid the glare of meretricious gilding, almot under the hadow of the great triumphal arch—one of thoe gigantic memorials of human victories which for the caue of human civilization had much better be forgotten than commemorated; the canvas on the walls warming with young fauns, cupids, and other Pagan devices.

"In making the tranlation I kept in view three or four leading objects which I will briefly tate.

"1. An inflexible adherence to the rhythm.

"2. A faithful preervation of every thought contained in the original.

"3. A vigorous excluion of every thought not contained in it.

"4. A preervation as far as poible, of the tendernes of feeling and expreion, which is the characteritic of the hymn."

The econd of the new tranlations is by that accomplihed author, two of whoe remarkable renderings of the Dies Iræ already enrich this work. Of the verion now given a ditinguihed cholar ays, " The Englih double rhyme rarely exprees the melody and pathos of the Latin. Dr. Abraham Coles, of Newark, has probably bet succeeded in a faithful rendering of the Mater Doloa."—Dr. Philip Schaff.

A further expoition of the is given in the newly found companion-hymn, Stabat