LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY Of
DIEGO
Cambrtbge JJatr&ttc
GENERAL EDITOR A. J. MASON, D.D.
CANON OF CANTERBURY
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
C. F. CLAY, MANAGER
LONDON : FETTER LANE, E.G. 4
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EARLY LATIN
HYMNS
WITH INTRODUCTION
AND NOTES
BY THE LATE
A. S. WALPOLE, M.A.
CAMBRIDGE
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
1922
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
PREFACE BY THE GENERAL EDITOR
MR A. S. WALPOLE died February 20, 1920. A
few days before his death he sent me all his notes
for the present book, with the request that I would pre-
pare the book for publication and see it through the
press. In some ways this was not difficult for me to do.
For more than twenty years we had worked at the hymns
together. Again and again I had been allowed to go at
leisure through the successive drafts of his commentary,
criticizing and suggesting, so that I was fairly acquainted
with his final views on almost every point of interpreta-
tion. A few notes of my own have been added which
Mr Walpole had not seen. They are distinguished by
being enclosed in square brackets. But for the most part
the book represents what Mr Walpole himself had written
and approved, and my editorial task has been confined
to final arrangements and adjustments.
Nevertheless it is a matter for great regret that Mr
Walpole did not live to see the work through for himself.
He was a scholar who had read deep and wide in Latin
literature. He had taken immense pains over this work.
In order, for instance, to judge of the authorship of the
hymns attributed to St Ambrose, he had read through
the whole of that author's prose works, marking every
feature of his thought and every peculiarity of his diction
and style. So he did with other authors. He was always
learning something fresh to throw light upon the hymns.
He wrote the whole series out at least half a dozen times
in his clear, strong hand. So many volumes of his notes
remain that the chief embarrassment has been to co-
ordinate them.
vi PREFACE BY THE GENERAL EDITOR
In two things I have departed from Mr Walpole's
intention. The first is in regard to textual criticism.
I have explained in the section on the Text what resolu-
tion he had come to, and why it seemed to me unsatis-
factory. The second point concerns the contents. Mr
Walpole designed to give in an appendix, without note
or comment, a number of Latin hymns which did not
come into the definition which governed his choice of the
127 here presented. A good many of them were pieces
of Prudentius, like O sola magnarum urbium and Qui-
cumque Christum quaeritis, which were not, so far as we
know, used as hymns in ancient days. Others were well-
known hymns like Exultet caelum laudibus, and Alleluia
dulce carmen, about which it seemed to be necessary to
explain why they were not in the body of the book.
Mr Walpole had not made a final selection of those hymns.
There are also many hymns, particularly in the Irish and
Spanish books, which both for antiquity, and for intrinsic
value, would be equally entitled to a place in such an
appendix, if not in the main collection. It was difficult
to know where and why to stop. I determined therefore
to do without the appendix. Readers who wish for those
hymns can easily find them elsewhere ; and to give the
bare text of them apart from notes seemed to me of
doubtful utility.
A. J. M.
MICHAELMAS 1922.
CONTENTS
PAGES
INTRODUCTION ix xxi
LIST OF BOOKS REFERRED TO . . xxii xxiv
NOTE ON THE TEXT xxv xxviii
THE ANCIENT LATIN HYMNS:
I. HILARY i 15
II. AMBROSE 16 114
III. PRUDENTIUS . . . ... 115148
IV. SEDULIUS . . . . . 149158
V. ENNODIUS . . . . . . 159163
VI. VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS . . . 164200
VII. FLAVIUS 201 204
VIII. ANONYMOUS:
contained (roughly) in the Old Hymnal 205 260
contained (roughly) in the Later Hymnal 260 401
GRAMMATICAL NOTES 402409
INDEX OF FIRST LINES 411412
INDEX OF WORDS 413445
INTRODUCTION
Originally the following Corpus Hymnorum was not
intended to be a selection, but was to include all those
hymns and just those hymns that, to the best of my
judgment, were not only written but also sung in church
before about the year of our Lord 600 ; this judgment
being based on such ancient documents as have come
within my ken in the course of an investigation carried
on for more than twenty years. The hymns must have
been actually sung: otherwise they would have been
nothing more than sacred poems. And having been
written at that early period they could fairly be called
patristic, and so appear in a series of Patristic Texts.
This has proved to be a good working rule, but certain
considerations have made it impossible to keep strictly
to the letter of it in every case.
For in the first place not all hymns can by the utmost
stretch of charity be said to be good enough to claim
admission within a limited space. This may be a truism,
but its practical result is for our purpose important.
Thus, while it would have been undesirable to leave out
Ennodius altogether, it has been deemed sufficient to
give, by way of a specimen, only one of his laboured and
unpoetical hymns, the one given as 32 below, lam
Christus ascendit polum. In like manner only Squalent
arua soli puluere multo has been here printed (hymn 127)
without its fellow Obduxere polum nubila caelt, although
both are almost certainly by the same hymnist, and
ancient, being indeed attributed by Bede to the father of
church song himself, St Ambrose. There is even a third,
a war hymn, of Mozarabic origin like these two, Saeuus
x INTRODUCTION
bella serit barbarus horrens, which as being probably
written by the same poet has a like claim to admission.
In the next place it is by no means always easy to
date, even approximately, a hymn of which the writer is
no longer known to us by name. It would be quite
impossible to date it exactly. Authorities differ widely
with regard to these hymns. Let me illustrate this point
by a few examples. The advent hymn Christi caterua
damitat (which I would put in the IXth century) was
assigned by Mone to the Vth, by Daniel to the XlVth
century. It is not included in this collection. On the other
hand Grates tibi lesu nouas, number 12 of my collection,
which Daniel rightly gave to its author Ambrose, Mone
unaccountably ascribed to a humanist of the XVth cen-
tury. Christe ctmctorum dominator alme Daniel places in
the Xllth century, though it is contained in more than
one MS of the Xth ; as are also Aures ad nostras deitatis
preces] O sator rentm, reparator aeui; Signum cruets
mirabile ; Verbi patris principinm ; all which Daniel
assigns to the XI Vth century. In a field where such
experienced hymnologists have gone wrong, it is not
likely that I should always have gone right.
Then again, we may be able to say more or less
definitely when a sacred poem, by a writer whose name
we know, was written, but not when it was sung in
church for the first time and so became a hymn. Thus
whereas we can without hesitation give within a year or
two the time at which Ambrose wrote his hymns and
when these were set to music and sung, or the date at
which the Vexilla regis prodeunt of Fortunatus, and his
other passion hymns, were composed and first chanted,
we are unfortunately not able to date the incorporation
of such poems of Prudentius, Sedulius and others, as were
taken into the service books of the early Latin Church.
INTRODUCTION xi
All that in our present state of liturgical knowledge we
are entitled to say is that this or that hymn was or was
not included in ' the later hymnal ' a term to be explained
presently. But this is not very precise, because we do
not know just when this later hymnal took the place of
the earlier Benedictine series. The outcome of this is
that, whereas a line to mark off the earlier from the later
hymns must be drawn at some point, it is bound to be a
wavy line. When we leave the comparatively safe ground
of documentary evidence, and when subjective considera-
tions come into play, difficulties are quite certain to
arise. For all that however the risk has to be taken.
[Here Mr Walpole had a paragraph with regard to his
proposed Appendix.]
It will be seen that the hymns as arranged in this
book fall into two wide classes. The first forty are those
of which we are able with some confidence to name the
authors, the rest are anonymous or as Daniel calls them
dSeffTToroi. Some few of these we have ventured doubt-
fully to assign to some particular man, for instance
41 Mediae noctis to Niceta, 63 Nocte surgentes and 70
Ecce iam noctis to Alcuin. But of the great majority no
author can be named with any approach to probability.
But a distinction of more far-reaching import is to be
drawn between the OLD HYMNAL, viz. that of Bene-
dict and Caesarius and Aurelian of Aries, being in general
use during the V I th century, and the LATER HYMNAL
which superseded it and which has ever since, it may be
said, held the field. Of these we must speak briefly.
Benedict in the Rule which he wrote for his com-
munity of monks at Monte Cassino in A.D. 529 prescribed
the singing of certain hymns at some of the services.
The pity of it is that he does not give the first lines
of these, merely saying inde sequatur ambrosianum (or
xii INTRODUCTION
hymnus) eiusdem horae, or hymni earundem horarum ; so
that it is difficult to say for certain which these hymns
are. Until recently, liturgiologists agreed to think that
they were to be found in that body of hymns that are
contained in practically all MSS later than the tenth
century and which still survive, most of them doubtless
in an altered form, in the Roman breviary. However
Clemens Blume, S.J., in 1908 published a valuable and
interesting essay 1 in which he gave good reasons for
thinking that this opinion is wrong. His theory is the
only one that fits and explains all the circumstances,
and it is now generally accepted by scholars. Caesarius,
who was bishop of Aries A.D. 503 543, compiled two
Rules, one for monks about the year 503, another for
nuns in 534. In the former of these he denotes no hymns
by name, probably, like Benedict, presupposing a know-
ledge as to which the regular hymns were. But in his
Regula ad uirgines he usually, although not invariably,
gives the first line. Thus, for instance, he writes : Ad
sextam : psalmi sex cum antiphona, hymnus Ter hora
trina uoluitur, lectio et capitellum. And about A.D. 550
Aurelian, the successor of Caesarius in the see of Aries,
compiled similar Rules, one for monks, the other for
nuns. In these he also usually, but not invariably,
gives the first line of the several hymns. We must
remember that both these men were contemporaries of
Benedict, who died at Monte Cassino in 543.
[The hymns specified by Caesarius are twelve in
number. They are the following ; the numerals attached
indicate the place of the hymn in the present collection.
lam surgit hora tertia (4).
lam sexta sensim uoluitur (55).
1 Der Cursus s. Benedicti Nursini und die liturgischen Hymnen des
6 9 Jahrhunderts (Hymnologische Beitrage, 3er Bd.) Leipzig 1908.
INTR OD UCTION xiii
Ter hora trina uoluitur (56)-
Hie est dies uerus Dei (10).
Christe precamur adnue (60).
Christe qui lux es et dies (61).
Rex aeterne Domine (42).
Mediae noctis tempus est (41).
Aeterne rerum conditor (2).
Fulgentis auctor aetheris (47).
Deus qui certis legibus (57).
Deus creator omnium (5).
Besides these twelve Caesarius mentions the prose hymns
Magna et mirabilia, Te Deum laudamus, and Gloria in
excelsis Deo.
Aurelian adds two more :
Splendor paternae gloriae (3).
Aeterne lucis conditor (46).]
We now come to the witness of MSS. And here we
must distinguish between MSS of Irish or English origin
and all others. There are, so far as is at present known,
only five MSS extant containing a body of hymns written
in or before the IXth century not in an Irish or English
hand. The oldest of these is cod. Vaticanus Reg. II
written at the end of the VHIth century. The other
four, written in the IXth century, are Junius 25 in the
Bodleian at Oxford, Rheinau 34 in the Kantonal Library
at Zurich, Paris Bibliotheque Nationale 528 and I4O88 1 .
A comparison of the Rules of Caesarius and Aurelian
and of these five MSS gives us a body of thirty-six
hymns [in all, including the three prose hymns. The
hymns not specified in the Rules of Caesarius and
1 A MS in the British Museum Vesp. A i written about A.D. 700 contains
three of the hymns in another but contemporaneous hand ; viz. 3 Splendor
paternae gloriae-, 5 Deus creator omnium, and 42 Rex aeterne Domine. And
this last is contained in an Vlllth century MS at St Gall. But neither of
these MSS is a hymnal.
w. b
xiv INTRODUCTION
Aurelian, but supplied by one or other of these MSS, are
the following :
Tempus noctis surgentibus (43).
Deus qui caeli lumen es (44).
Deus aeterni luminis (48).
Christe caeli Domine (49).
Diei luce reddita (50).
Post matutinis laudibus (51).
Certum tenentes ordinem (52).
Dicamus laudes Domino (53).
Perfectum trinum numerum (54).
Deus qui claro lumine (59).
Sator princepsque temporum (58).
Intende qui regis Israel (6).
Inluminans altissimus (8).
Dei fide qua uiuimus (99).
Meridie orandum est (100).
Sic ter quaternis trahitur (103).
Ad cenam Agni prouidi (109).
Aurora lucis rutilat (m).
Aeterna Christi munera (15).]
Of these thirty-six hymns eight are the work of St
Ambrose (2 6, 8, 10, 15). In this body of thirty-six
hymns we have the old Benedictine hymnal.
[The Archbishop of Canterbury has called my attention
to the account of "Augustine's Psalter" given by Thomas
Elmham 1 . The book was sent to Augustine by Gregory
himself in 601 . At the end of the book were hymns, both
for day and night. They do not altogether agree with the
lists of Aries. " The first hymn, for midnight, is Mediae
noctis tempus est; the second, at cock-crow, Aeterne rerum
conditor; at mattins, Splendor paternae gloriae\ at prime,
Venite fratres ocius ; at terce, lam surgit hora tertia ; at
sext, Bis ternas horas explicans ; at none, Ter hora trina
uoluitur\ at evensong, Dens creator omnium ; at compline,
1 Historia Monasterii S. Augustini Cantuariensis (Rolls Series) 1858,
p. 97.
INTRODUCTION xv
Te deprecamur Doming; in Lent, Christe qui lux es." Be-
sides these there was a Sunday hymn, Rexaeterne Doming]
a Christmas hymn, Intende qui regis Israel ; an Easter
hymn, Hie est dies uerus Dei\ a hymn for SS. Peter and
Paul, Apostoloncm passio ; and one for St John, Amore
Christi nobilis. There are fifteen hymns in all. Among
them are two, Venite fratres and Te deprecamur, which
are not otherwise known.]
But now we notice a most extraordinary phenomenon.
For excepting some of those by Ambrose, and a few
others which have survived in their integrity, or in part,
these Benedictine hymns as it were suddenly and entirely
vanished from sight, and were at once swept wholly
away. It is true that the Mozarabic and Ambrosian
liturgies retained some few of them. But speaking
generally in all MSS of the Xth century and onwards an
entirely different set of hymns took their place ; and this
other set of hymns is found in the MSS of Irish and
English origin dating from the century before. The new-
comers, we may say with a rough approach to accuracy,
are those which in the present book are printed as 62 and
onwards, but several of the preceding numbers, such as
20, 21, are included among them.
In order not to beg the question, by presuming that the
thirty-six hymns above mentioned are more ancient than
those which superseded them, or that they really are the
Benedictine series, let us for the time being denote these
as the A class, their rivals as the B hymnal. Blume has
brought forward the most convincing reasons for thinking
that the A hymns are the more ancient.
The MSS which contain them are in almost every case
older, usually much older. No fewer than eight of the
hymns were the work of St Ambrose : no fewer than
seventeen are mentioned by either Caesarius or Aurelian
xvi INTRODUCTION
or by both bishops. The incompleteness of the series for
the hours other than Lauds, which is the one office pro-
vided with a separate hymn for each day of the week,
points rather plainly to a time when hymn-singing was
still comparatively undeveloped. In B each day of the
week has its own proper hymn for Nocturns and Vespers.
With still greater force does this consideration apply to
the hymns de commimi sanctorum. This section in A is
represented by the one hymn of Ambrose Aeterna
Christi munera, this being in honour of actual martyrs
and given in only one of the five early MSS, as opposed
to the full array of the many in commemoration of
martyrs and confessors, which are included in the B
series, as given by the IXth century hymnary at Karls-
ruhe (Augien. CXCV) 1 and by virtually all later MSS.
Now A. Manser has pointed out (in Buchberger's Kirchl.
Handlexicon I. col. 735 f. under ' Brevier') that towards
the end of the VHIth century, especially in the Basilica
of St Peter at Rome, a rich sanctorale developed, and, as
many saints of the same class were commemorated,
formed a commune sanctorum*. Finally, the Vesper hymns
of A are part of a night office, belonging to a time when
Vespers often bore the name of prima uigilia*. They are
all prayers for the night, all dwell upon noctis caligo, 5. 1 8,
fessa curis corpora, 57. 3, somnus, ib. 4, 18, nox twrrida,
ib. 5 ; all are variations of the prayer expressed in
Ambrose's Vesper hymn, 5. 17 f- :
ut cum profunda clauserit
diem caligo noctium,
fides tenebras nesciat
et nox fide reluceat.
1 The earliest extant MS containing the B hymnal.
2 See Blume Cursus p. 77.
3 Blume refers to Baumer Geschichte des Brevier p. 175.
INTRODUCTION xvii
The corresponding hymns of B, describing the several
days of the Creation, make no mention of night or of
nightly rest They were written at a time when Vespers
was a day office, that is to say after the time of Benedict,
who gave it this new character 1 .
Blume still further urges that in A all the hymns ad
matutinas laudes, with the exception of the Te Deum
and of Ambrose's Splendor paternae gloriae (the model
on which the others were formed), were the work of one
man, as to him seems evident from their interdependence
in point of thought and phrase. Here I cannot quite
follow him. The hymns in question are 44 50, with the
exception of 45 Lucis largitor splendide, which is brought
into the series on fairly strong but subjective grounds, as
will be seen in the special introduction on p. 224. That
most of these hymns are like each other and like their
model is not to be denied. But I can see little or no simi-
larity to the rest in 44^48 or 49, with its peculiar rhythm.
In this case Blume's argument, that the mention of one of
them (47 Fulgentis auctor aetheris} by Caesarius proves
that all of them were written by his time falls to the
ground. Not that this invalidates his main thesis, for
these very three hymns are amongst the most ancient of
the series, especially 49 Christe caeli domine with its con-
stant 'reminders of the Te Deum. In like manner I do not
think that Blume is right 2 in regarding 44 b as an integral
part of 44, so that here also his deductions are not justi-
fied ; see further, p. 221.
In spite of the failure of Blume's last argument, we
may now look upon it as a certain and proved fact that
the 36 A hymns are the old stock, and may, speaking
1 [Blume does not give proof of this last assertion, but the Regula shews
that Vespera was a day office ; see Caput XLI.]
2 Blume Cursus pp. 92 f.
xviii INTRODUCTION
generally, be called the Benedictine hymns, so that the
inscription of the IXth century MS Rheinau 34 is to be
taken literally (at least so far as Benedict is concerned),
and not, as it has been taken, rhetorically : incipiunt
hymni sancti Ambrosii, quos sanctus Benedictits in diuersas
horas canendos ordinauit.
We must not however think that each and all of the
component parts of the A hymnal were of just the same
antiquity. Thus the three Lenten hymns for Terce, None
and Vespers respectively : 99 Dei fide qua uiuimus, 100
Meridie orandum est, 103 Sic ter quaternis trahitur, are
vouched for only by three IXth century MSS, as are also
the Easter hymns 109 Ad cenam Agniprouidi, in Aurora
htcis rutilat. These do not belong exclusively to the
A hymnal, being found also in several later MSS, and
probably originated in the Vlllth century or not long
before.
The A hymnal, then ; disappeared from sight, banished
by its victorious rival B. But by a kind of survival of the
fittest a very few individual hymns lived on, either in
this newer hymnal or in those of various lands and
districts. Especially was this the case with the hymns of
Ambrose. Thus, for instance, 2, 3, 5, 6, 15 continued to
be copied in many breviaries and other MSS besides those
of the Ambrosian rite. Also 61 Christe qui lux es et dies
lived on for many centuries before it was at last driven
out and its place taken by 83 Te lucis ante terminum. It
is to be found in English, French, German, Italian and
Spanish MSS of every century so long as MSS were written,
to say nothing of the many printed breviaries, its appear-
ance in which is noted by U. Chevalier Repertorium
Hymn. no. 2934, one of these being as late as 1766.
Similarly the hymn for the Ninth hour, 54 Perfectum
trinum numerum, though in the Xth century it was
INTRODUCTION xix
restricted to this hour in Lent, with its first line changed
into what seemed to be a more grammatical shape,
Perfecto trino numero, lived on in this shape for several
centuries. Chevalier, under heading 14835, notes 'its
presence in several XVIth century breviaries and even
in one of 1775. Another, 42 Rex aeterne domine has had
the longest life of all ; for it was mentioned by Caesarius,
and in the altered form Rex sempiterne caelitum is in the
modern Roman breviary the Sunday hymn in Eastertide.
[It is not known how the Later Hymnal (B) came to
be substituted for the Earlier (A). But Blume throws out
the suggestion that, as the earliest authorities for this col-
lection come from England and Ireland, and as Gregory
the Great was specially interested in the British Isles
and their liturgical arrangements, Gregory may have
drawn up the Later Hymnal, and in particular may
himself have composed the cycle of Vesper hymns con-
tained in it. This suggestion appears in note I to p. 78
of the work already referred to (Cursus s. Benedicti}.
Blume further elaborated it in a paper Gregor der Grosse
als Hymnendichter in the Stim'men aus Maria-Laach for
1908 pp. 269 ff. He returns to it in Analecta Hymnica
vol. LI p. xiv. The IXth century, the age of Charlemagne
and Alcuin, was a time of many liturgical changes. If at
that period hymns were introduced at Rome into the
breviary of the secular clergy till that time they had
only formed part of the monastic offices and if tradition
recorded that Gregory the Great had prescribed these
particular hymns for the Irish Church, the universal
spread of these hymns from that time onwards would be
easily accounted for.]
We have now spoken of two sets of hymns : viz. A the
old Benedictine series, and B consisting of those which
afterwards took their place. There is further a third set,
xx INTRODUCTION
the Irish Liber Hymnorum, as they are called by Arch-
bishop Bernard and Dr Atkinson, who with scholarly
thoroughness edited them for the Henry Bradshaw
Society (1868). Blume has also printed them (1908),
with many valuable remarks, under the title of Hymnodia
Hiberno-Celtica in the Analecta Hymnica vol. LI pp.
264 f. [These are not to be confused with the hymns of
collection B already spoken of as contained in Irish and
English MSS.]
This Irish collection contains hymns i, 41 and 61 of
the present volume, and from it are taken 107 and 108.
But, being in general written by native Irish poets for
Irish singers, it touches at few points the main stream of
Latin Church song, and so need not here detain us.
[Much uncertainty still surrounds the early history of
the Mozarabic liturgy of Spain, and therefore of the
hymnary connected with it. None of the existing MSS of
the Mozarabic hymnary seems to be earlier than the end
of the IXth century, and only one as early as that
(Toledo 33 3 ; see Hymnodia Gotica ed. Blume, forming
vol. XXVII of the Analecta Hymnica). The MS is injured,
and only nine hymns are partly decipherable in it.
Blume mentions four (or five) other MSS belonging to the
Xth century. The contents of these hymnaries vary
strangely from each other. The MS which may be taken
as a kind of standard is the Madrid MS 1005, as numbered
by Blume. By J. Mearns (Early Latin Hymnaries p. xx)
it is numbered ' Nacional 10001.' This is printed in
Lorenzana's edition of the Mozarabic Breviary, reprinted
in Migne's Pair. Lat. vol. LXXXVI. It contains 176 hymns,
including Te Deum laudamus.
Of these 176 hymns it may be noted that eight are
common to it with what we have called the Old Hymnal A.
Of these eight five are by St Ambrose ; the remaining
INTRODUCTION xxi
three are Cerium tenentes ordinem, Christe qui lux es et
dies, and Mediae noctis tempus est. The MS contains five
other hymns of St Ambrose. No fewer than thirty-three
centos from Prudentius occur in it, and six from the
hymn of Sedulius A solis ortus cardine. A Mozarabic
book of the Xlth century contains one more hymn of A,
Christe precamur annue ; and the printed breviary of
Ortiz (Toledo 1 502) contains six more, but whether they
formed part of the old Spanish hymnal, or were intro-
duced into the book by Ortiz, cannot now be ascertained.
The chief feature of the Mozarabic hymnal is the
multitude of hymns for the festivals of particular saints,
largely imitated from Prudentius, but mostly without
literary merit. The only hymn in the present collection
directly taken from the Mozarabic hymnal is 127 Squalent
aruaJ]
EDITIONS AND STUDIES OF PARTICULAR AUTHORS
S. Hilarii Tractatus de Mysteriis et Hymni...quae...deprompsit
I. F. Gamurrini. Romae, 1887.
" The First Latin Christian Poet." A. J. Mason (Journal of Theol.
Studies vol. v), 1904.
Inni sinceri...di Sant' Ambrogio. L. Biraghi. Milano, 1862.
Aur. Ambrosius, der Vater des Kirchengesanges. G. M. Dreves.
Freiburg i. B. 1893.
Studia Ambrosiana scripsit M. Ihm. Lipsiae, 1889.
Untersuchungen iiber die Echtheit der Hymnen des Ambrosius.
A. Steier. (Reprint from Jahrbiicher fiir Klassische Philo-
logie^) Leipzig, 1903.
Aurelii Prudentii dementis Carmina recensuit T. Obbarius.
Tubingae, 1845.
Aurelii Prudentii dementis. ..Carmina. A. Dressel. Lipsiae, 1860.
Prudentius in seiner Bedeutung fiir die Kirche seiner Zeit. C.
Brockhaus. Leipzig, 1872.
Sedulii Opera Omnia recensuit loh. Huemer (Corpus scr. eccl.
Lat.). Vindobonae, 1885.
De Sedulii poetae Vita et Scriptis commentatio. loh. Huemer.
Vindobonae, 1878.
Coelii Sedulii Opera. J. Looshorn. Miinchen, 1879.
M. F. Ennodii Opera. W. Hartel (Corpus scr. eccl. Lat.). Vindo-
bonae, 1882.
Fr. Vogel (Monum. Germ, torn. vn). Berlin, 1885.
Venantii Honorii Clementiani Forlunati opera poetica. F. Leo.
Berlin, 1881 (Monum. Germ. torn. iv).
Hymnologische Studien zu Venantius Fortunatus und Rabanus
Maurus. G. M. Dreves. Miinchen, 1908.
LIST OF BOOKS REFERRED TO xxiii
Commodiani Carmina recensuit B. Dombart (Corpus scr. eccl.
Lat.). Vindobonae, 1887.
Commodiani Carmina recognovit E. Ludwig. Lipsiae, 1878.
C. V. Aq. luvencus. I. Huemer (Corpus scr. eccl. Lat.). Vindo-
bonae, 1891.
Damasi Epigrammata recensuit M. Ihm. Lipsiae, 1889.
M. Minucii Felicis Octavius. I. P. Waltzing. Leipzig, 1912.
PHILOLOGICAL
M. Bonnet. Le Latin de Gre*goire de Tours. Paris, 1890.
F. Kaulen. Handbuch zur Vulgata. Mainz, 1870.
H. Goelzer. Etude. ..de la Latinite' de Saint Je'rome. Paris, 1884.
E. Lofstedt. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der spateren Latinitat. Uppsala,
1907.
- Spatlateinische Studien. Uppsala, 1908.
- Philologischer Kommentar zur Peregrinatio Aetheriae. Upp-
sala, 191 1.
C. Paucker. Ubersicht des der sogenannten silbernen Latinitats
eigenthiimlichen Worterschatzes. Berlin, 1884 [and other
works of his].
A. -Regnier. De la Latinite' des Sermons de Saint Augustin.
Paris, 1886.
H. Ronsch. Itala und Vulgata (ed. 2). Leipzig, 1875.
A. Draeger. Historische Syntaxis der Lateinischen Sprache
(2 vols.). Leipzig, i874f.
Schmalz. Lateinische Grammatik : Syntax und Stylistik (ed. 4).
Munchen, 1910.
Thesaurus Linguae Latinae editus auctoritate et consilio Academi-
arum quinque Germanicarum. 1904- .
Glossarium mediae et infimae Latinitatis conditum a Carolo
Dufresne Domino Du Cange. Parisiis, 1840.
Manuale Latinitatis Fontium luris Civilis Romanorum. H. E.
Dirksen. Berolini, 1837.
LITERARY AND HYMNOLOGICAL
Analecta Hymnica Medii Aevi. G. M. Dreves, C. Blume, H. M.
Bannister. Leipzig, 1886- .
O. Bardenhewer. Patrologie (ed. 2). Freiburg i. B. 1901.
C. Blume. Der Cursus s. Benedicti Nursini und die liturgischen
Hymnen des 6 9 Jahrhunderts. Leip'zig, 1908.
xxiv LIST OF BOOKS REFERRED TO
G. Cassander. Hymni Ecclesiastici. Coloniae, 1556; Parisiis,
1616.
U. Chevalier. Repertorium Hymnologicum (3 vols.). Louvain,
1892-1904.
J. Clichtoveus. Elucidatorium Ecclesiasticum. Parisiis, 1515 f.
H. A. Daniel. Thesaurus Hymnologicus (5 vols.). Lipsiae, 1855-6.
J. Julian. Dictionary of Hymnology. London, 1892.
J. Kayser. Beitrage zur Geschichte und Erklarung der altesten
Kirchenhymnen (ed. 2). Paderborn, 1881-6.
F. X. Kraus. Realencyclopadie der christlichen Altertiimer. Frei-
burg i. B. 1882-6.
P. A. Lipp. Die Hymnen des Cistercienser-Breviers iibersetzt und
erklart. Wien, 1890.
M. Manitius. Geschichte der christlich-lateinischen Poesie bis zur
Mitte des 8ten Jahrhunderts. Stuttgart, 1891.
J. Mearns. Early Latin Hymnaries. Cambridge, 1913.
F. J. Mone. Hymni Latini medii aevi (3 vols.). Friburgi Brisg.
1853-
J. M. Neale. Hymni Ecclesiae e Breviariis. Oxford and London,
1851.
S. G. Pimont. Les Hymnes du BreViaire remain. Paris, 1874 f.
A. Schulte. Die Hymnen des Breviers. Paderborn, 1898.
R. C. Trench. Sacred Latin Poetry (ed. 3). London, 1886.
J. Werner. Die altesten Hymnensammlungen von Rheinau. 1891.
[NOTE ON THE TEXT
IT has been hard to know how best to deal with Mr Walpole's
material for the textual criticism of his hymns. The difficulty
lies partly in the very abundance of the material. This is in fact
so great, that Walpole at length despaired of giving in full the
evidence for and against the readings which he adopted. He
thought that it was impossible to give a complete apparatus,
because, large as the number of MSS which he had inspected
was, there were many which he had not inspected. Accordingly
he determined, though with regret, to give only indications of
a general character. Thus <o was to mean that a reading was
supported by practically all the MSS used by him, a by the
majority, ft by a good many, y by a few, p by later MSS.
This seemed to me unsatisfactory. In itself it appeared too
vague to be of much use. Walpole had not himself gone through
much of the book on this system. And it gave no idea of the
pains which Walpole had spent upon the matter. Besides work
in English collections, he had travelled repeatedly to France,
Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium to collate
MSS. He had received help for the purpose from the Hort
Fund. He was an unusually skilled and accurate collator.
I decided to attempt to give Walpole's notes of readings as
fully as I could, while begging the reader to remember, first,
that Walpole himself had not revised the apparatus, whereas
I myself have been unable, except in a few instances, to verify
his observations ; and secondly, that, as he said, the apparatus
makes no attempt to be complete, in this sense, viz. that there
are other MSS to consult, which he had no opportunity of con-
sulting. The student will not be able to dispense entirely with
the critical notes of Blume and others.
xx vi NOTE ON THE TEXT
An even greater difficulty in representing Walpole's textual
work lies in the fact that he has nowhere left an exhaustive list
of the MSS which he has used, and that he has used different
methods of notation in different notebooks. It is sometimes
hard, even for an expert, and I cannot profess to be an
expert in this department, to make out what MS Walpole is
denoting by the symbol which he uses in a given book. This
difficulty would have made me abandon the task of coordinating
his notes and attempting to reduce them to a system, if it had
not been for the kindness of the late Rev. J. Mearns. At my
request he devoted several days to the task of identifying some
of the MSS, of which Walpole had recorded the readings with-
out giving any direct guidance to their identity. I wish to
express my indebtedness to that eminent hymnologist for aid
which no one else could have given.
Walpole generally followed a system of notation which is in
part Mr Mearns's own. In as close accordance with it as cir-
cumstances admit, I offer the following table of MSS. It does
not attempt to state, as Mr Mearns's Early Latin Hymnaries
does, where the various MSS were written, but for the most part
only where they are now to be found. The arrangement how-
ever is not completely logical. Two classes, ' Ambrosian ' and
' Mozarabic,' represent a different principle ; and some MSS
which properly belong to these two classes will be found under
other heads than A or M. Here, for convenience, I have taken
over what Walpole set down.
A = Ambrosian (Milan), a Ambrogiana, T 103 sup. (IX, X 1 ).
b = Chapter Library 155 (X, XI). c = Ambr. s.n. iv. 43 (X).
d = Ambr. A 189 inf. (1188). e = Ambr. A i inf. (XII).
f=Ambr. J 27 sup. (1183). g = Ambr. J 55 sup. (XII).
h = Ambr. E 71 b inf. (XIII). i = Ambr. C 23 inf. k =
Ambr. H 159 inf.
B = Belgian. b = Brussels 8860-7 ( IX > x )- c = Brussels 9845-7
(IX).
1 The numbers given thus in brackets give the date or century to which
the MS belongs.
NOTE ON THE TEXT xxvii
E = English. K = British Museum, Vesp. A i (VIII). a = Brit.
Mus. Arundel 155 (XI). c=C C. C. Cambridge 391 (XI).
d= Durham Chapter B. in. 32. S=Durham Rituals. g =
Jesus Coll. Cambridge 23. h = Brit. Mus. Harl. 2961
(XI). j = Brit. Mus. Julius AVI (X). k=C C.C.Cambridge
190. l = Brit. Mus. Add. 37517 (X). n = Brit. Mus. Add.
19768. o = Oxford Bodl. Jun. 25 (IX). r=Brit. Mus. Reg.
A xx. s = Brit. Mus. Add. 30848. t = Brit. Mus. Add.
24193. v = Brit. Mus. Vesp. Dxn(XI). w = C. C.C.Cam-
bridge 473. x = Oxf. Bodl. Misc. Lit. 297 (XII). 17 = Brit.
Mus. Harl. 2928 (XII). ^ = Oxf. Bodl. 16923 (XI). < =
Brit. Mus. Add. 18301 (XII). i/r = Brit. Mus. Add. 34209.
F = French, a = Bibliotheque Nationale, Lat. 14088 (IX).
b = Bibl. Nat. Lat. 13-388 (IX). c = Bibl. Nat. Lat. 1153
(IX). d = Bibl. Nat. Lat. 103 (about A. D. 1000). e = Bibl.
Nat. Lat. 1154 (XI). f-Bibl. Nat. Lat. 14986 (XI).
g = Bibl. Nat. Lat. 743. h = Bibl. Nat. Lat. 11550 (XI).
i = Ste Genevieve 1 186 (XI). j ~ a Jumieges MS at Rouen,
presumably 231 (A 44). k = Mazarin 512 (X). c = Maza-
rin 759 (XI). l = Mazarin 364 (about A.D. 1099). m =
Bibl. Nat. Lat. 1240 (X). n = Douai 170 (X XII). o =
Amiens 124 (XIII). p = Amiens 131 (XI). q = Paris, St
Genevieve BBL 8 (1098). r = Rouen 57. s = Bibl. Nat
Lat. 1092 (XI). t = Evreux 87. u = Evreux 70 (XII).
v = Evreux 43 (IX). w = Orleans 159 (X, XI). x=Orleans
345 (XI). y = Chartres 579 (XI, XII). z = Chartres44
(X, XI). 1 = Boulogne 20 (about 1000). y = Chartres
121. = Amiens 115 (XII). A = Paris, BibL Nat. Lat.
1464. p = Paris, Arsenal 227 (VIII). x = -^ m i ens II2
(XIII). ^= Paris, Bibl. Nat. Lat. 528.
G = German, a = Trier 1245 (X). b = Trier 592 (X). c =
Munich 16119 (XI). d = Darmstadt 2106. e= Munich
14083 (XI). f= Munich 14845 (XII). g = Berlin, Theol.
iv. ii (XI). k = Karlsruhe 91. 1 = Karlsruhe 60. m =
Vienna, Rossiana vin. 144 from Moissac (X). s = Salz-
burg ix. ii (XII). v- Vienna, Palat. 1825 (XII). x =
Stuttgart 20. 75. z = Stuttgart 98. ^3 = Berlin vin. i (XI).
p. = Munich 17027 (X).
H = Helvetian, a = Zurich (Rheinau) in (X). b = Zurich
(Rheinau) 91 (about A.D. 1000). c = Zurich (Rheinau) 83
xxviii NOTE ON THE TEXT
(about A.D. 1000). d = Zurich (Rheinau) 82 (XI). e =
Zurich (Rheinau) 97 (XI). f= Zurich (Rheinau) 129
(about A.D. noo). g = St Gall 413 (XI). h = St Gall 414.
i = St Gall 387 (XI). k = St Gall 2. m = St Gall 196.
r = Zurich (Rheinau) presumably 34. /3-Bern 455 (X).
y = StGall577. 8 = StGall454. rj = St Gall 455. = St
Gall 20 (IX, X). X = St Gall 95. M = St Gall 27. < = St
Gall 65 1.
I = Italian. fc$ = the Bangor Antiphonary : Milan, Ambrogiana,
C. 5 inf. (about A.D. 690). a = Verona, Chapter, 90.
b = Naples, Nazionale, vi. G. 41 (XI). c = Monte Cassino
506 (XI). d = M. Cassino 420 (XI). e=M. Cassino 559
(about noo). f= Naples, Naz. vi. F. 2 (about noo).
g = Rome, Casanatense 1907 (B. n. i) (about 1000). h =
Verona, Chapter, cix (102) (XI). i = Verona, Chapter,
32 (IX). m = Florence, Lorenz., Conv. Soppr. 524 (XI).
n = Naples, Naz. vi. E. 43 (XI). o = Turin, Nazionale,
G. v. 38 (XI). p = Turin, Naz. G. vn. 18 (X). t = Turin,
Naz. F. n. 10 (XI). v = Rome, Vallicell. B. 79 (XI).
M = Mozarabic. a = Madrid 1005 Hh 60. b = Madrid, Acad.
Reg. 30. c= Toledo 35 3. d= Toledo 35 2. e= Toledo
35 6. f = Compostella, Univ. Reg. i. g = London, Brit.
Mus. Add. 30844. h = London, Brit. Mus. Add. 30845.
i = London, Brit. Mus. Add. 30846. k = London, Brit.
Mus. Add. 30851. m = London, Brit. Mus. Add. 30849.
x = Printed Breviary of Ortiz.
V = Vatican, a = 83, Ambrosian rite (XI). b = Reg. 338 (XI).
c=Urbin. 585 (XII). d= 7018 (XI). e=43 (X). h=6 37 .
1 seems to be the same as d. o = Ottobon. 145 (XI).
p = 82, Ambrosian rite (X). r = Reg. n (about A.D. 705).
3=7172 (XI). a- = duplicate contained in s. 1 = 3859.
No variants are recorded except such as affect the sense,
nor any which are obviously mistakes, except where they help
to guide towards the true reading, or some places where they
shew the character of the particular MS.]
I. HILARY OF POITIERS
HYMN i
[This hymn is taken from the hymnal of the ancient
Irish Church. The text will be found in the Irish
Liber Hymnorum edited for the Henry Bradshaw Society
by J. H. Bernard and R. Atkinson vol. I pp. 36 foil.,
and their Notes upon it in vol. II pp. 125 foil. See also
their remarks in vol. II pp. ix-xiii, and their translation
of the Irish Preface in vol. II p. 18. The text will be
found likewise in Analecta Hymnica vol. LI pp. 264 foil,
with notes by C. Blume. Blume refers to a paper by
W. Meyer in the Gottinger Nachrichten for 1 903 pp. 1 88 foil,
which deals with this hymn.
The hymn is expressly ascribed to St Hilary (died 358)
by four of the early MSS containing it. One of these is
the famous Antiphonary of Bangor, now in the Ambrosian
Library at Milan, written in the VHth century. Hincmar
of Reims in the IXth century twice quotes from it as
the work of Hilary. Bernard and Atkinson rightly affirm
that it is 'the one admittedly foreign element' in the
Irish Hymnal, and add that it 'bears the unmistakeable
stamp of a totally different system of metrical structure
and consequently of treatment of the language ' from
the Latin hymns composed in Ireland. ' This/ they add,
' is a classic poem ; the others are vulgar Latin.'
If this estimate of the Latinity requires some modifi-
cation, the departures from classic regularity are no
argument against Hilary's authorship. That Hilary com-
posed a book of hymns is stated by Jerome (de Vir.
Inlustr. c; cp. Praef. in Galat. II). Isidore of Seville,
in the Vllth century, says that he was the first composer
2 EARLY LA TIN H ) 'MNS
of hymns in Latin (de Off. Eccl. I. 6). Three long hymns
of his besides this, though none of them in complete
condition, are now known. Both in respect of metre and
in respect of difficulties of expression they bear out the
attribution of the following hymn to Hilary. (See article
in Journal of Theol. Studies vol. V pp. 413 foil.) The
metre of Hymnum dicat is the same as that of the third
of the newly recovered hymns, and it is treated with
similar freedom. Particular phrases in Hymnum dicat
recall passages in the three hymns, as well as in the
prose writings of Hilary. M.]
The text of the hymn is in places corrupt. All the
MSS that contain it are ultimately derived from an
archetype not free from demonstrable errors. See the
notes on lines 25 and 58. The last few lines in especial
are confused and troubled, as may be seen from the
critical notes, and more fully in the Irish Liber Hymnorum
and in the Analecta, which standard works give a more
complete apparatus criticus. Bernard and Atkinson think
it probable that the hymn originally ended with line 66;
but I believe that the next four lines are genuine. The
repetition to which they object in galli cantus, galli
plaustts is parallel to factor caeli, terrae factor in 9 ;
cp. lines 20, 59, Hil. Hymn. III. 7 gaudet arts, gaudet
templis (cp. Draeger II. 211). The rhyme nos cantantes
et precantes [and it might be added pane quino, pisce
bino\ is no more out of keeping with the unrhymed
character of the hymn than the many instances of a like
assonance (collected by Trench p. 28 f.) are with their
surroundings, beginning with Ennius' maerentes, flentes,
lacrumantes, commiserantes 1 . The extreme awkwardness
1 Cp. further instances of rhyme from Cato, Livius Andronicus and
Naevius quoted by Huemer Untersuchungen iiber die altesten lateinisch-
christlichen Rhythmen p. 44.
HYMN L HILARY 3
of the passage is removed by the transposition of line 67.
Maiestatemque inmensam may be impossible, but in-
mensamque maiestatem is an easy and likely correction.
It maybe granted that turba fratrum concinnemus would
furnish a fitting end to a hymn beginning hymnum dicat
turba fratrum ; but so does the mention of 'Christ the
King' in the last line but one, as in the first line but one.
And for the absolute end nothing could be more effec-
tive than the indication of the day close at hand, heralded
by the cock crowing which had such mystical significance
to the early Christians, declaring the night to be far
spent, the day at hand. 'The cock, "the native bellman
of the night," became in the middle ages the standing
emblem of the preachers of God's Word, nay, we may
say of Christ Himself 1 .'
Bernard and Atkinson object to ante lucem in 65 that
the preface to the hymn in f says with regard thereto
nothing about any early morning use, but only: sic nobis
comtenit canere post prandium (Lib. Hymn. I. 35, II. xiii
and 127). But these words can only be giving the local
use at or about the time when the MS in question was
written, which was some 700 years after the writing of
the hymn, if, as we suppose, it was written by Hilary.
Lines 71 and 72 however are spurious: 71 is little
more than a repetition of 70, and we find in Jiddminum, in
72 cum eo z . And without doubt the doxology is spurious.
As given in most of the MSS it is in iambic, not trochaic,
rhythm ; though some of these, by writing genitori for
ingenito try to force it into that metre. It is in fact, as
Blume points out, identical with the doxology of 41.
1 Trench p. 249. His whole note there is full of curious and interesting
information.
2 [Not that this is much worse than Hil. Hymn. III. 10 Inter tanta dutii
exultat. M.]
4 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
[A note in the St Gall MS called e below says that the
hymn is to be said omni tempore. As it is an early
morning hymn, this cannot mean omnis home, like
Prudentius' Cathem. IX. As Bernard and Atkinson
point out, it means at any season of the year, not at
one in particular. M.]
My critical notes mention only such variants as affect
the meaning, not matters of spelling and the like. The
MSS referred to are these :
a Turin F. IV. I (IXth century).
b The so-called Antiphonary of Bangor written
between 680-691 now in the Ambrosian Library at
Milan, C. 5 inf.
c The Book of Cerne, Cambridge University Library
LI. I. 10 (IXth century).
d St Gall 2 (Vlllth century).
e St Gall 577 (IXth, Xth century).
f Trin. Coll. Dublin E. IV. 2 (Xlth century).
g Franciscan Library, Dublin (Xlth century).
[I have left the apparatus as in Walpole's writing,
without attempting to verify his account of the readings,
which differs in some particulars from those recorded in
the 'standard' books above mentioned. M.]
HYMN I. HILARY
5
Hymnum dicat turba fratrum, hymnum cantus personet,
Christo regi concinnantes laudes demus debitas.
tu Dei de corde Verbum, tu uia, tu ueritas,
lesse uirga tu uocaris, te leonem legimus.
dextra Patris, mons et agnus, angularis tu lapis, 5
i personal c. 2 Christum regem (rege d) de. concinuentes b, con-
cinentes fg. laudes. ..debita d.
1. hymnum dicat] dicere carmen
is a phrase used by Horace Od. \.
xxxii. 3, Propert. I. ix. 9, while later
writers freely use dicere in the sense
of 'singing'; cp. 105. i, Peregrinatio
Aetheriae xxiv. 4 dicuntur ymni.
fratrum is used of the faithful in
general, as in many passages of the
N.T. as Acts iii. 17. In line 57 it
denotes the apostles. In a later hymn
it would generally mark the com-
position as intended for monastic
use.
2. concinnantes] Festus p. 38
defines concinnare as apte componere',
and Nonius p. 43 (according to the
Thesaurus), says recte atitem concin-
nare et consentire intellegi potest
quasi concinere. This seems to point
to some degree of confusion between
the two words. It is especially used
of literary composition ; cp. line 65,
Hil. Hymn. in. 2 in caelesti rur-
sum Adam concinnamus proelia;
Analecta LI. p. 305 cantemus in omni
die concinnantes uarie; and Vulg.
Job vi. 26 ad increpandum tantum
eloquia concinnatis.
laudes debitas] Cp. Hil. Prol. in
Psalm. (Migne ix. 239) in quo debi-
tas Deo laiides uniuersitas spirit uum
praedicabit ; and in these hymns 15.
3, 51. 16, 54. 3, 104. 44) 111. 43.
[The plural (as against laudem debi-
tani) has the support of Bede de Arte
Metr. 23.]
3. 'Thou coming from the Fa-
ther's heart art called the Word':
the heart being regarded as the seat
of the affections, cp. Col. i. 13, 23.
i, 27. 36, Ambr. de Fide I. 67 aitdis
Dei Filium: aut dele nomen, aut
agnosce naturam . . .audis cor, uer-
bum intellege. ib. 82 ergo et nos cum
audimus ex utero filium, ex corde
uerbum, credamus quia non plasma-
tus manibus, sedex Patrenalus. Ob-
serve this adjectival use of the ad-
verbial clause Dei de corde (unless
indeed the words belong to the pre-
dicate, which is perhaps simpler).
For the emphatic repetition of tu
cp. the Te Deum and hymns 5. 13 f.,
20. 131"., 21. 9f., 27. 29f., 41. 46 f.,
42, 48, 49, 79. =,f., 87. 5 f.
uerbum] Joh. i. r, Rev. xix. 13.
uia, ueritas] Joh. xiv. 6. The
final a of uia, coming before a pause,
is lengthened by the stress falling
on it.
4. lesse uirga] Is. \i. i, cp.
Rom. xv. 12, Rev. v. 5, 38. 13.
leonem] Rev. v. 5, cp. 4 Esdras
xii. 3 1 . For the accusative cp. Nicet.
de Spir. 3 quern nusquam creaturam
legere poterit.
legimus] probably perfect, the
e being long : ' we are wont to
read.' Cp. the use of the perfect in
9. 20.
5. dextra Patris] Exod. xv. 6,
Ps. cxvii. (cxviii.) 16 and often in
the O.T. ; cp. Nicet. de Div. App.
p. 2 (ed. Burn) dextera..,dicitur,
qnia per ipsum uniuersa creata sunt
et ab ipso omnia continentur.
mons] Dan. ii. 35.
agnus] Joh. i. 29, cp. Is. xvi. i
(Vulg.), Acts viii. 32, i Pet. i. 19,
Rev. v. 6.
angularis lapis] ' the corner stone '
of especial size and strength, set to
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
sponsus idem, el, columba, flamma, pastor, ianua.
in prophetis inueniris, nostro natus saeculo.
ante saecla tu fuisti factor primi saeculi,
factor caeli, terrae factor, congregator tu maris,
omniumque tu creator, quae Pater nasci iubet, 10
uirginis receptus membris Gabrihelis nuntio.
6 el fg, uel librl ceteri. 7 inuenimus nostrum natum seculum d.
9 caeli et terrae fg. 10 omnia...creasti d. n Gabrihele(-li) cde,
Garaelis a. nuntiat a.
connect the ends of two walls; Ps.
cxvii. (cxviii.) 22, Is. xxviii. 16,
Mt. xxi. 42, Acts iv. n, Rom. ix.
33, Eph. ii. 20, i Pet. ii. 6, cp. 119.
13; Chrysost. Homil. VI. 1066 tiro.
<f>rjffiv' 6 TO irav ffvvi^uv earlv 6
Xpiffris, 6 yap \i6os 6 dupoyuviaios
Kal Tot>s rolxovs ffw^x l ^ai T ts
6f/j.e\lovs. Prud. Hamart. 489 an-
gulus hie portae in capite est, hie
continet otnnem | saxorum seriem
constructaque limina firmat.
6. sponsus] Ps. xviii. (xix.) 6,
Mt. ix. 15, xxv. i f., Job. iii. 29,
cp. 19. 7, 41. 27, 84. 10, 88. 7, 95.
12. 'The mystical application of
Ps. xviii. (xix.) to the Incarnation is
very ancient Found in Iren. adv.
Haer. iv. 55. 4 and els 'EirtS. 85 and
yet earlier in Justin Apol. I. 54, Dial.
64, 69. See also Tert. adv. Marc.
IV. i/, Cypr. Test. n. 19.' Yorke
Fausset on Novatian de Trin. liber
XIII.
el] i.e. God, the Hebrew 7$, cp.
Oratio s. Adamnani (Irish Liber
Hymn. I. 184) idem est Hel et Deus.
The variant uel gives a poorer
meaning and the pause justifies the
hiatus.
columba] Cant. v. 12.
flamma] Deut. iv. 24, Heb. xii.
29; cp. Is. x. 17, Rev. i. 14, ii. 18,
xix. 12.
pastor] Joh. x. 1 1.
ianua] Joh. x. 7; cp. Nicet. de
Div. App. (p. 3, ed. Burn) ianua
dicitur quia per ipsum ad caelorum
regna afidelibus introitur.
7. inueniris... natus] 'art found
...though only afterwards born,' or
' Thou who wast born art found ' ;
cp. receptus in ii.
8. ante saecla] Ps. Ixxxix. (xc.)
2, Hil. Hymn. I. i ante saecula qui
manens; the 'Nicene' creed irpo
wdvruv rCjv attlivuv ; Ambr. Epist.
LXlil. 49 ex Patre solo natus ante
saecula, ex uirgine sola in hoc saeculo.
And in the Quicumque ' God, of the
substance of the Father, begotten
before the worlds : and Man, of the
substance of his Mother, born in the
world. '
9. factor] Joh. i. 3, Heb. i. 2.
So the Nicene Fathers di' oC ra
irdvra eytvero, rd re iv T$ ovpavif
Kal TO. tv rfj yy: cp. 33. 4, 40. 5, 41.
5 f., 94. 8. This line and 24 are
quoted by Bede de Arte Metr. 23,
to exemplify the trochaic metre, and
its elasticity.
congregator] Gen. i. 9 congre-
gentur aquae, Ps. xxxii. (xxxiii.) 7.
In classical writers congregare and
its compounds always denote the
assembling of persons or animals.
10. Cp. 49. i5f., 50. 5 f.; and
Hil. Hymn. I. 57 foil. Patri sed
genitus paret, otnnemque ad nututti
attonitus manet, said in connexion
with creation.
11. Gabrihelis] The h, found in
the best MSS here and at 31. 1 8 (as in
Danihel^b. 9, Israhel 6. i, 41. 21),
represents the N of the Hebrew. As
nuntius can also mean 'a messenger '
the variant Gabrihele nuntio may be
the reading to adopt.
nuntio may be an instrumental
HYMN I. HILARY
crescit aluus prole sancta ; nos monemur credere
rem nouam nee ante uisam, uirginem puerperam.
tune magi stellam secuti primi adorant paruulum,
offerentes tus et aurum, digna regi mnnera.
mox Herodi nuntiatum inuidens potentiae.
turn iubet paruos necari, turbam facit martyrum.
fertur infans occulendus, Nili flumen quo fluit,
15 offerunt ei c 1 . regis d.
nuntiato a. inuidit a, inuidus e.
ablative 'by the message' like uerbi
...seinine, 38. 10 note.
12. crescit aluus] 6. 13.
13. rem] credere takes an ace. of
the thing believed, as Cic. Div. n.
13 niulla is this modi dicuntur in
scholis, sed credere omnia uide ne
non sit necesse.
uirginem puerperam] Hil.
Hymn. I. 8 inundo te gennit uirgo
puerpera.
14. primi adorant] 'are the first
to worship'; this distinction really
belongs to the shepherds.
15. No mention is made of the
myrrh, which may be because it did
not seem to be a gift fitting a king,
but more probably comes from Is. Ix.
6 de Saba uenient aurum et tus
deforentes. In a fragmentary poem,
ascribed to Hilary by the one MS
which contains it, St Gall 48,
giving an account of the birth
and childhood of Christ, the gold
is not mentioned; see Manitius,
p. 1 02 f.
regi may be dative after offerentes,
but is more probably governed by
digna, 'worthy of a king.' Cp.
Commodian Apol. 23 Caesari dig-
nus; Nicet. 12. 8 dignam error i.
If we should with one MS read regis
we might compare Verg. Aen. XI I.
649 indignus auorum.
For the mystical meaning of the
gifts cp. Juvenc. I. 250 tus, aurum,
myrrham, regique hominique Deo-
que | donaferunt; Hil. in Mt. I. 5 ;
Prud. Cath. Xtl. 69 f., Dittoch.
105 f.; [Claudian] Epigr. XLIX. 3f.
1 6 Herod es e.
1 7 necare de.
nuntiatum est c,
18 quod ad.
dant tibi Chaldaei praenuntia mti-
nera reges. \ myrram homo, rex au-
rum, suscipe tura Deus; Ambr. in
Luf. II. 44 aurum regi, tus Deo,
murra defuncto ; Sedul. Car in. II.
95 f. aurea nascentifudentnt munera
regi, | tura dedere Deo, myrrham
tribuere sepukhro.
1 6. 'The fact (the coming of the
magi) is at once made known to
Herod, an event hostile to his
sway.' inuidens is used for inui-
dum. This is not satisfactory, but
seems better than the alternative
pointing and explanation mox H.
nuntiatum. inuidens potentiae
('then he grudging His sway...').
Though Herod might be said in-
uidere Christo potentiam, the dat.
polentiae seems unlikely; and else-
where in this poem (see 14 and 41)
turn (tune) begins its clause. Per-
haps however the real explanation
may be 'grudging (jealous) of his
own power, he then ' etc.
17. turbam] We find a like ex-
aggeration Sedul. Carm. n. no
and,' us | innumerum patrare nefas,
ptterilia mactal \ milia ; Prud.
Perist. X. 737 millc in Bethlehem
...biberunt paruuli; 24. 27, 31. 29.
See also the editors' note in the Irish
Liber Hymnorum.
18. occulendus] 'that he might
be hidden.' The gerundive came to
be looked upon as a fut. pass, parti-
ciple ; cp. nutriendus in 19, offe-
rendus in 34, and see Ronsch Itala
und Vulg. p. 433.
quo] ' where, ' as at 92. 15, 117. 3 1 .
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
qui refertur post Herodem nutriendus Nazareth.
multa paruus, muita adultus signa fecit caelitus, 20
quae latent et quae leguntur, coram multis testibus.
praedicans caeleste regnum dicta factis adprobat.
debiles facit uigere, caecos luce inluminat,
uerbis purgat leprae morbum, mortuos resuscitat.
uinum quod deerat hydriis mutari aquam iubet, 25
nuptiis mero retentis propinando populo.
pane quino, pisce bino quinque pascit milia,
23 fecit bde. 24 uerbo d. morbos ce. 25 deerat] erat c. idris
(hidris) abfg. motari f, motare c 1 , mutare c 2 de, motuari g. 26 merrore
taentis a, maerore tentis c. retentis] retinctis c. propinnando c j f, propi-
nendum c 2 , prouinato d. populo] poculo g.
19. post Herodem] 'after the
death of Herod,' cp. 36. 17. It is
hard to say whether Nazareth is in
the ace. after refertur, or in the loca-
tive with nutriendus. nutriendus is
a fut. participle, used similarly by
Ambrose Hex. vi. 13 matri dedit
ecclesiae nutriendos.
20. multa paruus] with refer-
ence to details given by apocryphal
gospels, in disregard of Jon. ii.
ii.
signa] ff7ifj.eia, the usual word for
miracles in St John's Gospel, ii. n,
23 etc., and common elsewhere in
the N.T.
caelitus refers to Joh. v. 19 and
perhaps to.Mt. xvi. i.
21. quae latent] i.e. the account
of which was not written in our
gospels ; cp. Joh. xx. 30, xxi.
25-
22. praedicans c. r.] Mt. iv. 22,
xi. i.
dicta... adprobat] For a particu-
lar instance cp. Mt. ix. 5 f.
23. caecos 1. i.] Cp. 10. 6.
24. uerbis] perhaps with ref. to
Mt. viii. 8, 16 ; cp. Fort. n. xvi.
157 quid referam mutis qui uerbo
uerba dedisti ?
leprae m.] Mt. viii. 2 f., Lu.
xvii. 12 f. Cp. note on 9.
mortuos] Mt. ix. 18 f., Lu. vii.
1 1 f., Joh. xi.
25, 26. 'He bids water in water-
pots to be turned into the wine that
was lacking.' The many variants
and the difficulties in metre, con-
struction, and meaning combine to
make these lines doubtful, although
they are in all the MSS ; cf. Irish
Liber Hymn. II. xi f. We must
scan uinum. qu<id deerat hydriis or
uinum qu6d dee'rat hydris, both un-
satisfactory. Then the sense is
harsh, whether we read mero retentis
('cut short in wine') or maerore
tentis (' seized with mourning '); and
whether we read propinando populo
or poculo. On the other hand some
reference to Cana seems most likely,
though this may have been the reason
why an interpolater inserted it,
somewhat after its proper place.
Dr Mason conjectures mutuari,
which would make the sense, as
well as the metre, just a little
better : ' He bids water to borrow
(or 'assume') the nature of wine
that was lacking.' mutare is so ob-
vious a word in the context that
copyists would soon get it in.
hydriis] Joh. ii. 6.
27. Mt. xiv. 13 f. fane quino is a
poetical usage.
HYMN I. HILARY
et refert fragmenta cenae ter quaternis corbibus.
turba ex omni discumbente iugem laudem pertulit.
duodecim uiros probauit, per quos uita discitur, 30
ex quis unus inuenitur Christ! ludas traditor.
instruuntur missi ab Anna proditoris osculo.
innocens captus tenetur nee repugnatis ducitur,
sistitur, falsis grassatur offerendus Pontio.
discutit obiecta praeses, nullum crimen inuenit. 35
28 corbibus] coffinos d. 31 luda ab'cd. 34 grasatur beg,
crassatur d, grauatur e.
28. refert] by means of the dis-
ciples. The coffinos of one MS
reproduces cophinos (KO<J>IVOVS), the
word used in the Latin and Greek
of the gospel story and by Juvenc.
in. 90, 249, Sedul. Carm. in. 216.
discumbente] The Jews had
adopted the Roman custom of
reclining on couches round a table
at meals. Here of course the crowds
lay on the grass. Cp. Mt. xiv. 19 et
cum iussisset turbam discumbere
super faemim.
iugem laudem] 'a stream of
praise.' iugis in itself, being con-
nected with iungo, means ' constant,'
'continuous'; but it is almost always
used of 'ever- flowing' water, as at
8. 28. Brugmann however (Curt.
Stud. iv. 148) regards iugis (^ living')
applied to water as quite distinct
from iugis, ' constant.' The ref.
must here be to Joh. vi. 14.
30. Mt. x. i f. duodecim is to
be scanned dvodecim ; Bernard and
Atkinson recall that in Italian it
becomes dodici.
probauit] used as in 57.
uita] Cp. Acts v. 20.
31. Alcuin Epist. xxxi. (Jaffe
VI. p. 239) hidain . . . non apostolici
nominis dignitas a tanti sceleris
perpetratione cohibuit, qtii cognita
sui scelei'is nequitia indignam uitatn
digna morte finivit, de quo ait Sedu-
lius : tune uir apostolicus, nunc uilis
apostata factus (Carm. Pasch. v.
'38).
32. Mt. xxvi. 38. The mention
of Annas alone here and in 47 is
noteworthy and may come from
Acts iv. 6.
33. Is. liii. 7, Acts viii. 32.
necrepugnansj 'and unresisting';
the nee qualifies the participle, not
the main verb.
ducitur] 'is carried off as a
prisoner ' ; a technical term in
Roman law, as at 9. 14, 32. 12 ;
cp. Pliny's famous letter (x. 96)
perseuerantes duci iussi, Ambr. de
Nab. 2 1 uide ego pauperem duci.
34. ' He is brought to trial and is
assailed with false charges that he
may be delivered up to Pilate.'
sisti is the regular word in Roman
law for 'standing one's trial,' as at
Prudent. Perist. II. 53 Laurentium
sisti iubet. falsis is in like manner
used in the neuter by Hil. Hymn.
in. 8 [Satan] gaudet falsis. grassa-
tur here and at 38 is passive. Ber-
nard and Atkinson refer also to the
Altus Prosator 38 gras satis primis
dnobus seductisq. parentibus.
35. praeses] The regular repre-
sentative in the Latin N.T. of the
Greek rjyefjLwv, i.e. procurator; cp.
Mt. xxvii. 2, Acts xxiii. 26, 105. 21.
nullum crimen] Lu. xxiii. 4.
Strictly crimen was the charge,
culpa the offence on which the
charge was based. But in late Latin
crimen often means 'guilt,' 'sin';
cp. 4. 10, 10. 4 etc.
10
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
sed cum turbae ludaeorum pro salute Caesaris
dicerent Christum necandum, turbis sanctus traditur.
impiis uerbis grassatur ; sputa, flagra sustinet.
scandere crucem iubetur, innocens pro noxiis.
morte carnis quam gerebat mortem uicit omnium. 40
turn Deum clamore magno Patrem pendens inuocat.
mors secuta membra Christi laxat, stricta uincula.
uela templum scissa pandunt, nox obscurat saeculum.
36 turba abe. 37 negandum abce, negatum d. 38 grauatur d.
40 uincit c. 41 pendens] petens d. inuocans b. 43 uelum d.
templi libri. pendit d, pendent e 2 , pendunt abe, pendens c.
36. Joh. xix. 12. To the usual
reading turba there are two objec-
tions : turba does not answer as it
should to turbis in 37 ; then in this
hymn (cp. 52), as in these hymns as
a whole, a collective singular takes
a singular verb, according to the
classical usage.
38. Mt. xxvii. 26, 30. grassattir
as in 34.
sputa, flagra] Cp. Hil. Hymn. n.
16 sputus.fiagella ; 33. 19, 112. 19.
39. The final e of scandere is
lengthened by the stress falling upon
it, as Hil. Hymn. I. 17 extra quam
capere potest, 59 et scire non est ar-
duum.
innocens pro noxiis] i Pet. iii. 18.
40. Heb. ii. 14; cp. Hil. Hymn.
II. 17 triumpho morte sump to a
mortua ; 10. 2 7 f.
uicit] conquered once for all, an
isolated aorist among the present
tenses.
41. Mt. xxvii. 46, 50.
42. ' Death ensues and relaxes the
limbs of Christ, (loosens) the tight
drawn bonds,' a case of zeugma.
Thus we must explain if we keep
the MS reading, but the correction
iiinculo is decidedly easier.
stricta] Cp. 33. 15. That hymn is
much influenced by Hilary.
uincula] Evidently the writer
thought that Christ was bound, as
well as being nailed, to the cross,
as indeed was often done in crucify-
ing men ; see Smith Dictionary o/
the Bible I. p. 673.
43. ' The rending of the veils
lays open the temple.' There were
two veils, or rather a double curtain,
between the Holy Place and the
Most Holy Place (see Hastings
Did. of Bible IV. 7i4b), although
' the veil ' is usually spoken of both
in O. and N.T. The Most Holy
Place had no door, so that the rend-
ing of the veil (Mt. xxvii. 51) would
lay open that which was never
opened, and which only the high
priest might enter, and he only on
the great Day of Atonement. Cp.
Sedul. Op. v. 23 tune illud quoque
templum mirabile, plenum religionis
antiquae, maioris templi culmina
cecidisse conspiciens...discisso pro-
tinus uelo nudum eunctis pectus
ostendit. For the construction of
uela scissa cp. 29. 9 rescissa sed
ista seorsum soluunt hominem peri-
muntque. The variant pendent is
intolerably weak, and pandunt, to
be taken in the sense of pamhtntur,
gives the wrong sense : it would not
be the veil that would be exposed.
The reading templi would come from
the gospel text, the phrase 'the veil
of the temple' being so common.
templum is often used in the Latin
versions to translate va6s, as well as
O!KOS and iepov, cp. Mt. xxvi. 55, 6r,
xxvii. 40, 51.
nox] i.e. darkness, cp. Ovid Met.
HYMN I. HILARY
ii
excitantur de sepulcris dudum clausa corpora.
adfuit loseph beatus ; corpus myrra perlitum, 45
linteo rudi ligatum cum dolore condidit.
milites seruare corpus Annas princeps praecipit,
ut uideret si probaret Christus quod spoponderat.
angelum Dei trementes ueste amictum Candida,
qui candore claritatis uellus uicit sericum, 50
After 44 (added by a later hand) regna Christus uictor ingens uastat
infernalium d. 47 Anna be. 49 timentes d. 50 qui d, qua c,
quo rell.
vn. 2 perpetuaque tr aliens inopem
sub node senectum \ Phineus. This
darkness is related Mt. xxvii. 45
and is alluded to 55. i3f. , 56. gf.
44. Mt. xxvii. 52. excitare is
used of awakening Lazarus, Joh. xi.
ii.
45. loseph] Mt. xxvii. 57, Joh.
xix. 39. adesse specially means to be
at hand when wanted ; it was a
technical term to describe the busi-
ness of an adnocatus.
perlitum] ' anointed all over.'
The need of doing this accounts for
the great amount of myrrh and aloes
used, Joh. xix. 39.
46. linteo] the sindone of Mt.
xxvii. 59. It was used by the Egyp-
tians in preparing corpses and was
made of fivcrffos, a kind of flax.
rudi] 'new,' the usual meaning
of the word in late writers, cp. the
vulgate of Mt. ix. 16, Mk ii. 21 ;
Sedul. Cartn. I. 294 rudis...legis^=
'oftheN.T.'; Fort. X. vi. 14 post-
i/ite itsus ueteres praemicat aula
rudis; Ronsch p. 336 f.
47. Mt. xxvii. 60 f. princeps pr.
sacerdotum, 'the high priest.'
48. si] 'whether,' a usage first
found perhaps in Propert. II. iii. 5
quaerebam sicca si posset piscis ha-
rena \ uiuere ; cp. Mk iii. 2 obser-
uabant eurn si sabbatis curaret. The
Italian se and French si carry on this
probaret] 'accomplish,' 'bring to
pass,' which would be the best ' proof
of the truth of His words.
quod spoponderat] Mt. xvi. 21,
xvii. 23, xx. 19.
49. 'As they [the soldiers, see
Mt. xxviii. 4] are trembling at an
angel.' angelum is governed by tre-
mentes, which is either nom. or ace.
absolute, rather than in agreement
with milites in 47, which would be
difficult, owing to the intervening
clauses ut uideret... spoponderat.
50. uellus sericum] Silk was sup-
posed to be gathered by the Seres
(an Indian or Chinese people) from
trees; cp. Verg. Georg. \\. 121 [why
tell] uelleraque nt foliis depettant
tenuia Seres? Plin. N.H. vi. 17
Seres lanitio siluarum nobiles, pcr-
fusam aqua depectentes frotidium
canitiem; Ambr. Hex. V. 77 ex his
foliis mollia ilia Seres depectunt
uellera, quae ad usus sibi proprios
diuiles uindicarunt; in Luc. V. 107,
Fort. Vita Mart. II. 88, 259. But
as silk can hardly be said to be
gathered from trees the allusion in
these passages is no doubt to a ma-
terial, possessing many of the pro-
perties of silk, made from a kind of
nettle, 'Boehmerianiuea,' which has
long been used for the purpose in
China. Silkworms were not known
in Europe before the time of Jus-
tinian.
12
demouet saxum sepulcro, surgens Christus integer,
haec uidet ludaea, mendax haec negat cum uiderit.
feminae primum monentur saluatorem uiuere,
quas salutat ipse maestas, conplet tristes gaudio,
seque a mortuis paterna suscitatum dextera
tertia die redisse nuntiat apostolis.
mox uidetur a beads quos probauit fratribus.
55
51 demouet e, demuit a, demouit rell. sepulchri e. surgens abcfg.
52 uidet] uidit libri contra metrum. uiderit] abde 1 , uiderat.g. 54 con-
plens d. 56 nuntians cd.
51. demouet] 'he (the angel)
moves away,' Mt. xxviii. 2. In strict
grammar the subject should be
Christus ; but Christus surgens
should rather be construed as nom.
abs. than as equivalent to surgit.
[This seems to me an unnecessary
strictness of fidelity to St Matthew's
narrative. I would rather remove
the stop after sepulcro, and make
Christus nominative to demouet.
M.]
integer] ' body and soul.' This
word was soon to be the Italian
intero, the French entier, our entire.
Cp. Hor. Od. n. xvii. 7 nee superstes
integer; Aetheriae Peregr. xvii. i
ubi corpus illius integrum positum
est; ib. XXVIII. 3 facere integras
septimanas ieiuniorum.
52. ludaea] the Jewish nation,
as at 116. 25 and probably at 105. 25 ;
cp. the use of Aegyptus 41. 1 7. The
comma should come after ludaea,
not, as in some editions, after men-
dax, which goes closely with negat.
The sense is that more fully ex-
pressed Sedul. Op. v. 25 quidfidem
niteris explorare, quam non uis,
etiam cum probaris, admittere? or
by Ambr. in Ps. XLIII. 6 in ueritate
uiderunt ludaei [Christum] et non
crediderunt.
cum uiderit] 'although it has...,'
hence the subjunctive.
53. primum m.] ' are straightway
told,' or 'are the first to be told,'
though this would strictly \fcprimae.
monentur] 'are informed,' used
much as in 12. For the sense of the
line cp. Ambr. in I.uc. x. 72 idea
mulier resurrectionis accepit prima
mysterium et mandata custodit, ut
ueterem praeiiaricationis aboleret er-
ror em.
54. Mt. xxviii. 9. maestas denotes
their display of 'mourning,' tristes
their sorrow at heart.
55. Acts ii. 24, 32, v. 31.
56. tertia die refers to Christ's
prophecy, Mt. xvi. 21, alluded to at
48 above.
nuntiat] ' sends word.' Final -at
was in early Latin long and may
have remained so in popular usage.
In this line the stress also falls upon
it ; cp. Hil. Hymn. I. 34 nirtus,
cttm dederlt omnia, non (amen ; ib.
36 cuncta quae sua sunt, cum dederit
habens; n. 22 tremlt et alte. So in
35 discutlt. But as nuntiare is ge-
nerally used of a messenger carrying
word, and as we read Mt. xxviii. 8
[the women] exierunt. . . nuntiare dis-
cipulis eius, it is just possible that
we ought to read nuntiant, in which
case se is used for ilium; see Irish
Lib. Hymn. n. xii.
57. uidetur] ' is seen,' passive
(a beads fr.).
probauit] as in 3o 4 cp. 66. 32.
58. Joh. xx. 19. 'To their midst,
while they still doubt His having
returned, He enters.' In late Latin
^wift/ gradually gained more and more
acceptance, taking up at last the
HYMN L HILARY
quod redisset ambigentes intrat clausis ianuis.
dat docens praecepta legis, dat diuinum spiritum,
Spiritum Dei, perfectae Trinitatis uinculum. 60
praecipit totum per orbem baptizare credulos,
58 quos de. redisse e. ianuis clausis libri contra metrum. 60 per-
fectum libri. 61 baptizari fg.
function of every other particle and
of the ace. and infinitive. It was
used with the subjunctive, as here,
or with the indicative, as at 91. 25,
94. 25. It passed into the Italian
che and French que.
ambigentes may be regarded
either as ace. abs., like tremenles,
in 49, or as the ace. after intrat ;
cp. Fort. vi. vi. 15 ne lupus intret
oues. The MS reading ianuis <iausis
will not scan.
59. Mt. xxviii. 20, Joh. xx. 22.
60. Spiritum Dei] ' even the
Spirit of God,' a stronger reiteration
of diuinum spiritum in 59, and so
no mere tautology; cp. the use of
diuinus at 48. 24, 49. 20, 107. 12.
perfectae Trinitatis u.] ' the bond
of the perfect Trinity.' The read-
ing perfectum would be introduced
from spiritum and uinculum in the
same line, and from a recollection
of Eph. iv. 3, Col. iii. 4; cp. 41. 6
perfect a Trinitas; Ambr.zVz Luc. iv.
44 Trinitatem coaeternam atque per-
fectam ; Nicet. de Spir. 22 perfectam
Trinitatem adorantes. Blume takes
perfectum as qualifying spiritum,
which does not seem to me so good.
uinculum J Although the word in
this connexion does not seem to
occur in Hilary's prose writings, yet
the thought underlying it is to be
found in various passages. See e.g.
de Trin. Vin. 27 Deusigitur Chris-
tus est unus cum Deo Spiritus ; ib.
36 sed sacramentum dicti Dominici
apostolus tenens, quod est ego et pater
unum sutnits, dum utrumque unum
profitetur, unum utrumque sic signi-
ficat non ad solitudinem singularis,
sed ad Spiritus unitatem...; ib. 39
cum in eodem domino filio et in eodem
Deo patre unus atque idem Spiritus
in eodem Spiritu sancto diuidens
uniuersa perficiat ; Op. Hist. II. 31
et cum sit Pater in Filio et Filius in
Patre, et Spiritus sanctus accipiat ea
ab utroque, in eo quod Spiritus ex-
primitur sanctae huius inuiolabilis
Trinitatis unitas, haeretica parte
parturiat Trinitas pronuntiata dis-
sidium ?
It must be recognised in inter-
preting some of these passages, that
Hilary uses the word Spiritus to
denote the common Deltas of the
Three Persons ; but this very fact
lent itself to seeing a bond of union
in that Person of the Three who
bears as His proper name the de-
signation of the common substance.
For the later statement of the doc-
trine by Augustine and others see
Petavius de Trinitate VI I. 12. He
does not give any example of the
use of the word uinculum before
St Bernard.
61. credulos] 'those who be-
lieve'; cp. Mt. xxviii. 19 as quoted
by Niceta de Symbolo 8 ; Hil. Hymn.
I. 2 1 felix qui potuit fide \ res tantas
penitus credulus adsequi; 107. 15.
In classical writers the word is
always used as an adjective and in
a disparaging sense, ' credulous.'
6 1 f. As to the punctuation of
these lines, it seems that 62 is closely
connected with 6 1 , but it also seems
that 62 is no less closely connected
with 63 ; for thus the Three Names
are brought together and the mystic
faith is not only the belief in bap-
tismal regeneration but also in the
Trinity. This idea I have taken from
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
nomen Patris inuocantes, confitentes Filium,
mysticam fidem reuelat unctos sancto Spiritu,
fonte tinctos, innouatos, filios factos Dei.
ante lucem turba fratrum concinnemus gloriam, 65
63 mystica fide libri excepto d. unctos] iunctos d, tinctos rell. 65 con-
cinemus g, concmamus e.
Blume, who however does not point
the rest of the sentence exactly as I
have done. I would explain the
lines thus : ' He bids them to bap-
tize throughout the whole world
those who believe, calling upon the
Father, confessing the Son (mystic
the faith that He reveals!), anointed
by the holy Spirit, dipped in the
font, born again, made the sons of
God.' It will be seen that I regard
unctos, tinctos etc. as in apposition
with inuocantes and confitentes, and
mysticam f. r. as a parenthesis.
unctos I take to be, not a reference
to the unction with the chrisma (cp.
26. 4 note), then the necessary ad-
junct of baptism, for this followed
the immersion in the Ko\vnfiridpa,
but to the anointing of the whole
body which is described by Cyril of
Jerusalem as immediately preceding
this immersion. After the anointing
each candidate was asked if he be-
lieved in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the holy Spirit.
Each made this confession. Cyril
makes no further mention of an in-
vocation of the Trinity by the bap-
tiser. Then all were thrice dipped
in the pool and came forth again,
and after putting on white robes
were confirmed with chrism applied
to forehead, ears, nostrils and breast.
Cyril's words are Cat, xx (p. 312
ed. Paris 1720) (Ira
TO.VTO, eirl rr)v ayiav rov Oelov /3a;r-
TifffMTos t-xtipa-YwyelaOe KO\v/j./3ri-
Bpav. At Cyprian Epist. LXX. 2 the
allusion is no doubt to the confirma-
tion which immediately followed
baptism : baptizati unguntur oleum
in altari sanctificatum.. . ungi quoque
necesse est eum qui baptizatus est, ut
accepto chrismate, id est nnctione, esse
unctus Dei possit. Hilary, as I be-
lieve, during his exile in Eastern
parts would have had an opportunity
of witnessing a baptism according
to the Jerusalem ritual. [I cannot
think that the tense of unctos is so
strictly used as to signify an action
previous to baptism. If it were, the
same would apply to tinctos, etc. M.]
unctos would easily pass into
tinctos, which is so similar in writ-
ing, from tinctos in the next line.
The phrase tinctos s. Spiritu, ' dipped
in the Spirit,' is more than awkward.
64. fonte] Cp. Tit. iii. 5.
innouatos] ' born again,' ' re-
newed.' More usual words are re-
natus (Joh. iii. 3), regenerates. See
Tit. m.^saluos nos fecit per lauacrum
regenerations et renouationis Spiri-
tussancti. At26. ^( = Prud.vi. 128),
where Dressel reads innolatum,
several MSS of Prud. and most
breviaries that contain the hymn
write innouatum ; see Obbar. ad loc.
filios f. Dei] Rom. viii. 16, Gal.
iv. 5 f.
65. ante lucem] Cp. Plin. Epist.
x. 96 adfirmabant autem hanc ftiisse
sit in mam uel culpae suae uel erroris,
quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem
conuenire carmenque Christo quasi
Deo dicere secum inuicem. Daniel
Thes. iv. 30 seems to hint at the
possibility of our present hymn being
one of those thus sung in Bithynia,
A. D. 1 1 1 f. But those would be in
Greek.
concinnemus is used as in 2.
66. qua is a kind of descriptive
ablative, somewhat like such familiar
phrases as qua es benignitate.
sempiterno saeculo J ' throughout
HYMN I. HILARY
qua docemur nos futures sempiterno saeculo,
nos cantantes et precantes quae futura credimus,
inmensamque maiestatem concinnemus uniter.
ante lucem nuntiemus Christum regem saeculo.
galli cantus, galli plausus proximum sentit diem. 70
[ante lucem decantantes Christum regem dominum.
qui in ilium recte credunt regnaturi cum eo.
gloria Patri ingenito, gloria Unigenito,
una cum sancto Spiritu in sempiterna saecula.]
66 quia ducemus d. futura c, futuri fg. sempiterna saecula cfg.
67 cantantes] canentes bde. 68 maiestatemque inmensam libri. conci-
nemus fg. iugtter libri 'exc. b. After 70 b repeats 70 and adds 72 et qui in
ilium rectae credunt regnaturi cum eo. e writes 68 f. magestatemque in-
mensam concinnemus iugiter ante lucem nuntiemus xp re gi saecula. Ante
lucem nuntiemus XP re gi d' 10 Q u ' m il' recti credunt regnaturi cum eo. et
in 72 at/i. de. All the MSS except d add a doxology gloria patri ingenito
gloria unigenito simul cum sco spu in sempiterna saecula. ingenito] genitori
e. simul] ac, una eg. in saecula saeculorum c.
eternity,' the abl. of time during
which, rare in classical writers ; but
cp. Caes. Bell. Civ. I. 47 nostri...
quinque horis proelium sustinuis-
sent; Cic. Div. \. 19 negari non
potest multis saecidis fuisse id ora-
culum. In late Latin duration of
time was regularly expressed by the
abl.
66 f. In the arrangement of these
lines I have put the \me galli cantus
... last, because, when in the usual
order it came between qua docemur
and nos cantantes..., it interrupted
the sense ; whereas it makes a good
.finish. With the transposition all
runs easily: 'which we are taught
shall be ours through endless ages,
even we who sing and pray for what
we believe will be.'
68. uniter] 'in unison, ,'= una uoce
...uno carmine oi 49. 31 f. Thegene-
rally read iugiter is less appropriate
here; see note on ittgem laudeni in
29 above, uniter is a Lucretian word.
inmensamque maiestatem] Cp.
Te Deum u Patrem inmensae
maiesiatis; Athanasian Creed 9, 12 ;
75. i ; Commod. Apol. 102 quod
Dei maiestas, quid sit, sibi conscia
sola est. relucet inmensa super caelos.
Minuc. Felix Octauius xvm. 8 sic
eum digne aestiniamus ', dum inae-
stimabilem dicimus ; ...magnitudi-
netn Dei qui se putat nosse, minuit.
69. 'Christ the King' comes just
before the end as at the beginning
of the hymn. With the sense of the
line cp. the prologue to Hilary's
Hymns : in carne Christum hymnis
mundo nuntians.
70. 'The cock's crowing, the
cock's clapping of wings feels...';
i.e. the cock by his crowing and
clapping shows that he is aware of
the approach of another day. When
accurate clocks were as yet unknown,
the hours of the night were often
reckoned by cockcrow ; cp. Mk xiii.
35, xiv. 30, 72 ; 2. 5 praeco diet iatn
sonat ; 20. i ales diei mtntius lucem
propinquampraecin.it. Shakesp. Ro-
meo and Juliet iv. iv. 'the second
cock has crowed. ..'tis three o'clock.'
II. AMBROSE
The siege of St Ambrose in the Portian basilica, in
386, made an epoch in the history of Latin hymns.
Ambrose had already written some hymns for the liturgy
of the Milanese church, though we do not exactly know
when 1 . Hymns in themselves were by this time no
novelty. But a new mode of singing them was then
introduced. The whole congregation was, as usual, the
choir. When the first verse of a hymn had been sung by
the one side the second verse was taken up by the other
side, and so on throughout the hymn. It was the singing
of the hymns in this novel manner that above all seized
upon the imagination of the people. One who was in
Milan during these stirring times has painted in memor-
able words the deep impression produced by the sound
of all those voices singing with one mouth and with
one soul. Augustine tells the story thus, according to
Dr Pusey's translation :
' Not long had the church of Milan begun to use
this kind of consolation and exhortation, the brethren
zealously joining with harmony of voice and hearts. For
it was a year, or not much more, that Justina, mother to
the emperor Valentinian, a child, persecuted Thy servant
Ambrose, in favour of her heresy, to which she was
seduced by the Arians. The devout people kept watch
in the church, ready to die with their bishop Thy
1 Some scholars think that Augustine's words quoted below do not bear
out this assertion. They maintain that amid the storm and stress of the
siege of the basilica Ambrose found time and leisure to write his hymns, no
improvisations but carefully worked out poems. That he should have done
so may not be absolutely impossible, but it is most improbable.
AMBROSE 17
servant. There my mother Thy handmaid, bearing a
chief part of those anxieties and watchings, lived for
prayer. We, yet unwarmed by the heat of Thy Spirit,
still were stirred up by the sight of the amazed and dis-
quieted city. Then it was first instituted that hymns
and psalms should be sung after the manner of the
eastern churches, lest the people should wax faint
through the tediousness of sorrow : and from that day
to this the custom is retained, divers (yea, almost all)
Thy congregations throughout other parts of the world,
following herein 1 .'
The Arians fixed upon Ambrose the charge of using
the hymns as magic spells. He accepted the charge
with pride. 'They allege,' he said, 'that the people are
deceived with the magic spells of my hymns. I do not
deny the fact. For what can be more powerful than a
confession of the Trinity daily sung by the mouth of the
whole people 2 ?'
We are entitled to believe that hymns which had so
striking an effect must have borne strongly marked
features by which they might be recognised ; and that
hymns which thus found their way to the heart of the
Milanese faithful could not have been by them neglected,
forgotten and lost. This is the case. They had definite
characteristics of substance and of form ; and they were
clung to with obstinate pertinacity against both emperors
and popes. And yet, when we come to ask which these
precious hymns are, in the midst of many others more
or less like them that have been handed down to us in
1 Aug. Confessions IX. vii. 15. [In Dr Pusey's translation the words
' after the manner of the eastern churches ' stand before ' hymns and
psalms should be sung.' See the note in the edition of Gibb and Mont-
gomery in this series. M.]
2 Serm. c. Auxent. 34. Cp. Aug. Conf. IX. vi. 14.
w. 2
i8
old Hymnals, it has not been found easy to give a precise
answer.
Their very excellence has put one great hindrance in
the way. In this case, as in all others, success led to
imitation. Almost at once writers arose who composed
hymns, which they tried as best they could to make
close copies of those of Ambrose. Moreover Ambrose
had made the metre that he used so completely his own
that it soon came to be called the ' Ambrosian' metre, as
Alcaeus and Sappho gave their names to their respective
measures. Any hymn composed in that metre was
called an 'Ambrosian.' [The earliest instances are in the
Rule of Benedict (IX. 8, xn. 8, xnr. 2i,xvn. 19 the lines
being those of E. C. Butler's edn).] Isidore of Seville at
the beginning of the Vllth century says, 'Hymns are
from his name called Ambrosians.' Indeed so completely
were the two words, hymn and Ambrosian, identified in
the course of time, that even the connexion of the one
word with the Bishop of Milan was half forgotten.
Hincmar in the IXth century gives an alternative
derivation of the term Ambrosian as accepted by some:
'there is a certain herb called ambrosia which the
heathen used in honour of their gods, and thence is
derived "Ambrosian," that is "divine."' It is often im-
possible to tell with certainty what even such careful
writers as Cassiodorus and the Venerable Bede mean,
when they call such and such a hymn an Ambrosian.
The next stumbling-block in our way is this. The
hymns of Ambrose were one and all written for and
inserted in the service-books of his own church of Milan.
Now it is notorious that the several parts of a liturgy
are not signed with their authors' names. The hymns in
the use of Milan would be anonymous. For a while this
would cause no doubt or confusion. But when the writer
AMBROSE 19
was dead, and when the generation that knew him had
passed away, and when the hymns had been adopted
into the uses of other churches, then confusion and
doubt would arise, aggravated in this particular case by
the imitation of other writers. We need feel no surprise
when we find the hymn collectors of the XVIth century,
such as were Clichtoveus or Cassander or Gillot,
assigning to Ambrose any hymns which they believed
to be ancient and which they did not wish to give to
any other writer.
The first attempt at discrimination that can at all be
called scientific was made by the Benedictines of the
congregation of St Maur in Paris 1 . The hymns formed
an appendix to their edition of the works of Ambrose.
No hymn was by them allowed to pass as genuine if it
was not attested by some good writer who lived near
enough to the close of the IVth century to render his
statement on the point worthy of credit in the editors'
judgement. The Benedictine scholars themselves did not
claim that their method was perfect, only that it was the
best available in the circumstances. They did not deny
that among the hymns omitted by them there might be
some written by Ambrose.
The witnesses admitted as adequate were seven in
number. They were Augustine of Hippo, Caelestine
(Pope from 422 to 436), Faustus (Bishop of Riez, who
died in 492), Cassiodorus (who died in 575), Ildefonsus,
Bishop of Toledo (who died in 667), the Venerable Bede
(who died in 735), and Hincmar of Reims (who died as
late as 882). The hymns thus attested were twelve in
number. They were :
1 The editors of St Ambrose were J. du Frische and N. le Nourry and
the work appeared in two folio volumes at Paris 1686-1690.
20 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
1. Aeterne rerum conditor.
2. Deus creator omnium.
3. lam surgit hora tertia.
4. Veni redemptor gentium.
5. Inluminans altissimus.
6. Orabo mente Dominum.
7. Splendor paternae gloriae.
8. Aeterna Christi munera.
9. Somno refectis artubus.
10. Censors paterni luminis.
11. O lux beata Trinitas.
12. Fit porta Christi peruia.
Useful as this test of quotation by an early and care-
ful writer may be when taken in combination with other
tests, it is not good enough when taken alone. It is
more or less a matter of chance whether any particular
hymn is or is not among the few, the very few, that are
so quoted. And it will be seen from what we have said
above that the canon of the Benedictines is open to yet
another serious objection. The evidence of such men as
Augustine and Caelestine, and even perhaps that of
Faustus, is as good as evidence can be and is not to be
gainsaid. But the last few writers on the list Cassio-
dorus, and in especial Bede and Hincmar are by no
means equally trustworthy. As to Bede, apart from his
lateness of date, we can seldom feel sure whether in
calling a hymn an 'Ambrosian' he thereby means to say
that it was one written by Ambrose. At times his words
can scarcely be taken to mean this. Thus in one place
he writes: quo modo et adinstar iambici metri pulcherrime
factus est hymnus ille praeclarus: Rex aeterne Domine...
et alii Ambrosiani non pauci a hymn which he cannot
have ascribed to St Ambrose.
The Benedictine canon is therefore when taken by
AMBROSE 21
itself insufficient. And yet well-nigh all modern writers
on the subject before the last few years have followed it
implicitly. We may adapt Bentley's well-known saying
about Stephens : the judgement of the Benedictines
stood as if an apostle had been their compositor. A
[uotation by an early writer has been the one test of
luthenticity allowed by such scholars as Ebert, Manitius,
Huemer and others. Ihm, who has done such excellent
rark on Ambrose, winds up a brief account of the above
mentioned twelve hymns with the significant words: ' I
neither wish nor am able to say more about the hymns
of Ambrose 1 .'
But there is a better way. As long ago as 1862,
Dr Luigi Biraghi of the Ambrosian Library brought out
an edition of the Inni sinceri e carmi di San? Ambrogio
with an illustrative commentary and an excellent intro-
duction setting forth his methods in detail. Strange to
say, not one of the scholars just mentioned makes any
use of this book, only one or two of them so much as
mentioning his name. We hope to be able to shew that
he is in the right and that he proves his case. Of recent
years the late Dr G. M. Dreves,Fr. C. Blume,Dr A. Steier
and others have successfully contended for him.
The Benedictines had laid down one canon and only
one. Biraghi lays down no fewer than three. Firstly a
hymn must be in every respect worthy of Ambrose, in
subject-matter, literary style, and prosody. Secondly, it
must have been continuously in the Ambrosian use, as
the use of Milan is called. Thirdly, if it happens to be
attested by some early and careful writer, so much the
better. This third test is (as it should be) chiefly used to
confirm other evidence. For, as we have already seen,
because a hymn does not happen to be quoted, it does
1 Studio. Ambrosiana p. 6t.
22 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
not follow that on this account it is not one of the
genuine hymns of Ambrose. We may well add a fourth
canon, which is indeed a corollary of the first. Like
some other writers Ambrose was given to repeating
himself, often using well-nigh the same words. A hymn
therefore that contains characteristically Ambrosian
thoughts and phrases is likely to have been written by
Ambrose.
Let us take first the second of these tests, which at
least at the beginning of the search is as important as
any. If the leading question to ask is : Where shall we
be likely to find Ambrose's hymns? the answer is
obviously: In the service-books of that church for which
they were written. We know that this church of Milan
in every age of its history, but more especially in its
earlier days, has shewn itself intensely conservative in
upholding the Ambrosian use. Charles the Great suc-
ceeded in ousting the offices of other churches in his
wide domains, but in spite of his strenuous measures 1 he
failed to persuade or compel the Milanese to give up
theirs. Is it then likely that they should have neglected
that which was regarded as one of the most important
parts of their rite, the hymns and such hymns written
at such a crisis by their great bishop ?
Then we have to look for our hymns in the old manu-
scripts the hymnals, breviaries, manuals, antiphonaries
and psalters which have preserved for us the tradi-
tional use of the Ambrosian church. And we shall not
search in vain. Biraghi, and after him Dreves, examined
these manuscripts, some dozen or so in number, ranging
in date from the Xth to the XlVth or XVth century.
1 Vita Caroli (apud Bolland. 28 Jan.) 16 Mediolanum profectus omnes
libros Ambrosiano titulo sigillatos, quos uel dono uel pretio uel tii habere
potuit, alias combussit, alias trans mantes qtiasi in exilium misit.
AMBROSE 23
The outcome of the investigation is a collection of
some forty hymns. Out of this number our genuine
hymns of Ambrose have to be picked, as for one reason
or another the whole forty cannot be his. This we must
do by the application of Biraghi's first canon. We have
to find out the characteristics of matter, style and
:ansion to which a hymn of Ambrose may be expected
to conform. With this end in view we may take the four
hymns which we know on Augustine's authority to have
been written by his master, regarding him for the time
being, but only for so long, as the .one unimpeachable
witness of authenticity.
The four hymns are these: Aeterne rerum conditor,
Deus creator omnium, lam surgit hora tertia, Intende qui
regis Israel.
What helpful characteristics can we note in them ?
To begin with, each one of them contains eight
stanzas of four lines. If any one should ask why this
exact number, we have an answer to hand which is at
least plausible. A hymn of just so many verses would
on the one hand not be so long as to weary the singers,
nor on the other hand would it be so short as to preclude
the teaching, for which it was specially written. Then
again, as we have seen, the hymn was to be sung anti-
phonally, and therefore it must needs contain an even
number of verses. This mode of singing made it also
desirable that as a rule the sense should end with each
stanza and not overlap into the next.
In the next place we note that the four hymns were
all written in the ' Ambrosian' metre, the iambic dimeter
as it is called. The laws of metre are carefully observed,
almost as carefully as they had been observed by the
great metrists Vergil, Horace and Martial. Ebert would
indeed bind Ambrose too fast when he says that his
24
prosody is perfect. But we must remember that he was
thinking only of the four hymns attested by Augustine.
To take one or two licences by way of example. Hiatus
was as a rule avoided by the classical poets. Yet Horace
could scan capitl inhumato', Vergil ter sunt conati im-
ponere Pelio Ossam, and even addam cerea prund ; honos
erit huic quoque porno. Then we cannot complain if
Ambrose wrote Petrl adaequauit fidem. And as to the
lengthening of short final syllables by the ictus or stress
of the verse : of this we have two examples in the four
hymns te diligat castus amor, and qui credidit saluus
erit. In this licence Ambrose goes little farther than
Horace with perrupit Acheronta, or Vergil \\\\\\ pectoribiis
inhians.
Let us now inquire into the literary character of the
four hymns, their outward form and style. They are, as
we should expect from a man of Ambrose's character
and education under the best masters of Rome, sharp-
cut, clear, concise, nervous and strong. And as the
themes are high, so the thought is profound. As Arch-
bishop Trench happily put it :
' The great objects of faith in their simplest expression
are felt by him so sufficient to stir all the deepest feel-
ings of the heart, that any attempt to dress them up, to
array them in moving language, were merely superfluous.
The passion is there, but it is latent and represt, a fire
burning inwardly, the glow of an austere enthusiasm,
which reveals itself indeed, but not to every careless
beholder. Nor do we fail presently to observe how truly
these poems belonged to their time and to the circum-
stances under which they were produced how suitably
the faith which was in actual conflict with, and was just
triumphing over, the powers of this world, found its
utterance in hymns such as these, wherein is no softness,
AMBROSE 25
perhaps little tenderness ; but in place of these a rock-
like firmness, the old Roman stoicism transmuted and
glorified into that nobler Christian courage, which en-
countered and at length overcame the world 1 .'
The hymns which stand the tests that have been
mentioned, that is to say, those which are in the liturgi-
cal books of the Milanese, church and which bear the
hall-mark of a workmanlike hand such as was that of
Ambrose, are according to Biraghi eighteen in number.
They are the eighteen which follow (nos. 2-19).
As to the first fourteen of these we may follow Biraghi
without hesitation and admit that they were written by
Ambrose. But while the evidence with regard to the
last four hymns is no doubt weighty, it is not convincing
in the same measure.
We will first take the three short hymns, 16, 17 and
1 8, each consisting of two stanzas. It is in their favour
that they are contained in most of the Ambrosian
manuscripts, that in thought and expression they are
not unworthy of Ambrose, and that they may be illus-
trated to some extent at least from his prose writings.
Against their authenticity however the following objec-
tions must be taken into account.
Ambrose undoubtedly wrote another hymn for the
Third Hour, number 4 in this volume. But the longer
hymn may possibly have been written for use on
Sundays and festivals, a shorter one for daily use. And
there may have been another reason why the author
should write a second hymn for the Third Hour. In the
longer hymn there is but a bare allusion to the descent
of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost : he may
have felt that the subject was too great to be brought in
as merely part of a hymn, and so may have separated
1 Sacred Latin Poetry p. 88.
26 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
for special treatment the two events with which the third
hour was especially connected.
Their shortness renders the Ambrosian authorship of
the three hymns doubtful. It is this above all that per-
suades Steier to assign them to some other unknown
writer. He argues that, as the undoubted hymns of
Ambrose without exception contain eight verses each of
four lines, we may expect this number in any hymn
of his. But this seems to be too definite a statement
considering our limited knowledge of the circumstances.
It is perhaps more important to note that they are not
included in the Rule either of Caesarius, or of his suc-
cessor Aurelian, nor are they to be found in the MSS
which contain the older series of hymns, although all the
hymns known to be written by Ambrose, except the six
composed in honour of individual saints, are forthcoming
in one or more of these documents.
Steier objects moreover that the agreement in respect
of language between these three hymns and Ambrose's
prose writings is very slight. With regard to this we
must bear in mind the obvious truth that the shorter the
hymn, the less chance is there of our coming across such
parallels, which after all are by no means entirely
wanting.
It is perhaps safest in the present state of our know-
ledge to leave the question undecided. If the three
hymns in question were not written by Ambrose they
are for all that worthy of him.
For the last hymn on the list Biraghi confidently
claims Ambrose as its writer, but his main argument
rests on doubly insecure grounds. In the treatise De
Lapsu Virginis consecratae, which is sometimes assigned
to Ambrose and which is a severe rebuke of one Susanna
who had broken her vows of chastity, we read frustra
HYMN II. AMBROSE 27
hymniim uirginitatis exposui. But probably Ambrose did
not write the book 1 , and even if he did the words cannot
allude to our hymn, for exposui must mean ' I have set
forth' or 'explained,' not 'I have composed 2 .'
However this does not prove that the hymn was not
written by Ambrose. It is likely enough that he should
have composed such a hymn for the virgins of whom he
wrote and thought so much. His characteristic ideas
and phrases occur in it, including the slightly altered
quotation of scripture, which was quite in his manner.
The number of stanzas, four instead of the usual eight,
is not an insuperable difficulty. We are inclined there-
fore to say that in all probability Ambrose was the
writer of hymn 19. It must be mentioned that it is not
in honour of one or more virgins, in which case a later
writer would have had to be found for it, but a beautiful
prayer to Christ the heavenly bridegroom.
HYMN 2
Augustine definitely says that this hymn was written
by Ambrose: Retract. I. 21 in quo [sc. libro contra epist.
Donati] dixi in quodam loco de apostolo Petro, quod in illo
tamquam in petra fundata sit ecclesia ; qui sensus etiam
cantatur ore multorum in uersibus beatissimi Ambrosii>
ubi de gallo gallinaceo ait : hoc ipsa petra ecclesiae \ canente
culpam diluit.
A passage from Ambrose Hex. V. 88 with which the
hymn is clearly and closely connected, forms a good
commentary on it : est etiam galli cant us suauis in
1 It is given by some to Niceta of Remesiana, the possible writer of the
Te Deum ; cp. Ihm Studio, Ambrosiana 73 f., Burn Niceta cxxxi f.
* The Benedictine editors of Ambrose identify the ' hymn of virginity '
with the latter part of Psalm xliv. (xlv.), namely from verse 10 to the end.
28 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
noctibus, nee solum suauis sed etiam utilis ; qui quasi
bonus cohabitator et dormientem excitat et sollicitum
admonet et uiantem solatur, processum noctis canora
uoce protestans. hoc canente latro suas relinquit insidias,
hoc^ ipse lucifer excitatus oritur caelumque inluminat; hoc
canente maestitiam trepidus nauta deponit, omnisque crebro
uespertinis flatibus excitata tempestas et procella mitescit ;
hoc 1 deuotus affectus exsilit ad precandum, legendo quoque
munus instaurat; hoc postremo canente ipse ecclesiae petra
culpam suam diluit, quant priusquam gallus cantaret
negando contraxerat. istius cantu spes omnibus redit, aegri
releuatur incommodum, minuitur dolor tmlnerum, febrium
flagrantia mitigatur, reuertitur fides lapsis, lesus titubantes
respicit, errantes corrigit. denique respexit Petrum et
statim error abscessit ; pulsa est negatio, secuta confessio.
The passage appears to be based on the hymn, rather
than the hymn on the passage.
As to the first stanza of this hymn and also that of 5,
Kayser notes that we need not be surprised if Ambrose
more than once in his hymns alludes to the recognition
of the one true God which is brought home to us by
means of the immutable course of nature. There were in
his time many Christians who, although they had aban-
doned the polytheism of heathendom for the monotheism
of Christianity, yet needed to be reminded of the great
doctrine which distinguished the one from the other. In
their attacks on paganism the apologists continually
appeal to the possibility and necessity of learning the
existence of one almighty God from the facts of surround-
ing nature. They point to the regular and beneficial
succession of times, as for instance day and night,
1 Note that just as in line 1 1 of the hymn canente has to be supplied from
the context, so here. It does not seem necessary to write with Schenkl
hoc (canente) deuotus.
In:
mt
gu
mi
HYMN II. AMBROSE 29
and of seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter,
as the work of one all-seeing, all-working providence.
Thus Minucius Felix Octavius XVII. 4 f. quid enim
potest esse tani apertum,tam confessum, tamque perspicuum,
cum ocnlos in caelum sustuleris et quae sunt infra circaque
lustraueris, quam esse aliquod numen praestantissimae
mentis, quo omnis natura inspiretur, moueatur, alatur,
bernetur? 5. caelum ipsum tiide : quam late tenditur,
quam rapide uoluitur, uel quod in noctem astris distin-
guitur, uel quod in diem sole lustratur : iam scies quam
sit in eo summi moderatoris mira et diuina libratio. uide
et annual, ut solis ambitus faciat, et mensem uide, ut
luna auctu, senio, labore circumagat. 6. quid tenebrarum
ct luminis dicarn recursantes uices, ut sit nobis operis
et quietis alterna reparatio ?
The same thought often recurs in Ambrose's prose
works and especially in his Hexaemeron. Thus at IV. 2
magnus est \sol\ qui per horarum uices locis aut accedit
aut decedit cotidie ; ib. 7 est ergo in diet potestate sol, et
luna in potestate noctis, quae temporum uicibus oboedire
conpellitur et nunc impletur lumine atque uacuatur . . .
namque luna luminis inminutionem habet, non corporis,
quando per uices menstruas deponere uidetur suum lumen.
See also the first stanzas of 5, 17, 18, 25, 45, 47, 57, 58
etc., and 84. 17 f.
This hymn was appointed by Caesarius of Aries to be
sung ad secundum nocturnum (i.e. at what was afterwards
known as Lauds) in alternation with the unmetrical
Magna et mirabilia, which latter is extant only in Vat.
reg. ii f. 236, where the rubric is hymnus nocturnus. It
runs thus : Magna et mirabilia opera tua sunt Domine
Deus omnipotens. iustae et uerae sunt uiae tuae Domine
rex gentium, quis non timebit et magnificabit nomen
tuum ? quoniam tu solus sanctus et pius, et omnes gentes
30 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
uenient et adorabunt nomen tuum sub oculis tuis, quoniam
iustitiae tuae manifestatae sunt. It will be seen that,
although this is called a hymn both in the Rule of
Caesarius and in the MS just quoted from, it is in fact a
translation of Rev. xv. 3 f. independent of the Vulgate.
According to the Mozarabic use the Aeterne rerum
conditor, to go by the rubric of the one MS of the old
Spanish use that contains it (Madrid 1005 Hh 60, p. 125,
Xth century), was originally sung at a very early service
adpullorum canttim. In the Breuiarium secundum regulam
sancti Isidori printed at Toledo in 1502, the editor
Alfons Ortiz appoints it for the ist Sunday in Advent.
In the older Roman use it was sung on Sundays at
Lauds or Mattins. The ancient Ambrosian MSS have as
rubric simply ymnus nocturnalis, and so conservative are
they that, although none of them is older than the
Xth century, this no doubt gives the old tradition of the
Milanese church.
For further information on liturgical and other points
see Daniel I. 15, IV. 3, Chevalier Repertorium number
647, Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology p. 26, Mearns'
Early Latin Hymnaries p. 4.
Abcghik Eacdhjlosvx7jn0 Fdhiklnpqs/c Gab Habcdefghi
Ibceghimnop Mamx Vabcp
Aeterne rerum conditor,
noctem diemque qui regis,
et temporum das tempora,
ut alleues fastidium ;
3 dans Eos Fs Hbd lemn Mm.
i. conditor] i.e. Christ; cp. de thought de Helia ix. 32 ab ipso
Fid.v. 36 Dei Filium, cum conditor mundi conditore didicimus saepe
ipse sit temporum; ib. IX. 58 cum diuersitatibus cumulari gratiam.
Filius temper is auctor sit et creator ; temporum. . .tempora] There is
Hex. IV. 5 Filius fecit solem. some play on the different uses of
3. Ambr. expresses the same the word, temporum being the sea-
HYMN II. AMBROSE
praeco diei iam sonat,
noctis profundae peruigil,
nocturna lux uiantibus,
a nocte noctem segregans.
hoc excitatus lucifer
soluit polum caligine,
hoc omnis errorum chorus
31
5
10
5 sonet Eh Fp 2 s Gb Hbcde Im Mm. 6 profunda Imp Vc, profundo
Eh. 8 ac nocte He. segregat Ed. 9 excitato El Fkn Igm.
sons of the day and night, summer
etc., and tempora the fixed times at
which they come and go ; cp. Hex.
iv. 21 tempora out em quae sunt,
nisi mutationum nices?
6. ' Watchful throughout the
depth of night.' So of the night-
ingale Hex. v. 85 quae peruigil
custos...insomnem longae noctis la-
borem cantilenas suauitate solatur.
7. uiantibus] Quintilian vin.
vi. 33 objects to the word then just
coined : -uio pro eo infelicius fictum.
But it is more significant than eo,
connected as it is with the uiae, the
great military roads. It is one
of Ambr.'s favourite words, e.g.
Hex. III. 38 luna quoque uiantibus
iter demonstrat. The derivative uia-
tor is of course classical.
8. i.e. marking off one part of
the night from another; cp. Epist.
LXIX. 3 quam canora uox galii,
nocturnis uicibus sollewne munus
ad excitandum et canendum mini-
strans.
9. lucifer] the sun ; cf. Ambr.'s
lucifer excitatus oritur caelumqne
inlummat, quoted in the introduc-
tion to the hymn. So probably at
44. i.s, 46. 8, 61. 3; at 45. 5, 71. 9
it seems that the morning star is
meant.
The rhetorical repetition of hoc in
9, u, 13, 15 is in Ambr.'s manner;
as is that of gallus, gallus, gallo in
1 8, 20 and 21, and of tu, te, tibi in
29, 31 and 32.
10. polum] The Greek iroXos was
accepted as a Latin word and meant
(i) 'the pivot' on which a thing
turns, especially the axis of the
earth, ' the pole ' ; hence (2) ' the
vault of heaven ' as here, at 44. i
and Hex. I. 20 micans fulgentibus
stellis pohtSi having been so used in
classical writers, as Verg. Aen. III.
585 lucidus aethra \ siderea polus \
then (3) ' heaven ' itself, 13. 30,
32. i and often.
caligine] ' gloom ' rather than
absolute darkness; cp. Cic. Phil.
XII. 3 quod uidebam equidem, sed
quasi per caliginem ; yet applicable
to night, Hor. Od. in. xxix. 30
caliginosa nocte ', Ambr. Hex. v. 86
nocturnarum tenebrarum caligan-
tetp horror em.
n. hoc] 'at his note,' canente
being supplied in thought from 16.
This is simpler than (with Lipp) to
supply praecone governed by excita-
tus in 9.
errorum] ' the roving demons,'
abstract for concrete. Prudentius no
doubt had this stanza in mind : Catk.
I. 37 f. ferunt uaganles daemonas \
laetos tenebris noctium \ gallo ca-
nente exterritos \ sparsim timere et
cedere; and cp. Shakespeare Hamlet
I. i. Bernardo. It was about to speak
when the cock crew. Horatio. And
then it started like a guilty thing |
upon a fearful summons. I have
heard | the cock that is the trumpet
of the morn, | doth with his lofty
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
uias nocendi deserit.
hoc nauta uires colligit,
pontique mitescunt freta ;
hoc ipse petra ecclesiae 15
canente culpam diluit.
12 uiam Eacdjlosv0 Fk Gb Hgi lehnp Mm Vbc. 15 ipsa Ai
Ecdhjv Gb Hbcdef la Vabp. 16 deluit Edhjlv Fnp 1 Vc.
and shrill sounding throat | awake
the god of day; and at his warn-
ing... | the extravagant and erring
spirit hies | to his confine.... Mar-
cellus. It faded on the crowing of
the cock. | Some say that ever
'gainst that season comes | wherein
our Saviour's birth is celebrated, |
the bird of dawning singeth all
night long, | and then they say no
spirit can walk abroad, errouum,
the correction of the editors of the
Roman breviary of 1632, has been
taken up by most modern editors,
but it has no MS authority, and
spoils the sense. For, meaning
'idle slaves,' it would refer to evil
men, as both Biraghi and Lipp tak
it, in which case line 23 mucro latro-
nis conditur would be tautological.
And as to the use of the abstract
word errores for the roving demons,
if Livy I. xiii. 2 could use iras in
the sense of iratos, and at xxvili.
ix. 15 triumphum in that of triutn-
phatorem; if Tacitus A nn. xm.xxv
could use captiuitatis=captae urbis,
and later writers coniugia coniuges,
and so on, surely here Ambr. may
put errores when he means ' wan-
dering spirits.' At Hex. VI. 52 he
uses seruitiorum for ' slaves,' as
Livy does at H. xxxiv.
chorus is used in this sinister
sense by Ambr. de Cain I. 14 quo-
dam nequitiarwn chore circumfusa.
The cohors of the Roman breviary
is found in no MS.
12. For the phrase uias deserere
cp. Ambr. Epist. LXXVIII. 2 qui
uias eius deserant, and Deut. ix. 12,
1 6, Ecclus. xlix. 1 8, and for uias
nocendi Damasus xxvil. 2 carni-
ficumque uias pariter quod mille
nocendi \ uincere quod potuit, mon-
strauit gloria Christi.
15. ipse petra] 'the church's
rock himself.' For the gender of
ipse cp. Ambr. Hex. v. 88 ipse
ecclesiae pelra, which is reproduced
by Paulin. Nol. Epist. xxxii. 10;
also ille (ipse) uas electionis, Ambr.
in Ps. xxxvi. 17, in Ps. cxvin. iii.
1 8, de Paenit. I. 33 ; see too Vincent
Ler. 9 ille uas electionis, . ..ille aposto-
lorutn tuba ; and 3. 30 aurora tolus,
13. 31 electa...caput.
With Mt. xvi. j8f. cp. Ambr. de
Incarn. Dom. 34 fides ergo est eccle-
siae fundameritum ; non enim de
carne Petri sed de fide dictum est
quia portae mortis ei non praeuale-
bunt ; in Luc. vi. 95 qui enim
carnem uicerit, ecclesiae fundamen-
tum est.
1 6. diluit] 'washed away' with
his tears. The phrase culpa diluitur
is found in Ambr. in Ps. XL. 5 ; and
for Ambr.'s application of Peter's
tears of penitence cp. in Luc. X. 90
Jleuit ergo amarissime Petrus...et tu,
si ueniavi uis mereri, dilue lacrimis
titis culpam tuam. The form sup-
ported by so many MSS, deluit,
inclines one to think that a word
deluo, with which cp. abluo (10. 18
etc., in Ps. cxvin. iii. 18 and often),
existed side by side with diluo,
especially as other compounds of de
are used in a similar way: thus we
have in Luc. v. 56 delicta defieui
(where see the context in 55 etc.),
ib. V. 106 peccata detergas.
1 7 f. ' The cock awakens the lie-
HYMN IL AMBROSE
33
surgamus ergo strenue :
gallus iacentes excitat
et somnolentos increpat ;
gallus negantes arguit. 20
gallo canente spes redit,
aegris salus refunditur,
mucro latronis conditur,
lapsis fides reuertitur.
lesu, labantes respice, 25
et nos uidetjdo corrige ;
20 negantem Abi Hd Vap. 21 ipso (pro gallo) Ih. 22 egri
Fi Ig. 24 fide Vp. 25 labentes Ecdjsvx 2 /u0 Fdhinps/c Gab Habdef
Ibghimo Vb Mm, pauentes A meliores cum bcgi Elo Vap.
a-beds and chides the drowsy, the
cock convicts those who deny ' :
note the climax. The sleep is of the
soul, and the denial is compared, by
the choice of the word negantes, to
the guilt of Peter ; the three calls
reminding us of Christ's three calls
in the garden, and Peter being men-
tioned here as in stanzas iv, vi and
vn. The variant negantem would
perhaps over-emphasize the con-
nexion with him.
arguit] ' Convicts' of their guilt ;
Joh. xvi. 8 arguet mtindum de pec-
cato.
21. spes] because the weary
watcher knows thereby that dawn
is at hand.
22. Ambr. is remarkably fond
of using fundo and its many com-
pounds, especially refundo and in-
fumio, in both literal and meta-
phorical sense ; cp. de Noe 42 ant-
mae refusam esse uirtutem ; ib. 59
uigor animae se refundit \ Epist.
iv. 7, xii. 2; 9. 3, 10. 5, 16. 4.
See the note on infunde 3. 8, and
the fuller list of the derivatives of
fundo used by Ambr. which Steier
gives on pp. 586, 642. The com-
pounds used by Ambr. are circum-
fttndo, confundo, diffundo, effundo,
offundo, prof undo, super/undo, trans-
fundo, and perhaps others.
25 f. Lu. xxii. 60 f., esp. 61
Domin'K respexit Petrum ; cp.
Prud. Cath. I. 49 qti if uis sit hums
alitis | Saiuator ostendit Petro, \ ter
anteqnam gallus canat \ sese negan-
dum praedicans. \\_fit namque pecca-
tum prius \ quain praeco lucis proxi-
mae \ inlustret humanum genus \
finetnque peccati ferat. || fleuit ne-
gator denique.
labantes] ' tottering,' ' ready to
fall,' answers to titubantes in the
parallel prose passage. The less rare
word labentes is read in most MSS,
but this would bring a spondee into
the second foot of the verse, which
fault Ambr. would be likely to
avoid, but which copyists would as
a rule disregard. But we must admit
that Ambr. elsewhere uses labor
in this connexion, as at Hex. v. 35
titubat sed non labitur. Dreves at
first read labantes with Biraghi, but
in Analecta L. p. n labentes (with
v.l. in critical notes faucntes, which
must be a misprint). Steier reads
pauentes with the Ambrosian MSS,
and this should perhaps be read in
the text, the allusion being probably,
not (as Biraghi and Pimont suggest)
to the fear of mighty demons, but
to the cowardice through which St
Peter fell.
respice] Ambr. in Luc. x. 89
34
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
si respicis lapsus cadunt,
fletuque culpa soluitur.
tu lux refulge sensibus,
mentisque somnum discute ; 30
te nostra uox primum sonet,
et uota soluamus tibi.
27 lapses E/*0 Fs Habcdegi Icim Va j p, lapsi Ex Fh Hf Ibo (h lapsis),
lapsu Es, laxus Ev. stabunt (pro cadunt) ~E\n<f> Fhs Hacdefgi Ihimo,
cauent Ab, si nos respicis. lapsi non cadunt Eo. 30 noctis (pro mentis)
Eo. 32 ora (pro uota) Abcg^o/x Fk Gb Habce' 2 gi Ibehnop Vacp,
ore Esx# Fis Hde 1 Ic Mm. psallamus (pro soluamus) Esx< Fis
Mm.
respexit lesus et ilk amarissime
fletiit. respice, domine lesu, ut
sciamus nostrum dejlere peccatum.
unde etiam lapsus sanctorum utilis.
27. lapsus cadunt] ' our back-
slidings fall from us ' ; a play on
words rather like 6. 22 dormire culpa
nonerit. For the plural lapsus cp.
Ambr. Apol. Dauid 46 lapsus quis
intellegit ? ( = Ps. xviii. 1 3 delicta
quis infellegit?), Epist. LXX. 23 con-
fitentibus nobis lapsus nostros. He
elsewhere Hex. I. 31 speaks of a
lapsus ad mortem.
29. ' Shine forth as a light ' ; lux
is nominative as being part of the
predicate. Ambr. constantly uses
lux of Christ, cp. among many pas-
sages in Luc. IV. 43 et ipse lux uera ;
ib. iv. 43 quis est enim lux magna
nisi Christus; ib. vm. 36 lux, Dei
Filius ; de Spir. S.l. 141 lux autem
et Filius; ib. I. 142 quia Filius
Dei lux est. refulge almost means
' blaze ' ; cp. Hex. IV. 8 ante solem
lucet quidem, sed non refulget dies,
sensibus stands here, as elsewhere,
for 'thoughts' not 'senses'; cp.
3.8.
30. mentis] ' of the soul,' as at
3. 17, 28, 6. 16, 21 etc.
somnum] Slothful negligence of
our duty towards God is often de-
scribed as a sleep of the soul ; cp.
i Cor. xi. 30, B. 21, 20. 12. Our
praise of Him is one of our duties,
and so lines 31, 32 are added.
For the phrase somnum discute
cp. Propert. III. x. 13 ac primum
pura somnum tibi discute lympha ;
Ammian. Marcell. xix. vi. 8 dis-
cusso somno. Steier quotes also from
Ambr. de Bono Mortis 42 lux non
recepit tetiebras, nam statim discutit,
in Ps. cxvill. iii. 25 uclamen dis-
cuteret.
Line 30 is imitated by Prudentius,
see 20. 13; and 31 with slight
changes recurs in later hymns, see
BO. 2, 64. 5.
32. We 'discharge our vows' to
God by singing His praises. This
thought also often recurs, cp. 5.
n f. uoti...soluimus.
The variant ora is no doubt due
to the misreading of uota by an
early copyist, who did not see what
' the vows ' were. With ora, 32
would be little more than a repeti-
tion of 31, as would be the other
reading ore psallamus tibi, which is
not quite free from blame from a
metrical point of view, see the note
on IB. 10. But when Dreves (Aure-
lius Ambrosius p. 48, note 2) states
that ore psallamus is to be found
only in Daniel, he is not quite just,
for this reading is found in several
MSS, though none of them are very
old.
HYMN III. AMBROSE 35
HYMN 3
[The following hymn is twice quoted in one epistle
Fulgentius (468-533) as the work of Ambrose.
Ipsuin eniin apostolica praedicat auctoritas splendorem
rloriae et figurant substantiate Dei; quod sequens beatus
Ainbrosius in liyntno matutino splendorem paternae gloriae
7 ilium esse pronuntiat (Ep. XIV. 10). Again, Hinc est
id beatus Ainbrosius in hymno matutino huius nos
vstulare gratiam ebrietatis edocuit, dum dicimus : Laeti
bibamus sobriam ebrietatem Spiritus (Ep. XIV. 42). The
testimony of Fulgentius would itself be as good as that
of any of his contemporaries. But the testimony is
borne out by an allusion of Augustine's, Vent Medio-
laniuni ad Ambrosium episcopum,...cuius tune eloquia
strenue ministrabant adipem frumenti tui et laetitiam olei
et sobriam vini ebrietatem populo tuo (Conf. XIII. xiii. 23).
The style of the hymn itself is unmistakable, and the
other canons of Biraghi hold good with regard to it.
Aurelian orders that it should be sung at matins,
alternately with Aeterne lucis conditor.~\
Abcdgh EKacdhjlosvx/i Fabdhijknopsuy-yV Gabm Habcdefgir
Ibcdeghinmopv Mam Vabcpr
Splendor paternae gloriae,
de luce lucem proferens,
i praeferens ESv.
i . Heb. i. 3 qui cum sit splendor sempiternus, quasi uerbum, quasi
gloriae eius; VVisd. vii. 16 candor splewior lucis aeternae ; quia simul
est enim lucis aeternae. In both splendor operatur, ut nascitur. ib. II.
places the Greek has cbrairyao>ui, prol. 8, IV. ioS,tnPs. xxxvm. 24,
' effulgence.' The eternal relation of XL. 35, XLIII. 12, XLVII. 18, cxvin.
the Son to the Father is often illus- xix. 38. Hex. vi. 42 splendor gloriae
trated in early Christian writers by et paternae imago substantiae. The
the relation of the rays of light to the first two stanzas are addressed to
central source whence they stream. Christ.
Ambr. frequently uses splendor thus ; 2. Cp. the ' Nicene ' creed lumen
e.g. de Fid. I. 79 dicet aliquis quo- de lumine; Sedul. Carm. I. 113 et
modo generates est Filius? quasi Mum commune Patris de lumine
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
lux lucis et fons luminis,
dies dierum inluminans,
uerusque sol inlabere, 5
micans nitore perpeti,
iubarque sancti Spiritus
infunde nostris sensibus.
4 diem (pro dierum) Ehs/* Fbhipuy Gb 2 Igimv Vb. inluminas Vp.
6 nitorem Gb. perpetim Echv Fb Gb Hd Iv.
lumen; 4 Esdras vi. 40 tune dixisti
de thesauris tuis proferri lumen
luminosum.
3. lux lucis] the Light which
gives its character to all other light,
without which there could be no
light. The -que of v. 5 seems to in-
dicate that lux, like sol, is intended
to be a predicate, 'Come as the
Light.'
4. The variant diem dies i. , though
read by most modern editors, is not
found in any of the early MSS, most
of which give the certainly true text
dies dierum i. Participles used as
adjectives regularly take a gen.
Draeger I. p. 445 f., Schmalz 367.
Among many examples we find in
Ambr. Hex. III. 8 ejficiens naturae,
ib. V. 22 appetens dbi, ib. vi. 20
futuri prouidens, de Fuga 6 fugi-
tantes mundi; cp. de Res. 90, 133,
etc. Kayser well says that the con-
trast of the one eternal day with the
countless earthly days makes us pre-
fer the reading dies dierum. And he
notes that the construction of the
genitive with the present participle
brings out well the abiding character
and the constantly and changelessly
returning power of bringing light
held by the Son. The variant dies
diem would be due to a misreading
of the contracted form in which
dierum would often be written ; and
when elision was no longer in use,
diem would be easier to sing and
more natural to write than the longer
dierum.
5. Christ is the real sun, our sun
in the heavens having but borrowed
light and heat, the phrase coming
from Mai. iv. 2 to which Ambr. con-
stantly refers; cp. Hex., iv. 2 and 5,
in Ps. XLIII. 6, cxvin. ii. 9, viii. 51
and 57, xii. 13 and 25, xix. 18 et tu
surge uel media nocte...ut, dum or as
node, ueri solis pectori ttto splendor
inradiet; 97. i.
uerus sol is nom. because it is
part of the predicate, like tit lux
refulge in the hymn before.
inlabere] 'steal into our souls';
cp. Verg. A en. III. 89 [Aeneas to
the god Apollo] da pater augur ium
atque animis inlabere nostris; 89.
10, 115. 19.
7 . iubar ] strictly ' the ray ' of early
dawn; cp. Verg. Aen. iv. 130, Ju-
venc. III. i fuderat in terras roseum
iubar ignicomus sol, 74. 14, Ambr.
de Parad. 23 Christum, qui iubar
quoddam aeternae lucis effudit. Hex.
iv. i procedit sol magno iubare diem
...conplens.
8. infunde] 2. 22 note. In Ps.
cxviil. vi. 9 ut infundat sensibus...;
xix. 30 [Domtnus] subito se apostoli-
cis penetralibus inprouisus infudit ;
in Luc. I. 34 cut Spiritus sanctus
infunditur. This appeal to the Son
to shed the rays of the Spirit upon
us is perhaps based on Ambr.'s in-
terpretation of Ps. xxxv. (xxxvi.) 10
apud te est fons uitae etc. ; see de
Spir. I. 152 f.
9. et Patrem] as well as the Son.
For the rhetorical repetition see
2. 9 .
10 f. ' Let us call upon the Father
HYMN IIL AMBROSE
37
uotis uocemus et Patrem
Patrem perennis gloriae, 10
Patrem potentis gratiae
culpam releget lubricam,
informet actus strenuos,
dentem retundat inuidi,
casus secundet asperos, 15
donet gerendi gratiam,
mentem gubernet et regat
casto fideli corpore ;
9 ad (pro et) EKj, te Ecdhv/*</> Fbd Gabm Hce Id'gm Mm Vb.
12 religet Vbc et plurimi, redegit ENj, repellat (-et) Fb Gb Ih. 14 dentes
Edhjlv (-is EC) Gb Hd Ibcdhmv. 18 castos Ad ESs<, casto et Hd.
...to banish afar guilt with its snares.'
releget depends upon uocetmis: the
mood is indirect jussive, to pass in-
sensibly into the precative use, which
seems more suitable in 21 f. glotiae
looks back to line i , gratiae to the
following words.
12. lubricam always connotes
an idea of danger, which is further
brought out here by its emphatic
place at the end of the stanza. The
epithet is applied to the sin itself
though more strictly applicable (as
in 5. 25) to the occasion of sin or to
the desires which lead to the sin;
cp. Ambr. Epist. xxn. 4 aduersus
lubricum saeculi huius stabiles per-
manserunt ,Vt . 13, 62 b. 5,72.4,86.8.
13. 'May He shape our actions
into energy,' cp. in Ps. I. 12 actus-
que for mare, in Luc. I. 31 informa-
tus a Domino, ib. IV. 50 moralem
informet adfecttim . informare is one
of Ambr. 'swords, cp. in Luc. II. 50,
iv. 4, 13, 50, Hex. in. 19, 53, IV.
13, V. 25, Epist. i. 31, vi. 105, IX.
17, LIII. 2.
14. inuidi] cp. Wisd. ii. 24 in-
uidia autem diaboli mors introiuit
in orbem terrarum, 6. 27, 31. 89,
43. 16, 58. 8. Our ' malignant foe ' is
probably here conceived of as in the
form of a serpent ; cp. in Ps. XLVIII.
8 Adam dente serpentis est uulne-
ratus et obnoxiam hereditatem suc-
cessionis humanae suo uulnere dere-
liquil, ut omnes illo uulnere claudi-
cemus. de Abrah. 11.59 quiaprinceps
mundi huius et uolucres caeli, spiri-
tualium nequitiae...uelut cadauera
mortuorum dilacerent dente as per o.
de Betted. Patr. 32 uulneratus dente
serpentis. He is elsewhere described
as a lion : i Pet. v. 8, 31. 90, 32.
16, or as a wolf Joh. x. 12, 35. 4, or
as a tyrant 109. 23.
15. secundet] 'change for the
better,' 'turn to good,' Verg. Georg.
iv. 397 euentus... secundet, A en. ill.
36 secundarent uisus.
1 6. gerendi] ' grace to act wisely '
used absolutely in the sense of rein
gerendi, as in Cic. Rep. I. 8 in ge-
rendo probabiles.
17. mentem | ' the soul ' as at 2.
30. Ambr. often combines the two
verbs glib, and reg. as at Hex. I. 7,
de Abr. n. 9 following the example
of Cic. de Nat. D. \. 52 qui regat,
qui gubernet quoted by Steier, who
also compares ad Attic. XVI,. ii. 2,
pro Sulla 78.
18. The body, the animal part of
us, is the great hindrance to the soul
in its aspirations after God, Rom.
viii. 13. If therefore the flesh does
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
20
fides calore ferueat,
fraudis uenena nesciat.
Christusque nobis sit cibus,
potusque noster sit fides ;
laeti bibamus sobriam
ebrietatem Spiritus.
laetus dies hie transeat,
pudor sit ut diluculum,
33 uiuamus Es. sobria Gm Vr, sobrie EXchlo Fi Gb 2 Habceir
Vb. 24 ebrietate Vr. 26 diluculo Eos Gb Hcd^ 1 Mm (de
luculo ESv).
not seduce the soul (casto), and if it
loyally obeys the promptings of the
soul (fideli), all is well. The use of
two adjectives without et, qualifying
one subst., is very rare in Latin, but
we find it again at 91. 5, 109. 17.
This passage is imitated in 46.
2t f.
20. 'The poison of false craft'
is that of wrong doctrine, the prayer
being that our fait A may not know
it. Steier is wrong when he objects
to this interpretation, explaining the
poison as that of the devil, quoting
several passages where uenenum is
so used by Ambr. ; but among other
passages cp. de Sp. 1. 17. Cp. Ambr.
de Fid. I. 42 omnem enim uim uene-
norum suorum, 44 una perfidia...
non dissimilis fraude, ill. 129; in
Luc. i. 3 uenenatus...adsertionibus,
vn. 51; Epist. n. 28 imbuti animi
infidelitatis uenenis ; in Luc. VII. 47
haereticos. . .qui studio fraudis abiu-
rant. uenena is thus used in the
plural by Verg. and Hor. and often
by Ambr. e.g. in Ps. xxxvil. 8,
XLVIII. 8.
nesciat] with ace. is very common
in Ambr. e.g. in Ps. cxvill. vii. 31
nescis illam caliginem noctis; cp.
Verg. Georg. I. y)\puellae \ nesciuere
hiemem. Ronsch 373.
21. Joh. vi. 50; Ambr. in Luc.
VI. 74 nonne ipse te pauit? cibus
eius uirtus est, cibits eius fortitude
est; Epist. LXXVII. 5 bonus cibus
omnium Christus est, bonus cibus
est fides.
23 f. ' Let us drink with joy the
sober intoxication of the Spirit ' ;
based on Eph. v. 18 nolite inebriari
uino. . .sed implemini Spiritu sancto.
Ambr. often refers to this bold
phrase; de Cain I. 19 haec ebrielas
sobrios facit, haec ebrietas gratiae
non temulentiae est ; laetitiam gene-
rat, non titubantiam, ib. 20 haec
ebrietas pudicitiae custos est ; de Bono
Mortis 20 feruentioris Spiritus ser-
mo qui inebriat ; in Ps. I. 33 bona
ebrietas, quae sobriae stabiliret
mentis incessum ; CXVIII. xv. 28 hoc
ergo ebrietate corpus non titubat sed
resurgit; cp. also the passages of
Aug. and Fulg. (xiv. 42) quoted in
the introduction to this hymn. For
the combination bibamus ebrietatem,
cp. de Isaac 50 anima hausit mys-
teriorum ebrietatem caelestium, and
for the metaphorical use of ebrieta-
tem, Ecclus. xxxn. 17 Dominum...
inebriantem te ab omnibus bonis suis.
ebrietatem] The accent falls on
the i and tends to lengthen it.
26. diluculum] ' the twilight ' just
before dawn. Ambr. may be think-
ing in this beautiful line either of the
shy retirement of modesty dwelling
in the dim light, or of the purity of
the first rays of dawn. Cp. Cant. vi.
9 quaenam est haec prospiciens tarn-
HYMN IV. AMBROSE 39
fides uelut meridies,
crepusculum mens nesciat.
aurora cursus prouehit,
aurora totus prodeat, 30
in Patre totus Filius,
et totus in Verbo Pater.
29 aurorae Vr. prouehat (proueat) Abcg Fb Vap. 30 tola Ecdl,
totos Eo Habce 2 gir lo Vac. protegat Eo F^ Habce 2 gir lo, fulgeat Es.
i/ttam diluciihim ? quoted by Ambr. sibus . . .lustret omnia; de Fid. Res.
de Bened. Patrum 45. n. 31 anni cursus, 47. 3, 66. 2.
27. fides] unlike pitdor, delights Ambr. also uses Hex. v. 8gfatibs,
in the heat and light of noon; cp. in Luc. vn. 160 naturis etc. See
calore ferueat, 19. Draeger I. 9 f., Schmalz 604, Steier
meridies] Cp. Hex. iv. 22 in 643.
meridiano pascis . . ,ubi fulget iudi- 30. For the gender of totus cp.
fium sicut meridies ; in Ps. cxvin. ipse petra, 2. 15 note. This 'dawn'
ii. 1 1 Hits luces, illis refulges, Hits is Christ, as the following lines ex-
calet gratia sicut meridies. plain.
28. crepusculum] strictly 'the 3rf. Cp. in Ps. xxxvi. 37 Pater
dusk ' of evening, mens, ' the soul,' Dens totus in Filio est et Filius in
from which Ambr. prays that the Patre; in Ps. XLVii. 18 quiita ex-
light may never fade away ; cp. 6. pressit Patrem ut in eo totus sit
19, 6. 32. Pater sicnt in Patre totus est Filius :
29. cursus] p'ural in a singular The thought is of course taken from
sense as at Verg. Aen. in. 460, 686 passages like Joh. xiv. 10.
and Ambr. Hex. IV. 2 rapidis cur-
HYMN 4
Augustine definitely says that Ambrose wrote this
hymn ; see de Natura et Gratia 63 quern Spiritum memo-
ratns episcopus etiam precibus impetrandum admonet, ubi
in hymno dicit : uotisque praestat sedulis sanctum mereri
Spiritum. Even without his authority we might know
from the style and from the treatment of the subject-
matter that it came from Ambrose.
Caesarius of Aries, in his Regula ad uirgines, and
Aurelian both appoint it to be sung in primo die paschae
ad tertiam, the latter adding cotidianis . . .diebus (i.e. on
week days as opposed to Sundays and festivals) ad
40 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
tertiam sex psalmos dicite,antiphonam,ymnum lam surgit
hora tertia.
It does not seem to have passed into any later use, its
place being taken by Certum tenentes ordinem (52), lam
sexta sensim uoluitur (55), and Rector potens> uerax Deus
(17).
The first line was borrowed with which to begin a
Mozarabic hymn, also for terce, the first stanza of which
runs thus ; lam surgit hora tertia \ et nos intenti curri-
mus, | psallendi opus implemus, \ Christum laudemus
Dominum ; see Analecta XXVII. 108.
Abcdghk Vapr
lam surgit hora tertia,
qua Christus ascendit crucem ;
nil insolens mens cogitet,
intendat affectum precis.
qui corde Christum suscipit, 5
innoxium sensum gerit,
uotisque praestat sedulis
sanctum mereri Spiritum.
7 perstat edd.
i . surgit is used of time as at mundum ; de Inst. Virg. 1 1 3
116. 5, cp. 22. i and the note on 5. Christum intendat; in Ps. cxvin.
\onoctisexortu. It is fairly common viii. 48 haec diligenter intende. He
of the coming of day (cp. Verg. also uses it with a following dative,
Georg. III. 400 surgente die; Aen. and with ad or in followed by an
in. 588), less common of the several ace.
hours. 5. Cp. Eph. iii. 17; Ambr.
3. nil Insolens] 'no proud Episi. xxxvil. 22 qui Christum
thought ' : the hour of Christ's hu- recipit. This we are invited to do
miliation is no season for this. by a reminder of what took place al
4. affectum precis appears to the third hour.
mean ' the mind to pray ' (cp. Hex. 6. For gerit thus used cp. de Off.
v. 88 hoc canente deuotus adfectus n. 68 sobrium gerere animum ; de
exsilit ad precandum} and to in- lacob l\. y> pacificum affectum gere-
tendere this is to apply oneself to it, bat ; in Ps. xxxvi. 51 paenitentiam
to give all one's attention to it. g. ; de Fuga Saec. 57 si geras Chris-
Ambrose is given to constructing turn.
intendere with an ace., as Hex. I. t 7. praestat] When praestare is
Deum...ideam intendentem fecisse used with an infinitive or a depen-
HYMN IV. AMBROSE
9 qua Vr.
Abdgh Vap.
haec hora, quae finem dedit
diri ueterno criminis, 10
mortisque regnum diruit
culpamque ab aeuo sustulit.
hinc iam beata tempera
coepere Christi gratia,
10 ueterni Vr. crimini Ab 2 cg Vap. n diluit
13 hie Abcdg Vapr. 14 Christi coep. Acdgh Vapr.
dent clause, the meaning seems to
be connected with that use, common
in classical Latin, where praestare
aliquem or aliquid is ' to be respon-
sible for,' 'to undertake.' Thus Cic.
pro Flacco 12 quid? nullos fore quis
praestare poterat? 'Who could un-
dertake that there should be none?'
This passes into 'seeing to it that'
etc. So Livy xxx. 30 says ne quern
eius paenittret,...praestili, 'I have
made it my business, have seen to it
that no one'; Ov. Trist. v. xiv. 19
ne quis possittemer aria dicerepraesta,
'See to it that nobody'; Juvencus
ill. 462 nee minus in stratis aegros
donare salute... praestat, 'makes it
his business to give' ; Damasus IX. 2
uiuere qtii praestat morientia semina
terrae, ' sees to it that they live.'
Here praestat mereri will thus be
'undertakes to gain,' 'makes it his
business to win.' Perstat would
make good sense, if it had any au-
thority, but not one MS that I have
seen contains it. The two words are
often confused. In Prud. Symm. n.
991 in or dine recto praestat, the
word seems to have become a
synonym of perstat, which Dressel
reads.
8. mereri] ' win, '' obtain.' Aug.
quotes these lines (see intr. to this
hymn) to shew that Ambr. held the
belief that men can do nothing
without the grace of God. Clearly
he had no idea that mereri could be
used against him in the sense of ' to
merit.' Cp. Ambr. de Resur. 124
post usum uota fastidiunt ; el quae
optauimus mereri, cum nleruerimus,
abdicamus; 41. 51, 63. 6, 102. 6,
125. 22, 127. 33. Ronsch p. 387
quotes Herm. Past. I. iii. i qui iam
meruerunt Deum. The Greek KO.T-
a.iu6riva.i is used in a similar way.
Spiritum] which was outpoured at
this third hour, Acts ii. See Intro-
duction to 16 below.
9. 'This is the hour which...'
finem dare in place of the more
usual f. facere is a Vergilian phrase
Aen. I. 199, 241. It is found in
Ambr. in Ps. XL. 37, de Virginib.
I. 15, Epist. vi. 9.
10. ueteraus] (i) 'old age,'
Stat. Theb. vi. 94 [silua] nee solos
hominum transgressa ueterno \fer-
tur auffs: hence (2) 'lethargy,'
'neglect,' Verg. Georg. I. 124 nee
torpere graui passus sua regna ue-
terno. (3) 'filth,' 'sin,' Prud. Cath.
XI. 63 f. nam nunc renalus sordi-
dum | mundus ueternum depulit.
u. mortis regnum] Cp. Wisd.
i. 14, Rom. v. 14.
12. aeuo] ' the world.' The more
usual word is saeculum, but cp.
Paulin. Nol. Carm. XV. 173 Christi
memorjinmemor aewi; Sedul. Carm.
III. 172 in reliquum doctrina fiuens
decurreret aetium; id. Hymn. I. 97
toto credent ibus aeuo; 36. 23.
13. nine] 'with this hour.' For
beata tempora cp. 116. 8.
14. Christi gratia] Acts ii. 33.
For the sense cp. Ambr. in Ps.
CX VI 1 1. vi. 25 passus est Christus et
omnia coeperunt no uae gratiaefecun-
dari germinibus.
4 2
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
fidei repleuit ueritas
totum per orbem ecclesias.
celso triumph! uertice
matri loquebatur suae :
'en filius, mater, tuus,'
apostolo 'en mater tua,'
20
15 fide Vr. 17 celsus Vr.
15. fidei ueritas] a phrase used
by Ambr. de Job III. 16, in Ps.
xxvin. 34, Epist. xxi. 12. It
means the true faith.
17. Triumphus in the sense of an
instrument or monument of victory
is not classical, and this is a singu-
larly bold identification of the Cross
with what it stood for : ' from the
height of His ensign of victory.'
Possibly 31. 87 is to be understood
in the same way. That the Cross,
apparently the token of shame,
was really the sign of victory, is
found in i Cor. i. 18, 23, Gal. vi.
14, Col. ii. 15. Thus Peter's cross
was a triumph (13. 3). This
thought often recurs in Ambr. :
cp. in Luc. vn. 5 ille eat...
ecclesiae filius qui crucem trium-
phum putat, si uocem Christi trium-
phantis agnoscat ; x. 109 units Dei
triumphus fecit omnes prope iam
homines triumphare ; de Fide IV. 8
triumpho cruets. So also Ambr.
uses tropaeum, de Virginib. \. 7
[Agnes] tender e Christo ...manus,
tropaeum Domini signare uictoris;
i.e. with outstretched arms she made
the sign of the Cross. So too
Prud. Cath. IX. 83 die tropaeum
passionis, die triumphalem crucem;
and 33. i.
18. Joh. xix. 26 f. Cp. in Luc. II.
i maluit. . .aliquos de suo ortu quam
de matris pudore dubitare ; ib. 4
Dominus ipse in cruce positus mani-
fest auit [Mariae uirginitateni], cum
dicit matri: mutter, ecce filius tuus,
deinde discipulo : ecce mater tua.
de Inst. Virg. 46 f. ipse testis est
Filius Dei, qui cum esset in cruce
discipulum matri commendabat ut
20 apostole omn. en om. Ah.
filium, discipulo earn tradebat nt
matrem... tf dignum quippe erat ut
qui latroni ueniam donabat, matrem
dubio pudoris absolueret. dicit enim
ad matrem : mulier, ecce filius tttus,
dicit et ad discipulum : ecce mater
tua. ipse est discipulus cut mater
commendatur...$> testalur de cruce
Dominus Jesus et paulisper publi-
cam differt salutem, ne matrem in-
honoram relinquat ; . . .legatur matri
pudoris defensio, testimonium in-
tegritatis. in Luc. x. 133 quo loco
uberrimum testimonium Mariae
uirginitatis adhibetur, neque enim
abrogatur uxor marito, cum scrip-
turn sit : qtiod Deus coniunxit homo
non separet, sed quae propter myste-
rium coniugium praetexuit comple-
tis mysteriis iam coniugio non egebat.
Ambr. thought that Joseph was
still living, as is to be seen from the
passage just quoted and from in Luc.
II. 4 numquam uirum proprium re-
liquisset \Maria~\, nee uir earn iustus
passus esset a se discedere. See also de
Inst. Virg.^i, fist.i.xm. 109 etc.
20. I have written apostolo for
apostole of the MSS ; cp. in Luc. n.
4 dicil matri : mulier, ecce filius
tuus, deinde discipulo : ecce mater
tua. Ib. X. 131 hie et in cruce non
inmemor matris appellat earn die ens:
ecce filius tuus, et lohanni: ecce
mater tua.
21. praetenta] lit. 'stretched in
front of the mystery like a veil, to
screen it ; from praetendere. Cp.
Tert. Pudic. 17 omnes \epistulae
apostolicae\ pro pudicitia, pro casti-
tate...praetendunt. The verb was
especially in military use and a fa-
vourite with Ambr. Ronsch p. 366 f.
HYMN IV. AMBROSE
43
praetenta nuptae foedera
alto docens mysterio,
ne uirginis partus sacer
matris pudorem laederet.
cui fidem caelestibus 25
lesus dedit miraculis,
nee credidit plebs impia :
qui credidit saluus erit.
21 praetentae Va. nupta Ad. 23 nee Adh. 25 in cael. Adgh.
quotes several examples of its use by
him.
nuptae foedera] ' the covenant of
a bride,' i.e. the bridal covenant.
22. Mysterio is dative, governed
\rypraetenta. The mysterium was the
secret of Christ's conception by the
holy Spirit; cp. in Luc. X. 133
quoted above, Epist. v. i$his signis
et ipsa Mariae uirginitas apud ig-
naros mysterii probri suspect abatur.
The combination of altum with
mysterium is found in Ambr. de
Cain i. 37, in Lttc. III. 35 and
elsewhere ; and he has Epist. xvm.
7 caeli mysterium doceat me Deus
ipse.
23. ne... laederet] i.e. in the
opinion of the people, in view of the
above passages ; otherwise the re-
ference might have been, not to the
purpose of the praetenta foedera^
but to the manner of the birth :
' that His birth (being a sacred and
a virgin birth) might not impair His
mother's purity.' This would fall in
with Ambr.'s use of pudor, e.g. 6.
14, 18.
25 f. ' Of which (i.e. His mira-
culous birth and Godhead) Jesus
gave proof by heavenly miracles ' ;
a passage imitated by Sedulius, 31.
45 f. miraculis dedit fidem habere se
Deum patrem. cui refers back to
mysterio, or perhaps to u. partus
sacer.
25. cui] The tendency of late
Latin was to resolve diphthongs.
Thus Juvenal, Martial, Ausonius,
Prudentius scan cttf, Orientius cut.
But Prud. once scans it as a short
monosyllable, Cath. III. 167. So
Fortunatus scans cfiius, vi. i. 135,
VII. v. 22.
fidem] 'proof,' the ground on
which the belief is founded. Cp.
12. 14, 31. 45, Hex. IV. 15 hinc
fidem suae disputationis arcessere.
caelestibus... miraculis] Cp. in
Ps. CXVIII. xxxiii. 6 crucem esse
salutem nnindi testimonies caeles-
tibus adstruebat. The in of several
MSS may have been inserted by a
copyist who looked upon cui as a
monosyllable.
27. Job. xii. 37. plebs impia, the
Jewish people, as at Niceta de
Psalmod. Bono 6 (p. 74, ed. Burn)
nam et generatio tins exprimitur et
reiectio plebis impiae et gentium
hereditas nominalur; cp. 108. 14.
impia] failing in the special duty
towards God of believing in His
Son. Ambr. puts it more fully in
the phrase Hex. I. 14 impii et in-
fideles.
28. [Mk] xvi. 1 6. Ambr. Epist.
XXII. 21 audiuimus hodie dicentes
eos, <]uibus manus imponebatur,
neminem posse esse sa/uurn, nisi qui
in Patrem et Filium et Spiritual
sanctum credidisset. Perhaps the
concurrence of the double u explains
the lengthening of -uus.
44
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
nos credimus natum Deum
partumque uirginis sacrae,
peccata qui mundi tulit
ad dexteram sedens Patris.
3
29 del Vap.
29. HOB] in emphatic contrast
with Jews and no doubt also with
Arians, see Introduction, p. 17.
' We for our part do believe the
birth of God and that a sacred
virgin bare [Him]'; cp. Damas.
XCi. if. qui natum passumque
Deum repetisse paternas \ sedes atque
iterum uentunim ex aethere credit.
31. Joh. i. 29 qui tollit peccatum
mttndi. tuli, in meaning as in form,
is often found as the perfect of tollo
(though sustuli abstuli are the com-
moner words) ; cp. amongst many
instances in Ambr. in Ps. cxviu.
xii. 47 uenit agnus Dei, gut tulii
peccatum mundi; de Fuga Saec. 55
donee moriatur princeps sacerdotum
qui tulit peccatum mundi, with
Apol. David 73 qui p. m. abs tulit;
in Luc. IV. 41 tolle martyrum cer-
tamina, tulisti coronas; tolle cru-
ciatus, tulisti beatitudines. So in
the Vulgate Joh. xi. 39 f. tottite
lapidem...tulerunt ergo; Lk. v. 24 f.
32 sedit Vr.
tolle lectum .. .tulit lectum. Sedul.
Op. II. 12 tollit... quod quidem
tulit. Fort. iv. x. 22 gaudia tot
populis, heu, tulit una dies.
peccata may be chosen instead
of peccatum in order to avoid a
spondee in the 2nd foot, but Ambr.
uses the plural in the prose of in
Ps. cxviu. iii. 26 tulil peccata
mundi. The plural passed into the
Gloria in Excelsis, both in the Greek
and in the Latin, not without a loss
of some depth of significance ; see
Westcott on St John I.e.
32. [Mk] xvi. 19, Heb. i. 3.
sedens] now, not at the time of
tulit. Niceta is perhaps alluding to
this line when he says de Psalmodiae
Bono 7 (p. 74, ed. Burn) uirtutes
Domini cantantur, passio ueneranda
depingitur, resurrectio gloriosa mon-
stratitr, sedisse quoqut ad dexteram
non tacetur. But the reference is
more probably to the Te Deum 18.
HYMN 5
The evidence for Ambrose as author of this hymn is
irrefragable. Twice Augustine refers to it as his : de
Beata Vita 35 hie mater recognitis uerbis, quae suae me-
moriae penitus inhaerebant, et quasi euigilans in fidem
suam uersum ilium sacerdotis nostri : foue precantes, Tri-
nitas, laeta effudit. Conf. IX. 32 (after his mother's death)
deinde dormiui et euigilaui et non parua ex parte miti-
gatum inueni dolorem meum, atque, ut eram in lecto meo
solus, recordatus sum ueridicos uersus Ambrosii tut: tu es
enim Deus creator omnium... Augustine also twice quotes
HYMN V. AMBROSE 45
the first line without giving the writer's name (de Mus.
VI. ii. 2, ix. 23), and often in the Confessions without even
marking it as a quotation (e.g. IV. 15), and he twice men-
tions it as part of a hymn (X. 52, XI. 35).
As to its church use see the Rule of Caesarius ad uir-
gines : ad uesperam simili modo in exteriori oratorio direc-
taneus parnulus dicatur et antiphonae tres, hymnus una
die: Deus, qui cert is legibus, alter a die: Deus creator
omnium ; cp. the Rule of Aurelian cotidianis igitur die-
bus... ad lucernarium omni tempore et festis et cotidianis
diebus inprimis directaneus, postea antiphonae duae, tertia
semper cum alleluia dicatur, y mnus una die: Deus, qui
certis legibus, alia die: Deus creator omnium et capitellum.
Ambr. probably wrote it for daily use throughout the
year and Ambrosian MSS give as rubric simply ymnus
uespertinalis. It was adopted into the later hymnary
and there assigned to vespers on Saturday. 'Its general
use is on Saturdays from that preceding the ist Sunday
after the Octave of the Epiphany to the Saturday before
Quadragesima Sunday, both inclusive ; and from the
Saturday preceding the ist Sunday in August to Advent.'
(Julian p. 290.)
It does not seem to have been adopted into the
Mozarabic breviary, which however has a hymn Deus
creator omnium, \ lucis auctor et diei, \perlustracordaom-
nium | lesu bone fidelium ; etc. this being appointed for
lauds on Saturdays infra hebdomadam I quadragesimae.
Ambr.'s vesper hymn is not received into the modern
Roman breviary.
Biraghi's sub-title, ad horam incensi, i.e. ' at the hour
of lighting,' is a phrase resting on no MS authority, being
derived from Ambr. de Virginib. III. 18 oratio nos crebra
Deo commendet ;...certe sollemnes orationes cum gratiarum
actione sunt deferendae, cum e somno surgimus . . .et hora
46 E A RLY LA TIN H YMNS
incensi. Prudentius' evening hymn, from which 27 is
taken, is entitled ad incensum lucernae. The service at
this hour was known in. the Greek Church as TO \VXVIKOV,
in the Western Church as lucernare or lucernarium. See
Aetheriae Peregrinatio LXXII. 5 hora autem decima, quod
appellant hie licinicon, nam nos dicimus lucernare, simi-
liter se omnis multitude colliget ad A nastasin, incenduntur
omnes candelae et cerei, etfit lumen infinitum.
Abcdghik EKcdhjlsvx</> Fabknops Ga Habcdefghi
Icdehnop Vacpr
Deus creator omnium,
polique rector, uestiens
diem decoro lumine,
noctem soporis gratia,
artus solutos ut quies 5
reddat laboris usui,
mentesque fessas alleuet
luctusque soluat anxios,
4 gratiam Va.
i. Cp. i Maccab. i. 24. mundi istius pukhritudinem...Ergo
i. poll] See 2. 10 note. Earthly decorum hoc , quod in singulis mundi
kings are rectores mundi Ambr. in partibus elucebat, in uniitersitale
Luc. JV. 37; cp. Verg. Aen. vm. resplenduit.
572 diuum tu maxime rector | lup- 4. gratia] ' the gracious gift,' or
piter. perhaps 'the kindly influence,' with
uestiens] as with a garment ; cp. which cp. Keble's ' soft dews of
Ps. ciii. 2, Verg. Aen. vi. 640 lar- kindly sleep.' Aug. Conf. ix. 33
gior hie campos aether et lumine (see the introduction to this hymn)
uestit pitrpureo. Ambr. often uses quotes the line as noctem sopora
uestire metaphorically, e.g. Hex. gratia according to the best MSS.
III. 47, 49, 52, 65, Epist. xxxiv, 7 5. Note the threefold use of
caeli lumina...creaturae sunt...ser- soluere in these lines 'relaxed in
uientes dispositioni creatoris aeterni, sleep,' 'disperse,' 'pay.'
mitiistrantes splendorem quo ues- 6. Cp. Nicet. tie Vigiliis i nox...
tiuntur atque die nocteque emicant. cunctos in somno detinet animantes,
There is something of a zeugma in ut reparatis uiribus per soporem
joining gratia and lumine with ues- possint diurnos labores sustinere ui-
tiens in the same way. gilantes . . .ergo diem ad opus, noctem
3. Ambr. de Off. I. 221 est igilur fecit ad requiem, et pro hoc, sicut
decorum quod praeeminet ... Habes hoc pro omnibus, gratias debemus agere
decorum generate, quia fecit Deus illi qui praestitit.
HYMN V. AMBROSE
47
grates peracto iam die
et noctis exortu preces, 10
uoti reos ut adiuues,
hymnum canentes soluimus.
te cordis ima concinant,
te uox canora concrepet,
te diligat castus amor, 15
te mens adoret sobria :
ut cum profunda clauserit
ii uotis Adh Fnps Vp. 13 concinat Eh Ga Ih Vr 1 , concinent Ejs
(concinnent Fb). 14 sonora Ah Vap. increpet Ej. 17 ut (pro
et) Abdh ESI Fb Gd Vap. profundo Ed.
7. alleuetj ' relieve,' cp. 2. 4.
8. anxios] 'torturing,' much
stronger than our anxious. Verg.
Aen. IX. 89 sollicitam timor anxius
angit.
9. 'We pay our thanks and
prayers... that Thou wouldest help
us who are bound by our vow.'
The singers are regarded as having
in the morning vowed to offer songs
and prayers on being brought safely
through the day. Now at evening,
having obtained their petition, they
acknowledge that the song and
prayers are due. Canmtes is nomi-
native and almost means ' by sing-
ing.' The clause ut adiuues de-
pends upon /raw. The first stanza
of 15 is constructed in somewhat
like manner. Not altogether unlike
is Hex. V. 36 auium, quae cum eunt
f ubitnm, quasi peracto laetae mitnere
aethera canlu mulcere consuerunt,
ut...laudes suo referant creator i.
magnum igitur incenlimim excitan-
dae nobis deuotionis amiseram. qui
cnim stnsum hominis gerens non
erubescat sine psalmornm celebritate
diem claudere, cum etiam minutissi-
mae aues sollemni deuotione tt dulci
carmine ortus dierum ac noctium
prosequantur ?
10. noctis exortu] an unusual
phrase, almost ' at the dawn of
night ' ; cp. Hex. v. 36 ortus dierum
ac tioctium ; 50. 1 1 . Ambr. brought
up upon Verg. would remember
Aen. ii. 250 ruit oceanonox, ' night
speeds up from ocean.'
1 1 . uoti reos] a phrase borrowed
from Verg. Aen. V. 237, where
Cloanthus begs for the sea-gods'
help : taurum \ constituam ante aras,
uoti reus. Festus says : reus dictus a
re quam promisit ac debet. With the
old Romans a vow implied a con-
tract between the vower and the
god to whom the vow was made.
If the god did his part, the vower
was bound to do (reus) his. A geni-
tive was used of that in which a
person was thus bound.
13. For the rhetorical repetition
of le see 2. 9.
cordis ima] ' the depth of the
heart.' The use of a neuter plu.
adj. followed by a gen. is a favourite
usage of Ambr., cp. 26, 6. 27, and
the many examples quoted by Steier
641, "e.g. mentis (cordis) occulta,
caeli alta, etc.
14. concrepet] an emphatic word
which has lost its more definite mean-
ing ' rattle ' (of arms etc.). Horace
Od. I. xviii. 5 uses the simple cre-
pare, 'harp upon.' Cp. 72. 12, 116.
28.
15. castus] Cp. 4. 28 satuus.
4 8
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
diem caligo noctium,
fides tenebras nesciat
et nox fide reluceat. 20
dormire mentem ne sinas,
dormire culpa nouerit,
castis fides refrigerans
somni uaporem temperet.
20 fidei luceat Ecdlsvx Fkops Hcde 1 Id'en Ver, fideli luc. EN 1 (fidelis
X 2 ) Fb HabceSfghi Id 2 hop. 21 sinat EC Fb Hh Vr. 21 culpam
Ad Ehj Fb Id 2 n Vr. 23 casti Es, castus EX, castos Adh Ecdlvx Fbp
Hacefi Idh. refrigeret Ex0 Fb (-rent Es). 24 uapore Vr.
1 8. caligo] Cp. 2. 10 note, and
observe the shortened a.
noctium] ' of the night ' ; when
no particular night is meant, the
plural is common ; cp. Steier 643.
19. fides tenebras] strongly con-
trasted as often in Ambr. e.g.
3. 28.
nesciat] See 3. 20 note-
20. ' And may night be illu-
mined with the light of faith.' Faith
is as it were a torch in the darkness ;
cp. 6. 32.
21. dormire] Cp. 2. 30 note; de
Inst. Virg. xvil. 1 1 1 uigilet cor
eius, caro dormiat ; de Nab. 63 f. ,
in Ps. cxvm. xii. 14.
mentem] ' the soul.' This is to be
kept awake (Cant. v. 2) ; sin (culpa
as at 4. 12) is to be laid to sleep.
ne sinas] 'suffer not.' This use
of the 2nd pers. of the pres. subj.
with ne is very rare in classical
writers : but here we have a prayer,
not a prohibition.
22. nouerit] [Walpole had count-
ed sixteen places in Ambr.'s prose
works where nosse is used with
infin. ; e.g.] Hex. v. 6 nouit ulcisci,
ib. vi. 26 nouit temptare ; cp. Steier
572, Verg. Aen. vill. 317.
23. Literally ' may faith cooling
the chaste allay the hot fumes of
sleep.' Ambr. seems to be thinking
of the bodily warmth that accom-
panies sleep rising to overpower the
soul and to set free the animal im-
pulses. Cp. in Ps. xxxv. 25 node
aduenit inimicus et aduersarius,
quando somno sensus tenetur, in Ps.
xxxvi. 18 ne.,.ueniat ille qui cale-
factum corporis somno excitare
consueuit. The evils are to be
counteracted by the faith which
realises even in sleep the presence
of God, cp. 26. 28. refrigerare in
classical Latin usually has a bad
sense, 'chill,' 'numb.' But cp. Cic.
de Sen. 46 ; 57 umbris aquisue re-
fri'gerari. It usually takes an ace.,
as de Isaac 77 eos refrige rabat ; in
Ps cxvm. iv. 19 nos Domini crux
refrigeret ; sometimes a dat. as here
and at Tertullian ad Scapulam 4
indigentibus refrigeramus ; Ambr.
Epist. LXIII. 69 quibus refrigera-
bat aeternae spes gratiae ; see
Rcinsch 378.
24. uaporem] Cp. Sen. Hippol.
640 feet 'us insanum uapor amorque
torret.
25. i.e. freed from the dangers of
the waking state ; cp. Ambr. de
Res. II. 21 quorum (i.e. of sleepers)
animi ad altiora se subrigunt et re-
nuntiant corpori. Just before he
has spoken of the soul at death as
depositis proprii sensus repagulis ex-
pedita. Not that sensus is to be
taken in the physical connotation :
it is ' thought ' here as elsewhere.
exutus is used thus in metaph., in
HYMN V. AMBROSE
49
27 ne (pro nee) Va.
Fabs Hb IcM Vap.
exuta sensu lubrico
te cordis ima somnient,
nee hostis inuidi dolo
pauor quietos suscitet.
Christum rogemus et Patrem,
Christi Patrisque Spiritum,
unum potens per omnia,
foue precantes, Trinitas. .
29 rogamus Abdh Vap.
32 faue Hdf Ih.
3
31 unus Echjv
Luc. X. no nodo mortis exuta. Cp.
Verg. Aen. iv. 319 exue mentem.
26. somnient] 'dream of,' with
ace., cp. Ter. Eun. 194 me somnies,
me exspectes, Tertull. de Fuga i
scalae, quas somniat Jacob.
27 f. ' Let not dread by reason of
the craft of our malignant foe (the
devil, as at 3. 14) arouse us from
our quiet sleep.'
hostis] de Int. David n. 28 sit
porta nostri oris et cordis clausa
diligentius, ne hostis introeat.
pauor... suscitet] Cp. Prov. iii.
24 f. si dormieris, non timebis: ...ne
patteas repcntino terrore.
29. rogemus] [Walpole left it
doubtful whether to read rogamus
or rogemus. The surrounding pre-
catives make it more likely that
scribes would alter a to e than the
contrary; and the indicative seems
to give the better sense.]
30. Christi... Spiritum] Actsxvi.
7, Rom. viii. 9, Gal. iv. 6, Phil. i.
19; Ambr. de Spir. i. 54 idem est
Spirit us Dei, quiest Spir it us Christi ;
ib. 56 ; Epist. XXI. (Serin. 32),
xxxvi. 3. Ambr. distinctly teaches
the procession of the Spirit from the
Son de Spir. I. 119 and 152; cp.
Swete History of the Doctrine of
the Procession p.
3r. unum] perhaps agrees with
potens, the two words combining
into one idea, 'one power,' these
two words being in the accusative,
in apposition with the foregoing.
potens per omnia] ' all posverful,'
'almighty.' Ambr. often uses per
omnia thus, de Parad. 8 per omnia
malum; ib. 26 per omnia... coniunc-
tissimus; Epist. LVIII. ro uirnudus
per omnia. Cp. the Lat. versions of
Acts xvii. 22, Heb. iv. 15, also 36.
21.
This line is imitated at 32. 23,
44. 19, 48. 10.
32. foue] a beautiful and expres-
sive word, combining the ideas of
nursing, as a mother nurses her child
in her lap, and of keeping warm, as
a hen keeps her brood warm by
gathering them under her wings ;
cp. Eph. v. 29 nutrit et fouet earn,
sicut et Christus ecclesiam ; i Thess.
ii. 7 tamquam si nutrix foueat filios
sitos; 30. 25. It lost, however, some
of its original delicacy of meaning
and is used in the more general
sense of 'protecting,' 81. 7, Aug.
Conf. vn. lofouisticaput nescientis.
For the interesting reference which
Aug. makes to this line see the
introduction to this hymn.
50 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
HYMN 6
The authenticity of this hymn is more widely attested
than that of any other of Ambrose's. Caelestine (Bp of
Rome A.D. 422-432) presiding at the Council of Rome A.D.
430, in his speech against the Nestorian heresy says(Mansi
IV. 5 50) : recordor beatae memoriae A mbrosium in die na-
talis Domini nostri lesu Christi omnem populum fecisse
una uoce canere : ueni Redemptor gentium, ostende par-
turn uirginis, miretur omne saeculum, talis decet partus
Deum.. numquid dixit, talis decet partus hominem ? ergo
sensus fratris nostri Cyrilli in hoc, quod dicit OeoroKov
Mariam, ualde concordat: talis decet partus Deum. Deum
partu suo uirgo effudit.
Faustus (Bishop of Riez, died A.D. 492) Epist. VII. ad
Graecum Diaconum (p. 203 ed. Engelbrecht) nos uerum
hominem et uerum Deum nullo modo ambigimus confiten-
dum. accipe etiam in hymno sacri antistitis et confessoris
Ambrosii, quern in natali Dominico catholica per omnes
Italiae et Galliae regiones persultat ecclesia : procede de
thalamo tuo, gemmae gigans substantiae.
Facundus (Bishop of Hermiana in Africa, fl. 450,
Migne LXVII. 540) unum de Trinitate credidi Dominum
lesum Christum ... qui Patris existens unigenitus factus sit
unigenitus matris, ut geminae gigans substantiae, sicut in-
tellexit et cantauit Ambrosius, utriusque uerae natiuitatis
proprietate credatur.
Cassiodorus (died about 570, Migne LXX. 79) in Ps.
VIII. ii ad fin.: beatus Ambrosius hymnum natalis Do-
mini eloquentiae suae pulcherrimo flore compinxit, ut pius
sacerdos festiuitate dignum munus offerret. . .ait enim : pro-
cedat de thalamo suo,pudoris aula regia, geminae gigans
substantiae, alacris ut currat uiam : et cetera, quae supra
humanum ingenium uir sanctus excoluit. Again in Ps.
HYMN VI. AMBROSE 51
LXXI. 6 (ib. 509) hinc Ambrosius ille, quaedam ecclesiae
candela, mirabili fulgore lampauit dicens: ueni Redemptor
gentium...
Augustine has also been quoted as a witness Serm.
372 de Nat. Dom. IV. 3 hunc nostri gigantis excursum bre-
uissime et pulchcrrime cecinit beatus Ambrosius in hymno,
quern paulo ante cantastis; loquens enim de Christo Domino
sic ait : egressus eius a Patre, regressus eius ad Patr-em,
excursus usque ad inferos, recursus ad sedem Dei. Again
Serm. de Symbol. IV. 4 guts enim non expauescat, cum
audit Deum natum f audis nascentem, uide in ipso ortu
miracula facientem : aluus tumescit uirginis, claustrum
pudoris pennanet. But it is not quite certain that these
passages are the genuine work of Augustine. It is perhaps
against them that Faustus does not speak of the hymn
as being sung elsewhere than in Italy and Gaul. How-
ever Aug. Tract, in Ev. lo. LIX. 3 quotes the phrase ge-
minae gigans substantiae, without mentioning the source.
Cp. also Conf. IV. xii. 19.
The Benedictine editors also quote Hildephons. de
Partu Virg. : et ideo, quia non fuit huiusmodi partus sacra-
tissimae uirginis Mariae...canit et orat beatissimus Am-
brosius : ucni, ait, Redemptor gentium, ostende partum
uirginis... non enim ait: ostende conceptum uirginis, sed
partum. See Daniel IV. 5 f. ; but it is now allowed that the
treatise was not written by Hildephonsus. Sedul. Carm.\\.
44 f. gives much of the wording of our hymn: tune max i-
mus infans \ intemerata sui conseruans uiscera templi \ in-
laesum uacuauit iter: pro uirgine testis \ partus adest,
clausa ingrediens et clausa relinquens. \ quae noua lux
mundo, quae toto gratia caelo? \ quis fuit ille nitor, Mariae
cum Chris tus ab ahw \ processit splendore nouo? uelut ipse
decora \ sponsus ouans thalamo.
In the older MSS the rubric runs in (de) natali (nati-
4-2
52 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
uitate) or ad natale Domini ; in the most ancient MS it
runs Hymnus natali Domini dicendus. Somewhat later
MSS add the particular office at which it was to be sung,
thus e.g. Rheinau LXXXIII written about A.D. 1000 adds
ad noct. uel ad uesp. Mone (l. 43) notes : ' nach den Hss
und Ausgaben wurde das Lied theils im Advent theils
auf Weihnacht gesungen.'
Aabcdefghik Eacdhjsvx^ Fbdhiprs Gablm/x Hacefgh/3
Ibdeghmnv Magkx Vabceprs
Intende, qui regis Israel,
super cherubin qui sedes,
adpare Ephreni coram, excita
potentiam tuam et ueni.
ueni, redemptor gentium, 5
ostende partum uirginis,
miretur omne saeculum,
talis decet partus Deo.
8 deum Acgh Eacdvx^ Fip G/u Hgh Ibgmnv Mm Vacp 2 .
i. The first stanza is taken, Prud. Cath. XII. 41 f. hie ille rex
almost as it stands, from Ps. Ixxix. est gentium \ populique rex ludaici.
(Ixxx.) \ {.qui regis Israel intende,... When elision was disused the lines
qui sedes super cherubin, manifes- would become hard to sing, and
tare coram Ephraim .. .excita poten- may thus have fallen out of use; or
tiam tuam et ueni. This passage in some copyist may have deliberately
the old Gallican use and in others omitted them, thinking ueni re-
forms the antiphon for Advent demptor gentium a finer opening.
Sunday; and excita quaesumus Do- In any case, read as they are in all
mine potentiam tuam et ueni was the Ambrosian MSS and in the
(and in the Roman use is) part of ancient Vat. reg. n, we must ac-
the collect, which we now use for cept them as the genuine work of
the fourth Sunday in Advent. The Ambr.
stanza is an integral part of the 3. Ephrem] This (and cherubin
hymn, Ambr. incorporating the as above) appears to be the usual
words of Scripture, just as he does spelling in the Old Latin version
at 7. 17 f. He prays that Christ may and in early writers,
come as the shepherd of Israel, in 4 f. ueni, ueni] repeated in
the next stanza that He may come Ambr.'s manner,
as Redeemer of the Gentiles. The 6. i.e. shew all men that a
two ideas are often combined in virgin has brought forth.
N.T. and even in O.T., cp. Ps. 8. Aug. Serm. CLXXXVI. i Deum
xcvii. (xcviii.) 2f., Mt. x. 5, xv. sic nasci oportuit, quando esse dig-
22, 24, Lk. i. 32, Ac. xiii. 46. natus est homo. Leo Serm. XXI. i
HYMN VL AMBROSE
53
non ex uirili semine,
sed mystico spiramine 10
Verbum Dei factum est caro,
fructusque uentris floruit.
aluus tumescit uirginis,
claustrum pudoris permanet,
uexilla uirtutum micant, 15
ii om. est Ag Eacdsv/u. Fhs Icdgv Mm. 14 claustra... permanent
Edsvx/i Fihmp Gab Hce 1 /* Ih. 15 uirtutis Fs Gab Idehm Vbs,
uirtute Mgk Vapr. micat EC Hh.
talis natiuitas decuit Dei uirtutem
et Dei sapientiam Christum. See
also Caelestine's words quoted in
the introd. to this hymn.
decet] usually takes an ace. , "but
is found with a dative in Terence,
Sallust and other writers ; see
Ronsch. p. 439. Ambr. de Fug.
Saec. III. 1 6 twice over quotes talis
nobis decebat princeps sacerdos.
[9. non ex u. a.] Ambr., like
Tert., read the verb in Joh. i. 13
in the sing., as applying to our
Lord. See in Ps. xxxvu. Praef. 5
qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex
uoluntate carnis, neque ex uoluntate
uiri, sed de Spiritu sancto natus ex
uirgine est."]
10. spiramine] the Spirit in ac-
tion ; Lk. i. 35. Ambr. uses the
word de Bono Mortis 19 ; cp. 4
Esdras xvi. 63 spiramen Dei omni-
potentis qui fecit omnia. Juvenc. I.
340 abluet ille hominis sancto spira-
mine mentem. Prud. Cath. ix. 47,
Apoth. 170, 758, 871, Psych. 421,
717, Perist. X. 985.
n. Joh. i. 14, often quoted by
Ambr.
12. fructus uentris] Ps. cxxvi.
(cxxvii.) 3, cxxxi. (cxxxii.) n, Lk. i.
42 ; Ambr. in Luc. 11. 24 ipse
fructus uentris est...flos Mariae
Christus, qui ueluli bonae arboris
fructus .. .mine fioret. fr. uentris
is, of course, predicate. [The word
floruit doubtless contains an allu-
sion to Is. xi. i, where the LXX
has avOos K rijs pifrs
though the Latin versions translated
otherwise.]
14. claustrum pudoris] 'the
barrier of chastity,' seems to be
used in a physical and literal sense
here and de Inst. Virg. vill. 52
quae est igitur haec porta ? [cp.
Ezek. xliv. 2] porta igitur Maria,
per quam Christus intrauit in hunc
munduni, quando uirginali fusus
est partu et genitalia uirginis
claustra non soluit. mansit inteme-
ratum septum pudoris. See among
many like passages of Ambr. de
Inst. Virg. 52, 58, 60, 62, in,
Epist. v. 9, XLII. 6f., LXIII. 33;
cp. 31. 9, 39. 4, 88. 4, and contrast
9. 10 (note).
15. uexilla] The word usually
means a military ' ensign,' ' flag,'
and in a Roman legion each squadron
of horse had its uexillum. But in
particular it was a red flag hung out
over the general's tent as a signal
for battle; cp. Caes. Bell. Gall. II.
20 uexillum... cjuoderat insigne, cum
ad arma concun-i oportcret. Here
uexilla uirtutum might mean ' the
standards of the heavenly powers ' ;
for uirtutes in the Latin versions
translates 5wd/ueiy of the Greek e.g.
i Pet. iii. 22 ; cp. Ambr. in Luc. \.
25. But other passages in Ambr.
point decisively to another meaning :
de Inst. Virg. 35 egregia igitur
Maria, quae signum sacrae uirgini-
tatis extulit et intemeratae inte-
54
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
uersatur in templo Deus.
procedat e thalamo suo,
pudoris aula regia,
gemmae gigans substantiae ;
alacris occurrat uiam. 20
17 procedens Aabcdefgh Eadsvx/u0 Fips Gabl Hj3 Ibdg'hmv Mgkm Vbs,
procedit G/u Icg 2 n Vacp. de (pro e) Ecdvx</> Fi Gb Ih Vbs. 20 ut
currat Ih Va.
gritatis...uexillum erexit; de Vir-
ginib. II. 15 quantae in una uir-
gine species uirtntum emicant !
secretum uerecundiae, uexillum
fidei, deuotionis obsequium. Although
she is a mother, the Virgin's purity
remains inviolate and the banners of
her many virtues gleam forth ; and,
as the flag over the palace announces
the prince's presence, even so these
banners of purity announce the
presence of God in His mother's
womb.
1 6. uersatur] perhaps, coming
as it does midway between tumescit
and procedat, denotes the near ap-
proach of birth.
templo] It is not walls that give
its character to a temple, but the
presence of God, and therefore this
' royal court ' is rightly called ' a
temple,' with special ref. to Ps. x.
(xi.) 5, Hab. ii. 20, Mai. iii. r ; cp.
Ambr. de Spir, m. 80 Maria erat
ietnplum Dei; in Ps. XLV. 13 ad-
mirabile templum Dei et aula cae-
lestis ; de Inst. Virg. 33, 105, etc.
17 f. Ps. xviii. (xix. ) 6 ipse tam-
quam sponsus procedens de thalamo
suo : exsultauit ut gigas ad curren-
dam uiam. Ambr. quotes this verse
in Ps. XLIII. 28, cxvm. vi. 6, de
Inst. Virg. 6, de Incarn. 35.
17. Most of the MSS read/rarg-
dens, but this would give a spondee
in the 2nd foot of the verse and is
no doubt due to procedens in the
psalm. The evidence for procedat is
more ancient than that for procedit,
which perhaps comes from the sur-
rounding indicatives and which
would clash with the strongly at-
tested occurrat in 20. Note that
Ambr. as usual (see Steier 582, 595,
6 1 3, 633) slightly alters the Scripture
quotation.
1 8. The phrase ' the royal court '
was for Ambr. a regular synonym
for Mary; e.g. in Luc. X. 132 quia
cognouerat per Filii mortem mundi
redemptionem, aula regalis putabat
se et sita morte public o muneri alt-
quid addituram. Cp. de Inst. Virg.
79, 105, Epist. XLII. 7, LXIII. no;
Hildebert (quoted by Trench in)
intra uirgineum decus, intra clau-
stra pudoris, colligit angelicam uir-
ginis aula rosam.
19. Ambr. regarded the giants of
Gen. vi. 4 as 'of two-fold nature,'
earthly and heavenly, ' the sons of
God' being the angels. Leporius
(the convert of Augustine, fl. 425)
alludes to this stanza in his retrac-
tation (Mignexxxi. 1225^): ideoque
una persona accipienda est farm's et
uerbi, tttfideliter sine aliqua dubita-
tionecredamus unum eundemque Dei
Filium inseparabilem semper, ge-
minae substantiae etiam gigantem
nominatum.
substantiae] 'nature.' So Ambr.
Hex. in. 32, de Incarn. 77.
20. alacris answers to exsultauit
of Ps. xviii. 6. This form of the
masculine is found in Verg. Aen. v.
380, vi. 685. The Thesaurus gives
references to three other passages
where it is found. The ancient
grammarians discussed the correct-
ness of it.
occurrat u.] If this reading is
HYMN VI. AMBROSE
55
egressus eius a Patre,
regressus eius ad Patrem,
excursus usque ad inferos,
recursus ad sedem Dei.
aequalis aeterno Patri
carnis tropaeo accingere,
26 cingere (pro ace.) Aabdefg E0 Gift, Hgh Mm Vapr.
right, the verb appears to be used
in the sense of ' entering upon ' the
course ; but it would not be easy to
find a parallel to it. Ambr. may
have taken the word from the next
verse of the Ps., where occursus
represents /carajr^yua, the arrival at
the goal ; if so, he misunderstood
it.
1 1 f. Still from Ps. xviii. a summo
caelo egressio eius: et occursus eius
usque ad sumimim eius; cp. Joh.
xvi. 28.- This application of the
psalm goes back to Irenaeus (see
Haer. iv. xxxiii. 13, e/j tt>5fiiv 85)
and to Justin (ApoL 54, Dial. 64,
69). Lines 21, 22 give the starting-
point and the end of the course :
23, 24 contrast its nadir and
zenith.
23. Ambr. in Ps. XLlli. 84 Do-
minus in infer nuni descendit, ut et
illl qni in inferis erant a uinculis
soluerentur. The clause descendit
ad inferno, had already found a
place in the creed of Aquileia, and
was probably known to Ambr. ; cf.
Rufinus in Symbol. 14. 28.
25. Ambr. often recurs to this
dogma as Epist. vm. 37 Palladius
dixit : ' Pater maior est Filio. '
Ambrosius episcopus dixit: ' secun-
dum carnem Filius minor est Patre,
secundum diuinitatem aequalis est
Patri''? Epist. XLVIII. 4 Filium...
coaetemum Patri... aequakm Patri
secundum diuinitatem.
25 f. ' Coequal with the eternal
Father Thou girdest thyself (or, as
in v. 5, 'gird thyself) with the
trophy of flesh, strengthening the
weakness of our body with power
that shall never fail.'
26. The flesh is here regarded as
a tropaeum, because it is the ever-
lasting monument of His victory
over Satan and death : a Tp6iraioi>
Kara SaifJ.6vuv answering to the
rpoiraiov /car' l~)(6p(av of which we
read so much in Thucydides. As
the ref. here is to the moment of
the incarnation, it is only by antici-
pation that it is called a tropaeum.
Clichtov. says Christus per carnem
assumptam debellato diabolo victor
euasit, ipsamque glorificatam car-
nem caelo tandem intulit. Cp. Ambr.
in Luc. x. 170 talem (i.e. in corpore)
sibi Pater ad dfxteram locat tropaea
nostrae salutis amplectens. Paulin.
Nol. Natal. XI. 654 corporeum
statuit caelesti in sede tropaeum \
uexillumque crucis super omnia si-
dera fixit. Aug. Sertn. CCLXIII, r
tropaeo stto diabolus uictus est.
Prosper de Prouid. 444 et de carne
nouum referentem carne tropaeum.
For tropaeum, of that which appeared
to be an element of weakness, but
which was really a sign of victory,
see 4. 17 note and 33. 2.
26. accingere, which is so well
attested and which entails an elision
that in the course of time would on
this account cause trouble in the
singing, is more likely to be the
original word than cingere. Ambr.
uses accingi, as in Ps. cxvm. x. 9
in adiumentum accingere, qui ac-
cinctus es ut creares', in Luc. n.
70 ; de Virginib. I. 46 ; but he does
not appear to use the simple cingi.
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
infirma nostri corporis
uirtute firmans perpeti.
praesepe iam fulget tuum
lumenque nox spirat nouum,
quod nulla nox interpolet
fideque iugi luceat.
3
28 perpetim Ev Gab H/3 Mg.
(-pellat Fb) Gb Idh Mg Vbs.
iugis Ev Fh.
27, 28 reappear at 118. 15, 16.
Nostri c. seems to mean 'Thine,
which is of the same nature as ours.'
29. The prayer in stanza II (re-
peated in stanza v) has been heard;
the processes of stanzas III and IV
are accomplished : Christ lies in the
manger. That He was born in the
night is seen from Lk. ii. 8. Ambr.
is fond of alluding to the manger, as
pointing the contrast between the
humiliation of Jesus as man and
His majesty as God ; e.g. in Luc.
n. 42 quia in pannis est uides,
quia in caelis est non uides ; infantis
audis uagitus, non audis bouts
Dominum agnoscentem mugitus :
agnouit enim bos possessorem suum
tt asina praesepe domini sui, immo
praesepium dixerim;... quanta magis
nos nfglegere uerba deb emus, spec tare
mysteria, quibus uincit set-mom's
utilitas, quod operum miracula di-
uinorum nullis uenuslata sermoni-
bus ueritatis suae lumine refulse-
runt ! . . .hie est Dominus, hoc praesepe,
quo nobis diuinum mysterium reue-
latum est; cp. 8. 12 and in later
hymns 31. 23, 33. 13, 38. 17.
30. lumen... nouum] 'an un-
wonted light,' ' a light unknown
before ' ; cp. Ambr. in Ps. xxxvin.
1 8 uetus dies praeteriit, nouus uenit.
alius enim dies hominis, alius dies
Christi...de quo et Dauid ait...sanc-
tus ergo in die Domini exsultat, in
die nouo, in quo Dew Dominus in-
luxit nobis et dedit nouam lucent
in innoxiam uitam et integrant re-
31 interpolat Eacdhjsv/x Fh j rs
32 fides Ev Fh Gb Mk, fidei Fs Vaps.
formatis. idea uir iustus securus
nouae lucis et gratiae Dei dicit :
erit mihi caelum nouum et terra
noua et nouum lumen; referring in
these last words to Rev. xxi. i,
xxii. 5. So too Sedul. Carm. II.
48 f. (quoted in the introduction to
this hymn), id. Op. II. 4 quae nouae
lucis ilia tune claritas mundi totius
or as impleuit! quae caelo laetitial
quis ille nitor effulsit, cum Christus
splendore sidereo, uelut sponsus
procedens de thalamo suo, Mariae
processit ex utero. Trench quotes
Etiangel. Infant. 3 ecce repleta erat
ilia luminibus, lucernarum el can-
delarum fulgoribus excedentibus et
solari luce maioribus. But Ambr. is
hardly thinking of such a light as
this. Rather cp. in Ps. cxvni. xii.
1 3 ortus ex uirgine processit ex aluo
uniuersa totius orbis irradians, ut
luceret omnibus. De Isaac 31 in
praesepi erat et fulgebat e caelo ; in
Luc. II. 43 terreno in deuersorio
facet, sed caelesti lumine uiget.
31. 'May no night break into
(interrupt) it, and may it shine with
a continuous stream of faith ! ' the
prayer being for faith in this life.
interpolare is a favourite word with
Ambr., cf. Hex. IV. 22 magna lux
diuinitatis, quant nulla umbra mor-
tis interpolet; in Ps. cxvni. xii.
i^fulgoris perpetuiclaritatem, quam
nulla nox interpolat ; xiii. 8 lumen
...quod nullae tenebrae noctis in-
ter po lent; Epist. XXII. 6 dies, quos
nulla caligo noctis interpolat.
HYMN VII. AMBROSE 57
32. flde...luceat] Ambr. in Ps. de Abr. n. 22, with flatu ib. 57,
xxxvn. -21 zV/w Jit persecutio, ut with exercitio ib. 76, with /afor
yfr&r luceat; cp. 3. 27, 5. 19. /&.*. v. 52, with _// ib. vi. 71.
iugl] one of Ambr.'s favourite See 1. 29 (note), 8. 28, 49. 28, 92.
words; thus he joins it with laetitia 14; Ronsch n8f.
HYMN 7
This hymn is not ascribed to Ambrose by any ancient
authority, but it is his. It is in the Ambrosian MSS and
above all the manner and style are those of Ambrose
himself. Augustine refers to it, though he does not name
the writer: cp. Conf. XI II. 29 quibus iam terra non indiget,
quamuis piscem manducet leuatum de pro/undo in ea mensa,
quant parasti in conspectu credentium. This is just like
Augustine's manner of allusion. And leuare is not a very
obvious word of fishing : the word used in Mt. xvii. 27,
for example, is tolle.
As in 6 we have the quotation almost verbal of a
passage of Scripture, so here (17 f.) we have the verbal
quotation of the first two verses of St John's Gospel.
At the same time two passages from Ambrose's prose
show the supreme importance attached by him to the
whole of the words thus quoted. See in Luc. I. 1 3 tinea
haereticus est, tinea Photinus est, tinea tua Arrius est.
scindit uestimentum qui separat a Deo uerbum. scindit
Photinus, cum legit: in principio erat uerbum et uerbum
erat apud Deum et Deus erat; integrum enim uestimentum
est, si legas : et Deus erat uerbum. de Fide I. 56 f. omnes
haereses hoc capitido breui piscator noster exclusit. quod
enim erat in principio non includitur tempore ; ergo Arrtus
conticescat. quod autem erat apud Deum, non permixtione
confunditur, sed manentis uerbi apud Patrem solida per-
fectione distinguitur ; ut Sabcllius obmutescat. et Deus
erat uerbum : non ergo in prolatione sermonis uerbum est,
sed in ilia caelestis designatione uirtutis ; ut confutetur
58 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
Photinus. quod uero erat in principle apud Deum, sempi-
terna diuinitatis in Patre et Filio inseparabilis unitas
edocetur ; ut erubescat Eunomius. postremo, cum omnia
per ipsum facta dicantur, ipse conditor noui utique testa-
menti et ueteris designator ; ut Manichaeus locum tempta-
tionis habere non possit. ita piscator bonus intra unum
omnes rete conclusit, ut faceret inhabiles fraudi, quamuis
essent inutiles captioni. See also in Luc. II. 40, X. 118 ;
in Ps. CXVIII. xiv. 23; de Interp. lob I. 31, II. 15, de
Incarn. 15 f. Line 21 is separately quoted Hex. I. 15, in
Ps. XXXVI. 35.
Aabdefghik Fs Vaps
Amore Christi nobilis
et filius tonitrui
arcana Johannes Dei
fatu reuelauit sacro.
captis solebat piscibus 5
patris senectam pascere ;
1. amore Christi] Job. xiii. 23, reuelauit mysterium ; often used by
xix. 26, xxi. 7, 20. Ambr.
2. filius tonitrui] Mk iii. 17. For the sense of the whole stanza
tonitrus is the usual form of the cp. de Inst. Virg. 46 (of John) iste
gen., but the bye-form from toni- dilectus Domini, qui e pectore eius
(ruurnort0nitruus(Sedu\.Carm.v. hauserat secreta sapientiae et piae
15) is the form constantly found in uolnntatis arcana; Epist. LXV. 4
the versions of the N .T. sapientia autem Dei Ckristus, in
3. arcana] Cp. Ambr. Apol. cuius pectore recumbebat lohannes,
Dauid 58 secreta et artana sapien- ut de principal* illo secretoque
tiae', in Ps. CXVIII. ii. 29 dignus... (ffonte) sapientiae hausisse diuina
cut committerentur arcana sapien- proderetur mysteria. denique ipse
tiae. The secret which Ambr. has conscius muneris hoc scripsit.
in mind is already the doctrine of 6. patris senectam] ' his aged
Joh. i. 1-14. father.' For this use of an abstract
4. fatu] 'in sacred utterance,' a with a dependent personal gen. cp.
rare and solemn word suited to Phaedr. n. v. 23 turn sic iocata est
divine oracles ; used by Ambr. de tanti maiestas ducis ; Sedul. Carm.
Fidel. 106. Cp. Prud. Apoth. 594 I. 267 coniugii fidem, 'a faithful
promite secretes fatus (the prophe- wife.' So too Propert. ill. xviii. 15
cies of Isaiah). patria senecta, 'her aged father.'
reuelauit] Cp. de Noe vm. 26 Fortunatus has in like manner v.
HYMN VII. AMBROSE
59
turbante dum natat salo,
inmobilis fide stetit.
hamum profundo merserat,
piscatus est Verbum Dei, 10
iactauit undis retia,
uitam leuauit omnium.
7 nautat Fs 2 Vs, nutat edJ, salum Vap 1 . i i hominum Abefgh.
iii. 3 curua senectus; Vit. Germ.
xn. 41 pernoctabat algida senectus.
The phrase pat rent pascere is found
in Luc. viii. 75, Hex. v. 55.
7 f. Though John was tossed on
the sea, his faith stood firm. Lines 7
and 8 are thus sharply contrasted.
See de Virg. xx. esp. 131 uide
quid piscator etiam iste profecerit.
dum in mari lucrum suum quaerit,
uitam inuenit omnium ; lembum
deseruit, Deum repperit scalmum
reliquit, uerbum inuenit ; Una lax-
autt,fidem reuinxit ; plicauit retia,
homines eleuauit ; mare spreuit,
caelum adqtiisiuit. hie ergo piscator,
dum ipse turbato agitatur salo,
mobili mentes statione nutanles fun-
dauit in petra.
turbante is used intransitively,
as at Lucr. n. 126, Verg. Aen. vi.
800, 857.
natat] the reading of the MSS is
suitable here, natare being used
both of physical and mental dis-
turbance ; cp. Ov. Met. V. 72 oculis
sub node natantibus atra \ circum-
spexit ; and in Ambr. himself de
Bono Mortis 1 2 leuior fabulis et
Jluitans et natans uerbis. Biraghi
conjectures nutat to match the
above prose passage, and is followed
by Dreves and Steier.
8. inmobilis contains the idea of
steadfast perseverance. Cp. Tac.
Hist. IV. 2 tr isles et truces et ad-
versus pldtisus ac lasciuiam insul-
tantisuulgiinmobiles. Ambr. Epist.
II. i inter tot mundi freta... in-
mobilis manet...alluitur undis, non
quatitur. Ambr. often combines it
withyfr&j, as here, in Ps. XLVII. 6
[apostoli] inmobiles Jidei seruauet unt
fundamentum, ne ecclesia tota nu-
taret', in Ps. LXI. 18 inmobilis ergo
fide Steplianus inmobilem Christum
uidebat ; and fides with stare e.g.
in Ps. xxxv. 29 non corpore sed
fide stabat.
10. Ambr. Hex. V. 1 7 euangelium
est mare, in quo piscantur apostoli,
in quod mittitur rete ; de Isaac 40
lohannes, qui uerbum apud Patrem
inuenit; cip.de Virg. 119. The symbol
IX9TC with the representation of a
fish is often found on ancient mo-
saics etc. and is explained as con-
taining the initials of 'IT/CTOUJ Xptords
Geou Ttds CuTJp. See Brockhaus
280 f. ; Kraus s.v. Fisch ; Smith
Diet, of Christian Antiquities s.v.
Eucharist and Fish. Here the 'fish'
appears to be the doctrine of the
person of Christ rather than Christ
Himself. Cp. Tert. de Bapt.
uerbum Dei] Joh. i. i.
12. uitam... omnium] Joh. vi.
57, xi. 25, xiv. 6; 10. 27 i. See de
Virg. xx. 131 quoted above on
v. 7.
leuauit is a word carefully chosen ;
cp. Hex. v. 15 bonum piscem nee
retia inuoluunt, sed eleuant, nee
hamus internecat atque interficit ;
de Virg. 119 ut . . .Stephanum de
mari eleuet. . .gut. ..non reti sed hamo
leuatur; ib. 131 quoted on line 7.
For the allusion by Aug. Con/, xiu.
29 to this passage see the introduc-
tion to this hymn.
60 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
piscis bonus pia est fides
mundi supernatans salum,
subnixa Christi pectore, 15
sancto locuta Spiritu :
' in principio erat Verbum,
et Verbum erat apud Deum,
et Deus erat Verbum, hoc erat
in principio apud Deum. 20
omnia per ipsum facta sunt.'
se laudet ipse, se sonet,
et laureatus Spiritu
scriptis coronetur suis.
14 salo Fs Vs. 15 pectora AabMefgh. 16 sancta Aab Vap.
22 se laudet ipse sonet Fs Vs, sed laude ipse se sonet Vap, sed (et Afh)
laude ipse resonet Aabdefgh.
13. The mode of expression re-
minds us of quite another one in Luc.
vn. 1 1 6 passer bonus est.
pia] displaying the duty and love
due from child to parent or from
parent to child : whether our duty
towards God 29. 40, 62. 2, 92. t ;
or His love towards us, 31. 78, 35.
3, 60. 3, 63. 5, 65. 13 etc. It will be
seen that the latter use largely pre-
ponderates in these hymns. It often
means ' pious,' ' sacred ' as at 9. 4,
11. i, 12. 5 etc.
14. The comparison of this world
to a troubled sea is often found ;
cp. de Virg. 118 nauis ecclesia est,
quae...in hoc bene nauigat mundo;
33. 29 (note).
salum is found in all the good
MSS, the intransitive nature be-
coming transitive when compounded
with the prep, super. In like manner
an ace. is found after superambulare
(Sedul. Carm. in. 226), supercalcare
(Prud. Psych. 256), supereminere
(Verg.), superiacere (Paulin. Nol.
Carm. xvin. 344), superstore (Ov.),
superuenire (Hor.), superuolitare
(Verg.). At Hex. v. 32 we find a
dative supernatant fluctibus.
15. Joh. xiii. 23, 25. The ex-
pression is remarkable, but Ambr.
is speaking of the orthodox Christian
faith in general, of which John was
the example and the teacher.
16. Ambr. Epist. XI. 4 cum et
alius uir sancto locutus Spiritu dix-
erit declinattdas huiusmodi bestias ;
with special reference to 2 Joh. 10.
Cp. 2 Pet. i. 21.
17 f. Joh. i. i; cp. the passages
quoted from Ambr. in the introduc-
tion to this hymn. In such a tour de
force the metre naturally suffers.
22. The Milan MSS read sed (or
et) laude ipse resontt ; but this, be-
sides being unmetrical, hardly gives
the required sense. The two Vatican
MSS of the Ambrosian use have sed
laude ipse se sonet, which gives a
better sense but is still spoilt by the
harsh hiatus. Two MSS of the Xth
cent, read se laudet ipse sonet which
gives the clue to the original text se
laudet ipse, se sonet. The abrupt-
ness of this is quite in Ambr.'s
manner, as is the repeated se, which
is like the repeated hoc at 2. 9 f., or
the repeated gallus at 2. 18, 20, 21
etc. Ambr. says in effect: 'instead
HYMN VII. AMBROSE
61
commune multis passio,
cruorque delictum lauans ;
hoc morte praestat martyrum
quod fecit esse martyres.
uinctus tamen ab inpiis
calente oliuo dicitur
tersisse mundi puluerem,
29 uictus Aab.
of speaking further about the won-
ders of the faith, which we have
learnt from John, let him speak for
himself.' Cp. Ecclus. xxiv. i, Prov.
xxxi. 31. Editors have generally
adopted the transposition sed ipse
laude, which does not seem to be
likely.
23. The Spirit Himself wreathes
John, whose own writings form the
wreath. The laurel was to a Roman
a symbol of victory : laureatae
litterae meant a laurel-wreathed des-
patch to announce a victory, and in
early times a laurel crown was held
over the head of a triumphing
general ; cp. Aul. Cell. v. vi. 5
triutnphales coronae . . .quae impera-
toribus ob honorem triumphi mittun-
tur...haec antiquitus e lauru erant.
So Prud. Perist. xn. 6 superba
morte laureatum. Analecta XXVII.
cxi. 75 laureatus sanguine. The
abl. without a or ab is found in
Cic. Gael. 34 alienis uiris comitata,
and is common in poets no doubt
for metrical convenience. Tacitus
uses it freely, e.g. Ann. II. 79, in.
20 desertus suis.
24. corona had to do duty for
Jwo Greek words : o-r^avoj, the
wreath with which victors in the
games were crowned ; and 5id5i?/xa,
the strip of jewelled linen which
marked royalty. In these hymns the
athlete's crown is the one meant ;
cp. 13. 4, 14. 3 etc.
26. Ambr. often uses the phrase
delictum (delicta) lauare; see de
losep/i 59, in Luc. n. 41, vi. 18,
X. 89.
30 ducitur Aabd'efgh.
27. ' This is better than the
martyrs' death, even that which
caused martyrs to be,' or perhaps
(taking quod as a conjunction) 'even
his causing martyrs to be.' John
wrote that Gospel from which the
martyrs derived their faith. See
Hex. v. 16, where Ambr. makes
Stephen the first martyr to be the
fish that came up out of the Gospel
sea where the hook was cast. Cp.
Cypr. de Lapsis xx., Epist. xxxvi. 2
(Hart el).
morte is abl., because praestat
('is better') has a comparative
force, as at de Abr. 20 ceteris prae-
stat metallis; Epist. XXII. ii prae-
stare maioribus. Similar are Sallust
lug. xvi. 3 ul fama fide commodum
regis anteferret ; Apul. Met. LXVII.
4 H nocte is/a nihil antepono.
28. The ace. and inf. with facto
is common in Ambr. e.g. in Ps. XL.
35 fecisti terrain esse; cp. 1. 23,
Draeger 11. 393, Ronsch 366 f.,
Kaulen 236. The French faire
carries on the construction.
29. John was not a martyr (25-
28) and 'yet' the will to be one was
shewn. Tert. de Praescr. 36 is the
earliest authority for the tradition
that he was plunged into a cauldron
of boiling oil before the Latin Gate
but miraculously preserved.
3 1 . tersisse] ' wi ped off, ' ' washed
off,' 37. 28, 40. 28, 90. 20. Ambr.
in Ps. cxviil. ii. 8 haec igitur
mirantibus a/it's respondit anima
lohannis : fusca sum et decora, Jiliae
lerusalem ; fusca puluere saeculari,
quein certando conlegi, decora oleo
62 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
stetisse uictor aemuli. 32
spiritali, quo Jiiundi huius puluerem firstly in order to make his limbs
squaloremque detersi; de Spir. n. supple, then to remove the dust
156 ungebat athletam suum Spiritus contracted in the course of the
et puluere impietatis excusso debella- exercise.
torem . . .offerebat ; in Ps. cxvill. xii. 32. stetisse] Cp. Eph. vi. 13.
28 ungamus igitur oleo lectionis aemuli] according to Daniel, the
nostrae mentis lacertos, ...ut cum ad- philosopher Crato. But Ambr. is
uersarius. . .puluere nos suae tempta- much more likely to mean Satan.
tionis adsperserit, stemus intrepidi. Cp. inuidi 3. 14 note, zelum dra-
An athlete was twice anointed, corn's inuidi, 31. 89.
HYMN 8
This hymn is one of the twelve given to Ambrose by
the Benedictine editors, on the strength of a statement
by Cassiodorus in Ps. LXXIV. 8 uinum in diuinis scrip-
turis significat caeleste mysterium, sicut in illis hydriis
factum est, quas Dominus aqua fecit impleri, ut latices
fontium ruborem uini mutata qualitate susciperent, quern
natura non habuit. unde beatus Ambrosius in hymno
sanctae epiphaniae mirabiliter declamauit splendidissima
luce uerborum. Apart from his witness, the strong concise
style and the frequent use of characteristic phrases point
decidedly to Ambrose as the writer. And the question
is settled by the intimate and necessary connexion be-
tween the last four stanzas of the hymn and a passage
from an undoubted writing of his. See in Luc. VI. 84
iam illud diuinum quern admodum quinque panes quinque
milibus populi redundauerint ; non enim exiguo sed multi-
plicato cibo populum liquet esse satiatum. 85 uideres in-
conprehensibili quodam rigatu inter diuidentium manus*,
quas non fregerint fructificare particular et intacta fran-
gentium digitis sponte sua fragmenta subrepere. qui haec
legit, quern ad modum iuges aquarum miretur meatus et
liquidis fontibus stupeat continues fluere sttccessus: quando
etiam pants exundat et naturae solidioris rigatus exuberat?
86 at uero hie pants quern frangit Iestis...dum diuiditur
HYMN VIII. AMBROSE 63
augetur;...dum frangitur, dum diuiditur, dum editur sine
ulla dispendii conprehensione annul atur. 87 nee dubites
uel quod in manibus ininistrantium uel in ore edentium
cibus crescat ; . . .sic in nuptiis ex fontibus uina ministris
operantibus colorantur, et ipsi, qui inpleuerant hydrias
aqua, uinuni quod non detulerant hauriebant ;...liic edcn-
tibus populis crescunt suis fragmenta dispendiis,...illic in
alienam speciem uertuntur elementa ;...quin etiam melior
csf inutati uini natura quam nati, quia in arbitrio crea-
toris est et quos usus uelit adsignare naturis et quas na-
turas inpertire gignendis ; . . .dum aquam minister infundit,
odor transfusus inebriat, color mutatus informat, fidem
quoque sapor haustus adcumulat. 88...nam et cibus eden-
tium in ore crescebat.
Here neither the prose nor the verse is a copy the
one of the other. Both are the works of the same man
Ambrose, and it is natural to consider the hymn to be
the earlier.
Nevertheless certain modern writers refuse to allow
this on account of the contents of the hymn. Thus it con-
nects the visit of the magi with the Epiphany, and there-
fore, says Daniel, it cannot have been written by Ambrose ;
inasmuch as the Roman church did not include the mani-
festation to the Gentiles as one of the epiphanies before
the middle of the Vth century. But Prudentius (born in
348) dwells upon the visit of the wise men throughout
his hymnus epiphaniae, Cath. XII. It is also connected
with the Epiphany by Paulinus of Nola (born in 353);
see Carm. XXVII. 45 f.
ut ueneranda dies cunctis, qua uirgine natus
pro cunctis hominem sumpsit Deus ; atque deinde
qua puerum Stella duce mystica donaferentes
suppliciter uidere magi ; seu qua magis ilium
lordanis trepidans lauit tingente lohanne ;
64 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
sine dies eadem magis illo sit sacra signo
quo primum Deus egit opus, cum flumine uerso
permutauit aquas predulcis Hectare uini.
And Dreves notes that Augustine (born in 354) in all
his sermons on the Epiphany mentions the magi.
Then stanzas IV and V mention among the Epiphany
wonders the miracle at Cana. Hereupon say Kayser and
Kraus, not before the time of Maximus of Turin (fl. c.
A.D. 450) was this miracle connected with the Epiphany
in the western church. But from M.'s own words it is
clear that the connexion was already of long standing
when he wrote (Horn. XVII. de Epiph. I, Migne LVH.
260) uerum nee minus exsultandum est, eo quod in hac
sacratissima die huius celebritatis, sicut paterna traditione
instruimur, ipse Christus Dominus noster ad terrenas in-
uitatus nuptias aduenerat, non ut illo delectaretur conuiuio,
non ut se uino inebriaret, sed ut nuptiarum se esse demon-
straret auctorem. So Petrus Chrysologus (made Bishop
of Ravenna in 433) Serm. CLVII dominicae festiuitates
causas suas suis uocabulis eloquuntur ; nam sicut nascendo
Christus diem dedit natalem,...sic lumine signorum diem,
suae illuminationis ostendit...Deus ipse apparuit trino
modo, qui homo in partu patuit singularis. merito ergo
sollemnitas praesens epiphaniae uocabulo nuncupatur, in qua
inluxit deitas, quae nostra nostris obscurabatur in carne.
ista est...festiuitas, quae . . .peperit tria deitatis insignia...
per epiphaniam Christus in nuptiis aquas saporauit in
uinum. So too Paulinus of Nola as quoted above.
Then Kayser and Kraus take exception to the refer-
ence to the feeding of the five thousand in the last three
stanzas : this miracle being not as yet regarded as an
epiphany. But does Ambrose so speak of it here? A
careful reading of the words will shew that he does
not co-ordinate it as a fourth manifestation, but that he
HYMN VIII. AMBROSE 65
introduces this last event with sic, as much as to say:
These three manifestations recall yet another, which
illustrates the third of them. And just so does Petrus
Chrysologus allude to it (Serm. de EpipJi. v, Migne LVII.
622) aqnam transfert in uinum.*. qui panes quinque frag-
mctito profluo et furtiuo incremento ad quinque milia ho-
minum tetendit et dilatauit saginam, potuit augmentis
succrescentibus ad nuptiarum festa uini ampliare et per-
pctuare mensuras.
[But see Diet, of Christian Antiquities vol. II p. 619.]
Aabdefghik E< Fikls Gl Habcdfg Icdhn Max Vacprs
Inluminans altissimus
micantium astrorum globes,
pax, uita, lumen, ueritas,
lesu, faue precantibus ;
seu mystico baptismate 5
fluenta lordanis retro
r. iniiimitiiuia is an appropriate git. The nom. is here used for the
word with which to begin an Epi- vocative, 'the Most High.'
phany hymn. In like manner our i. Ambr., remembering Verg.
ist morning lesson for this day, as A en. VI. 725 lucentemque globum
also in the Roman use, Isaiah Ix, lunae titaniaque astro, spiritus intus
begins 'Arise, shine for thy light is alit, often refers to this line, as at
come.' And Mone notes that Atha- Hex. I. 28, IV. 27, de Resur. n. ip
nasius explains Ps. xxvi (xxvii) caelum non semper stellarum mi-
of the baptism of Christ, beginning cantium globis fulget\ de Spir. \\.
with the words 'The Lord is my $6 gentiles homines .. .quod caelum at
light.' In the eastern church the terras lunae quoque stellarumque
day was also known as TO. <j>ura, or micantium globos spiritus intus
r\ rifj^pa rCiv <t>&ruv, alat suis uersibus indiderunt.
altisslmus] of Christ as is shewn 3. pax] Eph. ii. 14, Ambr. in
by line 4 ; cp. de Fide in. 9 quis Ps. I. 33 bibe Christum quia pax
autem neget Christum esse altissi- est ; cp. Epist. xxix. 6, LXIII. 4.
mum significatum?...hinc dubitari uita... ueritas] Joh. xiv. 6, to
non potest, quod altissimus Christus which verse Ambr. constantly re-
sit...qui altissimus? Dei Filius. fers, e.g. de Abr. I. 11; see esp. in
ergo qui altissimus Deus Christus Ps. xxxvi. 65 cum de pace loqui-
est. Cp. in Ps. XLV. i6f. uenite ad mur, ipse est ; cum de ueritate et
me omnes qui laboratis. ..hanc uocem uita et redemptions loquimur, ipse est.
dedit altissimus; in Luc. vin. 46 lumen] Cp. 3. 3.
Christus... luminis sui globos spar- 5 f. Stanzas n-v give the events
66
conuersa quondam tertio
praesente sacraris die ;
seu Stella partum uirginis
caelo micans signauerit, 10
et hoc adoratum die
praesepe magos duxerit ;
uel hydriis plenis aquae
uini saporem infuderis ;
7 quodam tempore Gl Ha. 8 praesentem...diem Ha 1 b 1 cf Icdhn Vs.
i o signaueris Aabdefh Vap. 1 1 hac Vap. adorandum Fs Vs. diem
Ae Gl Habc j d Ih. 12 duxeris Aabdef Va. 13 aqua Ab Fis Gl
Habcdg Ichn Vcs. 14 fuderis (pro inf.) Gl, fuderit E0 Fis Habcdfg
Icdn Vs, fundere Ih 1 (inf. Ih 2 ).
in Christ's life which are especially
regarded as His 'manifestations.'
The classical turn seu, seu, uel, im-
plies a choice of subjects that might
be commemorated on this day. As
a matter of fact it was a commemo-
ration of them all.
'Whether by Thy mystical bap-
tism Thou didst on this day sanctify
the waters of Jordan thrice turned
back ' ; cp. the prayer in the Bap-
tismal Service : ' by the Baptism of
thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ
in the river Jordan didst sanctify
water to the mystical washing away
of sin.' The reference in the hymn
is to Ps. cxiii. (cxiv.) 3, a passage
often quoted or referred to by
Ambr. as at Hex. ill. 2 mare uidit
et fugit, lordanes conuersus est
retrorsum; cp. ib. 6, in Ps. LXI. 32.
The three occasions were when the
Jordan was passed by the Israelites
under Joshua (Jos. iii), by Elijah
(i Kings ii. 8), by Elisha (ib. 14).
They are here specially alluded to
as indicating, that the Jordan was
already prepared by miraculous in-
terventions for this crowning en-
richment. See Ambr. in Luc. I. 37
ille sub Helia diuiso amnefluuialium
recursus undarum in originem Jlu-
minis, sicut dixit serif tura: lor-
danis conuersus est retrorsum,
significat sahitaris lauacri futura
mysteria.
7. tertio] lit. 'for the third time.'
It is often used instead of ter by
Ambr., in Luc. I. 36, Apolog.
David. 43, Epist. LXII. i. Cp.
Num. xxii. 32 cur tertio uerberas
asinam tuam ; Sedul. Of. V. 36 et
haec tertio repetit.
8. sacraris] The line is imitated
Sedul. Carm. II. 161 gurgitis et
propriis sacrauit ftttmina membris.
9. partum uirginis] 4. 30, 6.
6.
i if. 'And on this day led the
magi to do reverence to Thy man-
ger.' Ambr. would not allow that
the manger could be worshipped in
the strict sense ; but in the sense of
' falling down to ' or ' at ' it would
be natural and harmless ; cp. Ps.
xcviii. (xcix.) 5 adorate scabellum
pedum eius ; and Ambr.'s comments
upon it de Spir. in. xi. Ambr. often
mentions the visit of the magi. See
esp. in Luc. n. 43 f.
adoratum is the supine, a form
of the verb seldom used in late
Latin, but cp. Ambr. Hex. V. 36
auium i/itac cum eunt cubititm ;
Epist. LXII. 3 mist diaconum...
memoratum.
12. praesepe] 6. 29. magos has
its first syllable lengthened by the
HYMN VIII. AMBROSE 67
hausit minister conscius, 15
quod ipse non impleuerat.
aquas colorari uidens,
inebriare flumina,
elementa mutata stupet
transire in usus alteros. 20
sic quinque milibus uirum
dum quinque panes diuidis,
edentium sub dentibus
15 auxit (hauxit Fs Vs) Abdfgh. 17 iubens Fi Ih, iubet Hbd.
1 8 inebriari Aabdefgh E< Fik Hbcdfg Icdn Vacps. 19 mut. elem.
stupent Aabdefgh Fis Ih Vacps (stupent habent etiain E<f> Gk Ic Vr).
2i si Vr, hie Ac. uiris Abefgh Fs Hd 1 Ihn Vaps. 22 diuidit E<f> Fi
Gl (?) Habcdf Ihn Vacrs, diuidunt Abdfgh (et e ut uidetur) Vp.
stress of the verse. In classical au-
thors it is always short.
13 f. Joh. ii. 6 f . tiel, 'or if,'
answers to seu in 9, where that
word really is equivalent to uel si.
hydriis] by a natural license put
for their contents.
plenis aquae] Ambr. almost al-
ways uses a gen. with plemis, three
times out of every four. The abl. is
first found in Lucr. , then used
sparingly by Cic., more freely by
Verg., and exclusively by Juv. ,
Prud., Commodian. See Quint, ix.
iii. i. In these hymns we find the
gen. at 45. 17, 49. 23, the abl. at
104. 34.
15. minister] rhetorical use of
the sing, for plu. ; cp. Ambr. in Ps.
cxvin. xiii. 6 ludaeiis . . .fac ere con-
stieuit ; XLVII. 1 1 turn magus ado-
rauit; 9. 8, 12. 15 and often.
conscius] 'sharing the knowledge'
of the fact that the wine had but
lately been water; Joh. ii. g minis-
iri autem sciebant, qui hanriebant
aqttarn. ' The servant drew (from
the water-pot into the cups) that
which he knew that he had not
filled ' : he had not poured in the
wine that he drew out. With re-
ference to the Gospel text a very
natural turn is given to impleuerat
cp. Eur. Iph. Taur. 953 017705 tSutv
Iffov d'waffi paKxiov fj.^Tpt]fj.a TrXijpti-
ffavres.
17 f. 'The servant seeing. ..is
amazed.' aquas, Jlumina, elementa
plural in form are sing, in meaning,
as mfluenta in 6 above. This is a
common classical usage, cp. Drae-
ger I. 4 f.
colorari] The wines of Palestine
were mostly red ; cp. Prov. xxiii.
3r, Is. xxvii. 2, 31. 50, 90. 27, 91.
15-
1 8. inebriare] [W. left it doubt-
ful whether he intended to read the
active or the passive. The passive
was likely to come from assimilation
to colorari, and the passage from in
Luc. vi. 87 given in the Introd.
seems to decide for the active.]
19. Cp. in Ps. cxvin. xix. 9
elementa mutaret; de Inst. Virg.
34 in usus alteros mutaretur; de
My st. 52 non ualebit Chris ti sermo,
ut species mutet elementorum ?
2 1 f. quinque . . . quinque] in Luc.
VI. 79 non otiosus numerus...cur
enim plures, id est quinque milia,
quinque panibus, hoc est numero
minore, satiabantur?
23. edentium... dentibus] Note
5'
68
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
in ore crescebat cibus.
2 5
26 sui Vr.
multiplicabatur 'magis
dispendio panis suo.
quis haec uidens rhirabitur
iuges meatus fontium?
inter manus frangentium
panis rigatur profluus ;
intacta quae non fregerant
fragmenta subrepunt uiris.
28 faucium E0 Fi Gl Hacfg Icn. 31 fregerat Aef Vp.
3
32 supersunt Ha 2 cd 2 . uiri Aabefgh Fis Idn Vap.
the play upon the sound of the
words, an artifice used elsewhere
also by Ambr. ; cp. in Ps. cxvm.
xviii. 29 Moyses non imperauit sed
impetrauit; 10. 18 ut abluat
mundi luem ; Hex. \. 35 caelum
nubibus texitur ut sol tegatur', VI.
1 3 oua congregauit et clamauit quasi
ouans; in Luc. II. 42 non fuco de-
liciarum sed suco naturalis ali-
moniae ; de Jacob I. 1 7 ut totus
mundus eius mundaretur sanguine.
25. For the oxymoron cp. Sedul.
Carm. III. 269 epulas nutriuit
edendo \ uulgus et adtritae creue-
runt morsibus escae; id. Op. iv. 2
substantiam . . .quae detrimentis au-
getur; Ovid Met. VIII. 879 infelix
minuend o corpus alebat.
27. 'Who... will wonder?' i.e. no
one will wonder. Ambr. is fond of
making a statement by asking a
question, cp. 10. 7, 21, in Luc. vi.
85 quoted in the introd. to this
hymn. The wonder of the rivers is
dwelt upon by Basil Hex. ill. 6
imitated by Ambr. Hex. II. u.
28. iuges] Cp. 1. 29 (note), 6. 32.
meatus fontium] ' the never fail-
ing courses of springs ' ; cp. de Fide
II. prol. 2 fontis meatu; de Spir. i.
prol. 7 meatusque suos fons...deri-
uauit; ib. I. 158; in Luc. vi. 85
quoted in the introd. to this hymn.
29. inter manus] ' in the hands,'
more idiomatic than in manibus
ministrantium of in Luc. vi. 87 ;
cp. Cic. in Verrem v. 1 1 alius
inter manus .. .auferebatur with de
Sen. 12 est in manibus laudatio
('is being read by all'), ib. earn
fabulam quant in manibus habebat
(' the play which he had in hand ').
So Ambr. de Virg. I. 7 inter cruen-
tas carnificum manus.
30. rigatur] connected with our
word rain, means 'pour' any liquid,
then in general 'shed'; cp. Lucr. n.
263 hinc molus per membra rigan-
tur (' are welled ') ; iv. 907 somnus
per membra quietem inriget ('lets a
stream of repose over the limbs');
imitated by Verg. Aen. I. 691. Cp.
rigatti in the passage from in Luc.
v. given above in the introd.
profluus is constantly found in
Ambr.'s prose for profluens; in Luc.
iv.6sitienssitienlibus,projluusabun-
dantibus ; cp. in Ps. xxxv. i sanguis
. . . Christi. . .profluus ad lauandum
omne peccatum', Epist. XLVII. i ea
quae dictantur. . .profluo cursuferun-
tur, 9. 23. profiuens is also found,
if rarely, as in Luc. iv. 71.
32. uiris] i.e. the disciples. The
final couplet refers to the portions
which were 'over and above.' Ambr.
seems to conceive of the process of
multiplication as continuing in the
hands of the disciples (frangentium),
and even in those of the recipients
(quae non fregerant , sc. discipulf).
HYMN IX. AMBROSE 69
HYMN 9
Biraghi and Dreves argue that the Agnes-hymn is
Ambrose's work, because it is in his style and abounds
with his characteristic phrases, and especially because it
is closely connected with a passage in the treatise de
Virginibus, which he wrote in A.D. 377 and which is
made up from a series of sermons the first of which
he preached on St Agnes' day, Jan. 2ist, of that year.
However it is just here that Pio Franchi de' Cavalieri
joins issue with them (Romisch. Quartalschrift, 1901,
p. 3 f.). For he roundly asserts that the hymn cannot
have been written by Ambrose, inasmuch as according
to him in three important points it contradicts this de-
tailed prose account of the martyrdom of Agnes (de Vir-
ginibus I. 2).
i. He objects that the prose story states that Agnes
was beheaded, whereas the hymn represents her as being
stabbed to death. No doubt the hymn does admit of
this interpretation : see lines 25 and 30. But what says
Ambrose in his sermon ? The important words here
on which Franchi rests his argument are : stetit, orauit,
ceruicem inflexit. According to him these last two words
must mean ' she bent her neck forward ' in order to re-
ceive the stroke of the sword. Their real force may be
quite different : inflexit may mean 'bent aside' in order
to admit the point of the sword. So Catullus LXIV. 56
euhoe bacchantes, eulioe capita inflectentes ; Propertius IV.
viii. 77 colla caue inflectas ad summum obliqua theatrum ;
Verg. Aen. III. 631 ceruicem inflexam posuit, where the
sense is determined by Horn. Od. IX. 372 etr' Vo-
Sox/ucoo-a? traxvv av-^ei-a. Moreover the prose account
certainly allows the reader to regard Agnes as being
stabbed. If she was not stabbed there is little force in
70 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
fuitne in illo corpuscido uulneri locus'? or in quae non
habuit quoferrum reciperet. No doubt death by beheading
was more general than by stabbing. But stabbing was
fairly frequent; cp. Cic. Phil. III. 4, XIV. 25; Prud.
Perist. X. 64 iugulos retectos obstinate opponere ; Fort. II.
xiv. 10 inuitant iugulis uulnera cara suis. Jubaru Sainte
Agnes (Paris 1907) p. 20 suggests that the stabbing in
the case of Agnes may have been a concession to her
tender years. After all the meaning of the phrase cer-
uicem inflexit may be simply ' she gave herself up to
death'; cp. in Ps. CXVIII. v. 25 \Christus~\ ceruices suas
posuit in flagella ; in Luc. VII. 178 Felix, Nabor et Victor
. . .colla flexerunt ; Damas. XIII. 4 militibus missis populi
tune colla dedere; Prud. Psych. 352.
2. Franchi says that the prose passage knows nothing
of Agnes' flight from her parents' house, as described in
the third stanza of the hymn. Now this prose passage does
not claim to give the complete and precise account of
an exact historian, but is the recital of a preacher striving
to stir his hearers, hearers who already knew the whole
story. Why then give all the details ? And Ambrose's
words elsewhere (Epist. XXXVII. 37 quid Thedam, quid
Agnen...loquar, quae... ad mortem .. .festinauerunt ?} cer-
tainly point to incidents that are more fully narrated in
the hymn. In much the same way, be it noted, Ambrose
does not at Hex. V. 88 insert all the details that he gives
in the hymn Aeterne rerum conditor (see the introduction
to 2) : and yet no one doubts the fact that this hymn was
written by Ambrose.
3. Franchi says that the words of Agnes are different
in the two accounts. And why not ? As a preacher before
an especial audience on the one hand, and as a hymn
writer for the whole church on the other, Ambrose might
well feel himself at liberty to choose from the martyr's
HYMN IX. AMBROSE 71
dying words, so far as he knew them, those which would
in either case be more directly suitable for his immediate
purpose.
The conclusion to which we are entitled to come by
the evidence before us is that the two stories agree in
substance, but with a freedom of treatment and a variety
in detail which no imitator would venture upon, however
bold or clever he might be. And it is noteworthy that
the hymn knows nothing of the additions made to the
story, as these are told in the Gesta sanctae Agnes, which
were compiled A.D. 415-420.
Jubaru in his elaborate history of the saint gives
January 2ist A.D. 305 as the probable date of the death
of St Agnes. It took place on the decline between the
Pantheon and the Vatican where a church dedicated to
her now stands.
Other accounts of her martyrdom were current. Da-
masus, the son of a Roman notary, became the priest of
St Laurence's church and at last Pope, from 366-384.
He had therefore as good an opportunity as any one of
his time of getting at the truth, and he wrote the fol-
lowing inscription for the other church of St Agnes on
the Nomentan Way (Epigr. XL. ed. Ihm).
Fama refert sanctos dudum retulisse parentes
Agnen, dum lugubres cantuis tuba concrepuisset,
nutricis gremium subito liquisse puellam^
sponte tmcis calcasse minas rabiemque tyranni;
urere aim flammis uoluissel nobile corpus,
uiribus inmensum parnis superasse timorem,
nudaque profusum crinem per membra dedisse,
ne Domini templum fades peritura uideret.
o ueneranda mi/it, sanctum decus alma pudoris,
ut Damasi precibus faucas precor, inclyta martyr.
72 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Here the punishment is burning, and Agnes covers
her body, not with her clothes but with her hair. See
also Aur. Legend. SS. XXIV tune uicarius Aspasius nomine
iussit earn in copiosum ignem iactari, sed in duas partes
flamma diuisa...eam minime contingebat...ignibus iniecta,
sed its per orationem ems exstinctis gladio percussa est.
In the story told by Prud. Perist. XIV Agnes is thrust
into a brothel (25), and speaks of being stabbed (77 fer-
rum in papillas omne recepero \ pectusqut ad imum uim
gladii traham), but she is eventually beheaded (89 nno
sub ictu nam caput amputat).
Notice that the epigram of Damasus begins with the
\vordsfama refert, just as Ambrose de Virginib. I. 7 uses
the word traditur. Already in the fourth century there
was known to be uncertainty as to the facts concerning
the martyrdom of this little girl.
Aabdefghik Fis la Vacps
Agnes beatae uirginis
natalis est, quo spiritum
caelo refudit debitum
pio sacrata sanguine.
1 Agnis Vap 1 , Agnetis Fs.
i. Ambr. and Prud. Perist. xiv. ea loqni possumus, cuius ne nomen
i , 31 etc', and the writer of the quidem uacuum luce laudis fuit ?
epigram c. 364 Damasus LXXXIV. 4, 2. natalis] 'birthday,' i.e. day of
14 (ed. Ihm), make Agnes both martyrdom; cp. Ambr. de Fid. fies.
nom. and gen., the abl. being Agne II. 5 nos quoque ipsi natales dies
(Ambr. de Off. I. 203). Another (here used in the natural sense) de-
gen. Agnetis is found as early as in funclorum oblittiscimur et eum quo
the Feriale ecclesiae Romanae of ' obierunl diem celebri sollemnitaie
A.D. 354, and this at last superseded renouamus. According to Servius
the shorter form. Mone suggests on Verg. Ed. ill. 76 the best writers
that Ambr. chose the Greek gen. used natalis as a subst., whereas
(ayv7)s) to avoid confusion with the later writers from Juv. onwards said
Latin agna. Anyhow we may safely natalis dies. But Cic. uses natalis
say that he was thinking of this dies and Ambr. natalis ; cp. de
meaning for the name in view of his Virg. I. 5 natalis est uirginis,...
words de Virg. 1.5 quid dignum de natalis est mar tyris,... natalis est
HYMN IX. AMBROSE
73
matura martyrio fuit,
matura nondum nuptiis.
nutabat in uiris fides,
cedebat effessus senex.
metu parentes territi
claustrum pudoris auxerant:
soluit fores custodiae
fides teneri nescia.
8 et fessus Ae Fi Vacp. cedebant effessi senes Fs Vs.
10
sanctae Agnes. See also Ronsch
104.
3. refudit] 2. 12 (note), caelo is
to be taken with debiliiin.
4. sacrata] perhaps implies that
her martyrdom was to Agnes what
the taking of their vows was to
other 'virgins.' She does not appear
to have been a ' professed ' virgin ;
'cp. de Virg. I. 19 haec probauit
Dominum, quern quia aetas non-
dum poterat cottfiteri, natura con-
fessa est. Her own blood was the
instrument of her consecration, as
others were baptized in their own
blood.
5. Cp. de Virg. I. 8 nondum
idonca poeiiae et tarn matura uic-
toriae; Prud. Perist. xiv. 10 ingali
uix habilem toro. She is said to have
been only twelve years old. The
phrase in the hymn comes from
Verg. Aeii. vn. 53 iam matura
uiro, iam plenis nulrilis annis ; cp.
[Damasus] LXXIX. 4 (of a boy
martyr) tempore sub paruo matura
laude triumphatis.
7. nutabat is contrasted with
Agnes' firm constancy, as often in
Ambr. ; cp. in Ps. XL. 22 latro...
confessus est Dei Filium,,..iusti
plerii/ue nutabant.
Both uiris and senex are em-
phatic. The faith of men in all
their strength was wavering around,
elders with their wisdom were giving
in, but this little girl stood firm.
Similarly de hist. Virg. 49 stabat
ante crucem mater et fiigientibus
uiris stabat intrepida; in Luc. x.
132.
8. effessus] ' worn out by perse-
cution. The word, being well at-
tested by the MSS and duly formed,
should be read in preference to the
et fessus of editors. Similar forms
are edurus, effents.
senex] the rhetorical singular,
like minister in 8. 15.
9f. Prud. Perist. III. 36 f. gives
the like precautions taken by the
parents of Eulalia : sed pia cura
parentis agit, \ uirgo animosa donii
ut lateat, \ ...ne fera sangttinis in
pretium \ mortis aniore puella ruat.
10. 'had doubled the safeguard
of her purity,' viz. the lock and key
and similar precautions taken to
secure the sanctity of her maiden-
hood. Perhaps Ambr. has in his
mind the language of Hor. Od. IK.
xvi. Cp. Epist. V. 9 erit, inquam,
uel maleuola uel imperita, quam
pudoris claustra praetereanl. Con-
trast 6 14.
11. Like Eulalia (Prud. Perist.
in. 43) Agnes evaded her parents'
restraint and voluntarily offered
herself for martyrdom. See the in-
troduction to this hymn.
fores custodiae] 'the doors of
guard,' i.e. the doors which guarded
her a somewhat Hebraic turn.
12. fides] de Virg. I. 7 magna
uis fidei, qnae etiam ab ilia testi-
monium inuenit aetate!
For the use of nescia cp. that of
nescire at 3. 20, 28, 5. 19. Ambr.
74
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
prodire quis nuptum putet,-
sic laeta uultu ducitur,
nouas uiro ferens opes,
dotata censu sanguinis.
aras nefandi numinis
adolere taedis cogitur :
respondet ' baud tales faces
sumpsere Christi uirgines :
15 uero Aade la Vap, uiros Fs Vs.
authalis facit la.
has an inf. with nescius, as here, de
Virg. I. 7 mori... nescia; ib. n. 9
prodire domo nescia; ib. II. i^fu-
gere nescia ; cp. Verg. Georg. n.
467, iv. 470, Aen, x. 502, xn.
527; Draeger n. 354. Ennodius
Hymn. vm. 6 imitates the line :
uirtus teneri nescia.
13. 'One would think she was
coming forth to be wedded.' Cp.
de Virg. I. 8 non sic ad thalamum
nupta properaret, ut ad supplicii
locum iaeta successu, gradu festino
uirgo processit; ib. in. $^[Pelagia~\
fertur ornasse caput, nuptialem in-
duisse uestem, lit non ad mortem
ire diceres, sed ad sponsum. For
the form of the line cp. 13. 29, and
for the supine nuptum 8. n.
1 4. sic] This use of sic ( tarn,
adeo) is rare; but the dictionaries
refer to Cic. Rep. n. 21 sic erat in
omni uel officio uel sermone sailers.
ducitur] ' She is led off to exe-
cution ' ; cp. 1. 33, Ambr. de
Nabuth 21, de Virg. in. 34.
15. 'Bringing to her husband
riches of a new kind, being dowered
with the wealth of her blood.'
nouas as in 6. 30, 10. 24. uiro =
Christ. Cp. de Virg. i. 22 Chris-
tus uirginis sponsus. So Fortunatus
iv. xxvi. 97 hinc maler, hinc sponsa
Agnes, Tecla dulcis, Agathe \ et quae-
cutnque Deo uirginitate placet.
16. dotata] Cp. Ambr. Hex. in.
56 ecrlesia . . . Christi cruore dotata ;
19 aut Adefh Fs Vacp.
de Isaac 48 laudant etiam munera
animae, guae missa sunt a sponso,
quibus dotata ueniebat ; Epist.
xxxi. 7 misericordiae... dotata pa-
trimonio.
censu] originally 'rating,' then
' that at which one was rated,'
hence 'income,' 'property, "wealth.'
Ambr. uses the word metaphorically,
de lacob II. 20 censu fidei; Epist.
xxxi. 7 censu pio dtues ; ib. xxxvin.
7 bonitatis suae censum ; cp. ib.
II. n.
1 7. ' They would compel her to
kindle with the torch the altar of
an accursed god ' : according to
Prud. Perist. xiv, that of Minerva.
Ambr. is borrowing from Verg. Aen.
VII. 71 adolet dum altaria taedis;
as he does de Joseph 17 Ihymiama,
quo adolent altaria piae mentis; in
Luc. I. 28 adolentibus altaria ; de
Off. III. too ignis quo adolerent
altaria. Cp. Prud. Perist. III. 26 f.
ast ubi se furiata lues \ excitat in
famulos Domini \ Christicolasque
cruenta iubet \ tura cremare, iecur
pecudis | mortiferis adolere deis.
The plural forms aras and taedis
are poetical. Verg. uses of a single
altar the plural arae more than 60
times, the sing, some 18 times; the
plural taedae 12 times, the sing.
taeda twice. And aras is here
chosen for altaria (which is vir-
tually always used in the plural,
but cf. Ronsch 259, 265) to suit the
HYMN IX. AMBROSE
75
hie ignis exstinguit fidem,
haec flamma lumen eripit.
hie, hie ferite ! ut profluo
cruore restinguam focos.'
24 extinguam Ad, restringam Ah Fs Vs.
21
metre. Steier, p. 628, says that
Ambr. always carefully distinguishes
between ara a heathen and altaria
a Christian altar. It is true that at
in Virg. I. 7 Ambr. says, as here,
uel si ad aras inuita raperetur, and
in -Luc. IX. 20 ara deicilur, tit al-
taria eriganlur. Cp. Cyp. Ep. 59. 18
altare reniouentibiis. ..simulacra atq.
idola ciitn arts suis transeant', ib.
65. i quasi fast aras diaboli accedere
ad altare Dei fas sit. But he often
uses ara as the altar of God; thus
de Abr. I. 6 ubi Bethel, id est domus
Dei, ibi et ara: ubi ara, ibi et
innocatio Dei nostri; Rpist. XVIII.
10 numquid imperator gentilis aram
Christo leuamt (cp. just above sed
uetera inquit [Symmachus] red-
denda sunt altaria simulacris) ; ib.
XIX. 23 nee aram statidt Deo nee
hostiam immolauit ; ib. LV. i tecum
is qid aedificauit aram Deo. Nor do
others make a sharp and constant
distinction between the two words ;
cp. Prud. Cat/i. Xli. 131 and often,
[Damas.] LVIII. \hancaramDomini
seruant', Fort. V. v. 133, VII. xxv.
8; Vit. Mart. in. 54. For the
difference between them Obbar., on
Prud. Cath. vn. 203 altaris aram
(cp. Perist. x. 49), refers to Isid.
Orig. xv. 4, Serv. ad Verg. Aen.
II. 515 superorum et arae sunt et
altaria, inferorum tantum arae.
Dressel says ara sanctior augus-
tiorque altaris pars Prudentio esse
tddetur.
1 8. adolere was the technical
term in Roman ritual for kindling
the sacrificial fire on an altar ; but
it is hard to say ho.w it came to
have this meaning the later Ro-
mans themselves seem not to have
known.
19. faces] Agnes is referring to
the use of torches at weddings.
Propertius uses taedae for 'marriage'
I. viii. 21 nam me non ullae poterunt
corrumpere taedae.
20. sumpsere] 'are wont to
take,' the perfect of repeated ac-
tion, rare in principal clauses, ex-
cept in poets and later writers
(Roby 1478 f.); cp. Verg. Georg.
IV. 213, Hor. Epist. I. ii. 47, Ars
Poet. 343, 1. 4 legimus.
21 f. Agnes means that the hea-
then fire is not true fire, the heathen
flame not true flame.
hie... haec] rhetorical repetition,
cp. note on 2. n.
exstinguit... restinguam] For the
oxymoron in ignis exstinguit cp.
Sedul. Carm. I. ^205 Jlammis \ ar-
dentis Jidei restincta est flamma (an
echo of our passage). See also de
Virg. I. 30 quam nulla exstinguit
aetas, nulla eripere mors potest.
23. [Hie, hie may indicate the
part of the body that she wished
them to strike, or the altar in the
law-court at which she stood.]
With the general sense cp. Agnes'
words de Virg. I. 9 quid percus-
sor moraris? For profluo cp. 8.
30.
24. de Virg. in. 33 [Pelagia is
speaking] sacrilegas aras praecipi-
tata subuertam et accensos focos
cruore restinguam ; in Luc. ix. 33
incendia proprio cruore restinxerit.
focos is 'the altar fire' as at Pro-
pert. V. xi. 54, Prud. Symm. II.
910, 971, Perist. n. 447, X. 263.
Cp. Isid. Orig. XX. x. i Varro
focos ait dictos, quod foueant ignes ;
...qtiidqtdd autem ignis fouet, focus
nocatur, sen ara sit seu quid
aliud.
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
percussa quam pompam tulit!
nam ueste se totam tegens
curam pudoris praestitit,
ne quis retectam cerneret.
in morte uiuebat pudor,
uultumque texerat manu,
terrain genu flexo petit
lapsu uerecundo cadens.
26 tegit Abdefgh la Vap.
2 5
25. 'When smitten what gran-
deur she displayed ! ' pompa seems
to have lost its sense of a procession,
as the Greek TTO/J-IT^ sometimes did,
and as our word 'pomp' has done.
In a similar prose passage (de Virg.
II. 17 quae pompa ilia, quanta
angelorum laetitia plaudentium) the
pompa may refer to the marriage
procession, or possibly to the funeral
procession ; cp. Propert. III. v. 3
nee mea tune longa spatietur ima-
gine pompa.
tulit] Cp. Cic. Att. xiv. xiii. i
laetiliam apertissime tulimus.
26. According to Uamasus XL.
7, quoted in the introduction to this
hymn, Agnes covered her naked
body with her hair, even as Godiva
'shower'd the rippled ringlets to
her knee.' So in a hymn in honour
of St Agnes quoted by Mone III.
179 we read spoliata uestimentis \
densis latet capillis ; and in another
hymn (ib. 181) gaude, quod cum
nudabaris \ crine magis tenebaris \
quam amictus gloria.
27 f. Ambr. has in mind the
death of Polyxena as Euripides
depicts it, Hec. 568 f. j] St Kal Qv-i}-
ffKOVff S/JLUS I TroXXrji' irpt>voia.v el^f
fVffX'hP-US TTfffflV, I KpVTTTOVff a KplJIT-
reiv 6/j.fMT apatvuv xpc&v, imitated
by Ovid Fast. II. 833 turn quoque
iam moriens ne non procumbat
honeste \ respicit ; haec etiam cura
cadentis erat ; Met. XII). 479 tune
quoque cura fuit paries celare tegen-
das | cum caderet castique decus ser-
uare pudoris. So did the sisters of
Pelagia, Ambr. de Virg. in. 35,
suspense paululum in cinctum sinu,
quo pudorem tegerent; and Pelagia
herself, Epist. xxxvn. 38 quid
autem sublimius sancta Pelagia,
quae...aiebat: uolens morior, nemo
me continget manu, nemo octtlo pro-
teruo uiolabit uirginem ; mecum
feram pudorem, mecum incolumem
uerecundiam. So did Perpetua,
Potamiaena, and other Christian
martyrs. Cp. Tac. Hist. III. 84 ei
cura etiam morientibus decori exitus
fuit\ Plin- Epist. IV. n.
27. praestitit] See note on 4. 7.
29. morte uiuebat] an oxymoron.
Steier quotes Florus I. 18 et in ipsa
morte ira uiuebat. Cp. Marius
Victor Alelh. III. 224 uiua morte
suos referat.
30. ' even her face she had
covered.' This emphatic use of -que
is found in Catullus and Propertius,
and is common with later writers in
the phr. hodieque (in Luc. 1 . 38) ;
Schmalz 496. For the sense of the
line cp. de Abr. I. 93 discite ergo
uirgines quemadmodum seruetis ue-
recundiam nee intecto capite pro-
deatis ante extraneos ; i Cor. xi. 6f.
31. Cp. Lucr. I. 92 [The dying
Iphianassa] terram genibus sum-
missa petebat ; Verg. Aen. in. 93
submissi petimus terram.
petit] =petiit ; both uiuebat and
texerat being in past time. Vergil,
Ovid and Lucan use this shortened
form.
HYMN X. AMBROSE 77
HYMN 10
The great antiquity of this hymn is proved by the
mention of it in the Rule of Caesarius ad uirgines,
whose direction* is quern hymnum to turn pascha et ad
matutinos et ad uesperam psallere debetis. The Rule of
Aurelian is to the same effect, except that for ad uesperam
he writes ad lucernarium. As to its being one of Am-
brose's genuine hymns, it is quoted as his by Hincmar
of Reims, but his date is too late to allow him to be a
competent witness on this point. Firmer grounds of
belief are its conciseness and strength, its quotation of
scripture 'passages slightly modified, its close resem-
blance in vocabulary and idiom to Ambrose's prose.
Dreves would add a further proof of its antiquity in
the form of expression of the first words, hie est dies
uerus Dei. He urges that not until after Jerome's re-
vision did Ps. cxvii. (cxviii.) 24, to which these words
refer, run haec est dies, and that the hymn must therefore
have been written before that revision. However ac-
cording to Sabatier (yet. Ital. II. 230) the older version
also read haec, so that we cannot use this argument. But
it does seem to be the case that Ambrose when quoting
or referring to the psalm-verse makes dies masculine,
as at Epist. XXIII. 11 die autem dominica exsultandum
propheta docet, dicens: hie est dies quern fecit Dominus.
In other places also Ambrose brings this verse into
direct reference to Easter. Thus in Ps. XLIII. 6 docet nos
scriptura esse aliquos praeclaros dies in quibus refulserint
facta diuina. . .in ipso enim die Christus hominibus resur-
rexit, et ideo specialiter de ipso dictum est: hie est dies
quern fecit Dominus... cum igitiir omnes dies Deus fecent,
hinc tamen diei prae ceteris diuini opens praerogatiua
delata, quo peccatum omne sublatum est... hie ergo dies
78 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
quern inluminanit sol ille iustitiae. In Luc. VII 79 quis
est ille alter dies nisi forte ille dominicae resurrectionis, de
quo dictum est: hie est dies quern fecit Dominus.
The sense of Easter must not be unduly restricted.
The present hymn is as much on the Passion as on the
Resurrection. In early times the Passion, the Death,
and the Resurrection of Christ were regarded as one
great celebration; cp. de Resur. II 46 mors ems annua
sollemnitas mundi est \ and see Feltoe's note on Dionysius
Alex. p. 94.
Easter was the chief season for Baptism, and the
thought of this underlies the hymn, especially the first
two stanzas, as also the conclusion of 36, the whole of
37, and the first part of 109 and no.
Aabcdeghik Eo Fis^ Haci Icefn MX Vacprs
Hie est dies uerus Dei
sancto serenus lumine,
quo diluit sanguis sacer
probrosa mundi crimina ;
fidem refundens perditis 5
caecosque uisu inluminans.
2 sanctus sereno Vr, sanctus serenus Eo F"^. 3 quod Vrs. 5 per-
fidis Haci (perfides Vr). 6 uisus Vap.
i. Ps. cxvii. (cxviii.) 24; see est enim aqua sine cruce Christi?
introduction. elementum commune sine ullo sacra-
i . sancto . . . lumine] that of Christ, menti effectu.
cp. 3. 3, 8. 3. 4. Ambr. Carm. i. 9 [Biraghi
serenus] 'bright,' from the same p. 136] hie (i.e. in the font) qui-
root as sol, sirius. cumque uolunt probrosae crimina
3. de Bened. Patr. 24 in passione uiiae | ponere, corda laiient, pectora
...diluit gentes suo sanguine \ in Ps. munda gerant.
xxxix. 17 ut in sangtiine suo om- mundi] probably with reference
nium peccata dilueret ; inPs. cxvm. to Joh. i. 29.
prol. 3 passio Domini .. .quae mun- 5. perditis] ' to the lost.' per-
dum hunc diluit. ditus is the only passive part of
P'or the consecration of the bap- perdere found in good writers, with
tismal water by the passion of the one exception of perditur, Hor.
Christ cp. Ambr. de Myst. 20 quid Sat. n. vi. 59, some part of perire
HYMN X. AMBROSE
79
quern non graui soluit metu
latronis absolutio ?
qui praemium mutans cruce
lesum breui adquisit fide
7 soluat Eo Fi^ Haci Icefn Vcs, soluet Vr.
crucem Eo Ic Vr. 10 lesu le Vs. adquisiuit
Aabdgh Eo Ha Vap, querit Fi Icefn Vacps.
9 praemio Eo Vr.
Hci Vr, quaesiuit
taking the place. The variant per-
fidis makes a pointed contrast with
fidein (as does caecos with inlumi-
nans), but this very fact may have
commended it as a correction to
some copyists. For refundens cp.
2. 22 note.
6. The enlightenment is partly,
but not wholly, that of Baptism.
7 f. Lk. xxiii. 39 f. The penitent
robber is often alluded to in Ambr.'s
prose; as in Ps. xxxix. 17 lalro
crnctfixus absoluitiir, quia ille
Christum in suppliciis agnoitit suis,
...et peccaturn suum coufcsitts est
Christo ; . . .quia in cruce sua regnum
Domini mente conspexit....Ideo pre-
cationem latronis uox secuta est cae-
lestis huiusmodi: amen, amen, dico
tibi, hodie meciim eris in paradiso
nemo est qui fossil excludi quando
receptus est lalro. See the like pas-
sages de Fide m. 99, in Luc. x. 121,
Epist. LXXI. 8.
In such questions as this the in-
dicative may stand, as in 21,8. 27
(see the note there) ; or the sub-
junctive, as at 12. 13. Mone reads
soluet, to match mirabitur 8. 27,
but here the present is better at-
tested and gives at least as good a
sense.
9f. 'Who changing his cross into
his heaven gained Jesus by a moment
of faith.' The variants in 9 are ac-
counted for by the two constructions
of inutare. Horace could say Od. I.
xvi. 25 mitibus \ mutare qiiaero
tristia ('give up bitter for sweet'),
and ib. xvii. i uelox amoenum saepe
Lucretilem \ mutat Lycaeo Faunus
('takes in exchange for'). Ambr.
uses the former construction in Ps.
XL. 22 latro ipse nequiliam suam
proposito meliore mutauit ; Epist.
LVI. 3 patriam peregrino mutabant
solo; in Luc. vn. i arduum quippe
est crucem tollere...raroque quamuis
excelsa uirtus futuris conmutat prae-
sentia.
praemium] Cp. in Ps. xxxvn.
18 dicamus quern ad modum in re-
munerando [Dominus~\ praeueniat
nostrum precationem et doceamus
exemplo tar dins uotum f recant is
[latronis] quam remunerantis est
praemium ; de Fide V. 125 merita
latronis cxuit, praemia innocentis
enieruit.
10. breui... fide] Cp. in Luc. x.
121 pulcherrimum adfectandae con-
uersionis exemplum, quod tarn cito
latroni uenia relaxatur. The phrase
also occurs in Luc. vi. 58 Dei
munus est congregatio nationiim,
quae eliam breui fide misericordiatn
inclinat aetemam : cp. Epist. XVI.
4 Jacob... breui somno...impetrauii,
quod magno labore postea adquisimt
hereditas eiiis. Ambr. uses breuis in
a like pregnant sense in Luc. IV. 54
aeterno supplicio et breui fructu. Cp.
Horace's breuesfiores Od. II. iii. 13,
breuem dominant (' their short lived
lord ') II. xiv. 24.
adquisit] = adquisiuit. A copyist
who found quaerit or quaesit would
not be likely to change it into
the longer word, which would be
awkward in the singing at a time
when elision was no longer in
use.
8o
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
iustosque praeuio gradu
praeuenit in regno Dei.
opus stupent et angeli
poenam uidentes corporis
Christoque adhaerentem reum 15
uitam beatam carpere.
mysterium mirabile !
ut abluat mundi luem,
II iustus Abeg 1 !! 1 Eo F^ Ha 2 c Vapr. 12 peruenit AabM'g Fi Ic
Vap. 13 obstupent (pro opus s.) Eo F^ Hac, obstupeant Ic, hoc
obstupent Hi. 15 Christumq....reo Eo F^.
n. iustos ..praeuenit | 'preceded
the righteous'; the iusti of Lk. xv.
7 are meant. There is a further
reference to Mt. xxi. 31 praecedent
uos in regnum Dei, a passage quoted
by Ambr. in Ps. xxxv. 23. He
uses praeuenire transitively de Abr.
I. 33, in Ps. xxxvn. 18, as it is
used also in the Latin of i Thess.
iv. 14. praeuius is used by Ambr.
Hex. iv. 27, in Luc. vil. 122, de
Off.l. Ill, Epist. LX1II. 87, LXXVIII.
8. The variant iustus would mean
'justified' 'made just' and is used
thus of the robber de Nab. 38 auaro
nox semper est, dies iusto. But early
MSS are most untrustworthy on this
point, Vat. reg. n in this same
hymn writing corpuris at 14. The
reading in regnum of most MSS may
be right, but more probably conies
from Lk. xxiii. 42.
12. For the pleonasm praeuio...
praeuenit cp. Ambr. in Luc. vil. 96
ante praecessit.
13. Ambr. often alludes thus to
the angels ; de Fide iv. 5 obstupue-
runt et angeli caeleste mysterium...
cum resurgeret Dominus...praeibant
angeli mirantes spolium ex haste
quaesitum ; ib. iftgrande mysterium
Ckristi, quod stupuerunt et angeli ;
13. 30. Perhaps there is in these
passages a recollection of i Pet. i.
12, which Ambr. quotes with the
.same et in Epist. Lxxjx. 3.
14. poenam... corporis] 'the bo-
dily sufferings ' might be those of
the robber, but the passage de Incarn.
39 erat inter supplicia...et regnum
caeleste donabat makes it probable
that Ambr. means the sufferings of
Christ amidst which He was able to
do such miracles of grace.
15. Chris to adhaerentem is a
biblical phrase, cp. Ueut. iv. 4,
Jos. xxiii. 8, Ps. Ixxii. (Ixxiii.) 28
etc. Ambr. repeatedly uses it, as in
Ps. cxvin. i. 5, ii. 9, xi. 5 ; cp. de
Cain i. 5 Christianus adhaerens
Deo.
1 6. in Luc. x. 121 uita enim est
esse cum Christo ; ideo ubi Christus,
ibi uita, ibi regnum. That passage
(concerning the dying robber) and
the present tense here used shew
that carpere means ' was then en-
joying ' and does not directly refer
to the life after death. This obser-
vation favours the reading regno in
12. Ambr. often has the phrase
uitam carpere; de Interp. lob in.
19, in Ps. cxvni. iii. 17, in Luc.
vn. 39 ; cp. in Ps. xxxvi. 20, in
Ps. XLVII. 23.
17. 'O wondrous mystery that
flesh should....' For the construc-
tion cp. de Exc. Fratris 4 magnum
pietatis mysterium ut mors corporis
nee in Christo esset excepla.
18. For the intentional assonance
of abluat .. .luem cp. 8. 23.
HYMN X. AMBROSE
81
peccata tollat omnium
carnis uitia mundans caro !
quid hoc potest sublimius,
ut culpa quaerat gratiam
metumque soluat caritas
reddatque mors uitam nouam,
hamum sibi mors deuoret
suisque se nodis liget,
moriatur ut uita omnium,
20 mundet Fi Icefn. 22 culpam... gratia
19. Joh. i. 29, cp. 4. 31.
20. The use of ' the flesh ' per-
sonified is common in the N.T.,
especially in St Paul's epistles, e.g.
Rom. iii. 20; cp. de Incarn. 56
nam quae erat causa incarnation! s,
nisi ut caro quae peccauerat per se
redimeretur ? This is imitated 113.
15-
mundans] Cp. de lacob \. jj ut
totus mundus eius mundaretur san-
guine ; de Bened. Pair. 24 nostra
delicta mundauit.
caro] Cp. de Bened. Patr. 24
bona stolx est caro Christi, quae
omnium peccata operuit .. .lauit ergo
lesus stolam suam...ut... nostrum
sordem ablueret.
2 1 f. ' What can be grander than
this, that guilt should win grace ? '
potest] sc. esse, meaning almost
' is possible ' ; Ambr. Hex. v. 1 9
potest et sic, as at Ter. Phorm. 303
non sic futurumst : non potest.
Lofstedt Spcitlat. Studien 44 quotes
Tertull. adv. Marcion. \. 25 non
potcrit ea bonitas sine suis dotibus.
ut] as in 18. It explains the hoc.
22. quaerat] 'win,' as in Luc.
v. 76 ita erit ut et iniuriam repel/as
et gratiam quaeras ; de Fide iv. 5
spolium ex hoste quaesitum. The
word looks back to adquisit in 10,
as soluat in 23 to soluit in 7.
For the question cp. 8. 27 note.
24. mors uitam thus standing
together form an oxymoron. The
25
17, 28 ut inserui.
pointed contrast of life and death is
common in hymns of all ages. But
we may compare the well-known
Easter sequence, Daniel II. 95 mors
et uita duello conflixere mirando :
dux uitae mortuus regnat uiuus ;
and 34. 31 f.
nouam] as in 6. 30.
25 f. ' that death should swallow
his own hook and tie himself in his
own knots.' The subjunctives still
depend upon ut in 22.
hamum] Cp. Amphilochius (Holl
p. 98) oOrws Kayu rip ayiclffTp(f T^J
0e6r>7T6s fjiov wffirtp <r*rw\7jKa irept-
0etj rb <rw/tta...?\KW rbv 6a.va.rov, 32.
10 ; and for the general sense of the
passage Hos. xiii. 14, i Cor. xv. 54,
Ambr. Epist. XLIV. 7 in nouo testa-
mento suauis morsus est uitae, quae
mortem absorbuit. propterea aposto-
lusait: deuorata est mors in uictoria
sua. Ambr. uses the phrase hamum
uorare, de Virginitate 119.
27 f. 'for the life of all to die
that it may rise again the life of all':
the splendid climax and conclusion
of all the dependent clauses which
have preceded. Cp. in Ps. xxxvi.
36 ipsius mors uita est...ipsius re-
surrectio uita est uniuersorum ; in
Luc. X. 126 caro moritur ut re-
surgat; de Fid. Resur. II. 46 mors
eius uita est omnium. Ambr. would
never have written such a line as
moriatur uita omnium, which brings
a spondee into the 2nd foot and
6
82 EARLY LA TIN. H YMNS
resurgat ut uita omnium ;
cum mors per omnes transeat,
omnes resurgant mortui, 30
consumpta mors ictu suo
perisse se solam gemat ?
18 hominum Acdhi 2 Fi lefn Vc. 29 dum Hci. 30 resurgunt Fi^
Hac len Vc. 32 sola Aabdehi Ifn Vcs.
leaves a final unaccented & unelided omnium. Et would do almost as
before o. See Munro's note 1 Public well.
School Latin Grammar p. .523 : . 28. The ut, this time found in
' Virgil's two examples of such a the oldest of our MSS, is necessary,
hiatus with a short syllable, addam or here again we should have a
cerea pruna honos and patuil dea~ spondee in the 2nd foot and the
tile, may be defended by the pause ; open a. The meaning of the ut,
...the. mal? ominatis assigned by however, is different.
some to Hor., and the male, o 29. Rom. v. 12. Ambr. in Luc.
miselle passer given by others to IV. 67 quotes the verse thus: et
Catull. are impossible.' There would ita in omnes homines pertransivit
be every temptation for a copyist to (mors).
omit the ut after its omission in 31. Cp. 25, Ambr. de Fide ill. 84
the preceding lines, more especially mortis enim morsfacta est susceptio
before ui (VTVIT). Therefore I mortis in Christo.
insert ut and read moriatur ut uita
HYMN 11
Except for the important fact that this hymn is
contained in the Ambrosian MSS the evidence for the
authorship of Ambrose is merely internal. But this
evidence is convincing.
It was written by a poet of Milan, where these
martyrs were especially honoured; see line 4 terrisqne
nostris aduenae; Ambr. in Luc. VII. 178 granum sinapis
martyres nostri sunt Felix, Nabor et Victor; habebant
odorem fidei sed latebant ; uenit persecutio, arma posuerunt,
colla flexerunt, contriti gladio per totius terminos mundi
gratiam sui sparsere martyrii. Paulin. Vit. Ambr. 14
sancti martyres Nabor et Felix celeberrime frequenta-
bantur. The omission of any mention of Victor by
Paulinus is due to the fact that, whereas Nabor and
Felix were buried side by side (cp. Ambr. Epist. XXII. 2
HYMN XL AMBROSE 83
eo loci, qut est ante cancellos sanctorum Felicis et Naboris\
Victor was buried elsewhere, namely in the basilica of
Fausta, where Ambrose also laid the remains of his
brother Satyrus; see the epitaph, probably written by
Ambrose himself: Uranio Satyro supremum fecit hono-
rem, \ martyris ad laeiiam detulit Ambrosius; and the
Panegyric of Satyrus, ascribed by Biraghi to the Vlth
century [A mb rosins Satyri corpus] lacrimarum riuulis
irroratum ad laeuam martyris Victoris propriis manibus
sepeliuit.
The thoughts of the hymn and the words in which
they are expressed constantly recur in Ambrose's un-
doubted prose works.
The negative witness of Ennodius is of great weight.
He expressly says that he owed his recovery from a
dangerous illness to Victor, to whom he purposes to pay
special honour (ingenioli sni adipem litare). Yet he
wrote no hymn for his festival, evidently because his
master Ambrose had already composed one.
The wording of stanza V shews that the three martyrs
had served in the imperial army at Milan. According
to the martyrologies, they were martyred at Lodi on
May 8th, A.D. 304, or according to the Hieronymian
martyrology, Victor on the 8th and the others on the
1 2th, and their bodies were carried back to Milan on
May I4th. Nothing more is certainly known of them.
Victor and Felix were especially common names in
Africa; and a Numidian bishop Nabor attended the
Donatist council of Cirta A.D. 305.
Ambrose evidently has in mind an epigram of Da-
masus (Epigr. XLVI. ed. Ihm), which he may recently
have seen. The first four lines of this run:
Incola mine Christi, fuerat Carthaginis ante,
tempore quo gladius secuit pia uiscera matris,
6-1
8 4
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
sanguine mutauit patriam, nomenque genusque ;
Romanum ciuem sanctorum fecit origo.
(Cp. also Epigr. VIII. 5 duds impia castra relinqnunt.}
Abcdeghik Vap
Victor, Nabor, Felix, pii
Mediolani martyres,
solo hospites, Mauri genus,
terrisque nostris aduenae.
torrens harena quos dedit,
anhela solis aestubus,
extrema terrae finium,
exsulque nostri nominis,
i . pil qualifies martyres ; the
predicate probably begins at this
point.
i. Mediolani] 'of (not 'at')
Milan' ; as to this see introd. The
usual scanning is Mediolanum (or
turn). All poets take licence in the
pronunciation of proper names,
which otherwise would often be
excluded from verse.
3. solo hospites] ' strangers ' or
'guests to the soil.' So in Ps.
cxvui. xx. 44 (Sebastian, who was
brought to Rome and there put to
death) illic, quo hospes aduetnt,
domidlium immortalitatis perpetuae
collocauit.
Mauri genus] ' Moors by race,'
cp. Verg. Aen. v. 285 Cressa genus
Pholoe. Elsewhere Ambr. appears
always to use the abl., which was
much commoner in prose until quite
late times; as Epist. xxiv. 8 trans-
rhenanus genere.
5. harena] 'the scorching desert,'
viz. Mauretania. Several touches in
this hymn suggest that Ambr. has
in his mind Hor. Od. \. xxii.
dedit] ' produced ' as at Hor. Od.
in. vi. 47, or perhaps strictly 'has
given us.'
6. anhela] 'panting,' strictly of
the inhabitants, by an easy transi-
tion applied to the land. The line is
imitated by Ennodius Hymn. \. 3
anhela lucis aestibus.
7 f. 'at earth's outermost border
(lit. outermost of the borders of the
earth) and that shares not our name.'
At the edge of the earth ran the
surrounding ocean, beyond which
there was no more land. ' Our
name ' is the Latin name : the mar-
tyrs were not Roman citizens ; cp.
Hor. Od. iv. xiv. 7 (the Vindelici)
legis expertes Lattnae, and the fre-
quent use of nomen as in Od. III. v.
10, iv. xv. 13.
exsul... nominis] Ambr. often
uses a gen. after exsul; e.g. in
Luc. IV. 66 paradisi exsules ; cp. in
Luc. V. 1 08 regni caeleslis extorres.
At 62 b. 13, 73. 10 it takes an
abl.
Magistretti (Man. uet. lit. Ambr.)
points extrema terrae, finium ex-
sulque n. . , i.e. 'at the edge of
earth, having no share in our
territories and our name.' But the
supplying of nostrorum witbjftv&MH
is harsh, and the construction of the
words unnatural.
HYMN XL AMBROSE
suscepit hospites Padus
mercede magna sanguinis :
sancto repleuit Spiritu
almae fides ecclesiae ;
et se coronauit trium
cruore sacro martyrum,
castrisque raptos impiis
Christo sacrauit milites.
profecit ad fidem labor,
armisque docti bellicis
pro rege uitam ponere,
decere pro Christo pati,
non tela quaerunt ferrea,
non arma Christi milites.
10
20
9. Padua here means its basin,
for neither Milan nor Lodi is actu-
ally on that river.
10. mercede ... sanguinis] The
price they (ultimately) paid for their
new citizenship was their blood.
Ambr. uses the phrase de lacob i. 22
sanguinis sui inercedem ; de Off. III.
19 inercedem sanguinis; cp. Dama-
sus XLVI. 3 (quoted in the intro-
duction) sanguine mutauit patriatn
nomenque gemtsque ; ib. LII. 2
sanguine mutasti palriam ', Prud.
Pen's/. V. 3 quo sanguinis merces
tibi | corona Vincent i dattir.
11. Cp. Eft's t. LXXVI. ii repletos
Spiritu sancto ; 4. 15. This line
seems to imply that they were con-
verted to Christianity in north Italy.
12. fides ecclesiae is a phrase
often used by Ambr. ; e.g. de Abr.
\. 87, ib. II. 74; cp. 14. 4. This
faith led them to the gift of the
Spirit.
13. The subject of coronauit is
fides in 12. Note the alliteration in
this stanza.
15. Cp. Damasus viu. 5 ducts
impia castra relinquunt. For the
simple abl. castris of the place
from which they were torn cp.
the use of caelo 12. 9, and Fort. IV.
xxiv. 10 hoc rapuit mundo. It may
however be dat. like Hor. Od. I. ix.
pignus dereptum lacertis.
1 6. The immediate reference
seems to be to their conversion, not
without thought of their martyrdom.
sacrauit] Cp. 14. 4.
1 7 f. Their previous discipline
told, now that they were the sol-
diers of Christ.
i8f. 'Having learnt by military
service to lay down life .for a king,
that it is comely to suffer for Christ.'
Taken thus the two clauses are
parallel. But in the former the rex
is abstract, including both the Em-
peror and Christ. Devotion to the
earthly sovereign prepared them for
devotion to a higher.
21. Cp. 2 Cor. ix. 4. The arms
that a Christian needs are spiritual,
cp. Ambr. in Ps. XLIII. 9 non ergo
pugnairit militaribus armis et ferrets
telis popuhts ecclesiae ; de Off. I. 201
isti \inartyres\ sine armis uicemnt ;
Ennod. Hymn. I. 6 ytti bella Christi
militat \ nudus timetur ensibus.
22. Christi milites is a favourite
expression of Ambr., based on
2 Tim. ii. 3 ; cp. e.g. in Ps.
86
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
munitus armis ambulat,
ueram fidem qui possidet.
scutum uiro sua est fides 25
et mors triumphus, quern inuidens
nobis tyrannus ad oppidum
Laudense misit martyres.
sed reddiderunt hostias
rapti quadrigis corpora, 30
reuecti in ora principum
plaustri triumphalis modo.
25 uero Abde Va. 30 raptis AbMeg.
xxxvin. 35, Epist. xxn. 10 non
saecuii milites sed milites Christi.
23. Cp. de Helia 16 munitus ar-
mis ieiunii; in Ps. cxvm. i. u
munitus es spiritalibus turmis.
ambulat thus used is based on
such Bible passages as Ps. cxviii.
(cxix.) i etc. and is often found in
Ambr. as in Ps. I. 24, in Ps. cxvm.
i. 8.
25. Eph. v. 1 6 sumentes scutum
fidei. See among many like passages
Ambr. Hex. v. 31 arinis fidei semper
et scitto detiotionis accinctus ; in Ps.
XXXVI. 24, XLV. 22.
26. mors triumphus] a truly
Ambrosian .combination ; cp. de
Fid. Res. II. 45 (the martyrs) uice-
runt mortui, and the note on 4. 17.
So at 13. 20 ' Peter suffered death '
is represented by the triumphal
mortem subegit asperam. So Dama-
sus XII. 4 expresses 'who suffer
martyrdom ' by portant qui ex hoste
tropaea.
27. tyrannus] Anulinus, accord-
ing to the worthless 'Acts.' TheGreek
rvpavvos was an absolute despot, the
word referring rather to the way in
which the power was obtained than
to the way in which it was exercised;
but it soon came to have the bad
meaning implied in our 'tyrant.'
Ambr. uses it of those in power and
especially of persecutors; cp. dc Off.
I. 206 cum [Laurentius] inluso ty-
ratmo, impositus super craticulam
exureretur and in the plural in
Ps. cxvm. xiv. 35 ; ib. xx. 46.
oppidum Laudense] Laus Pom-
peia, 21 miles S.S.E. of Milan,
close to the modern Lodi.
30. corpora is probably the ace.
after the passive rapti, used almost
like a Greek middle, a very common
usage in Verg. e.g. Aen. n. 57
manus reuinctum, 'having his arms
bound ' ; cp. Ambr. Hex. v. 57
pulli...caecitate suffossi oculos with
Aen. I. 228 lacrimis oculos suffusa,
' having her eyes suffused with tears.'
Or corpora may be in apposition
with hostias, hostias being like an
adj. or predicate to corpora; or cor-
pora may be in apposition with rapti,
according to the sense and not to the
strict grammar. For hostias cp. 12. 5.
31. principum] i.e. the perse-
cutors, whom Ambr. calls principes
nmndi in Ps. I. 37, principes saecuii
in Luc. II. 3. The rapti refers to
the story that the pious Sabina of
Lodi got hold of the bodies and
carried them back to Milan, at that
time the capital city and imperial
residence.
32. plaustri] the triumphal car.
The bringing of the martyrs' bodies
reminds Ambr. of- the triumphal
procession.
HYMN XII. AMBROSE 87
HYMN 12
This hymn, like u, is given to Ambrose only on internal
evidence, but here again this is overwhelming. Clearly the
hymn and Epist, XXII, a letter written by Ambrose to
his sister Marcellina at the time of the discovery of the
martyrs' relics, were written by one and the same man.
The most important parallels are pointed out in the
notes.
And in the hymn itself no one but Ambrose could have
used the first person : '/sing, / the discoverer' (stanza l);
'we cannot be- martyrs, but we discover martyrs' (stanza
III); l ive have seen' (stanza Vlll). Who else could have
claimed to be a contemporary and an eyewitness : 'Severus
is the man's name' (stanza v)?
Augustine was then teaching rhetoric at Milan and he
tells the story thus (Serm. CCLXXXVI. 4): celebramus ho-
dierno die,fratres, memoriam in hoc loco positam sanctorum
Protasii et Geruasii, Mediolancnsium mar ty rum. non eum
diem quo hie posita est, sed eum diem celebramus, quando
inuenta est pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum
eius per Ambrosium episcopum, liominem Dei, cuius tune
sanctae gloriae martyrum etiam ego testis fui. ibi eram,
Mediolani eram, facta miracula noui, adtestante Deo pre-
tiosis mortibus sanctorum suorum ; ut per ilia miracula
iam non so him in conspectu Domini, sed etiam in conspectu
Jwminum esset mors ilia pretiosa. Caecus notissimus uni-
uersae ciuitati inluminatus est. cucurrit, adduci se fecit,
sine duce reuersus est. nondum audiuimus quod obierit ;
forte adhuc uiuit. in ipsa eorum basilica, ubi sunt eorum
corpora, tot am uitam seruiturum se esse deuouit. nos ilium
gauisi sumus uidcntem, reliquimus seruientem.
Compare also his account in Conf. IX. vii. 16.
Gibbon in ch. XXVII gives a clear if prejudiced account
88. EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
of the circumstances under which this hymn was written.
' While he [Ambrose] maintained this arduous contest
[against Justina], he was instructed by a dream to open
the earth in a place where the remains of two martyrs,
Gervasius and Protasius, had been deposited over three
hundred years. Immediately under the pavement of the
church two perfect skeletons were found, with the heads
separated from their bodies and a plentiful effusion of
blood. The holy relics were presented in solemn pomp
to the veneration of the people ; and every circumstance
of this fortunate discovery was admirably adapted to pro-
mote the designs of Ambrose. The bones of the martyrs,
their blood, their garments were supposed to contain a
healing power; and their preternatural influence was com-
municated to the most distant objects without losing any
part of its original virtue. The extraordinary cure of a
blind man and the reluctant confessions of several de-
moniacs appeared to justify the faith and sanctity of
Ambrose. And the truth of these miracles is attested
by Ambrose himself, by his secretary Paulinus, and by
his proselyte the celebrated Augustine, who at that time
professed the art of rhetoric in Milan.... Their effect... on
the minds of the people was rapid and irresistible.'
Gibbon's tone of incredulity is not surprising. But no
one can read the letter to Marcellina and connect Ambrose
with any fraud however pious.
Mone, using only XVth century MSS, came to the ex-
traordinary conclusion that the hymn was written by a
humanist of the XVth century; who in style, prosody
and treatment of the subject, copied the old writers. But,
apart from the fact that it is contained in early MSS, the
style is that of Ambrose and of no one else, incisive and
terse. If the hymn is rather more rhetorical in colouring
than others of his, this may well be put down to the
HYMN XII. AMBROSE
89
nature of its subject and the circumstances under which
it was written.
The finding of the martyrs' bodies was celebrated on
June 19.
Abcdeghk Fs le MX Vaps
Grates tibi, lesu, nouas
noui reporter muneris
Protasio Geruasio
martyribus inuentis cano.
piae latebant hostiae, 5
sed non latebat fons sacer :
latere sanguis non potest,
qui clamat ad Deum patrem.
caelo refulgens gratia
artus reuelauit sacros : 10
3 et G. Vs.
i f. Cf. Ambr. Epist. xxil. 10
gratias tibi, Dotnine lesu, qitod hoc
tetnpore tales nobis sanctorum mar-
tyrum spiritus excitasti; ib. i scias
etiam sanctos inartyres a nobis re-
pertos ; ib. 3 cum...considerarem...
munera quae in sanctis martyribus
refulserunt, imparem me, fateor,
hide inuneri iudicabam.
i. repertor might be in apposi-
tion with lesu ; ' the real granter '
or ' discoverer of a new kind of gift
to give.' Christian writers freely
used reperlor in the sense of
'cieator,' imitating Verg. Aen. XII.
829; cp. e.g. Juvenc. I. 35, ir. 405,
iv. 479; [Damas.] LXVIII. u,
LXix. 2. But in view of 12 it seems
better to make it nominative.
4. Inuentis] Cp. Epist. xxn. 1 1
inueninius unuin hoc, quo uidea-
mur praestare maioribns. See the
epigram of Damasus on finding the
relics of the martyr Eutychius
( xxvi I. 9 f. ) nocte sopor if era t it r bant
insomnia mentem, \ ostendit lalebra
insontis quae membra teneret ; \ quae-
ritur, inuentus colitur.
5. hostiae] Cp. Epist. xxn. 13
succedant uictimae triumphales in
locum, ubi Christus hostia est. 11. 29.
6. fons sacer is explained by the
next line and by Epist. xxn. a ossa
omnia Integra, sanguinis plurimum;
ib. 12 sanguine lumuhts madet, ad-
p'arent cruoris triumphalis nolae.
8. ib. 13 sed non ego ad suffra-
gium martyrutn usurpo uocem dae-
monum melior uox est quam san-
guis emit tit. habet enim sanguis
uocem canoram, quae de t err is ad
caelum peritenit, dicente Deo: san-
guis fratris tui clamat ad me. et hie
sanguis clamat colon's indicia, san-
guis clamat operationis praeconio,
sanguis clamat passionis triumpho.
Ambr. often refers thus to Gen. iv.
10, as at in Ps. cxvin. xix. 44, in
Luc. i. 41, de lob 32, de Off. \. 201,
Epist. u. 10. Cp. also Job xvi. 19,
Is. xxvi. 21.
y. caelo refulgens] ' shining from
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
nequimus esse martyres,
sed repperimus martyres.
hie quis requirat testium
uoces, ubi factum est fides ?
sanatus inpos mentium 15
opus fatetur martyrum.
caecus recepto lumine
mortis sacrae meritum probat :
Seuerus est nomen uiro,
usus minister publici. 20
12 reperimus Abdgh Vap. 14 fide Ab 2 g le Vap.
heaven.' It was a dream which led
to the discovery. For the abl. cp.
castris raptos 11. 5. But perhaps
caelo may mean in the martyrs
themselves; cp. Epist. xxil. 5 cae-
lum erat Paulus etc.
n. Cp. ib. 12 quia ipse martyr
esse non mereor, has uobis martyres
adquisiui. For Ambr.'s yearning for
the honour of martyrdom see in Ps.
cxvni. xxi. 9 utinam ego talis [sc.
martyr] esse merear.
12. repperimus] present. This
spelling is found in the best MSS
also of Ambr. passim, Nicet. de
Psalm. Bon. 3, Sedul. Carm. v. 142,
Fort. vii. xx a, 4; and Lofstedt on
Aetheria p. 235 gives several other
examples. We must remember that
the prefix re- stands for red-, which
fact accounts for the similar forms
rel-latns (Ter. Phorm. 21), rel-li-
quiae, reddtico, renmto (98. 9) be-
sides red-eo, red-do ; cp. Munro on
Lucr. I. 228, n. 1001 ; Brix on
Plaut. Capt. ^i^rlclusit.
13. For the question cp. 8. 27
(note).
14. fides] 'the proof; cp. Hex.
n. 7 fidem eius disputationis, IV. 15
ridicnlum...hinc fidem suae disputa-
tionis arcessere.
15. Several persons needing ex-
orcism were healed, as we know
from Epist. xxn.. 9 cognouistis,
imino uidistis ipsi multos a dae-
moniis purgatos, from Paulinus' Life
of Ambr. 14 obsessa etiam corpora a
spiritibus inmundis curata, and
from 25 f. below, inpos therefore
stands rhetorically for inpotes ; cp.
8. 15 note.
mentium seems to be used in the
plural partly for the sake of the
rhyme, which Ambr. occasionally
affects, for he generally uses the
singular of metis, as at 2. 30, 3. 17,
28, 4. 3 etc.
1 6. fatetur] 'declares.' Cp.
Damas. Ull. i quid loquar aut
sileatn ? prohibet dolor ipse fateri.
17. A second miracle was the
recovery of sight by a blind man,
which Ambr.'s Arian opponents
denied ; Epist. XXII. 17 negant
caecum inluminatum, sed ille non
negat se sanatum.
1 8. mortis sacrae] Cp. in Ps.
cxvni. xx. 10 (of a martyr) tae'ii-
antis animi quod diutius dijfferattir
sacrae mortis corona, 15. n, 18. 7.
meritum] 'virtue,' 'power'; cp.
Epist. XXII. 19 martyribus, quorum
merita iam dudum uigent.
19. Cp. ib. 17 notus homo est,
pub lids cum tialeret mancipatus ob-
sequiis, Seuerus nomine, lanius
minister io. deposuerat o]ficiu>n , post-
quam inciderat impe<1imentum. So
Paulinus {Vit. Ambr. 14) caectts
HYMN XII. AMBROSE
ut martyrum uestem attigit
et ora tersit nubila,
lumen refulsit ilico
fugitque pulsa caecitas.
soluta turba uinculis, 25
spiris draconum libera,
emissa totis urbibus
domum redit cum gratia.
uetusta saecla uidimus,
iactata semicinctia, 30'
24 fuit Ab. 26 spumis Vs. draconis Vs. 27 et missa Ab.
etiam, Seuerus nomine, qui mine
usque in eadeni basilica, quae dicitur
Ambrosiana, in quam martyrum
corpora stint translata, religiose
seruit.
20. 'an officer of the public
service ' ; cp. Dill Roman Society
p. 232 : ' Of all departments of ad-
ministration, probably none caused
the Emperor greater anxiety than
that concerned with the food-sup-
plies of the capital An army of
public servants incorporated in here-
ditary guilds... were charged with
the duty of bringing up supplies
and preparing them for consump-
tion.'
21 f. Epist. XXII. 17 clainat quia,
tit contigit fimbriam de ueste mar-
tyntm, qua sacrae reliquiae uesti-
untur, reddititm sibi lumen sit.
23. Cp. in Ps. xxxvi. 30 [Deus]
tetigit caecorum oculos et caecitate
depulsa lumen refulsit oculorum ;
cp. Fort. Vit. Marl. ii. 40 (of
Martin's restoring sight to a blind
eye) serena dies detersa nube re-
fulsit.
15. uinculis] the plagues spiritual
and bodily from which they were
released.
26. draconum] i.e. of evil spirits ;
cp. in Luc. iv. 6 1 quis est ille, qui
in synagoga spirit um dacmonii habe-
bat inmundum nisi populus ludae-
orum, qui quasi serpentinis spirts
reuinctus... ; de Laps. Virg. 18 qui-
bus te spiris serpens ille nequissimus
obligattit ! The devil is draco at
Rev. xii. i6f., and often in Ambr.
27. totis] =omnibus, like the
Italian lutti and the French tons.
This use was at first confined to
expressions of time, beginning with
Plaut. Miles 1 1 2 quoi bini custodes
semper totis horis occubant, and to
military language, as Caes. Bell.
Civ. in. xliv. 6 totis copiis. The
poets Verg. , Propert., Juv., Stat.
used toti more freely, but we do
not find the use in prose writers
before Seneca. After his time it is
common, especially in Gallic Latin
and in jurists. Prud. has Perist. iv.
7 1 Ckristus in totis habitat plateis,
and even uses totus in the singular ;
thus Psychom. 217 toluni hominem,
' every man, ' 450 totus miles. Ambr.
de Nab. 1 1 7 has totis diebus ; cp.
Schmalz 628, Ronsch 338.
28. gratia] ' thankfulness ' ; cp.
Paulin. I.e. 14 obsessa etiatn corpora
a spiritibus inmundiscurata, suinma
cum gratia domum repetebant.
29. ' We have seen the ages of
old,' i.e. miracles and enthusiasm
like those of the earliest church ;
cp. Epist. XXII. 9 reparata ut'ttisti
temparis miracula. The reference .is
to Acts v. 15 and xix. 12.
92 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
tactuque et umbra corporum 31
aegris salute m redditam.
31. umbra] Cp. Epist. xxu. 9 St Peter; cp. Hex. in. 71; in Ps.
[uidistis] plurimos etiam, ubi iiestem XL. 30; in Ps. CXVIII. 'xix. 5; de
sanctorum manibus contigerunt, eis Off. III. 3 transibant apostoli etum-
quibus laborabant debilitatilms abso- bra eorum curabat infirmos. tange-
lutos,... umbra quadam sanctorum bantur uestimenta eorum et sanitas
corporum plerosque sanatos cernitis. defer ebatur. Paulinus Vit. Ambr. 48
quanta oraria iactitabantur ! quanta tells us that at the funeral of Ambr.
indumenta super reliqtdas sacratis- himself iactabant...turbae uirotum
simas et tactu ipso medicabilia re- ac mulierum oraria iiel semicinctia
poscimtur! More than once Ambr. sua, ut corpus sancti aliqiiatenus
refers to this passage in the life of ab ipsis contingeretur.
HYMN 13
This hymn is not ascribed to Ambrose by any early
writer, but it is certainly his. It is contained in the series
of the Ambrosian MSS and is replete with Ambrose's
words and phrases. Thus, to give one example, in line 7
praesul is used as an appellation of God, as Ambrose
almost always uses it. See de Isaac 1 1 cui praesul Domi-
nus adest ; ib. 18 summum Deum praesulem poscat ; ib. 65
cui Pater Deus praesul sit; and many like passages.
Other writers, especially later ones, generally use the
word to denote the leaders of the church; cp. 123. 2.
Besides the many other coincidences of thought and
expression which are pointed out in the notes, one brought
forward by Steier (p. 614) is of a subtle and convincing
character. In line 19 f. we read sed nolens mortem snbegit
asperam. What is the special force here of nolens? This
is shewn by a passage from Ambrose's sermon against
Auxentius 13 [Peter] quamuis esset cupidus passionis, ta-
men contemplatione populi precantis inflexus est. rogabatur
enim ut ad instituendum et confirmandum populum se re-
seruaret. quid multa f nocte mnris egredi coepit, et uidens
inporta Christum occurrere urbemque ingredi ait : Domine,
quo uadis ? respondit Christus : uenio iternm crucifigi.
HYMN XIII. AMBROSE 93
intellexit Petrus ad suam crucem per finer e responsum...
intellexit ergo Petrus quod iterum crucifigendus esset in
seruulo. itaque sponte remeauit. These last words of the
sermon sponte remeauit answer to uolens...asperam of the
hymn. It is noteworthy that this appearance to Peter is
not related by any earlier author than Ambrose.
Apart from these indications of Ambrose's workman-
ship Biraghi and Dreves bring forward another proof of
the great antiquity of the hymn. Cp. Benson Cyprian
p. 484 f. In stanza VII three lines of procession are
mentioned, whereas Prudentius at his visit to Rome c. 403
already knew of only two; cp. Perist. XII. 57 f.
adspice per bifidas plebs Romula funditur plateas,
lux in duobus feruet una festis.
nos ad utrumque tamen gressu properemus incitato,
et his et illis perfruamur hymnis,
ibimus ulterius, quafert uia pontis Hadriani
laeuam deinde fluminis petemus.
transtiberina prius soluit sacra peruigil sacerdos,
mox hue recurrit diiplicatque uota.
The two places of celebration were the grave of St Peter
on the Vatican and that of St Paul outside the walls.
The two roads would be the uia Aurelia and the uia
Ostiensis. The third sacred spot, disused in 403, would
probably be the catacomb of Callistus, the third road being
the uia Appia. It is likely enough, as Dreves suggests
{Aurelius Ambrosius 76), that it was on the omission of
the celebration in the catacomb that the inscription was
set there by Damasus (Epigr. XXVI.) which begins: Hie
habitasse prius sanctos cognoscere debes, \ nomina quisque
Petri pariter P antique requiris.
94
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Aabcdfgh Etf> Fl Gm Habcdfi/3 ladeno Maehkx Vacps
Apostolorum passio
diem sacrauit saeculi,
Petri triumphum nobilem,
Pauli coronam praeferens.
coniunxit aequales uiros
cruor triumphalis necis,
Deum secutos praesulem
Christi coronauit fides.
primus Petrus apostolus,
nee Paulus inpar gratia; 10
3 nobilis Va. 4 proferens Hd. 7 praesules
2 saeculis Vap 1 .
Abdegh Vap.
i. It is to denote that Christ is
the true day (cp. 3. 4) that saeculi \s
added to dies to denote a day in the
usual sense of the word ; cp. Cypr.
de Orat. Dom. 35 Christus dies est
uerus, sole ac die saeculi recedente.
Ambr. often uses the phrase, as in
Ps. xxxvi. 32 dies saeculi mali
sunt ; cp. Ecclus. i. 2 dies saeculi quis
dinumerauit. Ambr. constantly uses
saeculi almost in an adjectival sense
though he also says dies saecularis
as at in Luc. iv. 40.
3. triumphum] again definitely
used as a description of martyrdom ;
see 4. 1 7 note.
4. Pauli coronam] alluding to
2 Tim. iv. 8, where the preceding
words shew that the athlete's wreath
is meant, cp. 7. 24 note. Among
many similar references in Ambr.'s
prose writings see in Ps. xxxvi. 42
Paulus .. .coronam inuenit ; ib. 54
Pattlus . . .gut esset iam proximus ad
coronam ; ib. 56 qui etiam coronam
accepit.
6. cruor triumphalis] an Am-
brosian expression, cp. Epist. xxn.
12 adparent cruoris triiimphalis
notae ; ib. 1 3 uictimae triumphales.
But as necis would be a little bald
by itself, triumphalis may be geni-
tive agreeing with it. In either case
triumphalis answers to triumphum
in 3, and coronauit to coronam in 4,
for the purpose of equalizing the
two martyrdoms.
7. praesulem] ' leader,' a word
formed like consul, exsul; see in-
troduction. Dirksen quotes from
the Code of Justinian auctor et
praesul totius operis.
8. Christi... fides] 'their faith in
Christ.'
9. Ambr. in Ps. XLIII. 40 Petrus
ecclesiae praeponitur postquam temp-
tatus a diabolo est, ideoque ante
significat Dominus quid sit illud,
quod postea eum pastorem elegit
dominici gregis. Ambr.'s view of
Peter's primacy is expressed de
Incarn. 32 primatum confessionis,
utique non honoris ; primatum Jidei,
non ordinis.
Petrus] see 4. 28.
10. nee qualifies inpar : ' and
Paul not unequal.' See 2 Cor. xi. 5.
Cp. de Spir. II. 158 nee Paulus
inferior Petro, quamuis ille eccle-
siae fundamentum, et hie sapiens
architectus...nec Paulus, inquam,
indignus apostolorum collegia, cum
primo quoque facile conferendus et
nulli secundus. nam qui se inparem
HYMN XIII. AMBROSE
95
electionis uas sacrae,
Petri adaequauit fidem.
uerso crucis uestigio
Simon honorem dans Deo
suspensus ascendit, dati 15
non inmemor oraculi.
praecinctus, ut dictum est, senex
et eleuatus ab altero
quo nollet iuit, sed uolens
17 ut iam d. Fl, iam ut d. Id. 17, 18 iam ut (ut iam Vc) dictum
est ductus senex ab a. len Vc. 18 om. et E0 Gm Hdf/3 Id Mhk Vs.
19 quod Ab 1 Gm la Vap 1 . ibat lad.
nescit,factt aeqttalem. Reference to
i Cor. iii. 10 is also made by
Ennod. (p. 122 ed. Hartel) uene-
runt en in eo caelorum radii... Petrus
et Paulus. gut enim in restaura-
tionem aedis essent necessarii nisi
architectus et fetra, nisi lapis et
STtperaedificans, nisi fundamentum
et opifex.
n. Acts ix. 15 uas electionis est
mihi. Ambr. constantly uses this as
an appellation of St Paul, even
without mentioning his name, as in
Ps. XLViii. 7 cum aptum organum
sibi et uas electionis inuenerit. And
he often, in his own way, modifies
it (as here by adding sacrae) thus
de Abr, 27 uas electionis dominicae ;
in Ps. CXVlll. xiv. 24 uas electionis
diiiinne.
13. Nearly three stanzas are now
devoted to St Peter.
uestigio] ' the foot ' of the cross.
Elsewhere Ambr. applies the word
more naturally to the Apostle's
own feet; de lob I. 2 de Petro
quid loquar? qtii crucem suam
futura remuneratione indignant ar-
bitratus inuerso suspendi poposcit
uestigio, ut aliquid passioni suae
adderet; in Ps. cxvin. xxi. 21 non
fuit opprobrio Petro crux Christi,
quae tantuin ei gloriae dedit, ut in-
uersis Christum honoraret ncstigiis ;
' Hegesippus ' in. 2 poposcit ut in-
uersis uestigiis cruci adjigeretur.
14. honorem dans Deo] a Bible
phrase (Rom. iv. 20)' used by Ambr.
to represent Joh. xxi. 19 'he should
glorify God.'
15. 'not unmindful of the pro-
phecy vouchsafed to him ' ; Joh. xxi.
18, 2 Pet. i. 14.
1 6. oraculi] a word especially
used by Ambr. to denote Bible
utterances, perhaps in imitation of
Philo's use of xpw^s, as the Bene-
dictine editors suggest : see their
note on Ambr. de Fuga 19. But
Juvencus 1. 237 has oracula uatum.
There is no need (with Biraghi)
to rewrite oraculi non inmemor.
The -or is in Ambr.'s prosody
sufficiently lengthened by the stress
of the metre. Cp. v. 30.
17. praecinctus] 'girt up.'
Flowing eastern robes had to be
girt up, especially in front (prae), to
give the limbs free play ; cp. i Kings
xviii. 46.
ut dictum est] sc. in that oracu-
lum. Senex refers \.ocum...senueris.
18. eleuatus] answers to the
words 'and shall carry thee,' Joh.
xxi. 18. Ab altero is joined to prae-
cinctus as well as to eleuatus.
19. nollet] subjunctive, because
in virtual oratio obliqtta : ' whither
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
mortem subegit asperam. 20
hinc Roma celsum uerticem
deuotionis extulit,
fundata tali sanguine
et uate tanto nobilis.
tantae per urbis ambitum 25
stipata tendunt agmina,
trinis celebratur uiis
festum sacrorum martyrum.
20 subiecit la. 21 hie lo Mh. 24 nobili Ab 9 dg Fl Hbd 1 Id'n Vs.
he would not, as the Lord had
said.'
See Ambr. in Luc. X. 177 f.
Petrus etsi parattts erat animo
subire martyrium, tarnen, ubi peri-
culum aduenit, constantiam mentis
infiexit Petrus uidetur nolle, sed
parat ^lincere ; and for the special
force of tiolens see the passage from
the Sermon against Auxentius quoted
in the introduction.
20. See 11. 26 note.
21-24 dwell first upon St Peter,
and then on St Paul, Ambr. seizing
the most salient point in the life of
either Apostle : Peter's death, Paul's
writings. Hinc, then, will refer not
only to the two preceding stanzas,
but to the whole of the foregoing
verses.
uerticem... extulit] Cp. in Ps.
XLVII. 6 Petro, Paulo... qui graues
et excelsi uiri uelut fundamenta et
culmina sunt ecclesiae...praecelsi
quasi culmina, qui uerticem eins
turribus suae ^^irtutis erexerint\
de Virg. 50 hi excelsum...cacumen
fidei extulerunt.
deuotio is a favourite word of
Ambr., usually combined withyfakr,
e.g. Hex. IV. 7 ecclesia mains deuo-
tionis suae et fidei toto orbe lumen
effundat ; ib. I. 21, v. 31 and 68.
23. Eph. ii. 20. Cp. the passages
from de Spir. and Ennodius quoted
on 10, and that from in Ps. XLVII
quoted on 21. Note that Rome is
now Christian Rome.
24. uate tanto] ' such a pro-
phet ' viz. St Paul. For uate cp. 14.
6. Ambr. in Luc. II. 29 tanti uatis
(of St John the Baptist). Biraghi
gives examples of the use of the
word = sacerdos, but that meaning
seems unlikely here.
nobilis] 'ennobled,' as at 7. i.
25. tantae... urbis] 'the great
city,' here of course Rome : at
Epist. xx. 9 Ambr. uses the same
words of Milan.
urbis ambitum] Cp. Hex. vi. 2
toto eos circumducit u>-bis ambitu ;
in Ps. CXVin. xxii. 37 ambitum
totius urbis.
26. 'The serried crowds take
their way.' For stipata cp. Verg.
Aen. XI. 12 onmis eum stipata tege-
bat | turba ducum ; Ambr. Hex. in.
30 (of a prosperous man) stipatus
clientibus.
agmina] as at 14. 22 ; cp. in Ps.
LXI. 20 uidet agmina per sequentium ;
Epist. XXIV. 8 barbarorum stipatus
agminibus.
27. trinis... uiis] See the intro-
duction to this hymn.
29. ' One would think that the
whole world was coming forth.'
mundus in classical Latin meant the
universe, as Lucr. I. "j^Jiammantia
moenia mimdi. But cp. Propert. V.
vi. 19 hue mundi coiere manus ;
HYMN XIV. AMBROSE
97
prodire quis mundum putet,
concurrere plebetn poll :
electa gentium caput,
sedes magistri gentium.
32 sedet Gm, sedens Vs, fides H/3 lo Mk. magistra Mk.
Lucan VII. 234 sanguine mundi
fuso (in both cases of a single battle),
quis. ..putet] Cp. 9. 13.
30. plebem poll] i. e. the angels ;
cp. de Virg. n. 17 quanta angelorum
laetitia plaudentium, quod habitare
mereatur in caelo ! For the scansion
cp. v. 1 6.
31. electa] 'O elect lady,' cp.
i Pet. v. 13, 2 Joh. i, 13. Ambr.
regarded the ^/cXe/cr^ Kvpta as the
Roman church. It gives point to
the appellation that it is taken from
St Peter's own epistle. Possibly
electa caput are to be taken together,
as 2. 15 ipse petra.
gentium caput] ' the head of the
peoples of the world,' cp. Epist.
XI. 4 totius orbis Romani caput Ro-
manam ecclesiam ; Prosper Aqui-
tanus de Ingratis 51 f. sedes Roma
Petri, quae pastoralis honoris \ facta
caput tnttndo, quidquid non possidet
armis \ religione tenet ; Fortunat.
III. vii. 19 (of Peter and Paul) a
facie hostili duo propugnacula prae-
sunt, \ quos fidei turres urbs, caput
orbis, habet; id. vm. iii. 140 hi quo-
rum cineres urbs, caput orbis, habet.
32. magistri gentium] 'the
teacher of the Gentiles ' (the nations
in their religious aspect), viz. St
Paul. The phrase comes from i Tim.
ii. 7, i Tim. i. n. Biraghi, Steier,
and others, not unnaturally, interpret
it to mean St Peter. In itself, it
might appropriately be applied to
him, and Ambr. felt no difficulty in
speaking of Rome as the secies Petri.
But it had become a special title of
St Paul, as special as uas electio-
nis, and in a poem which is as
much on St Paul as on St Peter it
would be impossible to apply it to
St Peter without some qualification.
It is true that the Vulg. at i Tim.
ii. 7 has doctor gentium ; but Saba-
tier gives magister as the reading of
the Vetus Ital. : at 2 Tim. i. n
(where tOv&v gentium is an addition
to the true text, and borrowed from
i Tim.) both versions have magister.
It is true also that in his prose
writings Ambr. uses the word doctor
in referring to these passages : in
Ps. XXXVII. 28 gentium doctor
electus. But he must have been
quite familiar with the equivalent.
Cp. Niceta de Rat. Fid. 7 idem
magister gentium docet ; Leo Serm.
in Nat. Petri et Pauli LXXX beatus
coapostolus tuus, uas electionis et
specialis magister gentium ; Faustus
Rei. de Spir. S. 1 2 loquitur magister
gentium ; Vincent. Ler. Comm. 9
ille uas electionis, ille magister gen-
tium. Of course sedes is less tech-
nical than our 'see.'
HYMN 14
That this hymn was written at a very early date is
proved by a reference to it on the part of Maximus of
Turin (c. 450) Horn. LXXIV nee inmerito eum \Laurentium~\
apostolorum supparem praedicamus. He then goes on to
paraphrase the wording of the hymn. It is also alluded
to by Petrus Chrysologus (c. 450) Serm. CXXXV irrisum
w.
98 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
se dolens tyrannus auarus. . .flammas parari praecepit. . .
iam me uersate et si una pars cocta est uorate.
That the hymn was written by Ambrose is proved by
the many parallels in points of phrase and style with his
other works; but more decisively by the fact that the
passages in the tract de Officiis Ministrorum which give
a detailed account of the martyrdom of St Lawrence
were obviously written by the composer of the hymn. See
de Off. I. 204 non praetereamus etiam sanctum Laurentium,
quicum uideretXystum episcopum suum admartyriumduci,
flere coepit, non passionem eius sed suam remansionem
205 tune Xystus ait : non ego te, fili, relinquo ac desero. . .
mox uenies, flere desiste, post triduum me sequeris . . .quid
consortium passionis meae expetis ? totam tibi hereditatem
eius dimitto. . .tibi ergo mando nostrae uirtutis successionem.
ib. II. 140 tale aurum sanctus Laurentiiis Domino reser-
uauit, a quo cum quaererentur thesauri ecclesiae, promisit
se demonstraturum. sequenti die pauperes duxit. interro-
gatus ubi essent thesauri, quos promiserat, ostendit pauperes,
dicens : hi sunt thesauri ecclesiae ; et uere thesauri in quibus
Christus est. Cp. ib. I. 206 hie Laurentium sanctum ad
hoc nullus urgebat, nisi amor deuotionis. tamen et ipse post
triduum, cum inluso tyranno impositus super craticulam
exureretur: assum est, inquit, uersa et manduca. Epist.
XXXVll. 37 quod tile uerbis gloriatus est, sanctus Laurentius
factis probauit; ut uiuus exureretur et flammis superstes
diceret: uersa, manduca.
So runs the story as given by Ambrose, and also by
Prudentius Perist, V, and by Augustine in Euang. loh.
XXVll. 12, both of whom may have derived it from Am-
brose. The true account of the martyrdoms of Xystus
and Lawrence seems to be different 1 .
1 I have made large use of Pio Franchi de' Cavalieri's S. Lorenzo e il
mppliziv delta graticola in the Romisch. Quartahchrift, 1900,
HYMN XIV. AMBROSE 99
In A.D. 258 the emperor Valerian, then on the point of
starting for his disastrous expedition against the Persians,
issued an edict that all bishops, priests and deacons should
be summarily executed. On August 6th of this year
Xystus, or Sixtus, who had been Bishop of Rome for
about a year, was seized by the soldiers in the cemetery
or catacomb of Praetextatus, whither he had gone with
his faithful flock in spite of the law of A.D. 257 that the
Christians were not to assemble in the cemeteries. Here
he was at once beheaded with six of his deacons. Cp.
Lib. Pontif, I. 1 5 5 capite truncatus et cum eo alii sex diaconi,
Felicissimus et Agapitus, lanuarius, Magnus, Vincentius et
Stephanus.
This tale, it will be seen, differs widely from the later
tradition as given below. Note that no mention is made
of the crucifixion of Xystus, a point which Cyprian (who
writes Epist, LXXX Xistum autem in cimeterio animad-
uersum sciatis VIII id. A ug. die et cum eo diacones quattuor)
would certainly not have omitted. This part of the later
story may have arisen from misunderstanding a line of the
inscription which Damasus wrote in honour of Xystus'
deacons Felicissimus and Agapetus: Epigram XXIII (ed.
Ihm) hicrucis inuictae comites pariterque ministri \ rectoris
sancti. It would be eagerly taken up, because it would
supply a link between the death of Xystus and that of
Lawrence, the only one of his deacons who escaped the
slaughter in the cemetery of Praetextatus. For, if Xystus
was at once beheaded, Lawrence would have had no
opportunity of speaking to him, whereas crucifixion meant
a lingering death.
In this case the pathetic conversation mentioned by
Ambrose and others cannot have taken place. And in
fact some of the details of it are in themselves most
unlikely; for Lawrence (as well as Xystus) must have
ioo EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
known from the terms of the edict that he could not be
disappointed of martyrdom.
Then, to turn to the death of Lawrence, he was not
roasted upon a craticula or gridiron, of which the earlier
and more trustworthy story knows nothing, and which
was a form of torture almost or quite unknown to the
Romans, at least of the third century.
The later tradition goes on to say that this cruel form
of death was inflicted by the judge in his chagrin at not
being able to obtain the treasures of the church. But
here again we come across a difficulty. For after the law
of A.D. 257 above mentioned no judge would have ex-
pected any accumulated treasure ; nor is there any hint
of search after this in the days of the persecution by
Valerian.
Between A.D. 258 and 380, at about which date Ambrose
was writing, there was ample time for the legend to grow.
Franchi suggests that the roasting on the gridiron may
have been brought in owing to a misreading of the con-
temporary account of Lawrence's martyrdom: the word
passus est (which is used about him in the Lib. Pontiff
becoming assus est by the loss of its initial letter; cp. the
expression assum est used by Ambr. de Off. I. 206 quoted
above. Or it may have arisen from a misunderstanding
of Damasus Epigr. XXXII. I f. uerbera carnificis,flammas,
tormenta, catenas \ uincere Laurenti sola fides potuit ; where
flammas, coming where it does in the order of the words,
cannot refer to Lawrence's death but only to a particular
form of torture to which he was subjected.
Cp. however P. Allard Dernieres Persecutions du III me
Siecle pp. 78 foil.
HYMN XIV. AMBROSE
101
Abcdeghik Fis la Vaps
Apostolorum supparem
Laurentium archidiaconem
pari corona martyrum
Romana sacrauit fides.
Xystum sequens hie martyrem
responsa uatis rettulit :
i suppar est Vs.
martyris la, parit Vs.
Syxtum'Systum Sixtum varii.
1. supparem] ' almost equal,' one
of Ambr.'s favourite words; cp. in
Ps. xxxvil. 54 quoniam subsecutus
sum iustttiam. quanta uis uerbi in
unius syllabae adiectione, ut subse-
cutum se diceret iustitiam, non se-
cutum ! propior est enim qui subse-
qititur quam ille qui sequitur, et
suppar quam impar, et successio he-
redis magis quam accessio nuncu-
patur; de Incarn. 26 uirginis enim
[Christum] supparem negasti esse
non temporis. ego autem et supparem
uirginis secundum susceptionem cor-
poris non negabo ; de Cain I. 15 ; de
Fide Res. 115; Epist. XV. 5, XI. ir,
12.
2 . archidiaconem] the form used
by Jerome Epist. cxxv. 15, CXLVI.
i, Fort. Vit. Mart. III. 38, cp. IV.
xv. 3 Bobolenus honor e diacon.
Ro'nsch p. 262 gives several ex-
amples of diacon. Bayard (Cyprian
p. 56 f.) says that Cyprian uses
generally the o form of diaconus,
never the nom. diacon, which is
found in Greek inscriptions of the
Illrd century; he refers to Ramsay
Church in the Roman Empire p. 442,
Lightfoot Ignatius I. 501.
3. ' With equal wreath of martyr-
dom '; partis intentionally contrasted
with supparem : in office less, in mar-
tyrdom he was their equal. So
Damasus xiv. i f. (where the martyr
Tarsicius is compared with St Ste-
phen) par meritum, quicumque legis,
cognosce dtiorum. For the gen. mar-
2 Laurentius arch-us Vs. 3 parem coronam
4 Romanam Vs. fidem la. 5 Xistum
tyrum cp. 4. 2 1 nuptae foedera. With
corona martyrum cp. Ambr. de Off.
II. 141 Laurentius. . .sacram martyrii
accepit coronam ', in Ps. cxvill. xx.
44 tbi passusest, hoc est, ibicoronatus ;
de Virg. II. 35 corona martyrii \
Epist. LXIII. 5 stabat [lesus] quasi
paratus ut coronaret suum militem.
4. Romana... fides] 'a truly Ro-
man faith ' i.e. that of the Roman
Church, not of L. himself. The
phrase is derived from St Paul's
words, Rom. i. 8 ; cp. Cypr. Epist.
LV quorum fides apostolo praedicante
laudata est ; Ambr. Epist. XI. 4 totius
orbis Romani caput Romanam ec-
clesiam atque illam sacrosanctam
apostolorum Jidem ; Jer. c. Ruf. I. 4
fide Romana pallet ecclesia.
For the way in which Lawrence
was singled out from other Roman
martyrs and ranked with the Apostles
(sacrauit), see Aug. Serm. CCXCVI. vi.
9 iacet Petri corpus Romae,... iacet
Pauli corpus Romae, Laurentii cor-
pus Romae; Alcuin Carm. LXXXVIII.
1 6 (p. 311 ed. Diimmler) Johannes,
Paulus, pariter Laurentius atque \
conseruent aram hanc miserante Deo.
Ib. ex. r f. hanc pius Andreas mentis
tutabitur aram, et leuita simuluictor
Laurentius ignis,
5. sequens] following to the place
of execution, which in the case of
crucifixion would be without the city.
Cp. Lk. xxiii. 27.
6. uatis] 'prophet' in reference
to line 8. But Ennodius (Hymn. in.
10
102 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
'maerere, fili, desine,
sequere me post triduum.'
nee territus poenae metu
heres futurus sanguinis
spectauit obtutu pio,
quod ipse mox persoluerat.
iam tune in illo martyre
egit triumphum martyris,
successor aequus syngraphum 15
uocis tenens et sanguinis.
7 mereri Adgh Vp. deside Va. 8 sequeris Vs. 9, 10 metueris
(pro metu heres) Vs. 10 fusurum sanguinem Vs. 12 ipsa mors Vs.
persolueret Va. 13 nam Vs. 15 syngrapham (singrafam) Adgh la
Vap. 1 6 uocem t. e. sanguinem Vs.
i uatis Cyprianf) and other later
writers quoted by Ducange use the
word in the sense of 'bishop'; cp.
' Hegesippus' I. 16 obsequia uatum,
apparently translating TWV ieptw.
rettulit] 'received,' as in the
phrase acceptum referre.
9 f. ' but unscared by the fear of
torture, he beheld.'
territus... metu] as at 9. 9.
10. heres] Cp. Xystus' words to
Lawrence de Off. I. 205 quoted in
the introduction ; in Ps. CXVIII. i. 9
qui heredes futuri sunt promissorum
caelestium ; ib. xiv. 40 heres sum
mandatorum tuorum, successionem
tuam...quaesiui. heres means 'in-
heritor ' rather than ' heir. '
sanguinis] Cp. 9. 16.
11. obtutu] one of Ambr.'s fa-
vourite words, got from his master
Vergil ; see Hex. iv. i, VI. 4 and 51,
de Noe \ 7, in Luc. 1.5; Verg. Aen. I.
495 etc.
pio answers to fili in 7 and to
heres in 10; cp. 7. 13 note.
12. 'what his master had just
accomplished. ' The evidence of the
MSS compels us to read persoluerat,
and with this reading it is simplest
and best to take mox as meaning
'lately,' a sense which it often bears
in late writers ; cp. Juvenc. III. 160
tuncpetitabsoluiPelrus,quidquaestio
uellet, | ipse Pharisaeis quam mox
scribisque dedisset. Arnob. adu. Na-
tiones II. 21 mox natum, IV. 21 mox
traditam. ..uitam.
ipse is used as in the Pythagorean
auTos 0a, ipse dixit, ' the master
said'; cp. Cic. Nat. D. I. 5. Plautus
often uses ipse to denote the master
of the house.
13. 'even then in the person of
that martyr.' Lawrence watching the
martydom of Xystus 'celebrated his
own martyr-triumph ' (martyris like
marlyrum in 3) as being already
rightfully assured of it.
in] ' in the person of,' cp. Ambr.
de Nab. 67 reddite [munera] in
paupere, in egeno soluite ; in Ps.
CXVIH. xiv. 38 in Henoch rapt us
ad caelum es, in Helia leuatus es
curru ; 15. 25.
15. successor] Cp. de Off. \. 205
tibi ergo mando nostrae uirtutis suc-
cessionem ; de Excessu Fratris 1 5
quid agam met successor keredis ? ; de
Inter pell. III. 22 ilia uera posteritas,
qtiae non terris sed in caelo est.
huiusmodi ergo uiris hereditas inopia
est et mors successio.
aequus] ' not inferior ' to his pre-
decessor.
syngraphum ] 'bond, "covenant,'
HYMN XIV. AMBROSE
post triduum iussus tamen
census sacratos prodere
spondet pie nee abnuit,
addens dolum uictoriae.
spectaculum pulcherrimum !
egena cogit agmina
inopesque monstrans praedicat :
' hi sunt opes ecclesiae.'
uere piorum perpetes
inopes profecto sunt opes,
auarus inlusus dolet
flammas et ultrices parat.
fugit perustus carnifex
suisque cedit ignibus :
103
20
2 5
1 8 prodire la, prodidit Vs.
dicans Vap.
uttered by Xystus' voice and ratified
by his blood ; cp. de Tob. ig haec
debitor is stultitia...pro emolumento
hereditatis syngrapham obligations .
The form syngrapha is the usual
one, but <n/yy/>a<os is found in an
inscription, and (at de Paenit. n. 80)
tamquatn ex syngrapho,
17. tamen] ' however,' with little
adversative force, as in the parallel
passage de Off. \. 206 quoted in the
introduction. So in Luc. X. 145
cum uiri fugarentur, solae tamen ab
angelo ne ti meant, admonentur.
18. census] 'treasures,' cp. 9. 16
note.
19. spondet... nee abnuit] Ambr.
repeatedly expresses thus by a ne-
gative what he has already stated
positively as e.g. de Fide II. in
delictumfaleor,peccaturn non abnuo ;
an idiom derived from O.T., see e.g.
Ps. xxx. 12 (Bible version).
pie] ' as in duty bound ' to Xystus,
see it and 7. 13 note.
21. recalls in form 10. 17.
22. agmina] as at 13. 26.
22 cogent Vs. 23 monstrat prae-
23. Note the repeated play on the
words opes, inopes.
24. Cp. Ambr. Serm. c. Aux.
33 habeo aerarios : aeraiii mei pau-
peres Chrisli sunt, hunc noui con-
gregare thesaurum.
25. 26 are Ambr. 's comment, not
the words of Lawrence. They come
in somewhat as do 7. 13 f. piscis
bonus, etc.
The parallel de Off. II. 140 is in
favour of our reading uere rather
than uerae : et uere thesauri in
quibus Christus est. profecto is used
much in the sense of enim. perpetes,
cp. 6. 28.
27. dolet] 'chafes with anger.'
The passage is borrowed in a Moz-
arabic hymn Anal. xxvn. cxi. 61
inlusum ita se dolens Fabric iw.
28. flammas ultrices] Cp. in Ps.
XXXVI. 26 ministros auteni impie-
tatisultor ignis exuret;Epist. XXXIV.
\opoenis ultricibus. Cp. Verg. Aen.
II. 587 ultricis flammae.
30. Similarly of the martyrdom
of the Maccabees; Ambr. de Off. \.
104 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
'uersate me,' martyr uocat,
'uorate, si coctum est,' iubet. 32
20 1 defecerunt supplicia, cesserunt iugiter \ etfac periclum, quid tuus \
tortures, non defecerunt martyres. Vulcanus ardens egerit. \ praefectus
Cp. Dan. iii. 22. inuerti iubet. \ tune Hie : coctum est,
31 f. The grim jest is drawn out deuora \ et experimentum cape, \ sit
by Prud. Perist. n. 401 f. conuerte crudum an assum suauius.
partem carports \ satis crematam
HYMN 15
The antiquity of the oldest Martyr-hymn, like that of
the foregoing, is proved by the allusion to it in a sermon
of Maximus of Turin, who writes Serm. LXVI elegerunt
itaque ecclesiarum principes quorum Dominus ipsum mundi
prindpem triumphauit. This of course does not establish
the fact of Ambrose's authorship, but it points in that
direction.
Nor is the more definite statement of the Venerable
Bede decisive on this point, though he writes de Arte
Metrica 1 1 sed et ambrosianieo maxime currunt. ..in quibus
pulcherrimo est decore compositus hymnus beatorum mar-
tyrum, cuius loca inparia spondeus, iambus tenet paria ;
cuius initium est: Aeterna Christi munera. For, as was
pointed out on p. 20, Bede elsewhere uses the term am-
brosianus of hymns which cannot have been written by
the great bishop of Milan.
So once more we have to rely on the presence of the
hymn in the MSS of the Ambrosian use, and above all on
its intimate correspondence in vocabulary, phraseology
and thought with the prose works of Ambrose. And these
proofs are strong enough to settle the question.
More than any other of Ambrose's hymns this one has
in the course of time been changed and mutilated. It
was transferred from its use in natali martyrum to cele-
brate that of the apostles, and it then of course became
necessary to omit certain stanzas which were no longer
HYMN XV. AMBROSE 105
suitable, and in line 2 instead of martyrum to read
apostolorum, and in 30 either apostolorum or ipsorum.
This modification of the original hymn began to be
made about the Xth century, and it soon became almost
universal. Daniel truly says (I. 29) : hymnum, ex Clich-
touaei sententia oppido suauem et elegantem, ab ecclesia
misere dilaceratum uidemus. nam illae strophae, quae
martyrum laudibus aptissime conueniunt, prima, tertia,
quarta, quinta, octaua cantari solitae sunt in communi
plurimorum martyrum : reliquae et prima, mutato uersu
secundo, in communi apostolorum.
Aabcdefghik Ecdhjov/u< Fbn^- Gam Habcdfghi/JS?/
lacdhnop Mk Vabclp
Aeterna Christi munera
et martyrum uictorias,
laudes ferentes debitas,
laetis canamus mentibus.
ecclesiarum principes, 5
belli triumphales duces,
caelestis aulae milites
et uera mundi lumina,
i apostolorum gloriam Ev/tt Gm Vc. uictoriam Hd 2 la, uictoria Ab'd 1
Eo Ff Ga Ip Vap 1 . 3 canentes Ecdv/i. Fn Gam Hbe 1 Mk Vbhl.
4-7 omit. Idh VI. 6 et b. Eo Hao; In. -lis lo. 8 uere F^.
i. 'The eternal gifts' are pro- ecclesiarum] the plural is used
bably the martyrs themselves (cp. also at 4. 16.
12. 2, Eph. iv. 8, n), rather than 6. triumphales] Cp. 4. 17, 11.
the grace which enabled them to 26 (notes).
persevere to the end, or the rewards 7. milites] Cp. 11. 11 (note),
bestowed upon them afterwards. The phrase caelestis aula recurs in
i. 11. 26 note. Luc. v. 108.
5f. ' Chieftains of the churches... 8. As Christ is the true light of
they conquered. ..and possess.' This the world (3. 3, 6. 30), so His
is easier than taking principes as ace. martyrs are also 'true lights,' in a
in loose apposition to munera. For different and yet in a real sense; cp.
the phrase cp. Ambr. Epist. XXII. 7 Mt. v. 14, Phil. ii. 15, Ambr. Epist.
principes populi quos alias nisi sanctos xxil. 6 (of the martyrs) ecce iteri
martyres aestimare debemus ? dies pleni luminis etfulgoris aeterni ;
io6
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
terrore uicto saeculi
poenisque spretis corporis,
mortis sacrae conpendio
lucem beatam possident.
traduntur igni martyres
et bestiarum dentibus :
armata saeuit ungulis
tortoris insani manus.
nudata pendent uiscera,
sanguis sacratus funditur,
sed permanent inmobiles
uitae perennis gratia.
10
20
9 uictor Ab 1 Fn l Ga Ih.. 12 uitam Ab EC Fb^ Gm Hg/3 Mk.
15 saeuis Aa F^ Ga Hac. ungula He (ungulas EC). 16 insanit He.
17 pendens Eo, pendunt Fn Hbd Id Va. 10 gloria Hd 1 (gloriae Hb).
in Ps. cxvm. xiv. 27 Christo luce-
bat marlyrum lucerna.
9. Ambr. in Luc. X. 12 indicium
est uictores saeculi principibus ante-
ferri.
10. poenis corporis] Cp. 10. 14.
Note that -que remains short before
spretis, as in 22 the -a of inuicta
before spes. Lucretius and Horace
in his Satires take the same license.
11. conpendio] 'ashortcut.' What
others must attain by a long life is
theirs by a swift death. Cp. de Nab.
30 quaerit mortis conpendia ; de Off.
III. 121 atit conpendium mortis erit
aut salutis; Prud. Perist. u. 335
praestetur ut mortis citae \ conpen-
diosus exitus. Orosius vn. v. 11
Pilatus autem praeses...tantis...an-
goribus coartatus est, ut sua se trans-
uerberans manu malorum conpen-
dium mortis celeritate quaesierit.
mortis sacrae] Cp. 12. 18 note,
and 18. 7.
13 f. Ambr. in Ps. cxvm. ix. 2
quam pulchre etiam de martyribus
dicitur, qui uere militant Christo...
qui persecutions, ungulas, gladios,
incendia non timentes infestis se
regibus obtulerunt; ib. xil. 30 in
martyiio plurima flagella sustinuit,
equuleoet ungulis, plumbo, lam minis
ardentibus, gladio comprobatus ; cp.
Heb. xi. 36 f. Ambrose wishes here
to mark a climax : the fire is lifeless,
the beasts do but obey the instincts
of their nature, man indulges in re-
finements of cruelty.
15. ungulis] iron 'claws' or
' hooks ' for tearing the flesh. Ambr.
in Ps. cxvm. xx. 10 exaratum
ungulis ; Prud. Perist. I. 44 bisulcas
ungulas ; Cod. Theod. XV. 7 ungulis
sulcantibus latera.
saeuit] Ambr. de lacob n. 47 (of
persecutors) pardalicis feritatibus
saeuiebant.
16. insani] 'mad with rage'; cp.
Prud. Perist. u. 47 minister insani
duels ; Ennod. Hymn, vi 1 1. 13 uesane
tortor; 24. 1 1 amens ; 116. 26 ; Hor.
Od. I. xvi. 15 insani leonis.
17 f. It is probably not an inten-
tional disembowelling that -is here
alluded to, but such a ripping up of
the body that the inwards protrude.
Such things are common in the Ada
Martyr tim.
HYMN XV. AMBROSE
107
deuota sanctorum fides,
inuicta spes credentium,
perfecta Christi caritas
mundi triumphal principem.
in his paterna gloria,
in his uoluntas Spiritus,
exultat in his Filius :
caelum repletur gaudio.
te nunc, redemptor, quaesumus,
ut martyrum consortio
3
21-24 omit. Idh VI. 21-28 omit. E<f>.
26 filii (pro spir.) He. 27 spiritus (fro fil.) He.
30 ipsorum Ed Haf In, illorum Ea.
24 principes Eo H/3.
28 gaudiis Haf Ih.
19. permanent inmobiles] Ambr.
often combines these words as at
Hex. I. 22, in Ps. XXXVii. 21, ib.
cxvin. v. 21, Epist. II. i ; so Tab.
II. 14 inmobilis in Dei timore per-
mansit; cp. 7. 8 note.
2 1 f. ' The devoted faith of the
Saints, the unconquered hope of
believers, the perfect love of Christ
lead in triumph the prince of this
world.' In a Roman triumph the
captured leader of the enemy walked
before the general's chariot ; Ambr.
in Luc. x. 1 1 1 solet praecedere pompa
uic tores. For the close connexion
with Ambr. of devotion and faith
see 13. 22 note. The three 'theo-
logical virtues' are combined, as
here, i Cor. xiii. 13, Ambr. Epist.
LXXVIII. 9 ubi perfecta caritas, ibi
omnis fides; sicutubi perfecta caritas,
ibi spes omnis; 47. 18 f., 71. 17 f.,
99. i f.
21. sanctorum] the commonest
name of Christians in N.T., e.g.
Rom. i. 7 ; here of course it refers
to martyrs in particular.
23. perfecta... caritas] 'the love
of Christ towards them,' a phrase
derived from r Joh. iv. 17 in hoc
perfecta est carilas Dei nobiscum.
24. mundi principem] an appella-
tion of Satan, coming from Joh. xiii.
31, xiv. 30, xvi. 1 1 (cp. 2 Cor. iv. 4,
Eph. ii. 2, vi. 12) constantly used by
Ambr. e.g. de Abr. II. 62, in Ps.
CXVlil. iv. 28, ib. viii. 52, ib. xvi.
12 ; and by Damasus vil. 2, XXX. i,
XLIII. 4, XLVII. 2.
triumphat] So Ambr. in Ps.
cxvin. iii. 34 [CAristus] in se uoluit
principfm mundi fallere, in disciptilis
triumphare. He uses the word in a
transitive sense also de lob II. 6
triiimphauerunt poptilum.
25 f. For the rhetorical repetition
of in his see 2. 1 1 ; for in, meaning
' in the person of,' 14. 13 note. The
lengthening of the in (line 27) has
no exact parallel in the hymns of
Ambr.
paterna gloria] 3. i.
26. uol. Spiritus] r Cor. xii. u.
28. Cp. 10. 13 note, 13. 30, Lk.
xii. 8, xv. 10.
29 f. Biraghi compares the prayer
de Inst. Virg. 104 nunc ad te... Pater
gratiae, uotaconuerto... loytequaeso
ut tuearis hanc famulatn, ut...agni*
tuts admixta uersetur comes uir-
ginum.
30. consortio] in this connexion
is one of Ambr.'s favourite words ;
cp. de Paenit. I. 49 martyrum con-
sortia; de Noe 16 angelorum .. .con-
sortio; in Ps. I. 1 6 consorlio beato-
io8 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
iungas precantes seruulos
in sempiterna saecula. 32
rum ; and in the plu. de Noe 64 ius- almost always uses seruulus rather
forum consortia. than seruus, and later writers de-
31. seruulos] The diminutive has lighted in such forms ; see Mayor on
a depreciatory force. But Ambr. Juv. x. 173.
HYMNS 16-18
On the genuineness of the next three hymns, see
above, p. 25. There seems to be no reason why Ambrose
should not have written two hymns for the Third Hour,
one perhaps for Sundays, and one for week days.
The rubric to 4 in some of the Ambrosian MSS ad
tertiam dominicis diebus shews that this was at least the
use adopted in the Milanese church; and, if Dreves 1
had been correct in stating that so ancient an authority
as Vat. reg. n contained the rubric to 16 Hymnus ad
tertiam cotidianus, the suggestion would be still more
likely ; but unfortunately that MS does not even contain
the hymn in question.
Steier points out a resemblance between 16 and two
stanzas of other later hymns, viz. between stanza I and
78 stanza IV, and between stanza II and 76 stanza IV,
which he thinks to tell against the Ambrosian author-
ship. But if we grant this likeness, it may but mean that
the writers of those hymns copied Ambrose, as they did
in so many other cases.
The fact that Hincmar of Reims quotes 16 as Ambrose's
carries little weight. Nor is the alleged imitation of 16. 5
on the part of Ennodius decisive. For it is not impossible
that the writer of 16 copied Ennodius just as the writer
of 99 took his 8th line from him (32. 28).
One thing is certain that the three hymns were all
written by the same man. I believe that this man was
1 Aurelius Ambrositis p. 84.
HYMN XVI. AMBROSE
109
Ambrose. [The prosody, the vocabulary, the concentrated
force of the language, the thoughts, the theology, are all
in favour of this view.]
HYMN 16
Abdgh Eacdhjlsvx5/i Fbhls Gabd Habcdefghju. Ibcdehimnp Vbcp
Nunc sancte nobis Spiritus,
unum Patri cum Filio,
dignare promptus ingeri
nostro refusus pectori.
os, lingua, mens, sensus, uigor 5
confessionem personent,
2 unus EacdhjlsvxS/i Fbhs Gbd Habcd'ef Ic'dehmp Vbp. patris
EacdhvS Fb Gbd Vp. 6 confessione Ecsx Hbe Ihn Vp. personal Ab
Echjsxju (-nat E5) Fb Gd Hace Im 1 Vcp. -
i. The Holy Spirit is especially
invoked at the third hour because it
was then that He came down on the
day of Pentecost, Acts ii.
i. unum] 'one essence,' 'one
power ' as at 5. 31 ; not one person.
Ambr. more than once quotes and
comments upon Joh. x. 30 ego et
Pater unum sumus. See de Spir.
in. 117 repellit...Arianos, quia
die it : unum sumus; tamen et in
superioribus et in inferioribus hae-
reticam iugulat saeuitatem Sabellian-
orui, ijuia unum dixit sumus, non
units ; de Incarn. 77 non enim quod
eiitsdem substantial est, unus, sed
unum est ; narn titique Filium eius-
dem cum Patre substantial cottfitentes
in tractatu Nicaeni, non unam per-
sonam, sed unam diuinitatem in
Patre et Filio crediderunt. Hincmar
of Reims observes orans beatus Am-
brosius Nunc sancte nobis Spiritus
bene intellexit unum esse Dettm cum
Patre et Filio. ...de exemplo euangelico
ego et Pater unum sumus Ambro-
sius scribit unum, ne fiat discretio
naturae et potestatis.
Patri] For the dative cp. Lucr.
II. 918 cum...animalia sint mortali-
bus una eademque.
3. ingeri] almost equivalent to
infundi ; cp. Catull. xxvn. 2 inger
mi calices amariores ; de Lapsu
Virg. 24 praecepta, quae oculis tuts
ipse scriptus paries ingerebat; 20. 16.
4. refusus] one of Ambr.'s fa-
vourite words ; see 2. 12 note.
5. 'mouth, tongue, soul, thought,
strength.' The line emphatically
says ' let everything that is within
me bless His holy name.' It is hard
to distinguish between os and lingua:
perhaps os refers to the singing,
lingua to the words. The other
words are perhaps based on Lk. x.
27 and parallels: mens answering
to 'heart and soul,' sensus to 'mind/
uigor to ' strength.' As to Ennod.
Hymn. HI. 2 cor, lingua, sensus
dignitas, see introduction.
6. confessionem] Acts ii. n
' declaration ' of faith or thanks ;
the usual meaning of confiteor and
confessio in the O.T., cp. Ps. xli.
(xlii.) 2 in uoce exsultationis et con-
fessionis; Ambr. Hex. iv. \ifidti
confessione. For the ace. cp. 19. i *
IIO
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
flammescat igne caritas,
accendat ardor proximos.
8
hymnos personant, and 2. 3 1 te sonet,
5. 14 te concrepet.
7. igne] refers to the linguae
tamquam ignis of Acts ii. 3 ; cp.
118. 7 ignis, caritas. For caritas as
the gift of the holy Spirit see Rom.
v. 5, Ambr. de Spir. I. 94 offunditur
etiam caritas Dei per Spiritum,...
qui diuinae arbiter et fans proftttus
car it at is est.
8. ardor has a good or bad
meaning according to the context ;
cp. 31. 55, 64. 6, 68. 16 with 58. 13.
proximos is perhaps a happy ap-
plication of Juv. in. 199 tua res,
cum proximus ardet \ Ucalegon.
HYMN 17
Abdghk EacdhjvS Fbhps Gab Habcdefgh/i Macx Vabcp
Rector potens, uerax Deus,
qui temperas rerum uices,
splendore mane qui instruis
et ignibus meridiem,
2 uice EC Hb Vp 2
3 splendorem E5. inserui qui.
1. rector] Cp. 5. 2, Ambr. de
Cain I. 4 quae tamquam operatori et
creatori omnium Deo defert et eius
tamqttam parentis atque rectoris sub-
dit omnia gubernaculo.
uerax] ' a God of truth,' who
keepest Thy word, probably in this
connexion referring to Gen. viii. 22.
God is uerus, 'very God,' as op-
posed to idols, which are no gods :
He is uerax in that He is faithful to
His promise and His ordinance ;
cp. Joh. iii. 33 etc.
2. The thought and expression
of this line recur several times in
Ambr. Thus Hex. IV. 2 si magnus
est \_sol\ qui per horarum uices locis
aut accedit aut decedit cotidie...', ib.
7 est ergo in diei potestate sol et luna
in potestate noctis, quae temporum
uicibus oboedire conpellitur . . .namque
luna luminis inminutionem habet,
non corporis, quando per uices men-
struas deponere uidetur sttum lu-
men...', ib. 12 diuisa tempora habent
paresque mensuras pro mensium
uicibns sol et luna ; ib. 28 quid
autem de tanto loquar temperamento
et moderamine conditoris? Cp. 2.
3f-
3. mane is a substantive as at
Verg. Georg. in. 325, Hor. Sat. I.
iii. 1 8, Pers. Sat. in. i, Prud. Cath.
I. 96, Genesis i. 4 etc., 72. 9, 73. 5,
110. 13.
Cp. Hex. i. 33 hix . . .retectis sur-
gentis diei splendore regionibus nostro
se circumfundit aspectui ; ib. IV. 27
(also of dawn) iam...micat splendor ;
cp. 3. i.
I write splendore mane qui in-
struis. If the hymn is by Ambr. it
is impossible to believe that he could
have written such a line as splendore
mane instruis, wherein a short un-
accented syllable is left unelided
before a vowel. If we insert qui,
the structure of the hymn will be
exactly that of 18 : the whole of the
first stanza being taken up with the
invocation, and the petition follow-
ing in the next stanza. See also
the similar commencements of 2
and 5.
5. flammas litium] Cp. Ecclus.
xxviii. ii herno enim iracundus in-
H YMN X VIII. A MBR OSE 1 1 1
exstingue flammas litium, 5
aufer calorem noxium,
confer salutem corporum,
ueramque pacem cordium.
5 extingues Vp.
cenditlitem. The prayer is suggested 7. The use of the plurals cor-
by ' the fires of noon.' forum, cordium is according to
6. calorem] ' the heat ' of passion Ambr.'s manner. Steier p. 643 has
(Jas iii. 6) or lust (Hos. vii. 4). a list of instances drawn from his
calor, caleo can also have a good prose writings ; cp. the use of noc-
meaning, and this prevails in 3. 19, Hum 5. 18, menlium 12. 15. Here
60. 10, 116. 1 6 ; cp. Prud. Perist. they seem to be used for the sake of
VI. 21. the rhyme.
HYMN 18
Abdghk EacdhjlsvS Fbhjpqs Gabd Habcdefghjt Ibcdhmnopv Ma Vabcp
Rerum Deus tenax uigor,
inmotus in te permanens,
lucis diurnae tempora
successibus determinans,
largire clarum uespere, 5
2 permanes Eh Ib, permanet Ab 2 Ecdl Fs Hbd Ih. 3 diurna Ab
EsS. 4 determinas Ab. 5 claro Ea Hacgh lo, clarus Ip. uesperi
Ab 1 Gab 1 Hbe Ichd Vp, uesperum E5 Hd 1 .
1. 'O God who art the strength slabilium stant causae et rerum
which sustains all creation from day omnium mutabilium inmtitabiles
to day.' This seems to be the sense manent origines and the whole of
here meant, rather than 'holding all 10; cp. Prud. Apoth. 276 non con-
things together in space,' ' the bond uertibilis nee demutabilis umqttam \
of the universe'; though for this est Deus.
latter sense cp. Wisdom i. 7, 36. in te permanens comes from
41, 39. 15, 44b. i, 48. 5. Wisdom vii. 27, which itself appears
rerum] 'the universe,' as at 2. i. to be derived from Aristotle Pkys.
It is here governed by tenax, which vill. 5.
takes a like gen. in Hor. Od. ill. iii. 3. tempora] as in 2. 3.
i tenacem propositi', Ovid Met. vn. 4. auccessibus] often used as
657 quaesiti tenax ; Verg. Aen. iv. here in the plural by Ambr. ; cp.
188 ficti prauique tenax; Draeger Hex. in. 48 prosperioris cursus sue-
\. 206. 6. cessious ; in Luc. vi. 68 totius na-
2. The immutability of God is turae creator rebus succrssus defiuos
dwelt upon at Ps. ci. (cii.) 27, Mai. subministraf, ib. 85.
iii. 6, Jas. i. 17. It is a favourite 5. 'Grant us a bright evening
thought with Augustine, as at Conf. time,' uespere being a subst. as
I. vi. 9 apud te rerum omnium in- mane at 17. 31. This is simpler
112
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
quo uita nusquam decidat,
sed praemium mortis sacrae
perennis instet gloria. 8
7 praemio Ea Fh 2 Hacgh Inp Vp. 8 perenni Ab 2 Im. instat E8.
gloriae Es Gd, gloriam Vp.
than 'light at evening time,' though
clarum might be a quasi-subst. like
nubila at 21. i, sereno at 36. i,
obscurum Verg. Georg. \. 478. The
writer seems to have in mind
Wisdom vi. 13 dara est et quae
numquam marcescit sapientia ; cp.
Wisdom vii. 29 f., Zech. xiv. 7.
6. quo] 'whereby.'
nusquam] not numquam, i.e.
' that life may not decay at any
point in its activities.' Ambr. else-
where uses this unusual phrase,
which is at the same time one which
no imitator would think of taking
up; cp. Hex. I. 22 laudent alii
quod idea nusquam decidat terra.
For decidat cp. Ps. Ixxxix. (xc.) 6
uespere decidat, Wisdom iv. 19 et
erunt post haec decidentes sine honore.
7. mortis sacrae] as at 12. 18,
15. ii. For the thought cp. Rev.
xiv. 1 3. praemium predicate ' as the
reward,' cp. 10. 9.
8. instet] ' follow hard upon it.'
HYMN 19
On the authorship of this hymn see above, p. 26. I am
inclined to believe that Ambrose wrote it.
Aabcdghk Eacdhjv/*0 Fbps Gam Habcdefghi/3 Ibghmnt Makx Vbcps
lesu corona uirginum,
quem mater ilia concipit,
quae sola uirgo parturit,
haec uota clemens accipe,
2 concepit Aadg Ecdv/i Gam Habcde/3 Ighmt Vs.
peperit E/*. 4 et (pro haec) Hb Vs 1 .
1 . corona comes from Is. xxviii.
5 in die ilia erit Dominus corona
gloriae, whence come also the phrases
corona confitentium, 121. 2, militum
corona, 122. 2, corona praesulum,
123. 2.
2. ilia] emphatic, as often in
classical writers, as Verg. Aen. VII.
no sic luppiter ille monebat.
3. ulrgo parturit] So in spite
of in Ps. XLVII. n eum Maria non
parturiuit, sed peperit, Ambr. says
de Inst. Virg. 39 minus erat homi-
nem resurrexisse quam uirginem
parturisse.
3 quem Hb.
5. Comes from Cant. ii. 16, vi.
3 ; cp. Ambr. in Ps. cxvm. xiv. 3
bona etiam Christi pascua, quipascit
in liliis in splendore sanctorum ;
bona pascua etiam monies conual-
lium, nam et in his pascitur Chris-
tus.
pascis, as in Hex. iv. 22, at
de Inst. Virg. 113 quoted on
line 9, and Fort. Vita Mart. I.
150 pascens radicibus herbae, seems
to be used in an intransitive sense ;
cp. Draeger i. 87, Schmalz
632.
lilia] Cp. de Inst, Virg. 93 qui
10
HYMN XIX. AMBROSE
qui pascis inter lilia
saeptus choreis uirginum,
sponsus decorus gloria
sponsisque reddens praemia.
quocumque pergis, uirgines
secuntur atque laudibus
post te canentes cursitant
hymnosque dulces personant.
te deprecamur, largius
nostris adauge mentibus
nescire prorsus omnia 15
corruptionis uulnera.
5 pascit Fb Vs. 7 sponsi Aa, sponsos Ga, sponsas Eac/u. Fbp Hbd 1
Ibgmt Vb, sponsa Ed, sponses Ev. decorans Eadv/t Fb Ga Hd'/3 Ibgmt
Vbs, decoras Gm Hd 2 . gloriae Ha. 8 sponsi Aab 2 Vs, sponsus E/ci
Vc. reddis Gm Mk, reddes Hb 2 , reddunt Hb 1 . 9 pergit Vc.
12 insonant Mk. 14 sensibus EM.
Christi passionem loguuntur et suo
ore concelebrant ac mortificalionem
eius in suo circwnferunt corpore
Christi lilia stint ; specialiter sacrae
uirgines ; in Cant. vi. i Moses per
desertum duxit popuhim hidaeorum
...Christus per lilia duett. The ap-
plication of the lily to virginity
perhaps goes back to Origen in
Cant. lib. III. (Migne P.G. XIII.
149 f.).
6. saeptus] Cp. Verg. A en. I.
411, 439, 506, ix. 20, 551, 783.
7. sponsus decorus] from Is. Ixi.
10 sponsum decoratum corona. For
virgins as the brides of Christ see
Ambr. de Virg. I. 22 spectate et
aliud uirginitatis merit um! Christus
uirginis sponsus ; ib. II. 29 mulieris
caput uir, uirginis Christus ; de
Laps. Virg. 21 quae se spopondit
Christo et sanctum uelamen accepit,
iam nupsit, iam inmortali iuncta
est uiro.
9 f. From Rev. xiv. 4 ; cp. de
Inst. Virg. 113 ut uirgo illic agni
sequatur uestigia et in meridiano
pascat.
i o. laudibus . . . canentes] Cp.
Stat. Theb. VIII. 353 longa iacet ille
canendtis \ laude ; Fortunat. Laus
Alariae 47 sed redeo, qua uirgo
trahit me laude canenda.
1 1. Comes from Cant. i. 3 post
te cur remns.
12. For the ace. cp. 16. 6.
13. deprecari usually means 'to
pray that an evil may be averted,'
' to deprecate ' : here that a blessing
which is in danger of being lost may
be granted ; cp. Aulus Gellius vil.
xvi. 3, Ronsch 358.
largius. . .adauge] ' increase in our
souls more largely,' i.e. 'grant us in
ever larger measure,' as in the Bap-
tismal Service, ' Increase this know-
ledge. ..in us evermore'; cp. Lk.
xvii. 5 adauge nobis Jidem. The nor-
mal ace. after adauge is supplied by
the clause in 15 f. nescire... uulnera.
15. nescire is used as at 3. 20.
1 6. corruptionis uulnera] Cp.
8
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
de Laps. Virg. 27 amplexa es cor-
ruptionem ; ib. 3 1 iaces ecce uulne-
rata ; Hex. IV. 4 corruptionis sub-
ditus seruituti ; de Noe 53 commotio
enim uitiosa non est nisi per affectus
corruptionem ; in Ps. CXVIII. xix.
41 animae corruptae.
The thought of sin as wounding
the soul is a very favourite one with
Ambr. as de Bono Mortis 40 animi
uulnera ; in Ps. XXXV. 3 [CAristus]
dolores uulnerum sanare consueuit ;
xxxvn. 20 animae uulnera gra-
uiora quam carnis sunt\ ib. 53
homo enim potest uni alicui uulneri
non patere ; tit puta iniustitiae, in-
temperantiae, inpudicitiae ; cp. in
Ps. xxxvi. 3, XL. 14 etc.
III. AURELIUS PRUDENTIUS
CLEMENS
The few historical facts that we know about the life
of Prudentius are learnt from his own writings, and
especially from the 45 lines which he prefixed to his
collected edition of them. Born in Spain, probably at
Saragossa, in A.D. 348, he spent a wild youth, though, as
he came of a Christian family, his self-accusation may
perhaps be exaggerated. After an education in rhetoric,
followed by a course of jurisprudence, he entered upon a
political career, in which his ability was recognised. He
was twice set in command of a province, and was at last
raised to some still higher post by the favour of the
emperor, probably Theodosius, who himself also was a
Spaniard. This high office may have been the command
of one of the three divisions of the Palatine (or Imperial)
Guard.
Soon after his 5<Dth year his ' white hair warned '
Prudentius to retire from public life and to give himself
up to the service of God. How long he lived after this
we have no means of knowing. In A.D. 404 or 405 he
collected and published an edition of his poems. These
may be divided into two chief classes, lyric and didactic.
The former of these classes contains the book Catlie-
merinon (Ka0tj/jLepiva)v), a kind of daily hymn-book,
consisting of 12 sacred poems for private use; and one
entitled Peristephanon (-jrepl a-re^dvwv), made up of 14
versified accounts of the death of certain martyrs. The
poems of these two collections are written in every kind
of metre. Their special importance for our present pur-
pose lies in the fact that centos from them have been
87
1 16 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
taken to serve as hymns in the public offices of the
church. The Mozarabic church of Spain adopted large
portions of them ; elsewhere as a rule only a few shorter
pieces were actually sung.
There is one marked distinction between his hymns
and those of Ambrose and his successors. Prudentius
wrote without any immediate thought of their being
sung in church, whereas Ambrose's, as we have seen,
were composed directly for that purpose.
The didactic poems, which, though they were less
highly esteemed at the time, perhaps reach a higher
poetical level, are written in hexameters, and were
directed against the absurdities of heathen thought and
worship (as the Psychomachia and the two Libri contra
Symmackum), or against the false doctrines of heretical
teachers (as the Apotheosis and the Hamartigenia).
Prudentius is the greatest of the early Christian Latin
poets. In the middle ages his works were a great reading-
book in schools. Isidore of Seville, with a touch of local
feeling, does not hesitate to rank him above the classical
writers.
si Maro, si Flaccus, si Naso et Persius horret,
Lucanus si te Papiniusque tedet^
pareat eximio dulcis Prudentius ore,
carminibus uariis nobilis ille satis.
This praise of course he does not deserve ; but Bentley
and other good authorities speak highly of him.
We may say that, although he is not a poet of the
highest rank, he might have been one had he lived in an
age that would have developed his genius.
Some of his strong points are to be seen in the follow-
ing extracts : his easy and graceful flow of language,
his clear and vivid style, and his skilful control of various
HYMN XX. PRUDENTWS 117
metres. His weak points are his occasional prolixity and
monotony. He does not always know when to bring a
story to an end, and does not realise that at times ir\eov
rjfjLLcrv TravTos. To give one example : while Ambrose, at
14. 3 1 f., puts just six words into the mouth of Lawrence
when on the gridiron and tells the whole story in 32
lines, Prudentius extends his account to 584 and makes
Lawrence in that position utter a fairly long speech
(see p. 104).
HYMN 20
Calhemerinon I, from which 20 is taken, is entitled
hymnus ad galli cantum, 'at cock-crow.' In its 25 stanzas
it insists on the necessity of watchfulness and of avoid-
ing slumber of the soul ; it dwells upon the danger of
attacks by nightly demons, and concludes with a prayer
for help to Christ. The order of the selected stanzas is
in the original text I, II, XXI, XXV. As in his other hymns,
Prudentius shews from time to time the influence of the
hymns of Ambrose.
The hymn was adopted into the later series (see p. xi)
and was appointed for Mattins on Tuesdays.
Eacdhjlsvx/itf> Fhijklnpsy Gabm Hacdefghi Icdeghimnopv Vbc
Ales diei nuntius
lucem propinquam praecinit,
nos excitator mentium
iam Christus ad uitam uocat.
2 cecinit Vb.
i. 'The winged messenger of day' 1.44- Christ awakens us from the
is of course the cock, the pracco diei death of the soul, as the cock arouses
of 2. 5. us from our nightly slumbers, mm-
3. Excitare is used of arousing tium ' souls,' as at 5. ?i.
from the sleep of death, Joh. xi. 1 1,
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
' auferte ' clamat ' lectulos 5
aegros, soporos, desides ;
castique recti ac sobrii
uigilate ; iam sum proximus.'
lesum ciamus uocibus
flentes, precantes, sobrii : 10
intenta supplicatio
dormire cor mundum uetat.
6 aegro Ecv Fk Gm Ideimn Vc. sopore Ecvx/tt< Fiknp 2 sy Gbm Hghi
Icdehimn. 7 caste recte Ejx Fks Hacdeghi Id 2 eg 2 (casteq. recti h) n^nv
Vc. et (pro ac) Es. sobrie Ejx Fks Gm Hacdeghi Id 2 eg 2 m 1 nv Vc.
9 sciamus Ecsxj0. 10 sobrie Ecdlvx/x^ Fikps Gbm Hadefg
Id 2 himnpv Vc.
5. 'Away with the couches that
are for the sick, the drowsy and the
slothful.' So Verg. Georg. iv. 464
aeger amor ; cp. 80. 7. For the other
words cp. Aen. vi. 390 umbrarum
hie locus est somni noctisque soporae.
Stat. Theb. X. 87 desidis atria somni.
6. The temptations against which
vigilance especially guards us are
lust, unjust dealing with others, ex-
cess ; cp. Rom. xiii. 13 sicut in die
ambulemus : non in comissationibus
et ebrietatibus ( = sobrii), non in
cubilibus et impudicitiis ( = castt),
non in contentione et aemulationibus
( = recti).
8. uigilate] i Cor. xvi. 13, r Pet.
v. 8. The origin of this and like
passages is of course our Lord's
bidding, as at Mt. xxiv. 42. Cp. the
Rhythm of Bernard of Morlaix Hora
nouissima, tempora pessima sunt,
uigilemus ; ecce minaciter imminet
arbiter ille supremus.
9. ciamus] ' let us summon to our
aid'; cp. Liv. xu. i^deos debamus;
Val. Flacc. IV. 549 numina nota
dens. The form do, cire, found in
Lucr. I. 212 and later writers, e.g.
120. 6, is not so common as cieo,
except in compounds.
The invocation of Christ must be
aloud (uocibus), accompanied by re-
pentance (Jlentes), it must come from
the heart (precantes), apart from all
worldly excitement (sobrii).
10. With the ancients silent prayer
was most uncommon, as is illustrated
by the story of Hannah, i Sam. i. 13.
Cp. the Rule of Pythagoras, quoted
by Clement of Alexandria Strom. IV.
xxvi. 173, juerd <j>uvijs efx^ff^ai, Hor.
Epist. i. xvi. 59, Martial I. xxxix. 6.
And for the combination of tears with
prayers so often mentioned in these
hymns, 2. 28, 21. n, 42. 46, 60. 2,
69. 6, 73. 8, 75. n, 86. 12, there
is no occasion to adopt Dressel's
flere hie et alibi potius ingemiscere
esse nidetur. We must remember
the emotional character of southern
nations and (among others) the stern
Clearchus shedding tears before ad-
dressing his troops, Xen. Anab. I.
iii. 2 /fai irpurrov fdi> tddicpve TTO\VV
XP&VOV e<TT<t>j. Also Ambr.'s words
Praef. in Ps. I. 10 psalmus canitur,
et ipsa etiam saxosa pectora molli-
untur. uidemus flere praeduros ;
and Augustine's (Confess, ix. 14)
quantum fleui in hymnis et canticis
tuis suaue sonantis ecclesiae tuae
uocibus conmotus acriterl ib. 16 ideo
plus flebam inter cantica hymnorum
tuorum.
1 1 . intenta supplicatio denotes
the state of mind opposed to the
uaga mens condemned in 51. 1 1, 57.
H YMN XXL PR UDENTIUS 1 1 9
tu Christe somnum dissice,
tu rumpe noctis uincula,
tu solue peccatum uetus, 15
nouumque lumen ingere.
13 discute Ev li. 14 nostra (pro noctis) Ic.
15,91. 14; cp. 82. 26 f., Prud. Cath. The somnus, nox, and lumen are
1. 86 sensutn profunda obliuio \ pres- those of the spirit.
sit \grauauit, obruit, \uanisuagantem 14. noctis uincula] Cp. Wisdom
somniis. xvii. i uinculis tenebrantm et longae
12. Cp. 5. 21. noctis compediti. The thought con-
13. The line is imitated from 2. stantly recurs, as at Cath. I. 17
30. peccata, ceu nox horrida, \ cogunt
dissice] ' dispel.' The form disii- iacere ac stertere.
cere is not found in early MSS ; Latin 15. peccatum uetus] Cp. 4. 10
dislikes the coming together of it. diri ueterno criminis.
The s could be doubled or not at 16. nouum lumen] Cp. 6. 30.
pleasure after the Augustan period. ingere] Cp. 16. 3.
HYMN 21
The poem from which 21 is taken, Cathemerinon II,
is entitled hymnus matutinus and consists of 28 stanzas.
Its central thought is the contrast between the night of
dark deeds and the light of Christ (lines 27 f. nee teste
quisquam lumine \ peccare constanter potesf). The poet
prays that we may be enabled to walk as children of the
light. Rom. xiii. 12 f. might be taken as the text.
This hymn is a cento of lines thus arranged: 1-8, 48,
49, 52, 57, 59, 60, 67, 68. It was introduced into the later
series (see p. xi) and was appointed for Mattins on
Thursdays.
Eacdhjlsv^ Fghjlpqs-y Gabm Hacdefghi Ibcdghimpv Vc
Nox et tenebrae et nubila,
confusa mundi et turbida,
I. Nox etc. are in the vocative. meum. As in the preceding hymn,
nubila] ' clouds, ' strictly the neuter the nox etc. are primarily the spiritual
plural of w//ttJ' cloudy, 'cp. 12. 22. night etc., as the contrast with
It is used as a subst. also by Hor. Christus in 1. 4 shews. In the
Od. i. xxxiv. 6, and at Hamart. 89 second stanza it is otherwise.
s.iint animis etiam sua nubila; Aug. 2. confusa mundi probably refers
Con/, xi. ii discindens nubilum to Gen. i. 2.
120
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
lux intrat, albescit polus,
Christus uenit, discedite.
caligo terrae scinditur 5
percussa solis spiculo,
rebusque iam color redit
uultu nitentis sideris.
te Christe solum nouimus,
te mente pura et simplici 10
flendo et canendo quaesumus,
intende nostris sensibus.
sunt multa fucis inlita,
quae luce purgentur tua :
6 speculo Es Ip. 7 calor Es Hd 1 Ibdghimv. 1 i om. et Eacdlv 2 .
3. albescit] ' grows bright ' rather
than ' white ' ; cp. Verg. Aen. iv.
586 cum primum albescere lumen \
tddit. Aug. Conf. xi. 4 uses it meta-
phorically : albescet ueritas.
polus] Cp. 2. 10 note.
4. discedite] a common formula,
bidding all uninitiated or obnoxious
persons to depart from a sacrifice ;
cp. 26. 13, 21.
5. The darkness is regarded as a
substantial ' cloak ' or ' veil ' thrown
over things (cp. Hamart. 86 aut si
fusca polum suffudit palla seremtm),
which is ' rent ' or ' torn ' by the rays
of the sun. See also 27. 24.
6. So -Lucr. I. 148 non radii solis
neque lucida tela diet ; "il. 800 per-
cussus luce ; Tert. de Pudic. VII non
hicernae spiculo lumine sed totius
solis lancea opus est ; Prud. Hamart.
87 radiorum spicula.
7. Verg. Aen, VI. 272 rebus nox
abstulit atra color em ; cp . 22 . 2 , 67 . i f.
8. 'Under the countenance of the
shining star of day,' viz. the sun.
sidus is so used in line 15, in 81. i,
and of course in classical poetry.
uultu stands because the sun is
personified, cp. Verg. Georg. I. 452
nam saepe uidemus \ ipsius in uultu
uarios errare colores ; 36. 7.
9. Cp. Hos. viii. 2 Detis meus
cognouimus te ; i Cor. ii. 2, Phil,
iii. 8 f.
jo. te is governed by quaesumusi
which here as in 68. 17 is followed
by the imperative (intende in 1 2)
instead of its usual ut- clause as at
15. 29, 42. 61, 68. 17. At 44. 21
it has no following clause.
quaesumus here stands for rogare
...discimus in the original poem.
n. Cp. 20. 10 note.
flendo et canendo] This use of the
abl. gerund taking the place of the
pres. participle is first found Plaut.
True. 916 ita miser cubando in lecto
hie exspectando obdurui. Cp. Liv.
XLV. 26 equidem pro patria qiii letum
oppetissent, saepe fando audiui\ Tac.
Ann. xv. 38 incenditim plana pri-
mum, deinde in edita assurgens, et
rursus inferiora populando, anteiit
remedia uelocitate mali; 2. 26, 28. 20,
31. 44, 34. 15, 36. 34 etc. The con-
struction was very common in late
writers and has passed into Italian ;
cp. Ronsch 432 f., Schmalz 447 f.,
Lofstedt Aeth. i59f.
12. sensibus] See 2. 29, note 3. 8.
13. fucus was firstly a sea- weed
found off Crete, from which a kind
of red dye was made, then the 'dye'
HYMN XXII. PRUDENTIUS
121
tu lux eoi sideris
uultu sereno inlumina.
or ' paint ' itself which was at times,
like our ' rouge,' used to cover an
imperfection ; cp. Prud. Harnart.
273 f. taedet sacrilegas matrum ptr-
currere euros, \ muneribus dotata
Dei quae plasmata fuco \ inficitint,
ut pigmcntis cut is inlita per da t \ quod
fuerat, falso non agnoscenda colore.
Ambr. de Cain I. 15 adulterina est,
fucis inlita. Here it seems to refer
to pretences and unrealities of all
sorts. Cp. Ps. cxxxix. 23.
15. 'Do thou who art light
illuminate us with the bright face of
the rising star.' lux is found in all
hymnals for rex of the original, per-
haps adopted from 2. 29. In the
same way at 22. i lux aurea is sub-
stituted for Prud.'s sol aureus.
eol Bideris] i.e. the sun, as in
line 8 ; cp. Verg. Georg. I. 288 aut
cum sole nouo terras inrorat eous.
Servius there notes Cinna in Smyrna
sic ait : te matrimonium flentem con-
spexit eous, et Jlentem paulo uidit
post Hesperus idem. So Sil. Punic.
IX. 1 80 consda nox sceleris roseo
cedelat eoo; ib. XI. 518 lucem sur-
gentis eoi', Sedul. Carm. V. 191
splendidus. . .fulget eous. In all these
passages eous means ' the rising sun,'
' the dawn. '
1 6. uultu as in 8 ; sereno ' bright '
as in 10. 2.
HYMN 22
This hymn also comes from. Cathenierinon II, answering
to lines 25, 93, 94, 96-108. It was adopted in the later
series and appointed for Mattins on Fridays.
Eacdhjlsv/i0 Fghinpsx-y Gabm Hacdefghi Ibcdeghmnopv Vbct
Lux ecce surgit aurea,
pallens facessat caecitas,
quae nosmet in praeceps diu
errore traxit deuio.
2 fatescat Ecdsvx Gm Hacd Ihp, facescat E/x. Fin Ig, fatescit El, facessat
Fhpx Gab Hh Vt. 4 deuios E/i Vb.
i. 'The golden light,' probably
means ' daylight,' which demands
spiritual correspondence. The diffi-
culty of fixing the exact signification
of the words is a result of bringing
together lines from different parts of
the original poem. In Prud. the
sol aureus is certainly the natural
sun, but te Christe solum nouimus
and the rest has intervened, so that
haec lux in 5 is plain. Here a refer-
ence to the time of day seems to be
required to start with, the meaning
of haec lux being gathered from the
three preceding lines.
2. pallens] 'colourless 'as at 46. 5,
Prud. Cath. ix. 78 (of the darkness
at the Crucifixion) tristia squalentis
aethrae palluerunt sidera, cp. 21. 7,
67. i, 120. 10. Here it takes the
place of tandem in the original.
facessat] 'depart.' So Liv. I. 47
facesse him; Ambr. Hex. III. 27
facessat uana opinio ; Prud. Apoth.
122
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
haec lux serenum conferat 5
purosque nos praestet sibi :
nihil loquamur subdolum,
uoluamus obscurum nihil.
sic tola decurrat dies,
ne lingua mendax, ne manus 10
oculiue peccent lubrici,
ne noxa corpus inquinet.
speculator adstat desuper,
qui nos diebus omnibus
actusque nostros prospicit 15
a luce prima in uesperum.
10 nee (pro ne primo) Esv/i Gm Hacde 2 f Icgmn Vb. nee (pro ne sec.)
Eacdhjsv/i0 Gm Hacde 2 f Icdgnv Vbc. 1 1 ne (pro -ue) Ev/i< HaM 2 e
Icdm, nee Ecs Fn Gm Ha 2 cd j f Igv Vbc. 12 nee He lev.
13 spectator Ea.
659. The variant fatiscat would
mean 'fail,' 'give way, 'as at 26. 25.
The same difficulty of determining
the reading presents itself in the
original poem. Dressel there reads
facessat.
5. haec lux means Christ the
opposite of the /. caecitas.
serenum] 'fair weather'; as in
classical Latin, and at Juvenc. in.
226 adueniet uentura luce serenum,
36. i ; see note on 10. 2. .Here, of
course, it is used metaphorically.
8. uoluamus] 'turn over' in our
minds; cp. Lucr. vi. 34 uoluere
cttrarum tristes in pectore fluctus ;
Verg. Aen. I. 305 per noctem phtrima
uohtens; Niceta de Symbolo 14 haec
salutaris confessio uoluatur in pec-
toribus uestris.
obscurum nihil] ' no dark thought,'
cp. 67. ii, 86. 2.
9. sic is answered by ne in 10 :
' in such a way that the tongue may
not sin by lying, nor the hand or
the eyes by sliding, that guilt may
not defile the body.'
sic is often used in wishes and
prayers. Thus Hor. Od. \. Hi. i f.
sic te diua potens Cypri, \ sic fratres
Helenae, lucida sidera, \ uentorum-
que regat pater; where Page notes :
'V="so" i.e. "on that condition"
. . . cp. our similar use of " so help you
God " in administering oaths : the
Latins, however, throw the clauses
with sic forward, instead of keeping
them to the end.' Cp. Verg. Eel.
IX. 30 sic tua Cyrneas fugiant ex-
amina taxos...incipe.
decurrat] ' run to its close, ' as at
105. 5.
10. Note the emphasis put on
the adjs mendax and lubrici. lubrici
is here taken in its literal sense
' easily moving ' ; cp. also the note
on 3. 12.
12. noza] 'guilt' cp. 64. 14;
Gaius Digest L. xvi. 238 noxae ap-
pellatione omne delictum contineiztr.
We have had the adj. noxius 1. 39,
17. 6 meaning 'guilty,' and it is often
used in later hymns. But noxialis
of 23. ii, 33. 5 bears the stronger
sense 'baleful.' The ne may be taken
either as parallel with the two fore-
going, or as dependent upon ne pec-
cent, cp. James iii. 6.
HYMN XXIII. PRUDENTIUS 123
13. speculator] 'watchman, 'used iustitia diuina... quasi speculatrix
in its literal meaning 2 Sam. xviii. pia. Arnob. adu. Nationts iv. 23
26, 2 Kings ix. 20 etc. For its use speculator ille...bene meritorum ac
of God's all-seeing eye, cp. Minuc. pessime. The general thought could
Felix Octauius xxxil. 9 qitanto beillustratedbynumberlesspassages;
magis Detts, audor omnium ac specu- cp. 48. 4, 93. 5; Commodian Apol.
lator omnium, a quo nullum potest 127 quique tenet caelum, prospicit
esse seer etum,... interest... cogitationi- ubique de caelo \ et penetrat totum
bus nostris; Ambr. in Ps. XXXV. 25 oculis et auribus audit.
HYMN 23
Cathemerinon IX, from which 23 is a cento, is entitled
hymnus omnis horae. At every hour of every day should
a believer be mindful of Christ, who is the A and ft, the
beginning and the end. Prudentius therefore praises Him
as the creator of all things, as the everlasting Son of the
Father's love begotten. He then briefly but graphically
relates the chief wonders of His earthly life, in order to
shew to all men comminus Deum docendis proditum mor-
talibus (line 9).
The uses of different churches selected from the poem
various stanzas to form a Christmas hymn. The eight
here given are those of the Hereford breviary, and in the
original are the 4th, 5th, 6th, yth, 8th, Qth, 36th and 37th.
The Mozarabic use on the other hand was to sing the
first 35 stanzas on Easter Day and during the octave,
36-38 post ascensionem Domini.
Hdefgh Ih Mi Vs
Corde natus ex parentis ante mundi exordium,
alpha et w cognominatus, ipse fons et clausula
2 A (pro alpha) Hh.
1. corde... parentis] Col. i. 13. Carm. ni.28jf.Aunf esse per orbem \
Cp. 1. 3 (which Prud. may have principinm ac finem, hum o uide-
had in mind) ; Prud. Apoth. (init.) rier, hunc u. These letters, the first
corde Patris genita est sapientia, and last of the Greek alphabet,
Filius ipse est. denote ' the beginning and the
2. alpha et o>] Rev. i. 8, i r, end,' as is further expressed by
xxi. 6, xxii. 13, 107. 21, Sedul. fons et clausula, representing princi-
1 24 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
omnium, quae sunt, fuerunt, quaeque post futura sunt,
saeculorum saeculis.
ipse iussit et creata, dixit ipse, et facta sunt
terra, caelum, fossa ponti, trina rerum machina,
quaeque in his uigent sub alto solis et lunae globo,
saeculorum saeculis.
corporis formam caduci, membra morti obnoxia
induit, ne gens periret primoplasti ex germine,
merserat quem lex profundo noxialis tartaro,
saeculorum saeculis.
10
pium et dausula of Rev. i. 8. Our
name omega is a modern invention
which Prudentius knew not.
4. saeculorum saeculis] the re-
frain after each stanza, is not, as
such, in the original, but was in-
serted from the last line of the
whole poem, omnibus te concelebrent
saeculorum saeculis, when the cento
came into use as a hymn.
5 . iussit] Ps. cxlviii. 5. The
ipse is Christ catching up the ipse of
line 'i', cp. Hamart. 338 Chrisitts
cum conderet orbem; Perist. II. 413^
O Christe notnen unicum, ...o factor
orbis et poli ; ib. X. 468 f. Christus
paternae gloriae splendor, Deus \
rertim creator, 1. 8 note.
6. For this threefold enumera-
tion of the elements of the universe
cp. Ps. cxlv. (cxlvi.) 6 qui fecit cae-
lum et terrain, mare, et omnia quae
in eis sunt, from Exodus xx. n.
fossa ponti] ' the hollow of the
sea,' cp. Lucr. v. 483 salso suffodit
gurgite fossas,
trina rerum machina] ' the three-
fold fabric of the world,' from Lucr.
V. 96 machina mundi. The phrase
recurs at 113. 9, Fort. III. vi. 52
et Trinitatis opem machina trina
sonet', cp. 39. 3, 69. 2, Hamart.
247 mundana laborat machina.
7. Prud. is perhaps thinking of
Lucr. V. 471 f. hunc exordia sunt
solis Innaeque secuta, \ interutraque
globi quorum uertuntitr in auris.
9. formam'] as at Phil. ii. 7 for-
mam serui accipiens.
caduci] 'frail,' cp. 29. 21, 94. 26,
Hilary Hymn. II. 25 non estcaducum
corpus istud, quod tenes.
obnoxia] 'subject to'; cp. Apoth.
1043 mortique obnoxia cessit; Symm.
II. 1061 horrea nocturno non urn-
quam obnoxia furi ; Verg. Georg.
II. 439 non ulli obnoxia curae. The
phrase membra morti obnoxia recurs
at Perist. V. 155.
10. primoplasti] ' the first made
man,' i.e. Adam. The word is half
Latin, half Greek. So Commod.
Instr. xxxv. i has protolapsus.
The more correct protoplastus is
found at 33. 4, 40. 3, 112. 16, Wis-
dom vii. i (Vulgate). The words
plasma (37. 20, 94. 26), plasmare
(42. 6, 14), plasmator (78. i) also
come in these hymns.
Note the adverbial phr. ex ger-
mine qualifying gens like an ad-
jective.
n. ' which the law of death had
overwhelmed in the depths of hell.'
noxialis, 'baleful,' invented, as it
seems, by Prud. ; cp. Perist. X. 1 107
noxialis carceris ', 33. 5 ; see 22. 1 2
note.
tartaro] the infernal regions in
the old heathen mythology, adopted
by Christian writers to denote 'hell,'
or 'the powers of hell.' So at 31.
87, 32. 6, 34. 24, 36. 17 etc.
HYMN XX TIL PRUDENTIUS
125
o beatus ortus ille, uirgo cum puerpera
edidit nostram salutem feta sancto Spiritu,
et puer, redemptor orbis, os sacratum protulit,
saeculorum saeculis.
psallat altitude caeli, psallant omnes angeli,
quidquid est uirtutis usquam psallat in laudem Dei :
nulla Hnguarum silescat, uox et omnis consonet,
saeculorum saeculis.
ecce quern uates uetustis concinebant saeculis,
quern prophetarum fideles paginae spoponderant,
emicat promissus olim : cuncta conlaudent eum
saeculorum saeculis.
20
13 partus Ex0 Hf Ih.
hanc sacrando piauit Vs.
21 quam Mi. uetusti Ih.
1 4 plena (pro feta) Vs.
1 8 laude E< Hfg.
23 collaudant Hdf.
15 ut Hdf. orbem
19 sed (pro et) Vs.
deum Mi.
13. uirgo... puerpera] in sharp
contrast as at 1. 13 and often. Prud.
lays stress upon the Virgin-birth,
Apoth. 436 etc.
14. salutem] personified, as at 38.
29 iam nata lux est et salus ; cp.
36. 27, 87. 16.
feta... Spiritu] Lk. i. 35, 6. 10.
17. psallant] Imitated from Ps.
cxlviii. i. This is the reading of
practically all the hymnals. It goes
better with psallat before and after
than psallite, which is, no doubt,
the original text. But from a metri-
cal point of view psallant is not so
good, as it brings a spondee into
the ist foot of the 2nd part of the
line, which Prud. never admits.
psallere (^dAXetj/) is strictly to
sing to the accompaniment of a
stringed instrument, but this mean-
ing is not to be pressed here or at
43. 5, 51. i, 54. 4 etc.
1 8. ' Let every power, wherever
it be, sing to the praise of God ' ;
cp. Ps. cxlviii. 2 laudate eum omnes
uirtutes eius.
19. nullalinguarum] Late Latin
extended the use of the partitive
gen. ; cp. Tac. Germ. 43 millo hos-
tium; Draeger I. 421, Schmalz
365. silescat would strictly mean
' leave off singing,' but probably
Prud. intended it to be = sileat.
21. Cp. Apoth. 605 f. estne Deus
iam noster homo? uersatur et ad-
stat | nobiscum nomenque probat
uersumque uetustis \ obscurum saeclis
praesenti inhiminat ore.
We have had the phrase uetusta
saecla 12. 29. uates, the bards or
singers such as David and the pro-
phets, cp. 14. 6 note, concinebant
' sang with one accord,' cp. Acts x.
43-
22. fideles]' faithful to the truth,'
'truthful,' as at 34. 14.
paginae] ' prophecies ' ; cp. Pro-
pert. IV. xxv. 17 has tibi fatalis
cecinit mea pagina diras; Prud.
Apoth. 107 falsiloqua est diuini pa-
gina libri.
spoponderant put into the plu-
perfect to denote that the promise
was of ancient standing, or it may
be because the Incarnation, though
spoken of in the present, was already
a historical event of the past. So
41. 15 ausus erat, 95. 10 uiderat,
96. 4 sanxeras.
126
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
macte iudex mortuorum, macte rex uiuentium, 25
dexter in parentis arce qui cluis uirtutibus,
omnium uenturus inde iustus ultor criminum,
saeculorum saeculis.
te senes et te iuuentus, paruulorum te chorus,
turba matrum uirginumque, simplices puellulae, - 30
uoce Concordes pudicis perstrepant concentibus
saeculorum saeculis.
31 perstrepunt Hgh.
25. macte] Originally 'mighty
one,' the vocative of a participle
answering to the adj . magnus. At first
confined to the language of religion,
it came to be used in the sense of
' well-done.' The idea here is much
like that of Ps. xliv. (xlv.) 5 ' Good
luck have thou with thine honour.'
26. dexter] ' on His right hand,'
cp. 4. 32.
in parentis arce] Prud. often
uses arx thus, as Perist. n. 272 in
arce lucebunt Patris ; and Fortu-
natus has taken up the phrase, cp.
33. ii.
cluis] ' excellest.' Prud. uses this
word again of Christ Psych, i qui
patria uirtute cluis ; and twice of
Rome c. Symm. I. 417 praediuite
cultu | inlustrata cluis ; ib. II.
583 f. uis dicam...quis gloria fotibus
aucta | sic cluat, inpositis nt mun-
dum frenet habenis ? cp. Cath. IV. .
37 tuapraecluenspotestas. In earlier
Latin the more usual form of the
word was clueo cluere. Plautus uses
that word absolutely, as -here, with
an ablative of the distinguishing
feature.
29. te is governed by perstrepant,
which is elsewhere used of confused
shouting ; cp. the use of personare
16.6. The stanza is an amplification
of Ps. cxlviii. 12.
Many hymnals add in full a doxo-
logy : Tibi Christe sit cum Patre
hagioque Pneiunate (or Spiritu)
hymnus, decus (or melon, laus peren-
nis, gratiarum actio, honor, uirtus,
uictoria, regnutn aeternaliter , sae-
culorum saeculis. This of course
was not written by Prud.
HYMN 24
This beautiful hymn is patched together from Prud.'s'
hymnus epiphaniae, Cath. XII, and has gained by its ab-
breviation. The lines selected are in the original 125-
128, 134, 129, 130, 132, 93, 94, 97, 99, 101, 102, 107-112,
117, 114, 113, 115, 133, 137, 138, 136.
HYMN XXIV. PRUDENTIUS
127
Fs Habcdefy Ichn Vcs
Saluete floras martyrum,
quos lucis ipso in limine
Christi insecutor sustulit,
ut turbo florentes rosas.
quid crimen Herodem iuuat ?
uos, prima Christi uictima,
grex inmolatorum tener,
palma et coronis luditis.
audit tyrannus anxius
adesse regum principem ;
i cm. in Ex# Ich Vc. lumine Ex, limite Fs Vs. 8 corona
IO
1 . ' Hafl flowers of the martyr
band,' martyrum being partitive
gen. Cp. [Aug.] Serm. ccxx ittre
dicuntur martyrum Jlores, quos in
media frigore infidelitatis exortos
uelut primas erumpentes ecclesiae
gemmasquaedampersecutionispruina
decoxit.
2. ' Whom on the very threshold
of the light of life ' ; an echo of
Verg. Aen. VI. 426 continue auditae
uoces, uagitus et ingens, \ infantum-
que animae flentes in limine primo, \
quos dulcis uitae exsortes etc. ; cp.
Lucan II. 106 nee primo in limine
uitae | infantis miseri nascentia
rumpere fata.
4. The original of Prud. ceu
turbo nascentes rosas might well
have been retained. Cp. Stat. Silu.
III. 126 f. media cecidere abrupta iu-
uenta \ gaudia, florentesque manu
scidit Atropos annas, \ qualia pal-
lentes declinant lilia culmos \ pu-
bentesque rosae primos moriuntur in
annos ; Verg. Aen. xi. 68 f. qualem
uirgineo demessum pollice florem \
sen mollis uiolae seu languentis
hyacinthi.
6 f. uictima and grex are in ap-
position with uos. uictima is a col-
lective singular as at 31. 40.
7. inmolare meant (i) to sprinkle
with sacrificial meal (ma/a salsa),
hence (2) 'to sacrifice,' as here and
at 33. 3, 18, 34. 8, 107. n.
8. The palm and crown were the
tokens of victory among the Greeks
and Romans; cp. Liv. x. 47 eodem
anno [B.C. 293] coronati, primum ob
res bello benegestas, . . .palmaeque turn
primum translate e Graecia more
uictoribus datae. Hence both were
adopted by Christians as signs of
the martyrs' triumph. Palms are
thus spoken of Rev. vii. 9 (though
with Hebrew associations) and
crowns (in a rather different con-
text), ib. IV. 4. So Cypr. de Bono
Pat. 7 qui martyras floribus coro-
nat aeternis,...qui palmas ueras
uincentibus tribuit\ 49. 43. Cl^-
ment quotes Paulinus of Nola (of
Celsus who died as an infant) ant
cum Bethlaeis infantibus in Para-
diso, | quos malus Herodes perculit
inuidia, \ inter odoratum ludit ne-
mus, atque coronas \ texit honoran-
dis praemia martyribus.
10. Actsv. 31, Rev. i. $princeps
regum terrae. So in Prud. Christ is
entitled rex (Cath. XI. 100, XII. 41,
Psych. 97), rex aeternus (Afoth.
222), rex ui^^entium (Cat A. IX.
io6 = 23. 25).
128 EARL Y LA TIN HYMNS
exclamat amens nuntio :
'ferrum, satelles, corripe;
mas omnis infans occidat,
scrutare nutricum sinus,
fraus ne qua furtim subtrahat 15
prolem uirilis indolis.'
transfigit ergo carnifex
mucrone destricto furens
effusa nuper corpora
animasque rimatur nouas. 20
o barbarum spectaculum !
uix interemptor inuenit
locum minutis artubus
quo plaga descendat patens.
quid proficit tantum nefas ? 25
inter coaeui sanguinis
it arripe E< Fs 1 Hcef 111 Vs 2 . 24 descend it Vs. 25 profuit Ex#
Fs Hbcdef Ihn Vcs.
n. amens n.] ' mad with rage at vm. 139 quern Candida Maia \ Cyl-
the message,' 16. 16 note. lenae ge lido conceptum uertice fudit ;
12. satelles] 'guardsman,' an where Servius says that the word
officer attached to the personal ser- implies an easy labour ; Ambr. Hex.
vice of a prince. The original of V. 30 mulieres solae partus suos in-
Prud. is here more graphic, if some- c lementer effundunl.
what spun out : exclamat amens 20. ' and searches out (sc. by
nuntio: \successor instat, pellimur ! \ piercing the body) the young lives.'
satelles, i, ferrum rape! \perfunde rimari is used at 86. to of God
eunas sanguine! searching the heart, by Verg. Georg.
14. 'Search the laps of the nurs- I. 384 of birds groping in the mea-
ing mothers.' dows for food, and Aen. vi. 599 of
16. Indolis] 'sex'; lit. 'quality' the vulture digging into Tityos' en-
usually of character or disposition. trails.
18. 'with drawn sword,' mucro 21 f. This passage is imitated
is strictly the point, but Verg. Aen. from Ambr. de Virg, I. 7 (of
II. 449 has strictis mucronibus. All Agnes) fuitne in illo corpusculo
MSS read districto, which would be uidneri locus.
meaningless. On such a point their 24. descendat] the regular word
evidence is of little worth. for a blow 'falling,' cp. Liv. I. 41
19. effusa] 'born,' cf. Juvenc. I. ferrum. ..in corpus descendisse', Ov.
105 iussum fundere partum ; Prud. Met. III. 67; Lucan VI. 216; Dra-
Cath. vn. 59 nee ante partu de cont. Delib. 184 descendit hiatu
senili effusus est ; 39. 20, Verg. Aen. hasta potens.
HYMN XXV. PRUDENTIUS 129
fluenta solus integer
inpune Christus tollitur.
sit Trinitati gloria,
uirtus, honor, uictoria, 30
quae dat coronam testibus
per saeculorum saecula.
27. fluenta] See the note on 1. all MSS that contain the hymn, but
17- it was not written by Prud.
integer] 'unscathed,' cp. 1. 51 31. testibus] i.e. 'to martyrs.'
note. For the martyr's crown cp. 14. 3
29 f. This doxology is found in note.
HYMN 25
These are the first two (out of 44) stanzas of Prud.'s
hymnus ieiunantium, Cathemerinon VII. The former
stanza contains a prayer to Christ that He may regard
with favour this fast, which is an offering to Him ; the
second enumerates some of the benefits to be gained by
fasting. The hymn thus formed had no wide use, as
is shown by the few old MSS in which it is found, viz.
British Museum 37517 probably from Canterbury, and
Bern 455 from St John at Laon. But it is mentioned by
Radulph de Canonum Obseruantia (quoted by Daniel IV.
207) de quadragesima sunt hymni Audi benigne: ad noc-
turnos, Ex more : in lattdibus, O Nazarene. The poem as
a whole was in the Mozarabic Church sung at the third,
sixth and ninth hours during Lent, from 10 to 20 lines
at each service.
Eh Makx
O Nazarene, lux Bethlem, Verbum Patris,
quem partus alui uirginalis protulit,
adesto castis, Christe, parsimoniis,
i dux Mk.
i. Most of the liturgical MSS uerbum Patris] Joh. I. i, cp. 1. 3.
change Pnid.'s lux into dux, which i. partus] active, 'child-bearing.'
comes from Mt. ii. 6. 3. parsimoniis] 'fast,' as at 95.
130
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
festumque nostrum rex serenus adspice,
ieiuniorum dum litamus uictimam.
nil hoc profecto purius mysterio,
quo fibra cordis expiatur uuidi,
intemperata quo domantur uiscera,
aruina putrem ne resudans crapulam
obstrangulatae mentis ingenium premat.
14, 96. 6, 110. 19. The word is used
by classical writers, but not in this
sense.
4. festum] Cp. George Herbert's
' welcome dear feast of Lent.'
serenus is not nom. for voc., but
is to be taken closely with adspice,
' look brightly upon.'
5. ieiuniorum... uictimam] The
fast is an offering to Christ ; cp. 96.
1 8, 110. 1 7. /if are, ' offer a successful
sacrifice,' usually intransitive with
abl. of the offering (like sacrificare,
facere etc.), but it occurs in classical
poetry, as here, with an accus. , e.g.
Ovid Fasti iv. 630 has sacra litate.
uictimam] Cp. Rom. xii. i, Phil,
iv. 18, Hebr. xiii. 15. Possibly the
word has here the same collective
meaning as in 24. 6.
6. purius] ' more cleansing, ' cp.
Tibull. I. v. ii ipseque te circum
lustraui sulpure puro.
7. fibra cordis] ' the heart strings, '
for the heart itself. So Pers. I. 47
neque enim mihi cornea fibra est ;
Saluian. de Gub. Dei in. 37 letaliter
crescentibus fibris. Fibra, uiscera,
aruina are chosen as being the parts
chiefly offered in sacrifice.
expiatur] is cleansed by atonement
made. The sin offering was a piacu-
lum, cp. 96. 17, 62. n, and also 67.
5, 98. 8.
uuidi] lit. ' wet ' (being akin to
umor, vypos) probably here means
'drunken,' 'debauched, 'as Hor. Od.
II. xix. 18 uses it, like the Greek
8. uiscera] ' the body,' ' the flesh ' ;
see 15. 17 note, and for the general
sense cp. i Cor. ix. 27.
9. aruina] strictly the hard fat
between the skin and the body,
hence ' fat ' in general ; cp. Ambr.
in Ps. xxxvm. 34 deponat...pingue-
dinem quandam carnalis aruinae.
resudans] Cp. Apoth. 719 crudus
conuiua resudai \ congeriem uentris ;
Cath. X. 107 sua time tormenta re-
sudans.
crapulam] originally, like Kpai-
irtSiKt], the headache after drinking,
but often the debauch itself; cp. 103.
17, 116. 27.
10. obstrangulatae] invented as
it seems by Prud. ; cp. Perist. I. 99
\daemones\ strangulant mentes et
ipsas seque miscent sensibus.
HYMN 26
This hymn consists of the last 7 of the 38 stanzas
of Prud.'s hymnus ante somnum, Cathemerinon VI.
Radulph (Daniel IV. 207) notes as to its use: de passione
...ad completorium, Cultor Dei. Blume (Analecta XXVII.
37) gives its Mozarabic use also ad complet.
HYMN XXVL PRUDENTIUS
Ehl Fst G/t Macx
Cultor Dei, memento
te fontis et lauacri
rorem subisse sanctum,
te chrismate innotatum.
fac, cum uocante somno
castum petis cubile,
frontem locumque cordis
crucis figura signet.
crux pellit omne crimen,
fugiunt crucem tenebrae :
3 rore sub ipso sacrato chrismate Fs.
6 peti Fs 2 . 8 signa Fs.
4 innouatum El Fst.
i. fontis et lauacri] ' the cleansing
stream,' hendiadys. Our use of the
' font ' makes it easy to forget that
in early times baptism was by im-
mersion, and if possible in running
water, lauacri, water for cleansing ;
it is so used also at 31. 41, 37. 22,
91. 24. It is, no doubt, a remini-
scence of Tit. iii. 5 per I. regenera-
tionis et renouationis.
4. chrismate] the sacred oil with
which the newly baptized were
anointed ; see Tertullian de flapt. 7,
and cp. 27. 32,37. 12,40.31,106.7, 10.
This sacramental symbol was at first
composed of pure olive oil, but from
the Vlth century on wards balsam was
added to it. In early times no day
was fixed for blessing the chrisma,
but since the Vth century this cere-
mony has been performed at the
second mass on Maundy Thursday,
which was hence called missa chris-
matis. For some time all the clergy
of a diocese had to attend and take
the chrism away with them, but this
rule was afterwards relaxed.
innotatum] 'marked,' not found
elsewhere. The variant innouatum
is found in MSS both of the hymn
and of the original text, and is a
natural conjecture with reference to
baptismal regeneration.
5 f. See that you make the sign
imprinted on you at that time. The
cross on which Christ was sacrificed
was from the earliest times held in
high honour (cp. i Cor. i. 18, 24,
Gal. vi. 14; Chrysost. Horn. LY in
Malth., Aug. Serm. xn de sanct.,
John of Damascus De Orthod. Fide
IV. 17 etc.) ; so much so that Chris-
tians were accused of worshipping
it. With the cross they signed them-
selves ; cp. Tert. de Coron. Milit. in.
Cypr. de Orat. Dom. IX, Lactant.
Div. Inst. IV. xxiii. 3 cum diis suis
immolant,siadsistataliquissignatam
frontem gerens, sacra nullo modo
litant ; Cyril of Jerusalem Catech.
iv. 14, xiit. 36; Fort. ix. xiv. 71".,
x. vi. 121 f. 42. 35, 103. 9f. See also
the references given by the com-
mentators on this passage of Prud.
7. frontem... cordis] Cp. Ambr.
de Is. et An. 75 signaculum Christ us
in f route est, signaculum in corde ;
infronte, ut semper confiteamur ; in
corde, ut semper diligatnus. Alcuin
Carm. CXXI. 41 f. muniat frontem,
loca sine cordis .. .crucis et tropaeum
daemonum uafros abigat meandros
membra, quae casto dabimus cubili.
9. crimen] ' guilt,' see 1. 35 note.
10. tenebrae] spiritual darkness
and the powers of darkness.
93
132
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
tali dicata signo
mens fluctuate nescit.
procul, o procul, uagantum
portenta somniorum !
procul esto peruicaci
praestigiator astu !
o tortuose serpens,
qui mille per meandros
fraudesque flexuosas
agitas quieta corda,
discede, Christus hie est,
hie Christus est, liquesce !
20
13 om. o El.
20 agitat Ft.
21-24 om "
1 1 . dicata] ' hallowed,' as at 95. 4.
mens ' soul ' as at 2. 30.
12. fluctuate ' waver '; cp. Verg.
Aen. x. 680 animo nunc hue nunc
fluctuat illuc; Catull. LXiv. 62
magnis curarum fluctuat undis ;
Ambr. de Noe 41 corporis nostri
terrena substantia . . .fluctuat pas-
sionibus; Prud. Hamarl. 278 mens
fragilisfaciliuitiorum fluctuat aestu;
87. 27, and see also 9. 7.
nescit] Cp. 3. 20 note.
1 3. procul] an echo of Verg. Aen.
VI. itfi procul o procul este prof ani\
cp. 21. 4 discedite (note).
uagantum] Cp. 2. n. Notice the
alliteration running through the
stanza. For the power of the cross
in banishing evil spirits, see Lact.
de Mart. Pers. 10, Ath. de Incarn. 48.
15. ' Avaunt thou deceiver of per-
sistent cunning ! '
praestigiator] 'juggler,' 'cheat,'
used by Plautus, but then not until
the silver age.
astu] used only in the abl., except
in some late writers.
17. tortuose] 'writhing,' 'wrig-
gling,' in allusion to the serpent's
motion ; cp. Verg. Aen. v. 275
nequiquam longos fugiens dot cor-
pore tortus : but with a further
sinister meaning.
1 8. By countless winding ways
and evil twists, mille as at Hor.
Od. in. vii. 12 temptat mille uafer
modis.
meandros] from the river Maeander
in Caria, which had a proverbially
winding course; cp. Plin. Hist. v. 29
ita sinuosisflexibus, nt saepe credatur
reuerti; Ov. Met. vm. 162 non secus
ac liquidus Phrygiis Maeandros in
aruis \ ludit et ambiguo lapsu refluit-
quefluitque; \ occurrensque sibi uen-
turas aspicitundas, \ et nunc ad f antes,
nunc in mare uersus apertum \ incer-
tasexercet aquas. Hence Verg. Aen.
V. 251 duplici maeandro 'a double
wavy-line'; and of evil twists Cic.
in Pison. 53 qtios tu maeandros, quae
deuerticula fluxionesque quaesisti ?
Aul. Cell. Noct. xvi. viii. 17 ne...in
illis dialecticae gyris atque maean-
dris, tamquam apudsirenios scopulos,
consenescas. Alcuin Carm. cxxi.
41 f. quoted above on 7. Prud. for
metrical purposes writes meandros,
as also enigma Apoth. 331, heresis
Psych. 710, sphZra Apoth. 210. His
doing so is facilitated by the occa-
sional spelling of the word : a coin
is extant with the legend ANTIO-
XeCON MeANAPOC. But in
Greek a diphthong is often shortened
before a succeeding vowel.
HYMN XXVII. PRUDENTIUS 133
signum quod ipse nosti
damnat tuam cateruam.
corpus licet fatiscens 25
iaceat recline paulum,
Christum tamen sub ipso
meditabimur sopore.
28 meditabitur Fst.
21. dlscede] Cp. 21. 4 note; Prud. 24. cateruam] 'band' of evil
Apoth. 406 fuge callide serpens... spirits as at 65. 7.
desine, Christus adest. 25. fatiscens] 'worn out,' 'tired,'
IT., liquesce] 'melt away,' 'van- cp. 22. 2 note.
ish'; cp. Sil. Punic, xvi. 134 27. sub ipso... sopore] ' in sleep
Hannibal ipse etiam iam iamque itself,' not ' as sleep comes on,' which
modestior armis \ ire uidebatur, Mar- would be sub if SUM soporem ; cp. 5.
tisqtu liquescerefama. 21 f., Cant. v. 2.
HYMN 27
Cathemerinon V, from which 27 is taken, consists of
41 four-line stanzas, is inscribed ad incensum lucernae,
and refers originally to the lighting of lamps, and was
therefore, like hymn 5 (Ambrose's evening hymn), where
see the introduction, meant for singing at the lucernare.
That this was its use in the first place is shown not only
by the title in the MSS, but also by its position among
the poems of the Cathemerinon, coming as it does
between IV hymnus ante cibum and VI hymnus ante
somnum.
Hymn 27 begins with a seasonable prayer for light to
Christ who is the only source of light. Then follows a
highly poetical description of the various substitutes for
the light of the sun, and an expression of thanks to God
for this, the greatest blessing which He has given to men.
In those verses of the original poem which are omitted
in the hymn, roughly speaking 30-148, Prud. is led by
the incident of the burning bush to describe in a long
digression the passage of the Red Sea and the destruc-
tion of Pharaoh, and certain events of the journeyings of
134
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
the Israelites to the Promised Land ; and this again
suggests a glowing picture of the heavenly Canaan.
Although the original poem was written for the daily
lucernare, the hymn, adopted as such not before the IXth
century, is a celebration of the lighting of the Easter
Candle, for which see Smith Diet Chr. Ant. p. 1564,
Kraus II. 564; also the note on line 31.
Eanv Makx
Inuentor rutili, dux bone, luminis,
qui certis uicibus tempora diuidis,
merso sole chaos ingruit horridum,
lumen redde tuis, Christe, fidelibus.
quamuis innumero sidere regiam
lunarique polurn lampade pinxeris,
3 inruit Mk.
i. Inuentor] 'creator,' has lost
its meaning of ' discoverer ' as has
repertor. See 12. 2. The ist and
4th lines are an echo of Hor. Od. iv.
v. 5 lucent redde tuae, dux bone,
patriae.
i. For this merciful interchange
for our refreshment and for the re-
gularity of the changes see introduc-
tion to 2.
certis] 'fixed,' is especially used
of anything that recurs at definite
intervals, as of the regular courses
of the sun and stars (47. 4, 84. 20),
or of the fixed interchange of times
and seasons (as here and 57. i) ; cp.
also 42. 57, 52. i.
uicibus] used as at 17. i.
3. merso] 'dipped in ocean, ''set';
so Catull. LXVI. 68 (of a constella-
tion) qui uix sero alto mergitur
oceano.
chaos] the state of the world when
it was without form and void and
darkness was upon the face of the
deep ; cp. Ov. Met. I. 5 ante mare
el tellus eL qzwd tegit omnia caelum \
untis ei-at toto naturae uultus in
5-28 om. Ea.
orbe, | quern dixere chaos, rudis in-
digestaque moles.' Lact. hut. 1. 4 chaos
est rudis inordinataeque materiae
confusa congeries. It is therefore an
apt image of night, as in Stat. Silv.
III. ii. 92, Prud. Cath. IX. 81, Perist.
111. 55. See also 36. 36 note, and
73. 7.
ingruit] Cp. Verg. Georg. n. 410
ingruit umbra.
4. fidelibus] a subst., as at 29. 49.
5. innumero sidere] collective
sing, as Ov. Her. xvi. 366 innumeri
militis. Cp. 36. 49 imnimeruin po-
pulum. Verg. has innumeras gentes,
and Prud. elsewhere always uses the
plur.
regiam] ' Thy palace ' (cp. 41. 36,
112. 24) and polum both denote the
same thing, the nightly heavens.
6. lunari... lampade] Cp. Verg.
Aen. in. 637 Phoebeae lampadis
(which Prud. may have taken to
mean ' the torch of Phoebe ') ; Fort.
IV. xxvi. 131 lampade lunae\ VII. vi.
3 lucifer . . .lampada mittit.
pinxeris] 'picked out,' 'adorned.'
So of an embroidered robe Verg.
HYMN XX VII. PRUDENTIUS
incussu silicis lumina nos tamen
monstras saxigeno semine quaerere ;
ne nesciret homo spem sibi luminis
in Christi solido corpora conditam,
qui dici stabilem se uoluit petram,
nostris igniculis unde genus uenit ;
pinguis quos olei rore madentibus
lychnis aut facibus pascimus aridis,
quin et fila fauis scirpea floreis
135
10
15
7 inpulsu Ev. 8 monstrans Ev.
14 ac (pro aut) Env.
13 linguis Ev. om. quos Mk.
Aen. ix. 58-2, and of parti-coloured
flowers Eel. II. 50 mollia luteola
pingit uaccinia caltha. Cp. Lucr. v.
1 396 anni | tempora pingebant uiri-
dantis floribus herbas ; Fort. VI. iv.
1 1 non cupis aura umeros, nee collum
pingcre gemmis.
8. monstras... quaerere] 'biddest
us seek ' ; so Verg. has an inf. after
monstrare: Aen. ix. 44 conferre
manum pudor iraque monstrat.
saxigeno one of those compound
adj.'s which were as a rule avoided
by the severer taste of the Augustan
poets but which were much liked by
Prud., who among others has caeli-
potens, colu/nnifer, cunctiparens,
cunclipotens, dulcimodns, falsiloqtttts
etc. See note on 36. i florigero.
The two lines 7, 8 are a remini-
scence of Verg. Aen. vi. 6 quaerit
pars semina flammae \ abstntsa in
uenis silicis; cp. Lucr. vi. 160, 20 r,
841; Horn. Od. V. 490 ffirtpfjia irvp6s.
9. This necessity of seeking light
from the rock, to supplement that
of moon and stars, is to teach us
that, as Christ was the spiritual rock
that followed the Israelites in the
desert (see introduction p. 133), so
He is the one source of our lights.
Prud., as all the ancients, thought
that the flint, by means of which
fire was obtained, was the abode of
the fire. Ambr. Hex. n. 12 f.
sibi... conditam] 'was stored,' or
'hidden,' 'for him.' The body of
Christ is called solidum to prepare
for the far-fetched interpretation
which follows.
1 1. petram] i Cor. x. 4, Wisdom
xi. 4 data est illis aqua de petra altis-
sima. Deut. xxxii. 13.
12. igniculis] 'our poor lights,'
contrasted with Him who is the lux
uera, line 29. The diminutive form
is depreciatory.
unde refers back to Christi solido
corpore in 10.
genus] 'source,' 'origin, 'as Verg.
Aen. i. 380 genus ah lout swnmo.
13 f. ' Which (lights) we feed with
lamps wet with the liquid of rich
oil or with dry torches, nay too we
fashion rush-wicks smeared with
wax from the flowers, the honey
having been squeezed out before.'
Lamps, torches, wax tapers are
here described and again in the next
stanza. The lines are full of echoes
of Vergil.
13. Cp. Verg. Ed. v. 68 ping MS
crateras olini\ Verg. Aen. V. 854
rore madentem.
14. pascimus] Verg. Aen. xi. 786
pineus ardor aceruo \ pascitur.
aridis] Verg. Aen. I. 1 75 succepit-
que ignemfoliis atque arida circum \
nutrimenta dedit; where however
dry tinder is spoken of.
15. Cp. Verg. Georg. iv. 140
cogere pressis \ mella fauis.
136
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
presso melle prius conlita fingimus.
uiuax flamma uiget, seu caua testula
sucum linteolo suggerit ebrio,
seu pinus piceam fert alimoniam,
seu ceram teretem stuppa calens bibit.
splendent ergo tuis muneribus, Pater,
flam mis mobilibus scilicet atria,
absentemque diem lux agit aemula,
quam nox cum lacero uicta fugit peplo.
o res digna, Deus, quam tibi roscidae
noctis principio grex tuus offerat,
lucem, qua tribuis nil pretiosius,
lucem, qua reliqua praemia cernimus.
tu lux uera oculis, lux quoque sensibus,
intus tu speculum, tu speculum foris,
17-24 om. Ev. 21-24 om -
27 et 28 luce Ev.
17. testula] the earthenware 're-
ceiver ' of the lamp ; the word is
diminutive in form, but not in mean-
ing, testula refers to the lychnis
above, pinus to the facibus, and
stuppa to the fila scirpea.
1 8. linteolo...ebrio] 'well soaked
linen yarn.'
19. Cp. Verg. Aen. IX. 1$ piceum
fertfumida lumen \ taeda. Lev. iii.
1 6 adolebitque ea...in alimoniam
ignis. The classical word was ali-
mentum ; alimonia was used by
Plautus, then not until Aulus Gellius.
20. ' Or if the burning tow drinks
up the rounded wax ' ; alluding to
the shape of the taper.
2 if. 'Aye our halls blaze with
Thy gifts, even (scilicet) with these
flickering flames.'
23. Prud. Perist. XI. 167 sic datur
absentis per subterranea solis \ cernere
fulgorem luminibusque friti.
agit] 'plays the part of,' 'repre-
sents ' ; cp. Cic. ad Fam. II. 9 egi
omnes illos adulescentes.
3
26 uotis (pro noctis) Ev.
24. ' from which flees night beaten
and with rent robe. ' Prud. takes the
idea in uicta from Verg. Aen. i. 727
noctemjlammisfunalia uincunt ; cp.
Paul. Nol. Carm. xiv. 52. He is in
turn copied by Fortunatus I. xv. 56
(of a well lighted, church) nox ubi
uicta fugit semper habendo diem.
peplo] For ' night's robe ' see the
note on 21. 5.
25 f. ' O worthy offering for Thy
flock to make Thee at the beginning
of dewy night, even light, than which
Thou grantest nought more precious,
light by which we perceive Thy other
gifts.'
27. lucem is attracted into the
same case as quam in 25. Somewhat
like are Ter. Eun. 653 eunuchum
quern dedisti nobis, quas turbas dedit\
Verg. Aen. I. 573 urbem quam statuo
uestra est.
28. reliqua] see 4. 28.
29. lux uera] i John i. 5.
sensibus] to the eyes of the soul,
as at 3. 8.
HYMN XXVII. PRUDENTWS 137
lumen, quod famulans offero, suscipe
tinctum pacific! chrismatis unguine,
per Christum genitum, summe Pater, tuum,
in quo uisibilis stat tibi gloria,
qui noster dominus, qui tuus unicus 35
spiral de patrio corde Paraclitum.
30. speculum] intus refers to sen-
sibus,foris to oculis of 29. It is not
easy to see what Prud. means by
calling God a speculum. Perhaps it
is that He shews us what we ought
to see, both in the spiritual and in
the natural world. The thought is
not unlike that of 3. 3 lux lucis.
31. ' The light thus offered at the
beginning of night ' is in the hymn
the paschal candle ; see the intro-
duction. But Prud. was thinking of
the ordinary lights of evening. We
do not elsewhere read of these lights
as being ' offered,' but the very
ancient custom of giving thanks in
connexion with them may well have
been considered as a kind of con-
secration of them. See Oehler's n.
on Tert. de Cor. Mil. 3, where Tert.
speaks of making the sign of the
cross ad lumina as one of the im-
memorial traditions of the church.
Among other reff. Oehler notes Je-
rome Ep. LVII ad Laetam (p. 595
Martianay), where he recommends
that Laeta's daughter should make
an act of devotion at the third, sixth,
and ninth hours, accensaque lucerna-
cula redder e sacrificium uespertinum.
Jerome does not exactly speak of
offering the light, but it is so closely
joined to the ' evening sacrifice ' as
to suggest that it formed a part of
it. There remains, however, in Prud.,
the mystical relation between the
lamp itself and the offerer's soul. It
is not easy to see which is directly
intended, and which indirectly. If
he intends lumen to be the lamp, he
uses language concerning it which
properly applies to the baptized and
confirmed believer: if he intends the
believer, his language is borrowed,
at least in part, from the feeding of
the lamp. Cellarius explains lumen
as equivalent iojidei lumen, compar-
ing Perist. x. 432 f. cernant ut illud
lumen aeternae spei ; . . .purissed intus
quod relucet mentibus. But how can
we fit on to this the next line tinctum
pacifici chrismatis unguinel It may
be compared with Tert. de Praescr.
36, where Tert. speaks of the faith
as being sealed with the baptismal
water, fed with trie Eucharist etc.
famulans] 'serving,' hence 'hum-
bly'; cp. Fort. IV. xiv. 13 that ad
abbatem famulans sanctumque ma-
gistrum \ discipulus humilis.
32. tinctum] 'dipped,' the regular
word for ' baptized ' in Tertullian
and other early Latin fathers, chris-
matis has its special Christian signi-
ficance, but might mean no more
than itnguen by itself, pacifici has
reference both to the olive branch and
to the peace which the Spirit confers.
unguine] a word found in Verg.
Georg. in. 450 and elsewhere.
34. stat] means little more than
est ; cp. Leo's edition of Fortunatus
p. 418. Ro'nsch p. 388 reminds us
that stare passed into the French
Stre, and gives examples of a like
use from several Latin writers.
uisibilis] see Col. i. 15, and cp.
Novatian de Trin. p. 119 (Fausset).
35. unicus is a subst., as at 31.
91, 71. 3, 87. 2 ; it is used adjectiv-
ally 36. 28, 98. 2, 104. 50, 117. 26,
119. 1 8.
36. For the Procession of the
Spirit from the Son cp. 6. 30.
de patrio corde] Cp. 1. 3, 23. i.
Paraclitus is always thus scanned
in these hymns except at 118. 5, in
consequence of the Greek accent.
138 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
per quern splendor, honos, laus, sapientia,
maiestas, bonitas, et pietas tua
regnum continual numine triplici,
texens perpetuis saecula saeculis. 40
37. i.e. ' Through Whom (it is not Od. III. xvi. 42 si Mydgoniis regnum
clear whether Prud. means the Son Alyattei \ campis continuem ; Prud.
or the Spirit) Thy brightness... has Praefatio 37 hymnis continue! dies ;
everlasting sway.' Fort. I. i. 12 quo sine nocte manet
sapientia] from Rev. vii. 12 ; cp. continuata dies.
Rev. v. 12. 40. texens... saecula] God's glory
39. continuare means ' to make etc. are considered as forming the
continuous'or 'unbroken, 'as inHor. thread which binds age to age.
HYMN 28
This hymn is pieced together from Peristephanon II,
the lines in the original being 15, 17, 397, 398, 21-32,
549, 550, 565. It is based upon 14, Ambrose's hymn on
St Lawrence, the introduction to which should be re-
ferred to for the death of Xystus and Lawrence. See
also the general introduction to Prudentius p. 117.
Mhk
En martyris Laurentii
armata pugnauit fides,
postquam uapor diutinus
decoxit exustum latus.
fore hoc sacerdos dixerat 5
iam Xystus adfixus cruci,
i f. The first two lines are ex- the places of 3 and 4 : nam morte
plained by the preceding passage of mortem diruit \ ac semel impendit
the original, the sense of which is : sibi come from 19, 20 of the
the one glory formerly lacking to original. For uapor see 5. 24.
Rome, now given up to Christ, was 5. sacerdos in early writers is
the final subjugation of foul Jove, perhaps the commonest word for
not by the turbulent might of ' bishop.' Cp. Cypr. Epist. LXVI. 5
Cossus, Camillus or Caesar, but by ecce iam sex annis nee fraternitas
the not bloodless strife of the martyr habuerit episcopum, nee plebs prae-
Lawrence. positum, nee grex pastorem, nee
3 f. See 14. 28 f. The two fine ecclesia gubernatorem, nee Christus
lines which in some hymnals take antistitem, nee Deus saeerdotem.
HYMN XXIX. PRUDENT/US 139
Laurentium flentem uidens
crucis sub ipso stipite :
' desiste discessu meo
fletum dolenter fundere; 10
praecedo, frater ; tu quoque
post hoc sequeris triduum.'
extrema uox episcopi
praenuntiatrix gloriae
nihil fefellit, nam dies 15
praedicta pal mam praestitit.
hinc, sancte Laurenti, tuam
nos passionem quaerimus :
quod quisque supplex postulat,
cunctis fauendo praeroga. 20
9 decessu Mh. 12 triduo Mk. 20 proroga Mh.
7. flentem] This use of a parti- 561 f. quae sit poteslas credita \ et
ciple for the infinitive after a verb muneris quantum datum \ probant
of perception, though the rule in Quiritum gaudia, \ quibus rogatus
Greek, is rare in Latin. Prud. has adnuis. For tuam passionem =te
it again Catfi. x. 1 10 uictrix caro passum see 7. 6 note ; and for the
tamque perennis \ cernet sine fine ace. after quaere, Schmalz 359. The
gementem ; cp. Schmalz 453 f. thing asked is contained in the next
9 f. Note the alliteration. couplet.
15. nihil] 'in no respect,' as at 20. fauendo] =fauens, cp. 21. n.
45. 19 ; cp. Draeger i. 360. This line is not in Prud., but forms
1 7. nine] Prud. has sif. a summary of the last part of his
18. ' We ask from thy passion,' poem.
i.e. ' from thee as a martyr.' See praerogare (cp. erogare, proro-
the two following lines of the ori- gare) means 'to pay promptly":
ginal text : est aula nam duplex Dirksen gives several instances from
tibi, \ hie carports, mentis polo ; and Law Latin.
HYMN 29
' The crowning glory of the poetry of Prudentius '
(Trench) is the tenth hymn of his Cathemerinon, from
which both 29 and 30 are taken. The deep Christian
feeling and thought, the exquisite expression thereof,
and the admirable choice of metre, the anapaestic
dimeter catalectic, or the second part of a hexameter all
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
combine to make this poem the masterpiece of its kind
in literature.
The only church that in ancient times sang these
grand verses circa exsequias defuncti was the Mozarabic.
The following cento, hymn 29 (comprising stanzas I-vil,
XII, XV-XVII, XL-XLII of the whole poem), is that found
in the Spanish use, which added two stanzas of a bar-
barous type : animas non immemor ob hoc, \ quarum
memores sumus ipsi, \ Deus, sorte, rogamus, a portis \
erebi regis fac alienas. \ sit honor tibi.fons pietatis, \ laus,
gloria, summa potestas \ Patri, Genito, sine Dono, \ orbis
regi, qui Dens unus. So Blume Analecta XXVII. 38 prints
from the breviary of Ortiz of 1502. Daniel I. 140 gives
the lines incorrectly from Lorenzana.
Makx
Deus ignee fons animarum,
duo qui socians elementa,
uiuura simul ac moribundum,
hominem pater effigiasti :
tua sunt, tua, rector, utraque ; 5
tibi copula iungitur horum ;
3 et Max
i. Prud. looked upon the soul as is immortal (uiuum) and the body
sprung from fire, which was the doomed to death (moribzmchttn).
principle of life, and from God the Fort. XI. i. 33 iudicaturus ui-uos et
creator of fire, Calk. III. 186 oris mortuos : hoc est animas el corpora
opus, uigor igneolus, non moritur ; pariter iudicandas.
Hamart. 543 f. nee segnis natura 4. efflgiasti] 'hast fashioned,' a
animae est . . .ignitum quoniam Deus word perhaps coined by Prud. from
indidit olli \ ingenium ; op. 30. 4, effigies. It is found afterwards in
Clem. Horn. xx. 9 ai 5 r&v avffpu- Sidonius Apoll.
iruv \l/vxal, $WTOS Ka6apov ffrayovcs 5. utraque] both body and soul.
overall, virb d\\o<f>6\ov irvpbs Olivia's As only two things are thought of,
o~v/jnrii'6fjieva.i /cot tpvaiv rov airoOaveiv the sing, utrumque would be more
OVK ^xoucrai Kar' dia.v KoXdfovrcu. correct. The plural, already used by
See the commentators on Wisd. Verg. Aen. vi. 685 palmas utrasque
ii. 2. and Tac. Ann. xvi. xr utrosque
^. The two ' principles,' as Prud. intuens, became the normal use in
goes on to say, are the soul which late Latin, as e.g. Fort. ill. vi. 26
HYMN XXIX. PRUDENTIUS
141
tibi, dum uegetata cohaerent,
et spiritus et caro seruit.
rescissa sed ista seorsum
soluunt hominem perimuntque;
humus excipit arida corpus,
animae rapit aura liquorem.
quia cuncta creata necesse est
labefacta senescere tandem,
conpactaque dissociari,
et dissona texta retexi.
hanc tu, Deus optime, mortem
famulis abolere paratus,
8 spiritus simul (pro et sp.) Mk. 12 anima Mk.
17 hinc ad fin. hymni sequentis nihil annotauit Walp.
10
15 confracta Ma.
spes in utrisque (Domitian and Vic-
torias) manens ; cp. the Vulg. of
Ecclus. xl. 23, Lk. vii. 42. The a is
lengthened by the stress of the verse
coinciding with the accent of the
word, which fell on this syllable
perhaps by a mistaken analogy with
words to which the enclitic -que
(' and ') was appended. So Fort,
vin. vi. ti pariter habeatis utraque.
6. tibi] 'by Thee.' The dat. of
the agent is rare except with parti-
ciples or participials ; but cp. Verg.
Aen. i. 440 neque cernitur ulli,
Schmalz 375. Prud. may, however,
intend the dat. to mean that the
union is for God's glory and the
accomplishment of His purposes.
7. uegetata] ' quickened,' as
Hamart. 846 unde fltiens anima
struclum uegetauerat Adam ; Aug.
Conf. x. 10 tu melior es,... anima,
quoniam tu uegetas molem corporis
ttii, praebens ei ititam ; 36. 5 1 .
9. ' But the cutting of them
asunder breaks up and destroys the
man.'
1 1 . The earth is ' dry ' as op-
posed to the nature of the soul, cp.
Apoth. 694 liquidus caelesti spiritus
ore. animae liquorem is equivalent
to animam liquidam. Prud. has in
mind Lucr. n. 999 cedit item retro,
de terra quodfuit ante, \ in terras, et
quod missumst ex aetheris oris, \ id
rursum caeli rellatum templa recep-
tant. Cp. Eur. Suppl. 531 f. edffar
Ijdri -yrj KaXvtftGijvai veicpotis, \ oOfv 5'
%KO.GTOV es TO (put d<f>tKfTo,
o.TT\OfLV, irvevua. fjv irpbs
TO ffwfj.a 5' ts yijv. [Damasus] XCII.
7 terrenum nunc terra tegit, mens
nesda mortis \ uiuit et aspectu
fruitur bene conscia Christi Fort.
IV. xxvii. 5 terrae terra redit, sed
spiritus astra recepit : pars iacet haec
tumulo, pars tenet ilia polum. See
too the epitaph on Gregory the
Great (Bede Hist. Red. II. i) sus-
cipe terra tuo corpus de carport
sumptum . . . spiritus astra petit ;
Bucheler Anthol. Lot. 1420. i astra
tenent animam, caetera tellus habet.
14. tandem] ' sooner or later.'
1 6. ' Discordant elements in
union must be dissolved ' lit. ' un-
woven.' Lucr. uses retexo freely, as
at i. 529.
17. mortem ..abolere] 2 Tim.
i. 10, Heb. ii. 14.
142
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
iter inuiolabile monstras,
quo perdita membra resurgant :
ut, dum generosa caducis
ceu carcere clausa ligantur,
pars ilia potentior exstet,
quae germen ab aethere traxit.
si terrea forte uoluntas
luteum sapit et graue captat,
animus quoque pondere uictus
sequitur sua membra seorsum.
hinc maxima cura sepulcris
inpenditur, hinc resolutos
honor ultimus accipit artus
et funeris ambitus ornat.
20
20. perdita] i.e. seemingly de-
stroyed.
21. ut... exstet explains the iter
of 19, in the sense of 'the condition
being that.'
generosa] i.e. the heaven-born
elements, cp. 24.
caducis] as at 23. 9. Notice the
alliteration.
22. Cp. Prud. Praef. 44 uinclis
o utinam corporis emicem \ liber!
Perist. il. 584 uinclis saecult;
Ambr. de Bono Mortis 5 ita dimitti
petit quasi a uinculis quibusdam ad
libertatemfestinaret. sunt enim ttflut
uincula quaedam corporis huitis...
quae nos alligant', Fort. n. vii. 7
uincula corporei dissoluere carceris
optans ; IV. xiv. 3 ; 41. 45.
23. potentior exstet] 'assert it-
self as the more powerful. ' Prud. is
speaking of what must be done
while the union still exists (dum
ligantur), in order to insure the
resurrection of the body (20). 25
foil, shew the effect of the opposite
course.
24. ab aethere] ' from heaven ' ;
hence the epithet generosa hi 21.
See the passage from Lucr. at u.
25. ' If perchance the will of the
body (cf. Eph. ii. 3 uoluntatem car-
nis) savours of the clay and chooses
the gross element.'
terrea] ' of the body,' i Cor. xv.
47-
26. luteum refers to the material
of which the body was formed, cp.
Gen. ii. 7, Job xxxiii. 6 de eodem
luto ego quoque formatus sum ; Cath.
ill. 138 non luteiis, uelut ille prior.
Hor. Od. I. xvi. 13 speaks of prin-
cipi litno, 'our original clay.' For
the phrase cp. Rom. xi. 20 noli
altum sapere; Cath. II. 32 castum
sapit.
27. pondere u.] Cp. Wisd. ix. 15.
29. nine] i.e. because the bodies
now in the ground will one day rise
with their own souls, as is more
clearly seen in the original setting,
wherein this stanza follows 30. 1 7-20.
31. 'The last honour (viz. of
burial) welcomes the limbs relaxed
in death.' The body is a guest to be
honourably received.
32. 'The stately funeral' in
Prud.'s time would (if in Rome)
pass with pomp to the cemetery or
catacomb.
HYMN XXIX. PRUDENTIUS
hoc prouida christicolarum
pietas studet, utpote credens
fore protinus omnia uiua,
quae nunc gelidus sopor urget.
qui iacta cadauera passim
miserans tegit aggere terrae,
opus exhibet ille benignum
Christo pius omnipotent!.
quia lex eadem monet omnes
gemitum dare sorte sub una,
35
40
33. hoc] an honourable burial.
The line is an echo of Hor. Od. III.
v. 13 hoc cauerat mens prouida Re-
guK.
34. utpote cr.] 'as believing.' Ut-
pote is usually followed by a relative
clause or by cum, but cp. Hor. Sat.
I. v. 94 inde Rubosfessi peruenimus
utpote long urn \carpentes iter\ A path.
903 utpote... accipiens ; Hamart. 526
utpote siiHimo aethere demissus.
36. urget] ' weighs down ' ; from
Hor. Od. I. xxiv. 5 ergo Quintilium
perpetuus sopor \ urget. A compari-
son of the two passages, expressed
in very similar words, well illus-
trates the changed aspect of death
to a Christian. . To Horace death is
a sleep, but a sleep that knows no
waking, as to Catull. V. 4 tiobis cum
semel occidit breuis lux, \ nox est
per pet ua una dormienda.
37. passim] 'at large,' 'at ran-
dom.' Here again it is worth while
to compare Horace's interesting ode
I. xxviii. concerning the three hand-
fuls of earth, which constituted a
legitimate burial and saved the soul
of the dead from wandering for 100
years on the banks of the Styx ; cp.
Verg. Aen. vi. 325.
38. Cp. Verg. Aen. xi. 212
[wja] onerabant aggere t?rrae.
40. pius refers to the ' duteous '
(cp. 7. 13 note) as benignum to the
'kindly' character of the. act. Con-
trast Hor. I.e. 23 at tu nauta uagae
ne parce malignus harenae \ ossibus
et capiti inhumato \ particulam
dare.
omnipotent! seems to suggest
that he shall not lose his reward,
though in Matt, xxv the burial of
the dead is not one of the corporal
works of mercy mentioned.
41. Cp. Damas. iv. 3 communi
lege sepultos. Biicheler Anthol. Lat.
1376. i (C.I.L. XI. 382) humano
generi legem natura creatrix hanc
dedit tit tumuli membra sepulta te-
gant\ Tertullian de Spectaculis 21
cadauer hominis communi lege de-
functi.
42. ' teaches us that we all groan
under the one lot (of mortality) and
that in a stranger's death we grieve
for the burial of our own kin ' ; cog-
nata being contrasted with aliena.
For cognata funera, ' the burial of
our kin,' cp. Catull. LXVIII. 98 nee
prope cognatos compositum cineres ;
Propert. IV. vii. 10 nee pote cognatos
inter humare rogos. Or perhaps
' that in another's death we grieve
for a fate like our own.' Latin has
no use of the pronoun corresponding
to ' that of, ' as in 'a fate like that
of ourselves,' and so had to say
either 'a death like our own death,'
or ' a death like to us.'
gemitum dare] Verg. Aen. 1. 485.
144
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
cognataque funera nobis
aliena in morte dolere.
sequimur tua dicta, Redemptor,
quibus atra morte triumphans
tua per uestigia mandas
socium crucis ire latronem.
patet, ecce, fidelibus ampli
uia lucida iam paradisi,
licet et nemus illud adire,
homini quod ademerat anguis.
illic, precor, optime ductor,
famulam tibi praecipe mentem
genitali in sede sacrari,
quam liquerat exsul et errans.
45
5
55
44. in] 'in the case of,' cp. 14. 13
in illo martyre.
45. Lk. xxiii. 43, cp. 10. 7. se-
quimur, ' we follow in thought. '
Cp. 55 ductor.
46. ' triumphing over black
death.' The object triumphed over
is regarded as the instrument by
which the triumph is gained. But it
would be hard to find a similar
usage. The usual idiom is de or ex
with the abl., in poets and late
writers the ace., as at 15. 24. Per-
haps the meaning is ' triumphing in
the darkest hour of death.'
47. tua per uestigia] 'in Thy
footsteps ' : cp. Fort. IX. xi. 5 cuius
pontificis sacra per uestigia currens.
49. ampli] ' spacious,' like Ver-
gil's ' largior... aether? Cp. Passio
S. Perpet. XI. uidimus lucem im-
mensam . . .factum est nobis spatium
grande. Prud. paints the glories of
Paradise in glowing colours, Cat A.
III. 101 f. tune per amoena uirecta
iubet \frondicomis habitare locis, \
uer ubi perpetuum redolet \ prataque
multicolora latex \ quadrifluo celer
amne rigat a passage imitated by
Sedul. Carm. 1.53 amoena uirecta \
Jlorentum semper nemorum sedesque
beatas \ per latices intrate pios.
50. uia... paradisi] 'the way to
Paradise.' The gen. is descriptive
and is an extension of such a phrase
as Verg. Aen. li. 359 mediaeque
tenemus urbis iter, ' we hold the
way to the heart of the city,' where
the adj. makes a difference. Cp.
Propert. I. xx. 18 uiam Phasidos
('the voyage to Phasis'j and pro-
bably n. i. 20 caeli iter.
51. nemus illud] i.e. Paradise.
The word is perhaps chosen with a
view to Verg. Aen. vi. 639 and
similar passages.
52. Gen. in. i f.
54. famulam tibi] ' Thy faithful
servant,' now that the hindrances of
the flesh are removed.
mentem] 'soul.'
55. genitali] ' native,' because
our first parents were born in (the
earthly) Paradise ; cp. 92. 2 note.
Perhaps sacrari is used in the same
kind of sense as consecrat in Hor.
Od. IV. viii. 27 diuitibus consecrat
insults.
56. Gen. iii. 23 f.; there may
perhaps be a reminiscence of Gen.
iv. 12, 14 (O. L. gemens et tremens,
Vulg. uagus et profugus).
HYMN XXX. PRUDENTIUS 145
HYMN 30
Hymn 30 is also taken from CatJiemerinon X, being a
cento ingeniously patched together and consisting of
lines 117-120, 53-56, 33-44, 121-140 of that poem. We
know neither by whom this rearrangement was made nor
exactly when. So skilfully has it been done that it reads
like the rearrangement of the poet himself. If it be true
(as Rambach Anthologie I. 76 asserts) that the new hymn
was not used before the Reformation, it was probably
made up at about that time. It came into great favour as
a funeral hymn in the evangelical church of Germany,
being often sung in Latin. A fine paraphrase, Hort auf
mit Trauern und Klageu, was published in 1561 and in-
creased its popularity. Trench p. 287 f. prints another
selection, being the last thirteen stanzas of the original
poem with the omission of one of them ; on what authority
I know not.
lam maesta quiesce querella ;
lacrimas suspendite matres ;
nullus sua pignora plangat ;
mors haec reparatio uitae est.
1. [Damas.] XXI. i stringe dolor but Prud. does not distinguish the
lacrimas. maestus and maereo de- two words, for he says Perist. II.
note the outward expression of 744 neminem diem.
grief, cp. 1. 54. pignora] lit. ' pledges,' constantly
querella] The two oldest MSS of used in classical authors, as here, of
Prud. spell the word with the double children, regarded as ' warrants ' of
/, in spite of the dicta of the Lat. the continuance of mutual love and
grammarians quoted by Brambach as ' pledges ' to fortune ; cp. 31. 16,
Die Neugestaltung der lat. Orthogra- 36. 52. Biicheler Anthol. Lat. \ 389.
phie^. 259. See also Lachm.'s Lucr. 21 (C.I.L. XII. 1094) pignora desis-
p. 203 f., Munro's Lucr. vol. I. tant Icurimis planctuque grauari :
p. 33 (ed. 5), Ribbeck prol. in Verg. non placeat gemere quod celebrare
p. 429. So too metiella, 33. 9 etc. decet.
2. suspendite] 'cease from'; cp. plangat] lit. 'beat the breast'
Ov. Fast. iv. 849 nee iam suspendere rarely takes the ace. of the person
fletum sustinet. lamented ; but cp. Lk. viii. 52
3. nullus is a subst. used, for plangebant illam.
nemo, to mark the masc. gender ; 4. Death far from being the end
146
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
quidnam sibi saxa cauata,
quid pulchra uolunt monumenta,
nisi quod res creditur illis
non mortua sed data somno ?
nam quod requiescere corpus
uacuum sine mente uidemus,
spatium breue restat ut alti
repetat conlegia sensus.
uenient cito saecula, cum iam
socius calor ossa reuisat,
animataque sanguine uiuo
habitacula pristina gestet.
10
is the renewal of life ; so Prud.
Perist. vi. 96 nee uitam rapit ilia
sed reformat ; Juvenc. IV. 31 laetae
reparatio uttae, of the future life ;
ib. 349 en ego sum clarae uobis re-
paratio uitae.
5 f . Daniel I. 141 compares Cic.
Tttsc. I. 12 caerimonias sepulcro-
rum maximis ingeniis praediti nee
tanta cura cohiissent nee uiolatas
tarn inexpiabili religione sanxissent,
nisi haesisset in eorum mentibus
mortem non interitum esse omnia
tollentem et delentem, sed quondam
migrationem commutationemque tii-
tae, quae in claris uiris et feminis
dux in caelum soleret esse, in ceteris
humi retineretur et permaneret
tarn en.
7. creditur] ' is entrusted ' for a
time, to be given back, see 27 f. ;
cp. Ambr. in Luc. X. 141 bene ergo
Christits monumento creditur iusti.
8. Mt. ix. 24, xxvii. 52, Lk. viii.
52, Joh. xi. ii etc., 29. 36, Ennod.
Hymn. I. 5 mortis figura blandior
bustttm soporis admouet.
9 f. ' For but a short time remains
ere the body which we see resting
empty without a soul shall seek
again the partnership of the heaven-
born intelligence.'
ii. ut nearly passes into the
temporal sense of 'when '; cp. such
passages as Aul. Cell. II. xxix. 4
nidulatur in segetibus idferme tem-
poris, ut appetat messis.
12. conlegia] 'partnership,' cp.
PI in . Nat. Hist, x . 1 7 conlegium quod-
dam nat^trae. It is a technical term
to express community in office, but
most oft en 'a guild' of such officials,
whence comes our word ' college.'
For metis and sensus cp. 29. 54,
4. 6.
13. saecula] ' time ' in general, a
late usage.
14. calor] the warmth of life as
opposed to the cold of death, cp.
29. 36, Verg. Aen. IV. 704. But
there is also a reference to fire as
the primessence of the soul, 29. i
note. ' The bones ' are often used
by Latin poets to denote the frame-
work of the body, as Verg. Aen.
in. 308 calor ossa reliquit; but the
bones would be the only part re-
maining of bodies that had been
long buried. Cp. [Tibull.] ill. ii. 17
pars quae sola mei superabit cordons,
ossa; Ambr. Hex. vi. 51 respice in
sepulcra hominum et uide quid ex
te nisi cinis et ossa remanebunt.
15. uiuo] 'life giving.' So Ov.
Met, V. 436 uiuo sanguine; ib. iv.
248 uiuum calorem. Prud. had per-
haps forgotten i Cor. xv. 50.
1 6. gestet] 'wear.'
HYMN XXX. PRUDENTIUS
quae pigra cadauera pridem
tumulis putrefacta iacebant,
uolucres rapientur in auras
animas comitata priores.
sic semina sicca uirescunt
iam mortua iamque sepulta,
quae reddita caespite ab imo
ueteres meditantur aristas.
nunc suscipe terra fouendum,
gremioque hunc concipe molli :
hominis tibi membra sequestro,
generosa et fragmina credo.
20
1 7 f. pigra . . .iacebant] ' had long
been lying dormant ' ; the imperfect
is used from the point of view of the
day of resurrection. Ambr. in Lite:
x. i^6pigrum corpus a mortis sopor e
se conmoitet.
19. i Thess. iv. 16. ' The flying
breezes' are often mentioned by
poets, as e.g. Verg. Aen. xi. 795.
20. So Prud. Apoth. 1062 f. nosco
meum in Chrislo corpus consurgere ;
...et totits ueniam, nee eniin minor
aut alius quam \ nunc sum resti-
tuar : nitllus, uigor et color idem \
qui modo uiuit erit, nee me uel dente
uel ungue \ fraudatum reuomet pate-
facti fossa sepulcri. [Damas.] xcil.
6 nee pent hinc aliquid Domino,
caro cuncta resurgit.
21 f. Nature itself teaches the
principle of the resurrection, Joh.
xii. 24 f., i Cor. xv. 36 f., Clem.
Rom. xxiv, Tert. de Res. xii, Min.
Felix XXIV. i r uide idea, quam in
solacium nostri resurrectionem futu-
ram omnis natura meditetur. sol
demergit et nascitur, astra labuntiir
et redennt, flares occidunt et reuiues-
cunt, post senium arbiista frondes-
cunt, semina non nisi corrupta
rettirescunt. Paulin. Nol. Carm.
XXXI. 231 cuncta resurge ndi facie m
meditantur in omni \ corpore et in
tern's germina et astra polo.
23. ' which given back from the
deep sod call to mind the former
ears of corn.' meditantur, lit. ' think
of,' i.e. 'imitate'; cp. Stat. Silu.
n. iv. 7 (of a parrot) tmditataque
uerba reddideras ; Prud. Perist. HI.
24 canitiem meditata senum ; Fort.
III. vii. 41 fulgorem astrorum medi-
tantur tecta metallo. Or perhaps it
is rather, 'practise for,' 'get ready
for a renewal of.'
25. 'Welcome him now, earth,
into thy cherishing care and em-
brace him in thy soft lap.' An
old gloss notes terram alloquitur
quasi defuncti matrem. At Perist.
vii. 27 the river welcomes (suscipif)
Quirinus when thrown into it ; cp.
[Damas.] xx. 5 diaconus hie Tigri-
das tumulo custodefouetur\ Gray's
Elegy 1 19 'here rests his head upon
the lap of earth | a youth....'
27. ' The limbs which I commit
to thy keeping are those of a man,
noble are the remains which I en-
trust.'
sequestro] ' deposit ' for safe
keeping, a late word derived from
sequester, which Festus defines : qui
inter aliquos, qui certant, medius,
ut inter eos conuenerit, depositum ita
tenet aliquid, ut ei reddat cui id
deberi iure sibi constiterit ; cp. Tert.
de Res. xxvil proinde enim et cor-
148
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
animae fuit haec domus olim
factoris ab ore creatae ;
feruens habitauit in istis
sapientia principe Christo.
tu depositum tege corpus :
non inmemor ille requiret
sua munera fictor et auctor
propriique aenigmata uultus.
ueniant modo tempora iusta,
cum spem Deus inpleat omnem :
reddas patefacta necesse est,
qualem tibi trado figuram.
3
35
40
fora medicata condimentis sepul-
turae mausoleis et monumentis se-
questranlur.
30. factoris] 'creator,' a not
common word in this sense, but
found 1. 8, 33. 4, 40. 5, 69. 2, 94. 8.
ab ore] Gen. ii. 7, 108. 30,
Apoth. 778 finxerat hoc digitis,
animam sufflatierat ore, Cath, in.
1 86 oris opus, calor igneolus, non
moritiir. ab 'from,' not 'by.'
31. Rom. viii. 9 Spiritus Dei
habitat in tiobis.
istis] sc. fragminibns.
32. principe Christo] i.e. ori-
ginating from Him who is entitled
sapientia, as at 27. 37 ; cp. 36. 30.
Perhaps Prud. has in mind i Cor.
i. 24-11. 1 6.
35. sua munera] ' His own work.'
fictor] ' fashioner,' cp. Rom. ix.
20.
auctor] ' creator,' cp. Acts iii. 15.
36. ' the likeness of His own
countenance,' Gen. i. 27.
aenigmata] ' image,' cp. Perist.
II. 117 argenteorum aenigmatuni i.e.
silver coins with the emperor's like-
ness on them; Arnob. ill. 15
A fgyptiorum... aenigmata, quod mu-
torum animantium formas diuinis
inseruerint causis. Hence per ae-
nigma is opposed to ' openly,' ' face
to face,' Num. xii. 8, as is in ae-
nigmate i Cor. xiii. 12.
37. tempora iusta] 'the due' or
' proper time ' in the counsels of
God. So Verg. Aen. x. r r adtieniet
jus turn pugnae, ne arcessite, tern pus ;
where in Jupiter's mouth the words
denote the time appointed by the
gods, which is not to be anticipated
by men. St Paul's plenitude tern-
poris (Gal. iv. 4, cp. 33. 10) has a
like meaning.
IV. SEDULIUS
HYMN 31
Of Sedulius himself we know next to nothing. It is
possible that his praenomen was Caelius, as fairly old
authorities give it, but the oldest MSS call him simply
Sedulius. Probably he was born in Rome and taught
' philosophy ' there and in Achaia, and he returned to
Rome. He seems to have lived during the reigns of the
younger Theodosius (A.D. 423-425) and of Valentinian III
(425-455). Converted and baptized, as it appears, by a
certain priest Macedonius, he was ordained a presbyter
but never became a bishop. He left his secular work and
devoted himself to the study of the scriptures, living ap-
parently in a religious community, which was under the
guidance of Macedonius.
Here he wrote a poem entitled Paschale Carmen in five
books, consisting 'of 1753 hexameters. The first book by
way of introduction treats chiefly of the marvels of the
Old Testament. Of the other four books he writes in a
prefatory letter to Macedonius : quattuor igitur mira-
biliitm diuinorum libellos,quos ex pluribus pauca conplexus
usque ad passionein et resurrectionem ascensionemque
Domini nostri lesu Christi quattuor euangeliorum dicta
congregans ordinaui, contra omnes aemulos tuae defensioni
commendo. huic autem operi fauente Domino PASCHALIS
CARMINIS nomen inposui, quia pascha nostrum immolatus
est Christ us.
This poem, which is distinguished by a clear and
simple style free from all discordant artifice or verbiage
ISO EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
and at times rising into real poetry, gained a lasting
popularity, for throughout the middle ages it remained
the model of all such writing. Sedulius afterwards ren-
dered it into rhetorical prose under the title of Paschale
Opus. Of this prose version he writes to Macedonius :
praecepisti. . .paschalis carminis textum, quod officium purae
deuotionis simplidter exsecutus uobis obtuli perlegendum,
in rhetoricum me transferre sermonem. In the notes on 31
and elsewhere Carm. denotes the Paschale Carmen, Op.
the Paschale Opus.
The following hymn 31 A soils ortus cardine in 23
four-line stanzas gives a brief description of the chief
wonders of Christ's earthly life in order to shew that He
was both man and God. It is written in iambic dimeters
and uses rhyme freely but not consistently. Two extracts
from it were widely used in the offices of the church : the
first seven stanzas (A-G) being sung at Christmas, while
the following stanzas HILN were sung at the Epiphany,
some hymnals including also KM at this latter season.
In the Mozarabic use and in some others the whole hymn
was sung. The stanzas A-E were appropriated in diem
sanctae Mariae, FG were used at Christmas, HILN at the
Epiphany, KMOP in allisione infantium, QRS on the domi-
nica in Lazaro (the 3rd Sunday in Lent), TVXYZ in cena
Domini.
Like 71, 89 and 120, and like Psalm cxviii. (cxix.) and
some other Psalms and the book of Lamentations, this
hymn is alphabetical. Several Mozarabic hymns of the
kind are handed down ; see Analecta XXVII. 9, 16 and
178. Commodian used the device, as did Hilary and
Augustine in his hymn against the Donatists, as well as
Fort. I. xvi. Agnoscat omne saeculum anlistitem Leontium.
H YMN XXXI. SED ULIUS 1 5 1
Bb EacdhjlrsvxMtf> Fhkpsv Gbm Habcdefgh Ibcdeghkmnv
Magkmx Vcs<r
A solis ortus cardine
ad usque terrae limitem
Christum canamus principem
natum Maria uirgine.
Beatus auctor saeculi 5
seruile corpus induit,
ut carne carnem liberans
non perderet quod condidit.
Clausae puellae uiscera
i ortu Esv Fs Ig'hm 1 Mg Vs. 2 et (pro ad) Bb Es Fv Mg.
3 Christo...principi Edl. 4 nato El. 7 quo (pro ut) Ib. caro
(pro carne) Edl Imn Mg. 8 ne (pro non) Eacv/x Fs Gm Il>cdghmv
Mm Vs. quos Es/* Gm (ut uidetur] Hde Ibghmn'v Mmg, qui Id.
9 clausa Bb Gm (ut nid.) In 1 Vs, casta Ecdhjlv Fh Iv, caste (=castae)
Ea/x Fp Ibd (ma nu poster.) Mm. parentis (pro puellae) Fhksv Ibe.
1. ' From the point of sunrise to Seleuc. Oral, xxxix Sid TOVTO fiop-
the boundary of the earth,' i.e. from <prjv \a/3e SovXov 6 iv fMp<p-g OeoO
east to west ; Ps. cxii. (cxiii.) 3 a inrdpxtav, tea TOI)S 5ov\ovs TT;S d/xap-
solis ortu usque ad occasum laudabile rias Aeu0epc&ras fit TTJV Tportpav
nomen Domini; Is. xlv. 6, Mai. evytveiav eiravaydyri ical TOV tirovpa.-
i. n. viov irarpos vlovs dva8ell-y, TJJ KO.T
cardine] often loosely translated avrov flubvi irdXiv avfittop^xadivra^.
' hinge,' was the ' pivot' on which a induit] Cp. Prud. Cath. xi. 45
door turned, forming a part of the mortah corpus induit, 23. ro, 38. 20.
door and fitting into a socket below 7. ' By flesh freeing the flesh,' i.e.
and one above. Then it was the freeing man by becoming man. For
'pole' on which the earth turned, the sense cp. Joh. i. 14, Col. i. 22,
and lastly a 'point' of the compass ; 32. 25 f., 113. 15.
cp. Lucan v. 71 hesperio tantum tit... non would in classical Latin
quantum semotus eoo \ cardine. The be ne ; cp. Vulgate of Mt. vii. i
variant et usque is grammatically nolite iudicare, ut non iudicemini.
possible, cp. Juv. x. i omnibus in 8. quod gives a better, because a
terris quae sunt a Gadibus usque wider sense than the variant quos :
auroram. the whole creation is included ; cp.
2. terrae limitem] beyond which Carm. \\. 11 sua nefacturaperiret.
was nothing but ocean ; cp. 11. 7 9. clausae] Cp. Carm. II. 44 f.
note. tune maximus infans \ intemerata
3. principem] q>. 24. 10 note. sui conseruans uiscera templi, \ in-
5. auctor saeculi] ' maker of the laesum uacuauit iter. pro uirgine
world,' cp. 1. 8. testis \ partus adest, clausa ingre-
6. 'clothed Himself with the diens et clausa relinquens\ 6. 14
body of a slave '; Phil. ii. 6 ; Basil. note; Fort. VIII. iii. 102 quae
152
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
caelestis intrat gratia ; 10
uenter puellae baiulat
secreta quae non nouerat.
Domus pudici pectoris
templum repente fit Dei ;
intacta nesciens uirum 15
uerbo creauit filium.
Enixa est puerpera,
quern Gabrihel praedixerat,
quern matris aluo gestiens
clausus Johannes senserat. 20
Faeno iacere pertulit,
praesepe non abhorruit,
i o post intrat desinit Mg. 13-16 om. Gm. 13 corporis Er.
14 fidei (pro fit dei) Ech. deo Eyit. 16 concepit Eacdsv/i Fhksv Hg
Ibcdgnv Vcs.
Dominum peperit clausa Maria
manet. Ezek. xliv. 2 is referred to
in this connexion.
10. Lk. i. 28, 35.
n. 'A maiden's womb bears
mysteries which she knew not,' i.e.
the full significance of which she
knew not. The next stanza carries
on the thought.
puellae] of the Virgin, as at 38.
12, 39. 8. Cp. Festus: baiularequis
dicitur quae suo cor pore fert,,..a
baiulis i.e. operariis ; cp. 38. 1 1 ,
39. 4, 40. 19, Ronsch 163.
14. templum repente] Mai. iii.
i ; and cp. 6. 16 note.
15. nesciens uirum] Lk. i. 34.
1 6. uerbo] 'by means of a word,'
sc. the word spoken to her by the
angel; cp. 1. n nuntio, 38. <)[.,
39. ii.
creauit] 'she brought forth,' a
rare use of the word ; but cp. Verg.
Aen. X. 551 quern nympha crearat ;
ib. xu. 271; Sedul. Carm. n. 144
nondum...creatus, 'as yet unborn.'
Huemer quotes Ekkehard IV (Cod.
Sang. 398 p. 8) : Sedulius ' uerbo
creauit Filium, ' ubi insulsi ' concepit '
canunt.
17. enixa est] The hiatus after
a short unaccented syllable is very
harsh. Fabricius emended enixa
iam esl, the modern Roman breviary
reads enititur. For the phrase cp.
Carm. n. 63 salue sancta parens,
enixa puerpera regetn.
18. Lk. i. 31 f.
19. Lk. i. 41 f.
gestiens] ' leaping for joy ' ; cp.
Festus : gestit, qui subita felicitate
exhilaratus nimio corporis mottt
praeter consuetudinem exsultat.
21. faeno] 'in the hay.' The
line is imitated 38. 17.
22. praesepe] Carm. u. 62 an-
gusto Deus in praesepe quieuit \ 6.
29 note.
abhorruit] ' shrank from ' ; cp.
Te Deum 16 non horruisti uirginis
uterum.
23. 'and He was fed with a
little milk (cp. 39. 24), who suffers
not even a bird to hunger ' ; Ps.
cxlvi. (cxlvii.) 9, Lk. xii. 6.
paruo] Cp. Op. iv. 7 parui genti-
HYMN XXXI. SEDULIUS
153
paruoque lacte pastus est,
per quem nee ales esurit.
Gaudet chorus caelestium 25
et angeli canunt Deum,
palamque fit pastoribus
pastor, creator omnium.
Hostis Herodes impie,
Christum uenire quid times ? 30
non eripit mortalia,
qui regna dat caelestia.
Ibant magi qua uenerant
stellam sequentes praeuiam ;
26 deo Eacv Fhs Gm (ut uid.) Hd Ibdegh^mnv Vcs. 30 uenisse E/t.
31 arripit Eahjvx< (aripit E/*) Hefg Mm Ih Vs 2 , deripit Iv, diripit He
Id 2 gmn Vs. 33 qui uenerat Bb, qua uiderant Gb 2 , quam uiderant
Easvx/i0 Fis Gb 1 Hg Ibgmnv Mkm Vs.
tus. The Roman breviary corrects
to et lacte modico.
24. nee] ' not even,' as at Carin.
IV. 124 gttodque Deo facile est homi-
nes optare nee audent ; Fort. L. xv.
90 et quicquid rdiquum nee nu/ne-
rare queo. [The usage comes from
the Latin Bible, where it often re-
presents the Greek ovdt : e.g. Matt,
vi. 29 quoniam nee Salomon etc.]
25 f. Lk. ii. 9 f.
26. ' and angels proclaim (the
birth of) God'; cp. Carni. II. 72
angelicas cecinit miracula coetns ',
Op. II. 6 caelestis militiae multitudo
Deum landat in Christo, ut, licet
Jiuinana fiterit pro matris condicione
creatio, deitatis tamen una com-
munio Patrem cognosci demonstret
in Filio ; 4. 29 natum Deum.
27. 'and to shepherds is dis-
played the shepherd and creator of
all ; Carm. n. 70 tune prius ig-
naris pastoribus ille creatns \ eni-
tuit, quia pastor erat ; 1. 6 note.
palam goes so closely with fit as
virtually to form one compound
verb ; Roby 2027.
29. Mt. ii. l f. To avoid the
lengthening of -ij in hostis and the
shortening of the first syllable of
Herodes ('Hp&dys) Erasmus emended
to Herodis hastes, and the modern
Roman breviary reads crudelis He-
rodes Deum \ regem.... But metrical
liberties may be taken with foreign
proper names ; 11. 2 note ; and
Sedulius' prosody was not that of
Horace.
31. Similarly in the account of
the Temptation, Carm. \\. 191 f.
scilicet ut fragilis regna adfectaret
honoris \ qui populis aeterna parat !
eripit is contrasted with dat,
mortalia with caelestia.
33. ' The wise men went their
way (to Bethlehem), following the
lead of the star, by means of which
they had come ' (to Jerusalem).
This is better than ' taking the same
road to Bethlehem by which they
had entered Jerusalem,' Daniel I.
148. The relative qua precedes the
word stellam to which it refers. The
reading of the later MSS quam uide-
rant comes from Mt. ii. 9.
35. They seek the true light (cp.
3. 3 f.) by the light of the star.
154
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
lumen requirunt lumine,
Deum fatentur munere.
Katerua matrum personal
conlisa deflens pignora,
quorum tyrannus milia
Christo sacrauit uictimam.
Lauacra puri gurgitis
caelestis agnus attigit;
peccata qui mundi tulit
nos abluendo sustulit.
35
40
38 deflet Mk. 40 uictima Er Hb. 41 lauacrum Ex< Habce 2 fg
Id'hm. 42 attingit Ibm 1 . 43 quae non detulit Bb Easx# Fk 2 v
Gb Hg Ibdgmnv Mkm.
36. munere] i.e. by the frankin-
cense ; Carm. II. 96 tura dedere Deo.
37. Katerua is so spelled on
account of the alphabetic sequence ;
see the corresponding stanzas of 71,
89 and 120.
personat] ' cry out ' ; cp. Jer.
xxxi. 7 personate et canite et dicite.
38. deflens] 'weeping for them
as dead,' the regular use of the
word, as at Fort. IV. vi. 17 non
decet hunc igitur uacuis deflere que-
rellis ; but cp. 42. 46.
pignora] 'children,' 30. 3 note;
Carm. II. 113 trepidaeque uocant
sua pignora. fetae \ nequiquam.
39. For the exaggeration in milia
see 1. 17 note.
40. uictimam as at 24. 6 is a
collective singular, here in apposi-
tion with milia. Burmann's conjec-
ture uictimas is unnecessary.
41. lauacra] see 26. 2 note.
puri] ' cleansed ' by Christ's bap-
tism therein ; cp. the parallel pas-
sage Carm. II. 159 sanctoque li-
quentes \ corpore mundauit latices.
But as Sedul. at times copies Ju-
vencus, it is possible that he here
means 'cleansing,' cp. Juvenc. III.
680 miper lohannes, puro qui gur-
gite lauit \ sor denies populi maculas;
cp. 25. 6 note.
gurgitis is used of any great
volume of water (at 44. 6 of a flood
of light) with no idea here of a
rushing stream, though Jordan
means 'the rusher,' as is shewn
by Carm. II. 141 placidam lordanis
ad itndam, Op. ill. 7 quieti gur-
gitis.
43. peccata qui mundi tulit,
'who took upon Him the sins of the
world,' is attested by few MSS but
these the best and oldest. It is
borrowed from 4. 3 1 , and, like agnus
in 42, is of course based on Joh. i.
29. In favour of this reading is the
fact that Sedulius brings this biblical
passage into connexion with Christ's
baptism both at Carm. n. 148 f.
agnus | ecce Dei ueniens peccatum
tollere mundi, and at Op. n. 12 ecce
agnus Dei, qui tollit peccatum mundi.
cum dicit tollit, ostendit eum non
habere quod tollit, quod quidem tulit,
non ut ipse gereret sed tit ipse deper-
deret. The variant peccata quae non
detulit has on its side the great mass
of MSS, some of them fairly old. In
its favour perhaps are the phrases of
the parallel passages Carm. n. 159
ipse nihil quod per dat habens, Op.
n. 12 Dominus lesus Christ us, hu-
mani genlis delicta suscipiens non
tenuit sed fugauit. If that reading
HYMN XXXL SEDULIUS
Miraculis dedit fidem
habere se Deum patrem,
infirma sanans corpora
et suscitans cadauera.
Nouum genus potentiae !
aquae rubescunt hydriae,
uinumque iussa fundere
mutauit unda originem.
Orat salutem seruulo
nixus genu centurio ;
credentis ardor plurimus
exstinxit ignes febrium.
155
45
55
45-48 om. Ih Mk. 48 resuscitans (pro et s.) Fs Idgn Vs.
50 aqua Fv Iv. 55 plurimos Fs Vsr.
were adopted, peccata must, it ap-
pears, be taken as ace. after sustulit,
' He took away the sins.' abhiendo
would then be not strictly a gerund,
but used, as at 21. n, participially,
'washing us, not Himself.'
For tulit used as the perfect of
tollere see 4. 31 note.
sustulit] ' raised us up.'
45. fidem] 'proof,' as at 12. 14
note. For the general sense of the
stanza cp. 1. 22 f., 4. 25 f.
46. Joh. v. 36.
47. infirma] 'sick,' 'ill,' as at
Mt. x. 8 etc. sanare is also a Vul-
gate word, Mt. iv. 23 etc.
50 f. ' The water-pots redden and
the stream bidden to pour forth
wine has changed its nature.'
rubescunt] See 8. 1 7 note.
hydriae] Joh. ii. 5f., 8. 13 note.
52. unda] Cp. Carm. in. 5
mutauit laeta saporem \ unda suum
largita merttm ; Of. III. I amise-
runt aquae quod natae sttnt, aqttis
indigentes ad potum, undaque nobi-
lior facta quant genita colorem pari-
ter mutauit et nomen.
originem] ' its original nature ' ;
cp. Carm. n. 238 tarn fratres nos
esse decet nee origine carnis \ ger-
manum tractare odium ; Fort. II.
xi. 5 traxit origo necem de semine,
sed pater orbis \ purgauit medicis
crimina mortis aquis. Somewhat
similar is Jude 6 angelos uero, qui
non seruauerunt suum principatum.
The line is borrowed by (not from,
as Daniel IV. n) 91. 12.
53 f. Mt. viii. 5 f.
54. nixus genu] 'kneeling'; cp.
Ov. Met. vin. 182, Juvenc. IV. 647
tutngenibus nixi regent dominumque
salutant. We are not told in the
Gospels that the centurion knelt.
centurio is read by accent, not by
quantity.
55. Mt. viii. 13. ardor and ex-
stinxit placed thus side by side form
an oxymoron ; cp. Op. II. 35 gelidis
ardebat peridis. Probably Sedulius
has in mind 9. 2 1 hie ignis exstinguit
fidetn.
56. ignis is used of disease at
Verg. Georg. III. 566 contactos arttts
safer ignis edebat.
febrium] plural for singular. No
' fever ' is specially mentioned in the
Gospel story.
156 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
Petrus per undas ambulat
Christi leuatus dextera ;
natura quam negauerat,
fides parauit semitam. 60
Quarta die iam fetidus
uitam recepit Lazarus,
mortisque liber uinculis
factus superstes est sibi.
Riuos cruoris torridi 65
contacta uestis obstruit ;
fletu rigante supplicis
arent fluenta sanguinis.
Solutus omni corpore,
iussus repente surgere, 70
suis uicissim gressibus
aeger uehebat lectulum.
6 1 quarto Mk. 65 riuum Fv. 66 a tactu (pro cont. ) Fk. 67 fletus
Fsv Vs. rigantis Fsv Vs, rigantes Mk. supplices Mk. 68 clausit {pro
arent) Fsv Vso". 69 solutos Bb, solutis Fv, solutum Fk. languore
(pro corp.) Fk. 70 iussit Fk. 72 laeti uehebant lectulos Bb.
57. Mt. xiv. 28 f. In the parallel 65 f. Mt. ix. 20 f.
passages of both Carm. and Op. 66. contacta uestis] ' the touch
Sedulius describes the calming of of the garment. '
the tempest instead of this incident 67. Here also fletu rigante... arent
of Peter walking on the sea. form an oxymoron; cp. Carm. in.
6 1 f. Joh. xi. 123 f. posteriusque latens subitam
quarta die] 'on the fourth day' furata sahitem \ extrema de ueste
after death, Joh. xi. 39. rapit sicctsque fluentis \ damnauit
64. superstes... sibi] lit. 'surviv- patulas audaxfiducia uenas.
ing himself.' Carm. IV. 289 f. (of 69 f. Mt. ix. if. 'A man relaxed
Lazarus) postque sepulcralem tarn- in all his limbs,' being paralysed.
quant recreatus honorem \ ipse sibi 71. suis] emphatic; until then
martens et postumus exstat et heres ; he had been carried.
Ambr. de Excessu Fratris 15 quid uicissim] 'by way of change';
agam, met successor heredis? quid Carm. iv. 198 subito mundata
agam, meae uitae superstes ? Cp. uicissim \ mirantur sua membra
Prud. Perist. IV. 115 sola tu morti uiri.
propriae supersles \ uiuis in orbe', 73. carnifex] Judas is so called
Fort. Vit. Mart. \. 176 (of a dead because he brought about Christ's
man raised to life by Martin) ipse death. At Rome the carnifex exe-
iterum post se uiuens, idem auctor et cuted only slaves and foreigners, and
heres. the office was looked upon as most
HYMN XX XL SEDULIUS
157
Tune ille ludas carnifex
ausus magistrum tradere
pacem ferebat osculo,
quam non habebat pectore.
Verax datur fallacibus,
pium flagellat impius,
crucique fixus innocens
coniunctus est latronibus.
75
80
Xeromyrram post sabbatum
quaedam ferebant compares,
quas adlocutus angelus
uiuum sepulchre non tegi.
73 ludas ille Fv. 75 quaerebat Bb. 76 qui Fk 1 . gerebat Fv Mk.
80 coniungitur Mk. 82 uehebant Mk -Vs<r. corpori (pro compares) Fksv
Mk Vs(7. 83 quos Vs. adloquuntur angeli Mk. 84 sepultus W.
degrading, so that the name was the chief ingredient in the spices
one of contumely.
75. Sedulius may have in mind
Anibr. in Ps. XXXV. 14 (also of
Judas) oscula labiis ferebat, offtin-
debat uenena pectoribus ; meditabatttr
acerba supplicia, gratiae pignus
afferebat; in Ps. xxxix. 17 uene-
num infundis osculo, quo gratia
caritatis infunditur ; osculo, quod
sacrae pacis insigne est ; in Luc. X.
63 amoris pignore uulnus infigis et
caritatis ojficio sanguinem fundis et
pacis instrumento mortem inrogas ?
Hex. vi. 68 caritatis insigne con-
uertens cuT signum proditionis et
infidelitatis indicium, pacis hoc pig-
nore ttteris ad officinam crudelitatis.
Cp. Sedul. Carm. V. 66 quid socium
simulas et arnica fraude salutas.
For the general sense Ps. liv. (Iv.)
22.
77. uerax] See 17. i note.
78. Mt. xxvii. 26.
79. innocens] Cp. 1. 39.
80. Mt. xxvii. 38.
81. xeromyrrham] 'dried myrrh,'
in which condition it was exported
and sold, being originally the gum
resin from a shrub which grows in
south-west Arabia. It would be
brought by the women, Lk. xxiii.
56, xxiv. i. So Prud. Cath. XII. 71
(of the gifts of the magi) myrreus \
puluis sepulcrum praedocet. The
word xeromyrrha is not found else-
where and has caused much search-
ing of heart. Arevalus suggests
Christo myron, but surely this
would not have been thus altered in
the MSS. Huemer conjectures chiro-
myrrham or cheromyron, referring
to Corssen Aussprache II. 517 for
the accent of the newly formed
word.
82. compares] 'comrades,' an
unusual word, whence the variant
corpori.
83. Mt. xxviii. 2 f. The variant
adloquuntur angeli is a correction
due to the fact that Lk. (who alone
mentions the spices) speaks of
' two men,' xxiv. 4. Probably ad-
locutus has the further meaning of
consoling here and at 117. 17.
Ro'nsch quotes an example of adlo-
quebantur as a translation of irapa-
/j.vffoijfj.fi'oi consolabantur of Vul-
gate at Joh. xi. 31.
84. teffi] as at 36. 39, 42.
158
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
86 subditi Fks Vscr.
88 uenditos Fk.
85. Ps. xciv. (xcv.) i.
ymnis] Latin had no y, and ex-
cept in some dialects the Greek u
was always aspirated at the be-
ginning of a word, so that a liberty
had to be taken if this letter was to
take its place in an alphabetical
sequence. At the corresponding
stanzas of Hilary's second Hymn
we find Ymnos, Zelauit. This dif-
ficulty no doubt accounts for the
fact that several alphabetical hymns
do not go beyond T, as 71 and
(probably) 89.
86 f. At line 26 the angels pro-
claim the birth of God into this
world, here we are able to proclaim
the destruction of the powers of
hell.
Ymnis uenite dulcibus, 85
omnes canamus subditum
Christi triumpho tartarum,
qui nos redemit uenditus.
Zelum draconis inuidi
et os leonis pessimi 90
calcauit unicus Dei,
seseque caelis reddidit.
87 Christo Fk. triumphum nobilem Fs Vs<r.
triumpho] perhaps = cruci; cp.4.
17-
tartarum] 23. n note.
88. uenditus] viz. by Judas,
sharply contrasted with redemit.
The line is imitated at 40. 36.
89. zelum] See Wisd. ii. 24.
Cp. Prud. Hamart. 188 (of the
devil) arsit enim scintilla odii de
fomite zeli', 89. 24.
draconis] Ps. xc. (xci.) 13 con-
culcabis leonem et draconem. 12. 26
note.
inuidi] 3. 14, 5. 27 etc.
90. leonis] 32. 16.
pessimi] Note the use of the
superlative where the positive might
stand. We shall have other instances
of this, as at 40. 25, 69. 12 etc.
V. MAGNUS FELIX ENNODIUS
HYMN 32
Magnus Felix Ennodius was born at Aries A.D. 473,
but at an early age settled in upper Italy, where he
taught rhetoric. He took orders, became a deacon of
Milan, and in A.D. 513 was consecrated bishop of Ticinum
(now Pavia). In 515 and again in 517 he was sent by
pope Hormisda as ambassador to the court of Anastasius,
the emperor of the East, in order to bring about a recon-
ciliation of the eastern and western churches, in which he
was not successful. He died in 521.
Ennodius was a man of marked ability and rhetorical
power 1 , but no poet. Amongst his works are twelve
hymns, which he wrote avowedly in imitation of those by
Ambrose 2 , but by no means equal to them in merit.
They were too artificial, antithetical and difficult to come
into general use. Only one MS now extant contains them
all (Brussels 9845-7, of the IXth century), but individual
hymns of Ennodius were used in various churches, as is
shewn by the presence of one or two of them in such
hymnals as are quoted in the critical notes to the follow-
ing Ascension-hymn, lam Christus ascendit polum*
1 See Biicheler Anthol. Lat. II. i. p. 643 Florianus abbas mortnum
Ennodium laudat. facundiam non solum testatur occidens sed et oriens
miratur.
2 Ennod. Carm. I. vi. 39 can/em quae soli/us, dum plebem pasceret ore,
Ambrosius uates carmina pulchra loqni.
i6o
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
4 ruet Be.
7 exitus Icefn Vc.
Be Fls Icefn Vcos
lam Christus ascendit polum,
necauit ante funera:
letum sepultus expulit:
mors mortis impulsu ruit.
cantate factum, saecula ;
funus subegit tartarum,
uicit peremptus exitum ;
sors inde luget pallida,
6 subiecit Fl Icefn Vcos.
8 mors Be 2 lefn Vcs.
tartari Fl lefn Vc.
2. In this and the following lines
the one idea, that Christ's death has
destroyed death, is ingeniously ex-
pressed in several different ways.
How much simpler and more effec-
tive are Hilary's morte carnis quam
gerebat mortem uicit omnium, 1. 40,
and mors, te peremptam sends lege
sum tua, Drum cum cernis subdidisse
te tibi, and Ambr.'s reddalque mors
uitam nouam, 10. 24 and the lines
that follow, which Ennod. here has
in mind.
funera is plural for singular, as
often in Verg. e.g. Aen. IX. 486 nee
te tua funera mater produxi.
4. ' Death has fallen (or fell) at
the onset of death.' mortis incursu
= incursu suo or proprio. The in-
cursus would answer to the irruis
in Hil. Hymn. n. 12 Deique tota
uiui in corpus irruis,
5. The world at large is appealed
to, as at 6. 7, 38. 1,31, 39. 32.
6f. peremptus] 'one slain.'
exitus is a poor synonym for mors.
8. The identification of sors with
death, as is proved by the epithet
pallida (cp. Hor. Od. I. iv. 13 pal-
lida mors) and by the use of the
verb praesumpsit, is remarkabje ;
cp. Ennod. Carm. n. v. i Rustica,
perpetuae non te sors pallida uilae sus-
tulit, interitum nee tibi morte dedit.
Biicheler Anthol. Lat. 1336. i sors
tibi sub teneris Argentea contigit
annis ; where Schrader needlessly
conjectures mors. Other writers
constantly connect sors with the end
of life, as Sedul. Carm. iv. 130,
272, Fort. n. v. r, V. ii. 69; but
they do not -actually identify the
two things.
inde answers to unde in 9. The
use of these words to express cause
and effect is very common in late
Latin writers ; see e.g. 33. 9, Sedul.
Carm. n. 26 f. ut unde \ culpa dedit
mortem pietas daret inde salutem.
In antiphonal singing the over-
lapping of the sense from one stanza
to the next, as here and in 28, 29
below, must have been awkward.
See Bede de Arte Metrica 1 1 hym-
nos uero, quos charts alternantibus
canere oportet, necesse esl singulis
uersibus ad purum esse distinctos.
But when he goes on to say, ut sunt
omnes ambrosiani, he ignores the
fact that in some of Ambr.'s own
hymns the sense is continued from
stanza to stanza, as in the commence-
ments of 2, 3, 5 etc., though not so
markedly as in the present case.
9. praesumpsit] ' enjoyed in an-
ticipation.' Cp. Hil. Hymn. II. 15
hanc sumis ante pompam tanti proe-
lii | spntus flagella ictus cassa
harundinis ; and for the sense of
the following lines Prud. Hamart.
HYMN XXX1L ENNODIUS
161
praesumpsit unde gaudium.
escis uorator captus est, 10
est praeda raptor omnium ;
iam rete uinctum ducitur.
iacet catena in nexibus ;
serpens uenena protulit ;
mitis terit superbiam, 15
agnus leonem euiscerat.
10 escae Fl Icfn Vc. 12 rite lefn Vcos. uinctus Fl Icefn Vos.
13 catenae Icefn Vco. om. in Ic. 14 proferens Fl Icefn Vcos.
15 mites Re. teret Be, teri Vs.
Ptaef. 24 finita et ipsa est finis ex-
sortem pet ens ; Fort. 11. vii. 43 f.
hue captiita cubas, quo te regnare
put abas: \ inuailendo peris teque fu-
rendo necas. \ te tua poena premit,
tua te fera uincula torquent, \ quos
dare ius gemitus ipsa ferendo gemis .
lof. Here again the one thought
is elaborately diversified. With line
10 cp. 10. 25, with 12 cp. 10. 26.
Biicheler Antliol. Lat. 1391. i post-
qttam, mors, Christi pro nobis morte
peristi, in Domini fainulos nil tibi
iuris erit.
12. ducitur is used as at 1. 33
(note).
13. catena] Cp. 37. 15, 111. 8;
also 36. 45, Prud. Cath. XI. 47.
Perhaps the ref. is to such a passage
as Acts ii. 24, Ps. xvii. (xviii.) 6.
It is a triumph over death rather
than over Satan that E. has in
mind.
14. protulit is the reading of the
best MS, and proferens of the later
ones is in its favour. But how to take
it? Can it mean 'has cast forth'
its venom and so lost its power of
harming ? Hartel conjectured pro-
pulit, comparing Ennod. Carm. n.
vii {serpens aeneus in cruce~\ Occisor
mortis, dux uitae, planta salutis !
aspice nam serpens ecce uenena fit-
gat, | et quod supplidi species et
mortis imago \ iam fuerat miseris,
est mihi certa salus. In this case the
serpent is Christ; cp. Smith Diet.
Chr. Antiquities 1890, Ambr. de
Spir. III. 50; and propulit means
'has banished.' But line 14 seems
to be parallel to 13, and if so ser-
pens must refer to Satan, as at 26.
17 and often. Vogel suggests per-
tulit, ' has had to endure, ' cp. 31.
21, 34. 31, 38. 17. It is just pos-
sible that the writer of the Brussels
MS meant to write pertulit here, for
some MSS use the form f for per,
though it usually stands for pro ',
see Maunde Thompson Latin and
Greek Palaeography p. 224.
It will be seen that the later
copyists entirely missed the meaning
of the passage, correcting to iacet
catenae in nexibus serpens uenena
proferens. In like manner they re-
write 1 8 f. quod nostra sanctus in-
duens, \ uesteseruiabsconditns, \ nos
ad triumphum proiuhit, \ quam si e
corttscis sedibus \ reos terreret ful-
gure, | Deus patens per omnia.
15. Gen. iii. 15 ipsa conteret
caput tuum ; Levit. xxvi. 1 5 con-
teram superbiam ; Is. xxviii. 3 con-
culcabilur corona superbiae. The
line is imitated at 81. i r.
1 6. agnus i 1. 5.
leonem] 3. 14 note.
Verg. Aen. XI. 723 uses euiscerat
of a hawk tearing a dove to pieces
in order to devour it. Ambr. Hex.
V. 47 (birds of prey) praedam...uel
ore uel unguibus euiscerare.
1 62
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
plus istud est potentiae,
quod nostra, sancte, suscipis
et ueste serui absconditus
nos ad triumphum prouehis, 20
quam si e coruscis sedibus
reos terreres fulgore,
Deus patens per omnia
nullo remotus tegmine.
18 Christe (pro sancte) Be 2 , sanctus Icefn 2 Vcos, Christus In 1 , induens
(pro susc.) Fl Ifn Vcos. 19 om. et Fl Icefn Vcs. seruili ueste Vo
(seruuli u. Vs). absconditur Vo, abditus Vs. 20 prouehes Be, prouehit
Fl Icefn Vcos. 21 om. e Be 1 , haec (pro si e) Vs. 22 reos terreret
fulgure Fl Icefn (fulgore Vos), reos terreres fulgure Vc. 23 deum Fl
le. patet Be, potens Ic. 24 renatus In.
1 7 f. ' This displays more power
of Thine, that Thou, O holy one,
takest our nature and hidden in the
garb of a slave carriest us on to
triumph, than if from Thy dazzling
abode Thou shouldest scare the
guilty with Thy brightness, com-
pletely revealed to us as God sepa-
rated by no veil.'
17. est is often used in Latin, as
here, where we expect a more ex-
pressive verb.
istud has its strict connexion
with the 2nd person, which is lost
by the correction of the later MSS
reading sanctus and provehit.
1 8. Cp. Te Deum 18 tu...susce-
pisti (suscepturus] hominem, 42. 25
crucem,..suscipere. nostra in this
sense is frequent enough : e.g. Leo's
'Tome' 3 totus in suis, tolus in
nostris.
sancte is the original reading
of the Brussels MS, as sanctus of all
the others. Sanctus as an appellation
of Christ is found Acts iii. 14, 1. 37,
41. 48, 42. 61, 46. 1 6 ; cp. the like
use of hagius 41. 49, 44. 17, 84. 21.
Christe in the MS is to be regarded
as a gloss rather than as a correc-
tion.
19. serul] Phil. ii. 7.
absconditus] 'hidden,' 'dis-
guised,' possibly from Satan ; cp.
Ignat. Eph. XIX. i t\o.6tv rbv S.p-
XOVTO. TOV aluvos TOVTOV T] irapdevia
Ma/was xal 6 roKerbs avrfjs, 6/j.oius
Kal 6 OdvctTos TOV Kvptov : Commo-
dian Apol. 313 obrepsit Dominus
ueteri lalroni celatus ; Ambr. Hex.
II. 3 ut uirginitas Mariae Jalleret
principem mundi. But the reos in
22 seems to make this interpretation
of absconditus rather too definite and
restricted.
22. fulgore is a poetical form
which troubled the later copyists,
who thought that the sense of ful-
gure was wanted. Here it means
' with all thy flashing brightness ' ;
cp. 2 Thess. ii. 8.
23. It will be seen that I have
taken the patens of the later MSS,
for patet of an earlier one. If we
read patet we must put a full stop at
the end of 22, and translate 'He is
completely revealed to us as God,'
viz. by His resurrection. But this
abrupt sentence does not suit the
context.
per omnia] 'entirely,' 'in all
respects'; see 6. 31 from which
this line is imitated.
HYMN XXXII. ENNOD1US
163
sed ut iacentes erigat,
dignatus esse quod sumus,
redemit ipse ius suum,
ouem reduxit perditam
pastoris ad custodiam.
leuate portas, angeli !
intrat tremendus arbiter
maior tropaeis hostium.
28 reuixit Be.
27 redimit Be, redimens Vs.
31 intret Fl Icefn Vcos.
25. Cp. Ps. cxlv. (cxlvi.) 8 Do-
minus erigit elisos ; 38. 28.
26. Cp. 38. 23, 87. gf.
27. ' He has Himself redeemed
His own possession.' We were His
and yet He bought us back. Cp.
Sedul. Carm. in. 308 tune praedo
furens ac noxius hostis, cut possessa
diu est alieni fabrica turis...', id.
(p. 2 ed. Huemer) fabricam sui
iuris.
28. Lk. xv. 4f. The line is bor-
rowed 99. 8.
29. For the overlapping of the
sense into another stanza, see the
note on line 8.
30. Ps. xxiii. (xxiv.) 7.
29 pastores Be.
31. Intrat is more vigorous than
intret of the later MSS, and goes
better with the indicatives of 27, 28.
arbiter] prob. in the wide sense
of ' sovereign,' as there is no ref. to
judgment in the context.
32. ' greater by reason of the
trophies won from 'the enemy.' Cp.
the like abl. Hor. Od. in. v. 39
Carthago .. .altior Italiae ruinis. [It
is not improbable, however, that
hostium is only another spelling for
ostium, governed by intrat. ostium
is the Vulgate word in John x,
which would suit the allusion in
28 f.]
VI. VENANTIUS HONORIUS
CLEMENTIANUS FORTUNATUS
Venantius Honorius Clemen tianus Fortunatus, 'the
last of the Roman poets,' as Leo well describes him, was
born about A.D. 530 not far from Ravenna. In or about
his 35th year he suffered from ophthalmia and rubbed the
ailing eye with some oil from a lamp that hung before a
picture of St Martin of Tours in one of the churches of
Ravenna. This healed the eye, whereupon he resolved
to shew his gratitude by making a pilgrimage to the
saint's grave -at Tours. He travelled through Germany
and Austrasia, making friends wherever he went and
paying his hosts by poetical compliments, for he was
before everything a minstrel. At last he reached his
destination, but soon set forth once more, again as a
minstrel ' courted and caressed, high placed in hall a
welcome guest,' going from place to place through the
greater part of Gaul. Among other cities he visited
Poitiers, where queen Radegundis, wife of the brutal
Frankish king Clotaire I, from whom she had separated,
had established a convent in company with her adopted
daughter Agnes. Here Fortunatus settled down, became
the intimate friend of the two ladies, and was ordained
priest. A year or two before the close of the century he
became bishop of Poitiers, where he lived until his death,
which befel him soon after A.D. 600.
Of his great poetical gift there can be no question, in
spite of the fact that again and again he shews traces of
the decadent taste of his times. And between his best and
his worst work there is a very wide gulf. Some of his
HYMN XXXIII. FORTUNATUS 165
shorter occasional pieces, and most of his poems are of
an occasional character, are almost frivolous, while his
praises of barbaric kings and nobles indulge in exaggera-
tion and flattery. But his hymns, especially the first two
printed here, 33 and 34, rise to supreme excellence. They
combine a deep sincerity and a fervor of poetic feeling and
religious thought with high dignity, strength and skill of
expression. They are indeed models of what Christian
hymns should be. For his love of nature and his eminent
power of interpreting her various aspects see the intro-
duction to 36.
Fortunatus was highly esteemed as a poet by his con-
temporaries and by later writers. Thus Paul the Deacon
says of him de Gestis Longobard. II. 13 uerstculos, nulli
poetarum secundus, suaui et diserto sermone composuit\
and he wrote an epitaph for his tomb in six distichs, the
first two of which run thus :
Ingenio clarus, sensu celer, ore suams,
cut us dulce melos pagina multa canit.
Fortunatus apex uatum, uenerabilis actu,
Ausonia genitus hac tumulatur humo.
HYMN 33
This noble hymn was certainly written by Fortunatus,
for not only is it handed down among his collected
works, but it abounds in his characteristic thoughts and
phrases. It is in favour of this view that the hymn bears
traces of the influence of a hymn of Hilary, the pre-
decessor of Fortunatus, two hundred years earlier, in the
see of Poitiers 1 . Nevertheless some writers, as Sirmond,
Ceillier and Pimont, have given it to Claudianus Ma-
mertus, a writer of southern Gaul who lived in the middle
of the Vth century. Their grounds are these :
1 Seejourn. of Theol. Studies vol. v. p. 249.
1 66 EARLY L A TIN H YMNS
(1) Sidonius Apollinaris writing to Ma.mertus(Monum.
Germ. Ant. VIII. 56) says, lam uero de hymno tuo si
percunctere quid sentiam, commaticus est, copiosus, dulcis,
elatus, et quoslibet lyricos dithyrambos amoenitate poetica
et historica ueritate supereminet. Here there is no indica-
tion that ours is the hymn spoken of.
(2) In one MS of Gennadius' continuation of Jerome's
work de Viris Illustribus the hymn is assigned to Ma-
mertus evidently on the authority of some one copyist,
not of Gennadius. See Endlicher's edition of Mamertus
Corp. Script. Eccl. Lat. XI. p. ii scripsit et alia nonnulla,
inter quae et hymnum de passione Domini, cuius princi-
pium est Pange lingua gloriosi. A like statement is made
in a Xllth cent. MS of Mamertus.
(3) The hymn is so good that it cannot have been
written by Fortunatus or by any writer of his time. On
this point opinions differ. In any case such subjective
reasoning cannot stand against the facts of the case
which contradict it.
As to the occasion on which the hymn was composed,
for this, like the great majority of the poems of Fortunatus,
is an occasional piece, Radegundis had obtained from
the emperor Justin and his consort Sophia a fragment of
the holy Cross for her cloister at Poitiers, and she re-
quested Fortunatus to write a triumphal ode with which
to welcome the sacred relic. Gregory of Tours tells us
with what splendid and festal joy this and other relics
were welcomed in the cloister; Hist. Franc. IX. 40. So
it seems that the Pange lingua (33), the Vexilla regis
prodeunt (34), and the Crux benedicta nitet (35) were for
the first time solemnly sung on November 19, A.D. 569.
' The hymn very early came into extensive use and is
found in most mediaeval Breviaries and Missals. In the
older Roman (Venice 1478), Paris of 1643, Sarum, York,
H YMN XX XIII. FOR TUNA TUS 1 67
Aberdeen, and other Breviaries, it is appointed for use
from Passion Sunday to Maundy Thursday; stanzas
l-v being used at Mattins and vi-x beginning Lustra
sex at Lauds. In the Roman, Sarum, and other Missals
it is appointed to be used on Good Friday at the Impro-
peria,... stanza vin crux fidelis being first sung by the
clergy, or as a solo, then stanza l-vil, ix, x by the
people ; each stanza being followed by either the first or
second line of stanza vin [i.e. crux fidelis or duke lignum}.
The Sarum, York, Aberdeen and other Breviaries also
appointed stanzas Vlii-x...for the festival of the Inven-
tion of the Cross (May 3).'
The above quotation is taken from Julian p. 880,
where other interesting and valuable information is to be
found. In Leo's edition of the poetical works of Fort,
this hymn is the third poem of the second book.
Bb EahlnstvxifM Fbcefhkps/3 Gabm Hbd/3-y labcdefghnv Mi Vcs
Pange, lingua, gloriosi proelium certaminis
et super crucis tropaeo die triumphum nobilem,
i linguam Mi. gloriose Bb. 2 tropaeum Evs/u F/3 Hb/3 labceghn
Vc. triumpho Es. nobile Bb Es Fc 2 lag Mi Vc J .
i. pange] 'sing,' as at Fort. v. what the proelium consisted, is
v. 57 quod canna Dauitica pangil, what may be called an identical
40. 34, 92. 23. In this sense the gen., like 84. 5 interitu mortis, 1.
word is as old as Ennuis. 50 candore claritatis.
proelium] Cp. Hil. Hymn. II The first line of the famous Pange,
ante pompam tanti proelii. Fort, is lingua, gloriosi corporis mysterium
also thinking of Prud. Cath. IX. of Aquinas is of course imitated from
84 f. die tropaeum passionis, die this.
triumphalem crueem, \pange uexil- i. crucis tropaeo] 'the trophy of
lum, notatis quod refulgct frontibus. (i.e. consisting in) the cross.' To a
The modern Roman breviary alters Roman ear ' a trophy ' meant the
the sense by reading lauream certa- spoils carried in the triumphal pro-
minis on which Neale says (Mediae- cession (see 6. 26 note), which were
val Hymns p. 4) ' It is not to the to remind the onlookers of the vic-
glory of the termination of our tory. In a Christian procession the
Lord's conflict with the devil that cross would do this ; Fort. xi. i. 33
the poet would have us look : but crux spceies tropaei est, quod deuictis
to the glory of the struggle itself.' hostibus solet fieri triumphanti.
gloriosi. .certaminis, shewing in triumphum] In connexion with
1 68
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
qualiter redemptor orbis inmolatus uicerit.
de parentis protoplast! fraude factor condolens,
quando pomi noxialis morte morsu conruit, 5
ipse lignum tune notauit, damna ligni ut solueret.
hoc opus nostrae salutis ordo depoposcerat,
multiformis perditoris arte ut artem falleret
et medellam ferret inde, hostis unde laeserat.
4 parente Bb. facta Bb Eas/a Fe Gb Hbd labcdeghnv Vcs. 5 in
(ante morte) Ib. morsu morte Fj8, morsu in mortem En Hb 2 Ih (morsus
in m. Iv) Vs, in morsu mortem Id, morte mors occubuit Bb Gm (m. m.
hoccurruit Mi), morsu mors incubuit Fe (mortu m. i. la). 6 om. ipse
Bb, ipsum Vs. ligno Fc. turn Fk. 8 multiformi E/u. proditoris Bb
Easjit Fh Gabm H/8 Ibceghn Mi Vc. ars (pro arte) Ens/i Fhk H7 Idg l hv
Vs s . uinceret Eh.
super crucis tropaeo it would be
simplest to regard triumphum as
ydijv tirivlKiov, if any authority for
this rendering had been forthcoming.
In the absence of such authority,
we must lake it to be 'the triumph'
itself, die being used as at Hor. Od.
i. xxi. i Dianam tenerae dicite uir-
gines.
triumphum nobilem] 13. 3, 34.
28.
3. qualiter] one of Fort, 's favourite
words, e.g. at III. x. 25, xxii. 9,
xxvi. 8.
r. orbis] 23. 15.
inmolatus uicerit placed side by
side form a sharp contrast. The
victim was the conqueror. Aug.
Conf. X. 69 uictor et uictima, et
ideo tiictor, quia uictima .
4 f. ' The Creator grieving at the
harm wrought to (or ' by ') the first
man, when by the bite of the fatal
apple he fell in death, Himself even
then marked a tree, in order to
undo the damage caused by a tree.'
A legend, which Fort, appears to
have in mind here and at 34. lyf.,
told how that the cross came from
the tree in the Garden of Eden, a
shoot of which was brought out by
Adam and planted by Seth. The
tree which grew from this was
destroyed in the deluge, but a twig
of it was saved by Noah ; see Kayser
I. p. 407. Cp. Commodian Apol.
3 1 7 per quod hominem prostrauerat
morte malignus, \ ex ipso deuictus ;
ib. 323 mors f uit in ligno et in ligno
uita latebat, \ quo Deus pependit
Dominus ; Ambr. in Ps. XXXV. 3
paradisum nobis crux reddidit
Christi. hoc est lignum quod Adae
Dominus demonstrauit ; Poetae aeui
Carolini p. 78 (ed. Diimmler) Adam
per lignum mortem deduxit in orbem,
per lignum pepulit Christus ab orbe
necem.
protoplast!] Cp. 23. 22. Cp. for
the general sense Fort. x. ii. 2 habet
hoc insitum natura praeuaricatione
protoplasti parentis ad nos decursa
morte multata, ut saepe quod uix
adquiritur max linquatur ; serpentis
inueterati dens a radice sic perculit,
ut nee arbor steterit quin stirpe
mortis fixa uiuat; ib. ix. ii. if.
aspera condicio et sors inreuocabilis
horae ! quod generi humano tristis
origo dedif, cum suadens coluber
proiecit ab ore uenenum, morsu et
serpentis mors fuit Eua nocens :
sumpsit ab ipso ex tune Adam patre
terra dolorem, et de matre gemens
HYMN XXXIII. FORTUNATUS
169
i o
quando uenit ergo sacri plenitude temporis,
missus est ab arce patris natus, orbis conditor,
atque uentre uirginali carne factus prodiit.
uagit infans inter arta conditus praesepia,
Fi Hbdp' Ibcdenv Vcs a . 13 positus (pro conditus)
12 caro
E/tt Gm.
mimJns amara capit. praeuaricando
duo probro damnantur acerbo : ille
labor? dolet, haec generando gemit.
factor] Cp. 1. 8, 30. 30.
5. morte] 'in death.' Fort,
favours this abl. ; cp. carne in 12,
and 34. 3.
7. hoc opus] (used as at 10. 13)
viz. the reparation by means of the
cross of the bane wrought by the
tree of knowledge.
ordo] ' the plan.'
depoposcerat] ' had demanded '
in the everlasting counsel of the
Father. Cp. Vit. Mart. ii. 206
funeris ordo sui nostrae fuit arra
salutis.
8. arte] applied to the working of
God as Aug. Canf. iv. 24 in arte
tua ; c. Faust, xxi. 5 ars diuina.
'That by craft He might foil
the craft of the many-shaped de-
stroyer.' Satan appeared to Eve as
a serpent, and ' fashioneth himself
into an angel of light,' 2 Cor. xi. 14 ;
cp. Prud. Cath. IX. 91 quid tibi
profane serpens profuit, rebus nouis \
plasma primum perculisse ttersipelli
hor famine? Vit. Mart. ii. 132 f.
For another application of the out-
witting of Satan see Greg. Nyss.
Or. Cat. 26.
9. Inde, hostis] The hiatus is
justified by the pause, and moreover
Fort, constantly, though not con-
sistently, treats initial h as a con-
sonant, as e.g. Vit. Mart. n. 341
indicia sine hoc.
inde. ..unde] Cp. Sedul. Carm.
II. 26 ut unde \ culpa dedit mortem
pie t as daret inde salutetn ; and see
note on 32. 8. Possibly there is
(in inde, unde) also a ref. to the
locality of the cross. Ambr. in Luc.
X. 114 ipse ante in crutis locus...
supra Adae (ut Hebraei disputant)
sepulturam. congruebat quippe ut
ibiuitae nostrae primitiaelocarentur,
ubi fuerant mortis exordia.
10. plenitude temporis] Gal. iv.
4, Eph. i. 10 ; cp. Mk i. 15 'the
time is fulfilled.'
ir. missus est] Cp. Joh. iii. 17,
vi. 57 ; Ambr. in Luc. VI. 13 oboe-
diente pietate missus est in hunt
mundum ; x. i missus a Pat re, quia
descendit de caelo paternum inple-
turus arbitrium.
ab arce patris] Cp. 23. 26 ;
Fort. I. xiv. i summus in arce Dei\
v. iii. 44 regis in arce. Athanasius
de Inc. 8 and other theologians had
dwelt upon the fitness of our being
redeemed by Him who had been the
agent in our creation; cp. 36. 27
conditor atque redemptor; Diimmler
M<mnm. Germ.; Poetae lot. aeui
Carol, p. 48 ut saluaret quos creauit,
carnem nostram induit. conditor is
one of Fort, 's favourite words ; see
34. 3.
12. carne] 'in flesh'; for the
abl. cp. note on 1. 5; i Pet. iii. 18
mortificatus quidem carne \ Fort.
VIII. iii. 86 qua caro carne uenit;
also I. iii. 8. factus= l zsa. creature,'
unless indeed we are to take carne
factus as practically one word caro
factus.
I3f. The omission of this whole
stanza in some MSS may be due to a
feeling that the story of the infancy
is incongruous in a hymn celebrating
the triumph of the cross.
uagit] The wailing of the infant
Jesus is not mentioned in scripture,
but is often alluded to by Hilary,
from whom perhaps Fort, borrows
1 70 EA RL Y L A TIN H YMNS
membra pannis inuoluta uirgo mater adligat
et pedes manusque, crura stricta pingit fascia. 1 5
lustra sex qui iam peracta tempus inplens corporis,
se uolente, natus ad hoc passioni deditus,
agnus in crucis leuatur inmolandus stipite.
14 conligat Bb. 15 manus pedesq. Es Hb 2 d Idehn Mi Vcs. pangit
Fc l , cingit Est/u F/3 Gb 2 Mi Vcs, cinxit Ihv. 16 lustris E/t Hb 1 Ibcdv
Vs. peractis EM (peracti Ea) Hb 1 Idv Vs. 17 uolentem Bb Ig 1 Mi.
passione Fc (-nis Ig 1 ). 18 crucem Eh, cruce Bb Es Gb 1 !!! Hb'/3 Ibcghv
Mi Vcs, cruces Id 1 , leuatus Bb Es Gbm. immolatur Bb. stipitem En.
it. Thus de Trin. II. 24 per concep-
tionem, partum, uagit um, cunas ;
ib. 27 infans uagit, laudantes angeli
audiuntur', see Journ. of Theol.
Studies v% 430. Cp. also Cypr. Ep.
xxxi. 3 ubi sacra nati saluatoris
infantia uagierat ; Ambr. in Luc.
II. 41 me illi infanliae uagientis
abluunt fletus ; 42 infantis audis
uagitus, non audis bouis Dominum
agnoscentis mugitus; Prud. Cath.
XI. 6 1 uagitus ille exordium \ uer-
nantis orbis prodidit.
inter] ' within ' is used for infra,
the plural form praesepia lending
itself to this construction.
conditus] ' hidden.' See the note
on praesepe at 6. 29.
14 f. ' His virgin mother binds up
His body wrapped in rags, yea His
feet and hands ; the tight-drawn
swathe marks His legs.' Lk. ii. 7.
No doubt Fort, considered the
binding of the infant limbs a pre-
sage of the passion.
pannis] 'in rags.' That this is
the meaning of the word is shewn
by many passages; as Ter. Eun.
236 squalit/um, aegrum, pannis an-
nisqite obsitum ; Lact. Phoen. 19
egestas obsita pannis ; Prud. Perist.
II. 281 pannis uideres obsitos;
Alcuin de Clade Lindisfam. Mon-
ast. 104 uix panno ueteri frigida
membra tegit ; Juvenc. I. 1 56
puerum ueteri cunabula textu \ in-
uoluunt, duroque dalur praesepe
cubili. The panni are mentioned
also 38. 20, 90. 10. The panni are
constantly mentioned, as enhancing
the contrast between the real ma-
jesty and the apparent poverty.
15. manusque] The hands also
were tied in, this being the eastern
custom.
stricta] used as at 1. 42.
pingit] 'marks,' 'discolours' ; cp.
Prud. Perist. III. 144 mimbraque
picta cruore nouo \ fonte cutem re-
calente lanant; Fort. Vit. Mart. I.
238 pingit inadtiersum signum cru-
cis. The reading of the later MSS
patigit is evidently due to the avoid-
ance of what w<as found a difficulty.
fascia] Cp. Quint, xi. iii. 144
fasciis crura uestiuntur.
1 6. ' When thirty years were
now accomplished.' lustra... peracta
may be either ace. abs. (see Index)
or the words may be in apposition
with tempus. The reading of the
later MSS lustris .. .peractis is a cor-
rection. Fort, is especially fond of
expressing age by lustra, as here,
e.g. IV. viii. 29.
inplens] ' having fulfilled ' ; the
pres. part, taking the place of the
non-existent past part., as often.
An extreme case of this is .Sedul.
Carm. III. 130 moriens ubi uirgo
iacebat \ extremum sortita diem ;
see also 36. 31 cernens with the
note. Fort, does not mean to say
that Christ was crucified when just
thirty years old, but only after the
thirty years of Lk. iii. 23.
tempus corporis] i.e. His life on
earth, like Heb. v. 7 in diebus camis
H YMN XXXIII. FOR TUNA TUS 1 7 1
hie acetum, fel, harundo, sputa, claui, lancea ;
mite corpus perforator; sanguis, unda profluit, 20
terra, pontus, astra, mundus quo lauantur flumine.
19 aceto Bb E/A Fch 1 ! Gabm Hfiy Ig'h. felle Mi. sputo Es Ga. clauis
Bbst Fhi Hd Ibcgn 2 Vc. 20 mitte Es Ih Mi, cum milite Bb Gb 1 .
perforauit Fk. perfluit Et. 21 pondus Bb ML mundi Bb.
suae; corporis being a gen. of the
same kind as at 10. 14 poenam cor-
poris ; cp. 15-. jo.
17. se uolente] Is. liii. 7 oblatus
est quia ipse uoluit ; cp. Commod.
Apol. 224 et patitur quomodo uoluit.
. The abl. abs. referring to the subject
of the sentence is a construction
found in Cic. ad Fam. xvi. 26 non
poles effiigere huius culpae poenam
te patro no ; cp. Fort. I. v. 7 hie se
nudato tunica uestiuit egcnuni ; 43.
if. /
n. ad hoc] i Tim. i. 15.
18. in.Bti.pite] = tnstipitem. Fort.
is rather given to this usage, cp. e.g.
III. xvii. 8 raptus in axe leuor',
VIII. iv. 6 ducitur in thalamis.
inmolandus] The cross being the
altar, a thought more fully brought
out irt 109. 3f. ; cp. i Cor. v. 7.
The gerundive is here -equivalent to
a final clause (ut immolaretur), as
1. 1 8 occulendus (note).
19. acetum] Mt. xxvii. 48. fel,
ib. 34. harundo, ib. 30, 48. sputa,
ib. 30. claui, Joh. xx. 25. lancea,
Job. xix. 34. Cp. Fort. XI. i. 21
hinc multa prophetae, qualiter con-
fixus in cruce foratis pedibus, aceto
uel felle out uino murrato potatus,
spinis coronatus, lancea percussus ;
Hil. Hymn. n. 16 sputits, flagella,
ictus, cassa harundinis.
harundo probably refers both to
the reed with which Christ was
struck, though this was not done
at the cross itself, but neither do
we read of sputa there, and also
to that on which the sponge was
put.
sputa] Some later MSS read stupa,
by a slip in writing, though Pimont
defends it as meaning ' the sponge '
of Mt. xxvii. 48.
lancea is probably nominative,
like the. other words in the line.
But it might be abl., as some editors
punctuate : ' the gentle body is
pierced by the lance,' cp. Joh. xix.
34 unus militum lancea latus eius
apentit.
The cumulatio, i.e. a string of
words with no connecting particle,
is a favourite usage of Fort.; take
two examples out of many, n. xii.
13 car cere, caede,fame, uinclis, site,
frigore, flamtna; vi. ia. 23 lingua,
decus, uirtus, bonitas, mens, gratia
pollent ; cp. 37. 9 f.
20. sang-uis, unda] In this and
the following line, as at 34. -22, 37.
2 f., Fort, is thinking of the conse-'
cration of baptism by the cross. Cp.
77. 10 quos mundat unda, san-
guinis ; 89. 3 baptisma cruce con-
secrans ; and the prayer in the
Baptismal Service ' Whose most
dearly beloved Son, for the forgive-
ness of our sins, did shed out of His
most precious side both water and
blood.' Prud. Cath. IX. 86 hinc
cruoris Jluxit unda, lympha parte
ex altera: \ lympha nempe dot laua-
crum, turn corona ex sanguine est.
21. terra, pontus. astra] We
have had this threefold division of
the universe at 23. 6. Fort, often
mentions it, as at III. xxxiiia. 27,
IX. viii. 7, XI. ii. 3 etc., cp. 39. i.
mundus] ' the universe ' ; the
whole, of which the three preceding
words are the component parts ; cp.
13. 29 note. All things, whether
with or without life, are included, as
by St Paul, Col. i. 20.
1/2
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
crux fidelis, inter omnes arbor una nobilis,
nulla talem silua profert, flore, fronde, germine ;
dulce lignum dulce clauo dulce pondus sustinens.
flecte ramos, arbor alta, tensa laxa uiscera, 25
et rigor lentescat ille, quern dedit natiuitas,
ut superrii membra regis mite tendas stipite.
23 nullam Gb Mi. tale Es. silua talem Bb Eahnt Gam Hbd/3 Ibcdegh
(tale In) Vcs. fronde flore (frondes f. Bb) Eahn Fhi Gm Hbd Icgh, frondes
florem germinans Iv. 24 dulcem clauum Bb Fi (dulce cl. EM Fc Gb
Mi) Ga H/3, dulces clauos Ent 2 Fh/3 Hbd Icdeynv Vcs (dulce cl. Ih), dulces
claui Fk (dulce cl. Es Gm). sustines Hd-y 1 Vs, sustinent EM Fk 2 Gm,
sustinet Es Fh Ga Hb Ig'hv Mi. 26 nitescat Es Mi. 17 et (pro ut)
Bb Ga Mi. superna Bb. miti Fh Ibeg 2 n Vcs, mitte H/3 Mi, mitti Ig'v,
mittite de stipite Es, mitendas Fc, mittenda sint Fk. tendis Mi, tendat Et,
tendant Gm, extendant Bb.
22. fidelis] 'faithful,' in that this
tree did its duty, accomplished what
was expected of it, cp. the use of
the word at 34. 14, 37. 25, 38. 10.
Or it may mean that it was faithful
as opposed to the tree of knowledge
in Eden, which was treacherous.
inter omnes] arbores.
una nobilis] ' alone in thy glory, '
to be taken closely together ; cp.
Verg. Aen. I. 15, n. 426, in. 321
ofelix una ante alias.
23. nulla... silua] i.e. no ordinary
forest : this tree came from Paradise.
Perhaps Fort, has in mind Hor. Od.
I. xiv. 12 siluaejilia nobilis.
The thought works backwards
from blossom to leaf and from leaf
to bud ; and the fruit comes in the
next line (Pontius']. Or it may be
that Fort, with a distinct feeling of
the etymology of gennen ('the thing
borne,' cp. 35. 10 tarn noua poma
geris) means by it to express 'fruit';
when the order will be that of
75. 5 f.
24. dulce cl.] abl. Fortunatus
freely uses the form in -e instead of
the normal /of such adj.'s, when the
metre requires a short final syllable,
as Ovid had sparingly done before
him. Thus we have luce perenne
diem, morte perenne iacet, cruce
texile pulchra, dulce liquore sitim
etc. Cp. mite in 27.
The nails of the cross are specially
mentioned by Fort, in 19, 34. ;,
35. 7, n. iv. 40 uera spes nobis
ligno, agni sanguine, clauo.
25. flecte] 'bend,' that the ascent
may be the easier.
ramos] Fort. n. iii. 7 tensus in
his ramis, 35. 10.
uiscera] i.e. the whole of the
timber inside the bark, cp. Dracont.
de Deo \. 503 rubigo latens quae
uiscera ferri \ conrodat.
tensa laxa uiscera] ' relax thy
taut fibres.' Kayser takes tensa as
the imperative of tensare and trans-
lates ' extend thy timber into soft-
ness ' ; but this does not give so
good a sense, it introduces a spondee
where in the rest of the hymn stands
a trochee, and it invents a new verb
tensare.
26. natiuitas] 'birth,' 'nature.'
Cp. Jas. i. 23 uiro consideranti uul-
tum natiuitatis suae.
27. mite] abl., like ditlce in 24.
28. pretium saeculi] ' The ran-
som of the world ' was the death of
Christ ; here by an easy transition
it is applied to the body which
HYMN XXXIV. FORTUNATUS 173
sola digna tu fuisti ferre pretium saeculi,
atque portum praeparare nauta mundo naufrago,
quern sacer cruor perunxit fusus agni corpore. 30
28 f. saecli pretium EH Fh Gm Hb 2 Ibdghv, saecli f. pretium Hd In Vs.
29 naute (i.e. nautae) Iv Vs. mundi Ihv Vs. 30 quam Fck Hb'd Vs.
fuso Bb Gb Mi. sanguine Hb 2 Mi.
suffered death; cp. 34. 22, 36. 40, ue/is Jos nauita portum; vm. iii.
42. 28; Fort. II. x. to haec pretio 397 oplo per has fluctus animus tu
mundi stat solidata dotnus ; XI. i. Christe puberties, \ arborc et an-
26 idea Dominus in cruce suspendi- temna uelificante cruets, \ ut post
fur, ut pro captiuitate nostra pretium emensos mundani gurgitis aestus \
sui corporis mercalor in statera pen- in portum uitae nos tua dextra
saret. locet. Ambrose before him had
29. nauta is the cross itself likened the "cross to a ship de Spir.
floating over the waves of this 5. i. no lignum igitur illud cruets
troublesome world, and so forming tielut quaedam nostrae nauis salutis
a refuge, like the ark, to a wrecked uectura nostra est.
creation. The metaphor is mixed, 30. quern refers to portum, not
but Fort, is given to combining in- without reference to Exod. xii. 13,
congruous notions, of set purpose ; 23.
cp. Fort. II. iv. 25 (of the cross)
HYMN 34
Hyrnn 34, Vexilla regis prodeunt, was written for the
same occasion as 33, the introduction to which should be
consulted. It ' was thus primarily a Processional hymn,
written for use at the solemn reception of a relic of the
Holy Cross. Inspired by the occasion the poet composed
this poem of the Crucified King, one of the grandest
hymns of the Latin church, in which in glowing accents
he invites us to contemplate the mystery of love accom-
plished on the Cross. The occasion thus gives the key to
his choice of subject, and to most of the allusions through-
out the hymn.'
As to its subsequent history: 'the Sarum use was at
Vespers on Passion Sunday and daily up to Maundy
Thursday. In the Paris Brev. of 1736 it was assigned to
Vespers from Monday in Passion Week up to Maundy
Thursday. In the present Roman Brev. it is used at
Vespers on the Saturday before Passion Sunday, and up
174
to Maundy Thursday, and also on the Festival of the
Invention of the Cross (May 3); and in the present
Roman Missal it is appointed to be sung on the morning
of Good Friday, after the ceremony of the Adoration of
the Cross, and during the time that the acolytes are
censing the reserved sacrament.' The above quotations
are taken from the Rev. J. Mearns' excellent notice of
the hymn in Julian p. 1220.
EacdhjlstvxS7;/i0 Fdfhikmps/3 Gam Habcdefghm labcdefghnv Mm Vcs
Vexilla regis prodeunt,
fulget crucis mysterium,
quo carne carnis conditor
suspensus est patibulo.
2 fulge E5 Ih, fulgens Vs 1 , fulgent Ed. mysteria Ed. 3 qua Edt 2
Ga Hd Ig. 4 patibulum EcS, in patibulo Hh.
i. uexilla sunt signa militaria
principum et regum, quae in hello
eriguntur, ubi manus conseruntur
cum hostibus. hand aliter insignia
sacra passionis Domini nostri (ut
fiagella, corona 'spinea, crux, claui,
lancea) sunt eius uexilla (Client.).
See 6. 15 (note), 42. 36, Minuc.
Felix Octauius xxix. 7 nam et
signa ipsa et cantabra et uexilla
castrorum quid aliud quam inaura-
tae cruces sunt et ornatae? Prud.
Psych. 347 uexillum sublime crucis.
i. fulget] in the literal sense,
says Kayser, because adorned with
gold and jewels. No doubt on the
occasion for which the hymn was
written the cross was thus adorned,
but the blaze here is the blaze of
glory, as at Prud. Cat A. IX. 84
pange uexillum, notatis quod re-
fulget frontibus ; Sedul. Carm. I.
337 en signo sacrata crucis uexilla
coruscant ; id. Op. I. 30 ecce sacrata
crucis uexilla iam radiant.
crucis mysterium] the mystery
consisting in the cross, i.e. the cross
so full of meaning to a Christian.
3. quo] 'whereby,' or 'wherein,'
referring back to mysterium.
carne] ' in the flesh ' ; cp. 33. 5,
12 (notes).
4. patibulo] a yoke shaped some-
what like the letter Y, placed on the
back of criminals, to the arms of
which their arms were tied for them
to carry it to the place of execution ;
cp. Plaut. Miles 359 f. credo ego istoc
exemplo tibi esse pereundum extra
portam, \ dispessis manibus patibu-
lum quom habebis. Fort, did not
know it as a punishment in use,
any more than we do. It is treated
as a practical synonym of crux. The
i of patibulo is lengthened by the
stress of the accent. Some hymnals
have instead of suspensus etc. the
line sententiam nostrum tulit, which
Neale's version has popularized in
England.
5. ' Here the victim, His body
pierced by nails, stretching out His
hands, His feet, was sacrificed.'
confixa agrees with hostia, uiscera
is the ace. of the part affected.
uiscera] 'the body,' cp. Fort.
I. ii. 17 quo ueneranda pit re-
quiescunt uiscera Petri; 15. 17,
33. 25.
6. tendens manus] n. iii. 7 cum
HYMN XXXIV. FORTUNATUS 175
confixa clauis uiscera, 5
tendens manus, uestigia,
redemptionis gratia
hie inmolata est hostia.
quo uulneratus insuper
mucrone dirae lanceae, 10
ut nos lauaret crimine,
manauit unda, sanguine.
inpleta sunt quae concinit
Dauid fideli carmine,
dicendo nationibus : 1 5
'regnauit a ligno Deus.'
5-8 om. Eaxfj. Ha Ibghv, eras. Ev Gm. 8 om. hie Ed. hec Vs.
inmolatus Ecdt. om. est Es Gm Mm. 9 quod la. uulneratur Edt.
10 de dirae Ev. 11 lauare Ig, saluaret Ib. 12 et s. Et Fkm Ga
HbMm ladeg'v Vs, ex s. Ec 2 jl ! v5. 13 cecinit Ehl Fdi/3 Hah Mm.
14 fidelis Ex/x0 Gm Hacdefg Id-hn, fideles Es. 15 dicendo in Ex 1 ,
dicens in Esx 2 /*^ Gm Hd 2 f Ig j hv.
plantis bracchia pandens ; Fort. XI.
i. 23 expandens autem manus ad
poptilos [quia adeptus est] palmam de
terrenis. The phrase perhaps comes
from John xxi. 18 ; but wherever a
similar phrase occurs (e.g. Is. Ixv. 2)
the early Christians naturally applied
it to our Lord on the cross. Ambr.
in I. in. x. \\out non sibi soli, sed
omnibus uinceret, mantis extendit,
quo omnia traheret 'ad se ', in Ps.
CXVin. xiii. 19 nobis quoque ex-
pandit manus suas lesus... cruets
eius protegimitr uelamento.
uestigia] 'feet,' as at 40. 12, cp.
13. 13 note.
8. inmolata] 33. 18 note, and
24. 7 note.
9. quo (sc. patibulo) . . . insuper]
' whereon.' It carries on the hie.
insuper with the abl. often follows
the word it governs ; as Vitr. x. 2 1
quo insuper conlocata erat materies.
ii f. 'to cleanse us from guilt He
shed forth water and blood.' Joh.
xix, 34, cp. 33. 20 note. The ab-
sence of any connecting particle is
so much in Fort.'s manner (cp. 33.
19 sanguis, untfa, 34. 6 manus,
uesligia ; and the note on 33. 19)
that although many of the best MSS
here insert et, I have omitted it
with other good MSS.
13 f. ' Fulfilled is now what
David sang in truthful strain, telling
the nations (or ' Gentiles ') : God
hath reigned from the tree.'
14. fideli] 'faithful to the truth,'
as at 23. 21.
15. dicendo] for this abl. gerund
see Index.
1 6. regnauit] The cross is not
only an altar (33. 20 note), but a
throne. For the general sense cp.
4. 17.
a ligno] These words are not
found in the Vulgate of Ps. xcv.
(xcvi.) 10, but they are in certain
MSS of the Old Latin version. 'ArA
tfXov is found in one ancient MS of
the LXX (see Swete ad loc.}, and
Justin Martyr Apol. I. 41, and
1 7 6
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
arbor decora et fulgida,
ornata regis purpura,
electa digno stipite
tam sancta membra tangere. 20
beata, cuius bracchiis
pretium pependit saeculi !
statera facta est corporis
praedam tulitque tartari.
17 om. et Es/u. Ib Vc. 19 electo E5, elata Fk la. digna Ecjv Ig.
22 saecli pep. pretium Easx^^> C-m Hacefg Ighnv Mm, pep. saecli pretium
Ib. 23 om. est Edlsv/* Fm Iad j g Vcs. 24 praedamque tulit Eachjx^
Fm Hacefgh Iv Mm Vs, que ( = quae) praedam t. In. tartans Eax He
Vc, tartaro Ed Hd 2 .
It was made a balance for His body
and bore away the prey of hell.'
22. pretium saeculi] Cp. 33. 28
note.
23. Fort, compares the cross to
a balance at xi. i. 26 (quoted above
on 33. 28); at Vita Mart. n. 337
inque cruets trutina pretii numis-
mata pensans, and at Laus Mariae
1 70 in cruce pensandus.
24. -que follows the phrase
praedam-tulit , which is regarded as
one word ; it follows the third word
of its clause at in. xii. 31. Even
classical poets sometimes use que
late in the sentence; e.g. Tibull. n.
v. 72 muttus ut in terras deplue-
retqiie lapis.
tartari] Cp. 23. n note. Fort,
freely uses the nomenclature of
classical mythology, as e.g. X. i. 21
ob hoc euacuauit tartaros, ut repleal
caelos. He goes further still in
places, see vi. i. 36 f.
25. fundis has its last syllable
lengthened by the stress of the
verse.
aroma is a generic name for
' spices,' some of which exude as
gum from trees. Here it indicates a
spicy odour corresponding to the
dielicious taste of nectar ; cp. Fort,
v. i. i nares ipsas aromate respi-
rante suffiuit\ VJI, xii. 38 gratius
Dial. 73 quotes the passage with
airb TOV |tf\oi/ ; and so Tert. c. Mar-
cion. in. 19 age mine si legist i penes
Dauid : Dominus regnauit a ligno ',
Commodian ApoL 291 in psalmis
canitur : Dominus regnauit a ligno.
Sabatier ad loc. gives many other
references to Latin authors. For
liturgical texts which contain the
words see Julian p. 1220.
ijf. arbor] see 33. 22. For the
legend as to the tree of which the
cross was made see 33. 4 note.
1 8. The purple is that of the
blood which consecrated the tree as
a throne ; cp. Paul- Nol. Carm.
xxvii. 89 cruce pur pur ea pretiosi
sanguinis ostro ; Sedul. Carm. V.
287 purpureus cruor el simul unda
cucurrit. It is not of the purple
hangings of the processional cross
(as Kayser suggests) that the poet
is thinking ; cp. 2 note.
19. electa] Cp. Prud. Perist.
vni. i electus Christo locus est',
Fort. II. iv. 21 arbor... electa ut
uisu, sic e cruets ordine pulchra.
The full force of the word is to be
tot from 33. 6. The tangere may
epend upon electa, rather than
upon digna, or upon both words in
common. Cp. 33. 28.
21. ' O blessed tree, on whose
arms hung the ransom of the world !
HYMN XXXIV. FORTUNATUS 177
fundis aroma cortice, 25
uincis sapore nectare,
iocunda fructu fertili
plaudis. triumpho nobili.
salue ara, salue uictima
de passionis gloria, 30
qua uita mortem pertulit
et morte uitam reddidit.
25 fundens Ecdlt Hb Ice Vc. aromata cortex Ga. 26 uincens Ecd.
saporem Ecdt 2 5 Ice Vcs (soporem El In), nectarem Et 2 , nectara Hm 2 ,
nectaris El. 27 fecunda Ecdlt 2 . 28 portas El. triumphum EH 1
Ga Hm Vs. nobilem Ecdl Vs, nobile Ga. 29 salua Ga. 30 hostia
Ga. 31 praetulit E5. 32 pro (pro et) Edl. morti la.
aura fluens quant spiret aroma
Sabaeum, uincens quae pingtds
balsama silua reflaf, ib. 120 sua-
uiits et recreat quam quod aroma
reflat ; Laus Mariae 354 uincis
aromaticas mentis odore comas.
cortice] Fort. n. iv. 27 (of the
cross) arbor dulcis agri, rorans e
cortice nectar.
26. Nectar was the drink of the
old Greek gods on Olympus, nec-
tare is a collateral form of nectar,
apparently invented by P'ort. for the
sake of the metre : similar forms
used by him are calcis for calx, cotis
for cos, ducis for dux and others,
as Ennius has lacte for lac. Cp.
ttespere 18. 5. The 2nd hand of one
St Gall IXth cent. MS reads nectara,
plural ; an obvious correction.
27. iocunda] ' rejoicing,' as if the
cross were endowed with life and
thought.
fructu] Cp. 33. 23 note, 35.
10.
fertili may be translated ' rich,'
' abundant,' but is really an epithet
transferred from the tree which
bore the fruit to the fruit itself; cp.
35. 9.
28. plaudis] ' thou clappest thy
hands,' a metaphor taken from Ps.
xcvii. (xcviii.) 8 flitmina plaudent
manu ; or perhaps from Is. Iv. \i
et omnia ligna regionis plaudent
manu. \itriumphum nobilem were
better supported it might be Fort.'s
original, in which case plaudis
would be transitive.
For triumpho cp. 33. 2 note.
29. ara] of the cross, see 33. 18
note.
30. ' on account of the glorious
passion,' this being both the cause
and the subject of the salutation,
X. i. 60 de culpa uapulat.
31. uita] He who is the life of
the world ; cp. 8. 3, 10. 27 etc.
pertulit is used as at 31. n,
38. 17.
A different ending to the hymn,
crux aue, sfes unica etc., is
given in some uses. See Julian tit
sup.
178 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
HYMN 35
The following lines were no doubt written for the same
purpose as 33 and 34 ; see the introduction to 33. They
are more carefully composed than most of Fortunatus'
elegiacs and form an excellent hymn. Trench (on what
authority I know not) says : ' These lines are only a
portion of a far longer poem.' But, though indeed in a
very few MSS certain couplets follow, these are not
genuine and were evidently written by someone who
failed to see that they spoilt the effect of the fine close of
the hymn. The interpolated distichs begin thus :
Gloria magna deo magnalia tanta patranti,
qui tarn mir a facit gloria magna deo.
The MSS which contain some or other few of these verses
are, I believe, the so-called Severinian MSS at Paris and
in the Vatican ; Cassino 506 Q ; Bodl. Douce 222 ; Capit.
Mutin. O I n. 7 ; Vat. Urbin. 585. Leo did not come across
the verses in his more ancient codd., and does not mention
them.
Et Fc Hbdm Idf Vcs
Crux benedicta nitet, dominus qua carne pependit
atque cruore suo uulnera nostra lauit :
mitis amore pio pro nobis uictima factus
traxit ab ore lupi qua sacer agnus cues :
4 quas Hb 2 d.
i. crux... nitet] Cp. 34. 2. 88. 27. Leo here reads lauat, and
carne] Cp. 33. 12, 34. 3. at Appendix II. 60 (p. 277) qua
i. uulnera] Cp. 19. 16. Christus dignans adsumpta in carne
lauit] Cp. 33. 21, 34. n. Coming pependit \ atque cruore suo uulnera
between pependit and traxit it is no nostra lauit, he says that lauit is
doubt perfect, and in a classical not perfect.
poet the a would be long. But Fort. 3f. 'Where the sacred Lamb,
gives himself much metrical licence, made a gentle victim for us in his
writing deffcerit i. vi. 20, effiigit kindly love drew the sheep from the
(perfect) I. xvi. 39, petebatur v. iii. wolf's mouth.'
30 ; cp. also fiigit 36. 48, deiecit 4. The wolf and sheep are con-
HYMN XXXV. FORTUNATUS
transfixis palmis ubi mundum a clade .redemit
atque suo clausit funere mortis iter.
hie manus ilia fuit clauis confixa cruentis,
quae eripuit Paulum crimine, morte Petrum.
fertilitate potens, o dulce et nobile lignum,
quando tuis ramis tarn noua poma geris,
cuius odore nouo defuncta cadauera surgunt,
et redeunt uitae qui caruere diem.
5 transfixus Vc, transfixit Et If. palmas Et If Vc. ibi Hbr.
quae Vc. 1 1 huius Hb 1 .
179
10
8 on i.
stantly mentioned by Fort., as at
II. iii. 5 f. quaeque lupi fuerant
raptoris praeda ferocis, \ in cruce
restituit uirginis agnus oues.
qua is misplaced, as to a less
degree is ubi in 5. It may either be
a conjunction, 'where,' correspond-
ing to ufo, or the abl. of the relative,
' on which.'
5. The first half of the line
almost recurs V. v. 59 in cruce
transfexus palmis pedibusque pe-
pendit. For the rhythm cp. vi. v.
71 extensis palmis.
clade] ' destruction ' ; cp. Hii.
Hymn. ill. 10 inter tanta dum ex-
sullat nostrae cladis funtra ; Sedul.
Carm. in. 45 populos a clade leua-
uit.
6. For the phrase 'clausit iter cp.
Prud. Nol. Epist. XLIII. 7 cum
hiems nauigationem et itinera clau-
deret metus.
mortis iter occurs at Pro pert. iv.
vii. 2, Fort. i. ii. 16, 36. 34.
7. clauis] 33. 24 note.
8. The rescue of Paul from un-
belief in Acts ix, of Peter from
prison in Acts xii. The elision of
quae is very harsh.
9. The rhythm f. p. comes from
Verg. Aen. XI. 340 seditione potens
and is repeated by Fort, at iv. xxi.
7, VII. xiv. ii ; cp. VIII. i. 35 pau-
per tate potens.
10. ' Seeing that on thy boughs
thou bearest fruit so rare.' quaniio
is one of Fort.'s favourite words, as
at 33. 10, and is used in a causal
sense X. vii. 67, Vit. Mart. \\. 57,
212, iv. 144. Here it explains yfcr-
tilitate. Cp. 33. 22 ff., 34. 27.
ramis] of the arms of the cross,
as at II. iv. 28 ramis de cuius uitalia
crismata surgunt.
tarn noua is an unusual phrase ;
and possibly (as Leo suggests) noua
may be a mistake for bona, the
copyist of the archetype of our MSS
letting his eye rest on nouo in 11.
But nottus is one of Fort.'s especial
words, see V. ii. 2, 32, v. 100 etc.
Cp. III. ix. 92 atque uetus uitium
purgat in atnne nouo.
11. cuius odore nouo recalls i.
viii. 13 huius amore nouo.
odore] Cp. n. v. 10 (of the cross)
dulce mihi lignum, pie mains odore
rosetis; 34. 25.
nouo probably means 'unknown
until now' ; 6. 30, 12. 2, 31. 49.
defuncta] Cp. Verg. Georg. iv.
475 defunctaque corpora uita \ Fort.
X. vi. 59 o uox sancta, loqui de-
functa cadauera cogens.
1 2. uitae may be gen. after diem,
' who have lost the light of life ' ;
cp. [Verg.] Ciris 296 diem . . .prodii-
cere uitae. But it is probably dat.
after redeunt, as at V. v. 62 quod
rediil caelis, testis et ista dies. Cp.
X. vi. 1 1 9 ducere qui meruit de
morte cadauera uitae, xi. 15 qui pie
restituit defuncta cadauera uitae.
The reference is not only to Mt.
xxvii. 52, but also to the quickening
1 86
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
nullum uret aestus sub frondibus arboris huius,
luna nee in nocte sol neque meridie.
tu plantata micas, secus est ubi cursus aquarum, 15
spargis et ornatas flore recente comas.
13 uret nullum Id. exuret nullos (pro n. u. aestus) If Vc. aestum Et.
16 odoratas (pro et orn.) If Vc. micante Vs.
of those of whom Christ was the
first-fruits.
caruere] Cp. Verg. Georg. iv. 472
umbrae .. .simulacraque luce caren-
tum ; Prud. Cath. ix. 46 sole iam
quarto carentem. But in Symm. I.
291 luce carentes has another mean-
ing..
diem] ' the light of day ' ; as in
Sedul. Cartn. ill. 104 filia clauso
functa die. The ace. after careo is
found two or three times in Plautus,
and in like manner Fort, has IV. xi.
i&fruituruultum, ix. ii. 127 utentes
pal lam.
13, 14 come from Ps. cxx. (cxxi.)
6 per diem sol non uret te : neque
luna per noctem ; Rev. vii. 16 nee ca-
det super illos sol, neque ullus aestus.
nullum = neminem . Fort, (like
Prud. 30. 3 note) does not distin-
guish between the two words. Cp. I.
xxi. 34 nullus arare potest, V. vi. 9
quam inter omnes litteram medi-
tullio conlocarem, quae sic reciperet
omnem ut offenderet neminem.
Fort, lengthens the short final of
uret before a vowel, also of uitis in
1 7, and offundis at 34. 25, as Verg.
before him had written peteret in-
concessos. And he could so easily
have said uret nullum, that it looks
as if he had lengthened the syllable
of set purpose.
noctem is better supported than
nocte, but probably came in from
the wording of the psalm. Fort, is
given to rhyming the two halves of
a pentameter, doing so in 1092 out
of the 3774 possible cases ; so that
he is more likely to have lengthened
the e of nocte than to have misused
in noctem, which should mean 'at
nightfall.' In like manner many
good MSS at 6. 17 read procedens
and at 31. i ortu, in both cases in-
fluenced by the psalm referred to.
mfiridie is scanned meridie ; not
necessarily that Fort, did not know
the classical quantities ; but that he
wished to use a word which without
taking such a liberty lie could not
fit into a pentameter. Similarly he
has dnachSreta, ceremonia, er/mus,
ecclt?sia, Mresis (ll. ii. 29), but eccle-
sia I. xvi. 34, 44, haeresis III. xv.
25, when it suits his purpose. The
old metrical system based on the
quantity of syllables was dying out,
the new rhythmical system based on
accentuation was coming in ; cp.
Trench p. 9 f.
15. Ps. i. 3 et erit tamquam lig-
num, quod plantatum est secus de-
cursus aquarum, quodfructum suum
dabit tempore suo. We have the
word plantare at 56. 7, Fort. ix. ii.
121 and often in Vulg.
micas] like nitet in i ; or perhaps
it is of the fluttering of the leaves.
Cp. 36. 12.
secus. ..ubi] 'hard by which';
secus being a preposition, as in the
psalm ; here governing the unex-
pressed antecedent of ubi. The
adverb secus has quite another
meaning, ' apart ' or ' otherwise.'
In the time of the grammarian
Charisius the use of secus as a prep,
was nouum et sordid-urn. It is used,
however, by Cato, and is found in
inscriptions, as C. I. L. in. 6418
hie est occisus secus Titum flumen.
It is used by Jerome and Gregory
of Tours.
1 6. comas] 'foliage.' The idea of
spargis appears to be that the tree
showers its beneficent leaves upon
HYMN XXXVI. FORTUNATUS 181
appensa est uitis inter tua bracchia, de qua
dulcia sanguineo uina rubore fluunt
1 8 sanguinea If Vc.
those who take refuge under it, ex illo botryone peregrine, qui sicut
perhaps with a reference to Rev. xxii. utia de uiti, ita ille in came crucis
2. Cp. Passio S. Perpetuae n qua- pependit e ligno. Cp. Niceta p. 4
rum folia cadebant sine cessatione. (ed. Burn) dulcedo te saeculi de-
ll- 'The cross as the tree to which lectat? magis ad crucem Christi
the vine is clinging and from which conuertere, uf eius uitis, qnae in
its tendrils and fruit depend, is a crtue pependit, dulcedine recreeris;
beautiful weaving in of the image of Sedul. Carm. v. 216 (of the im-
the true Vine with the fact of the penitent robber) ore uenenaio uitem
Crucifixion. The blending of one lacerabat amoenam.
image and another comes perhaps appensa est is probably an ex-
yet more beautifully out, though not ample of a pass. part, in a medial
without a certain incoherence in the sense. Cp. Fort. IX. ix. 42 rupibus
images, in that which sometimes adpensis pendet et ipse legens, where
appears in ancient works of Christian Fort, uses it in the sense of a very
Art, namely, Christ set forth as favourite word of his pendulis.
Lamb round which the branches of uina] plural, partly for the sake
a loaded vine are clustering and of the metre, as at 91. 16. So Verg.
clinging.' Trench p. 133. Ambr. uses the word in the plur. 16 times,
de Fide I. 135 poculum nouum de the sing, seven times. Draeger 5.
caelo delafum in terram, expressum 18. rubore] see 8. 17 note.
HYMN 36
We have here a notable example of hymns of the
widest use being made out of a poem. For 36 is an
extract from the longest out of several poetical epistles
addressed by Fortunatus to Felix bishop of Nantes. In
it he dwells with much poetical force and with deep
religious feeling upon the beauty of spring, which has
come in her gayest attire to greet her risen Lord.
In this poem and in other like vivid pictures of the
awakening of nature in spring, see especially VI. i and
vi, VIII. vii, IX. iii, Fortunatus displays his powers at their
best. Not only does he give a brilliant view of the external
aspect of things, but he endows nature with a soul, much
as a modern poet might. No writer has with truer insight
and keenerobservation pourtrayed heroutburst of rejoicing
after the winter of her discontent than Fortunatus has
182 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
done in this poem. Each verse brings a fresh trait, a new
point of beauty and of exultation, and all this rejoicing
is brought into connexion with the resurrection of Christ.
We may compare Ambr. in Luc. X. 34 hieme arbores
uentus suo honore dispoliat et asperitas frigoris teneras
frondes in speciem mortis interficit ; uere autem resurgunt
semina et tamquam noua aestas naturae uiridantis adolescit.
iiere pascha est, quando seruatus sum.
From this poem (in. ix in Leo's edition and consisting
of 1 10 lines) many centos were made in various churches
to serve as processionals for Easter, Ascensiontide, and
Whitsuntide, each beginning with line 23 Salue festa dies,
toto uenerabilis aeuo : to say nothing of hymns for other
days, which in many cases took little or nothing from
the poem of Fort, except this opening line. Chevalier
(Repertorium II. 506 f., III. 552) notes more than thirty
hymns which begin therewith. See Daniel I. 161, II. 181 f.,
IV. 143, V. 205 ; Dreves Analecta L. 76 f., where the whole
poem is printed and much information as to the use of
several of the centos is given.
Et Hm
Tempora florigero rutilant distincta sereno
et maidre poli lumine porta patet.
altius igniuomum solem caeli orbita ducit,
qua uagus oceanas exit et intrat aquas.
4 qui Et.
i. florigero] perhaps first used sereno] 'fair weather,' as at 22.
by Sedul. Carm. II. 2. Such pic- 5 ; cp. 10. 2 (note),
turesque adj.'s as this and igni- i. 'The gate of heaven' is the
nomum in 3 are especially found sky; cp. Verg. Georg. III. 261 porta
in late writers, though Lucr. III. ri tonat caeli \ Lact. Phoen. 2 qua
\\zsflorifer. Other like adj.'s used patet aeterni maxima porta poli;
by Fort, are aestifer, altithronus, Fort. n. vii. i ianua celsa poli terra
altiuolans, blandifluus, falsiloquax, piilsante patescit.
flammicremus etc. See 27. 8 note 3. caeli orb.] 'his track through
and also Draeger I. p. xf. heaven.'
distincta] Cp. [Verg.] Cul. 70 4. uagus] 'in his swift course.'
distincta coloribus arua. So Catull. LXIV. 271 uagi.. .salts ; ib.
H YMN XXX VI. FORTUNA TVS 183
armatus radiis elementa liquentia lustrans 5
adhuc nocte breui tendit in orbe diem,
splendida sincerum producunt aethera uultutn,
laetitiamque suam sidera clara probant.
rus gaudens uario fundit munuscula fetu,
cum bene uernales reddidit annus opes. 10
mollia purpureum pingunt uiolaria campum,
prata uirent herbis et micat herba comis.
5 armatis Et Hm.
6 urbe Et.
10 reddit Hm.
LXIII. 86/Vafe uago, 'with speeding
foot ' ; Hor. Sat. I. viii. 2 1 uaga
luna ; 76. 8 itagos recurstts sideriim.
oceanas] ' of ocean,' which for
the ancients was a great sea en-
compassing the earth, what Ambr.
Hex. v. 28 calls ultra orbis terra-
ruin terminos mare, quod nullae in-
terpolant insulae, nee terra aliqua
interiacet uel tilterius u(la sit posita ;
and the sun rose from it and set in
it ; cp. Verg. Aen. IV. 1 29 oceanum
interea sttrgens Aurora reliquit, cp.
27. 3 note. For the form of the adj.
cp. Caes. Bell. Gall. III. 7, Fort.
VII. xii. 56 mare oceanum. Fort,
has similar forms Khodanas aquas,
Alexandra* urbis, Romula regna.
The accus. after exire is of course
quite classical.
5. armatus radiis] The sun's
rays are likened to darts, as at 21. 6.
liquentia] 'clear.'
6. adhuc... tendit] 'The night is
short and he stretches out the day
still further.' This sense of adhuc is
often found in the later Latin ; e.g.
Plin. Epist. vin. vii. i ego adhuc
Saturnalia extendo. adhuc is a
spondee as at Fort. I. xx. 23.
7. sincerum] ' unmixed with
clouds,' 'bright'; cp. vi. i. 26
sincere lumine.
producunt] as at vn. vi. i Lucifer
ut nitidos producil in aethera uultus.
aetheraj neuter plural, a late
usage ; cp. Vit. Mart. ii. 345
tenuata per aethera lapsus ; III. 424
longinqua per aethera tranat ; 39. i .
Just so Fort. ix. i. 141 aero, temperie
faueant tibi.
8. clara] i.e. by their brilliance ;
note the emphasis laid on the adj.
9. rus gaudens is found in all
liturgical MSS, but the original text
of Fort, is terra fauens. He has in
mind Verg. Eel. iv. 18 nullo mu-
nuscula cultu . . . tellus . . .fitndet.
fetu] Verg. Georg. II. 390 largo
pubescit uineafetu.
10. bene as often in Fort, (see
Leo p. 393) has lost its special sense
as the adv. of bonus ; but this usage,
borrowed from the language of con-
versation, is found in several writers,
as Plautus, Terence, Cicero's Epis-
tles and others. Cp. Lucr. V. 706
plena bene lumine fulsit, and the
French bien. It is not to be taken
with uertiales, but with reddidit opes.
11. mollia... uiolaria] Verg. Eel.
V. 3 8 pro titolli uiola; ib. II. 50 mollia
itaccinia.
purpureum perhaps refers to the
colour of the violet, though the
word is often used by poets in the
sense of ' bright,' ' gleaming.' Thus
Verg. Eel. v. 38 applies it to the
white narcissus (cp. Georg. I. 405),
Horace to swans, Albinouanus to
snow ; and Fort. vi. vi. i has hie
uer purpureum, which comes from
Verg. Eel. IX. 40.
pingunt] ' pick out, ' see 27. 6 note ;
or perhaps ' paint,' the exact force
depending on the sense of/// rpureum
here. A like question arises at 76. 3.
12. herbis does not mean ' wild
1 84
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
paulatim subeunt stellantia lumina florum,
arridentque oculis gramina tincta suis.
ecce renascentis testatur gratia mundi
omnia cum domino dona redisse suo.
namque triumphanti post tristia tartara Christo
undique fronde nemus, gramina flore fauent.
legibus inferni oppressis super astra meantem
laudant rite Deum lux, polus, arua, fretum.
13 stillantia Et Hm.
flowers,' as it does at I. xviii. 4
fragrat odoriferis blandior herba
comis ; VIII. vi. 7 inter odoriferas
tamen has quas misimus herbas, \
pnrpureae uiolae nobile germen ha-
bent. As the second half of the line
probably refers to the waving of the
long grass (cp. I. xx. 14 fluctuat
herba comis), herbis here means
'grass.' At xi. xx. r me pascitis
herbis it means ' salads. ' With mi-
cat, comis cp. 35. 15, 16 above.
13. paulatim] of the gradual
growth of flowers and plants ; cp.
Verg. Eel. iv. 28 molli paulatim
flauescet campus arista.
stellantia] ' star-like.' Lucr. and
Verg. and others use the word of
the nightly heavens, Ovid Met. i.
723 gemmis caudam stellantibus im-
plet of the ' eyes ' on a peacock's
tail. For the MS spelling stillantia
cp. note on destricto 24. 18.
14. arrident] So Vergil speaks
of ' the smiling acanthus,' Eel. IV.
20. Cp. Ps. Ixiv. (Ixv.) 14.
gramina are the grassy fields, as
in 18, and the ocuti the flowers.
15. renascentis] The birth is a
long process still going on ; but the
fact that it has begun is a symbol
that the resurrection has restored all
good things.
gratia] ' beauty,' cp. Fort. viu.
viii. 1 5 g ratiajlo rum, 127. 4.
17. post... tartara] i.e. after His
sojourn in Hades. Fort, is fond of
this pregnant use of post', cp. III.
ix. 85 post tartara carne resumpta ;
IV. vi. 17 post tenebras mundi quern
tenet aula poli, ib. xiv. 4, xxvi. 143 ;
VII. xxi. 9 post Italas terras, ' after
their stay in Italy'; so 1. 19 post
Herodem, 38. 3. For the general
sense cp. viu. vii. 3 f. tempore
uernali, Dominus quo tartara ui-
cit, | surgit aperta suis lactior herba
comis, IX. iii. For tartara cp. 23.
ii note.
18. fauent] 'smile upon,' 're-
joice with,' cp. Fort. I. xviii. 14 et
fauet auctori uiuificata suo. At IX.
iv. 14 perpetui regni se fauet arce
frui= ' rejoices.'
19. legibus inferni] 'the reign
of hell.' Cp. 35 infernae...legis ;
Propert. v. xi. 3 infernas leges ;
Sedul. Carm. IV. 286 mortisque
profundae \ lex peril. Fort, has
caught up with vigour Hilary's
repeated reference to ' the law of
death ' ; see Hil. Hymn. n. 23
mors, te peremptam sentis lege cum
tua\ III. 27 scit terrenam subiacere
mortis legi originem; Fort. II. xvi.
125 desponsata uiro mortali lege
iacebat ; x. xi. 8 infernae legis rum-
pere nincla potens.
super astra] Fort, is especially
fond of thus denoting heaven ; cp.
e.g. VII. xii. 48 ac terris recubat
quod super astra uolet, lines 24, 52,
39. 27. This reference to the Ascen-
sion in an Easter poem is explained
by the fact that the resurrection was
the pledge of the ascension, see
Joh. xx. 17.
meantem] 'going,' a rarer verb
H YMN XXX VI. FOR TUNA TUS
185
qui crucifixus erat Deus ecce per omnia regnat,
dantque creator! cuncta creata precem.
salue festa dies toto uenerabilis aeuo,
qua Deus infernum uicit et astra tenet,
nobilitas anni, mensum decus, arma dierum, 25
horarum splendor, scripula, puncta fouens.
Christe, salus rerum, bone conditor atque redemptor,
unica progenies ex deitate Patris,
aequalis, concors, socius, cum Patre coaeuus,
quo sumpsit mundus principe principium, 30
than the compound remeare (used at
112. 6), but cp. Lact. Phoen. 52
orbem totum protulit usque means ;
Paul. Nol. Carm. XV. 144 quae
mundi per membra meat \ Fort. I.
xv. 73, in. x. 16, IV. v. 3, vi. i.
23, xi. xxv. 2. Horace has quo
sin ml mean's, Od. I. iv. 17.
2ois the strikingly brief expression
of the thought which has been
elaborately wrought out in the pre-
ceding lines, the conclusion to
which they have been progress-
ing.
In the second half of the line we
have again the threefold division of
the departments of nature (see 23. 6,
33. 21), for lux and polus form but
one idea.
2 1 . per omnia] Cp. 5. 3 1 note.
23 is an echo of Ov. Fast. \. 87
salue laeta dies. In the various
centos made up from this poem
lines 23, 24 are always put at the
beginning ; see introduction.
25. arma dierum] i.e. Easter is
the protection and guard of all the
days of the year. Fort, uses a like
phrase, IV. iii. 9 summus honor
regum, populi decus, arma paren-
tum ; II. v. 8 eripe credentes, fidei
decus, arma salutis, cp. iv. x. ir,
xi. 5.
26. scripula. puncta] ' minutes
and seconds.' The scripulus (-urn)
or scrup. generally denoted one
24th part of the uncia, but also the
same division of an hour, about 2j
of our minutes. Cp. Fort. Append.
xxni. 5 (p. 287, ed. Leo) scripulos
nescimus et horas. fovens carries on
the thought of arma, 'protecting,'
as at 6. 32.
27. salus rerum] 'salvation of
the world ' ; see note on 38. 19.
conditor... redemptor] See note
on 33. ii.
28. deitate] ' the divine nature,'
a word not used except by Christian
writers. Here it represents the Ni-
cene K TTJS overlap rov Harpot, cp.
xi. i. 16 de deitate Patris atque
Filii. Fort, also uses it as a synonym
for Deus in. xiv. i deitatis amice.
29. Perhaps the writer is thinking
of Sedul. Carm. I. 32 f. par splendor,
communis apex, sociale cacumen, \
aequus honor, uirtus eat/em, sine
tempore regnum, \ semper princi-
pium, sceptrum iuge, gloria con-
sors.... Cp. Fort. vn. x. \iaequalis
concors, ut ab omnibus a/me uoceris.
30. principe] Cp. 24. 10 note.
The word is chosen here because of
the following principium. Fort,
loves to set kindred or like-sounding
words thus side by side, as at iv.
xxi. 13 mortua tnors esl, V. vi. i
cum nihil uelleretur ex uellere quod
carminaretur in carmine, VI. v. 242
iurat iure suo, X. ix. 47 flumina
conftua, Vit. Mart. I. 326 inruHi
cultures ruricolares, \ ne colerent
mdius sua si cultura periret etc.
1 86
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
qui genus humanum cernens mersisse profundo,
ut hominem eriperes, es quoque factus homo,
funeris exsequias pateris, uitae auctor et orbis,
intras mortis iter dando salutis opem.
tristia cesserunt infernae uincula legis,
expauitque chaos luminis ore premi.
pollicitam sed redde fidem, precor, alma potestas,
tertia lux rediit, surge, sepulte meus.
31 quo Et.
35
31. For the tense of cernens cp.
Liv. xxvn. 43 implicantes ( = cum
implicuissenf) edocuerunl ; Tac.
Ann. Xll. 48 cognoscens proditum
Mithridatem uocat consilium ; and
the imitation of the present passage
by Notker XLI. 5 qui cernens im-
merses esse barathro, tua quos ador-
nat imago, propter nos foetus es
homo, ut nos sohieres sanguine tuo.
mersisse] intransitive; cp. Ambr.
in Luc. IV. 51 quileprosus merserat,
Jidelis enter sit ; de Myst. i r ille
Syr us septies mersit in lege ; Fort. I.
xxi. 30 ungula mergit equi.
profundo] a substantive, as often
in this sense in the Vulgate, e.g.
Is. vii. ii. Ambr.'s proftindo mer-
serat 1, 9 has quite another mean-
ing.
32. 'To rescue man Thou wast
even made man ' ; or perhaps it is a
clumsy way of saying 'wast Thyself
also made man.' quoque has lost its
proper place in the clause, imme-
diately after the word it emphasizes;
here it apparently means ' even,'
'actually,' and it qualifies the fol-
lowing words factus homo. So at
in. viii. 43 tu quoque ieiunis cibus
es ; v. v. 43 nam Pater et Genitus,
quoque sanctus Spirit us idem, quo-
que was a literary word avoided by
writers of popular Latin, and it did
not survive into the Romance lan-
guages. Fort, elsewhere uses it for
the simple 'and,' Vit. Germ. I. i
Germanus...patre Eleutherio matre
quoque Ensebia...procreatus est.
Note that ut is lengthened before
hominem, the h being reckoned as a
consonant, as often in Fort. Cp. 38.
26, 28.
33. funeris exsequias] lit. ' the
funeral procession,' here 'the rites
of burial,' which is mentioned, as in
the creeds and as at 32. 3, 37. 16,
to shew the reality of the death of
Christ.
34. mortis iter] Cp. 35. 6 ; Fort.
X. vi. 38 mors ibi perdit iter. The
phrase dando salutis opem recurs at
Fort. VIII. xii. 8 ; cp. 37. 4 ; ib.
V. v. 86 ferat salutis opem ; X. vii.
42 salutis opes. For the abl. gerund
see note on 21. n.
35. Infernae... legis] See 19 note.
36. chaos] 'hell,' 'the realm of
darkness.' So Sedul. Carm. IV.
286 tremuit letale chaos; Fort. III.
ix. 87 quos habuit poenale chaos.
See 27. 3 note.
The omission of the ace. of the
subject (se) before the inf. (premi)
is a common usage with Fort. See
Leo p. 404 and cp. 40. 17, 75. 15,
84. 1 6. The infin. is not = w pre-
meretur, but rather nearer quia
pressum est.
37. Mt. xx. 19. Fort, has in
mind Ov. Fast. in. 366 pollicitam
dictis luppiter adde fidem, where as
here the deponent is used in a
passive sense : ' the promised ful-
filment.'
sed is often thus used by Fort,
with little or no adversative force
and not first in its clause ; cp. e.g.
II. vii. 33 turn mulier collegit onnns
et condidit artus, \ ima sed famula
HYMN XXXVI. FORTUNATUS
187
non decet ut humili tumulo tua membra tegantur,
neu pretium mundi uilia saxa premant.
indignum est, cuius clauduntur cuncta pugillo,
ut tegat inclusum rupe uetante lapis.
lintea tolle, precor, sudaria, linque sepulcro,
tu satis es nobis et sine te nihil est.
solue catenatas inferni carceris umbras,
40
participante siln. With its use in the
hymn we may cp. the like use of
dXXei in the Greek tragedians, as at
Soph. EL 4 1 1 (J Oeoi Trar/xjjot, <riry-
-ytvtffQt y' dXXa vvv.
potestas] Verg. Aen. x. 18 o
pater, o hominiim, rerurnque aeterna
potestas. Fort, often uses the word
in this concrete sense; as at vin.
iti. 1 7 9 praetexta potestas; IX. ii. 53
celsa potestas ; Vit. Mart. in. 233
augusta potestas.
meus] for the usual vocative mi,
as at Ps. xxi. (xxii.) 2, Fort. VII.
xii. 109 die homo note meus; already
used by Verg. Aen. VI. 835 proice
tela manu, sanguis metis, and before
him by Plaut. Stifh. 764 tu interim,
meus oculus, da mihi sauium. Verg.
Aen. I. 664 note meae uires, mea
magtta potcntia solus is similar but
not identical.
39. ut with the subj. sometimes
takes the place of the ace. and inf.,
see Leo p. 421. decet stent is found
in Plautus, decet ut fairly often in
late Latin. We find the normal
construction of decet, Fort. IV. vi. 17
non decet... deftere ; but cp. v. v. 2
condecet ut. semper latts tua, Christe,
sonet. For the lengthening of ut
before h see 32 above.
tegantur] often so used by Fort.
as at iv. v. 6, viii. 6, xviii. 6, xxviii.
6 lapis, fulgida membra tegis, IX.
iv. 2 cum caput orbis humo maesta
sepulcra tegunt; cp. VI I. xii. 29,
47 , 31. 84.
40. pretium mundi] 33. 28 note,
uilia saxa] Fort. n. xiv. 22
diuitiasque Dei nilis harcna tegit.
premant] Fort. iv. iv. 32 non
p re mil urna rogi.
45
41. Is. xl. 12. Fort. Laus Mariae
141 cuncta tegens palma sidera,
rura, freta ; 39. 1 5 mundum pugillo
continens', Commodian Apol. 114
solet | inde pugillo suo concludere
circulum orbis. For this pushing
forward of the relative clause, see
the note on 38. n.
42. Cp. Fort. in. x. 18 et
fluuium docilem monte uetante Ira-
kis.
43. lintea... sudaria] 'the linen
cloths ' of Joh. xx. 6 f., cp. ib.
xi. 44.
tolle] ' away with ! ' as being no
longer needed.
44. satis es] Fort, often thus
uses an adv. as a complement to
esse; cp. e.g. HI. xviii. 19 sit tua
uita diu. This is borrowed from
popular Latin, a loan taken es-
pecially by Plautus, Cicero in his
Epistles, Horace in his Satires,
Livy and Tacitus, and by later
writers in general. Caesar says
longe abesse but not longe esse, which
is found in Verg. Aen. xil. 52.
satis, however, is more than an
ordinary adverb, being used as an
adjective by Verg. Aen. vn. 470 se
satis ambobus Teucrisque uenire
Latinisqne and other writers.
sine te nlhil est] Cp. the Pente-
cost sequence Daniel II. 35 sine tuo
numine \ nihil est in homine, \ nihil
est innoxium.
45. carceris] Fort. XI. \.iddescen-
dens cul infernuut iniuriam non
pertulit, quod fecit causa clementiae,
uelut rex intrans carcerem, non ut
ipse ttneretur, sed ut noxii solueren-
tur. The phrase comes from i Pet.
Hi. 19, Rev. ii. 10. Cp. 120. 35.
1 88
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
et reuoca sursum quidquid ad ima ruit.
redde tuam faciem, uideant ut saecula lumen,
redde diem, qui nos te moriente fugit.
eripis innumerum populum de carcere mortis
et sequitur liber, quo suus auctor adit,
inmaculata tuis plebs haec uegetetur in ulnis
atque Deo purum pignus ad astra feras.
una corona tibi de te tribuatur ab alto,
altera de populo uernet adepta tuo.
46. The line is no mere repetition
of 45 ; the sense is, ' restore to heaven
everything else that is in danger of
being lost,' as well as the spirits in
prison, ruit may be perf. , but the
pres. seems more likely.
reuocareisone of Fort.'s favourite
words, which he uses of restoring
the dead to life (vm. iii. 18 etc.), of
restoring a church (i. xv. 41), of
winning a triumph (ll. xi. 17).
48. diem] 'the light of day.' The
line is an ennobled echo of Martial
vm. xxi. i Phosphore, redde diem :
quidgandia nostra moraris ? Caesare
ttenturo, Phosphore, redde diem ; cp.
also Hor. Od. IV. v. 5 lucent redde
ttiae, dux bone, patriae.
fugit] perfect, cp. note on 35. 2
lauit.
49. The reference is still to ' the
harrowing of hell.'
populum] 'a multitude,' as plebs
in 51. Fort, may be thinking of
Sedul. Carni. IV. 3 innumeras rele-
uans a clade caieruas ; ib. 282 qui
dabit innumeras post funera surgere
turbas ', cp. Fort. x. xi. 7 f. ecce
dies, in quo Christus iurrexit ab
imo, | infernae legis rumpere uincla
potens, | quando et uinctorum lacri-
mantia milia soluit, \ et reuomunt
multos tartara fracta uiros.
50. quo . . . adit] quo takes the place
of the dat. found in Fort. I. xiii. 12
et lapsae fabricae flos rediuiuus adit
(where Leo suggests adest).
5 1 . The last four lines are in the
original poem addressed to Felix,
but as used in the hymn they are of
course addressed to Christ.
plebs haec] consisting of those
who having been newly baptized are
present for the first time at the
Easter service in their white gar-
ments.
uegetetur] ' be nurtured,' cp. 29.
7. They are already ' regenerate.'
Leo suggests uectetur, but no change
is required.
in ulnis] because the newly bap-
tized are regarded as infantes ; cp. Is.
xlix. 22 afferent filios tuos in ulnis ;
Fort. Vit. Mart. II. 10 mercis onus
suaue est, etsi ueheretur in ulnis ;
but cp. Fort. v. vii. 3 amplectens
quern corde gero pietatis in ulnis.
52. purum] as cleansed by bap-
tism.
pignus] 'an offspring,' like the
pignora of 30. 3, 31. 8, only here
collective. The bishop, like Christ,
is the spiritual father of his flock, as
i. i. 18 et gradtis et pietas te deditesse
patrem.
53. de te] ' won by thee,' i.e. by
thy own personal merit, de in late
Latin is often used to express the
instrument or means. The earliest
instance of this usage may be Plaut.
True. 632 de uento miserae condoluit
caput; a clear case of it occurs at
Ov. Trist. III. iii. 82 deque tuis
lacrimis umida serta data, Ronsch
p. 392 f. gives many examples from
later writers.
54. ' May another crown bloom
for thee won by thy people.' The
H YMN XXX VI L FOR TUNA TUS 1 89
people's salvation is the proof of So Fort. I. xv. 34 creuit adeptus
their bishop's, and of their Saviour's, honor, V. iv. 4, and (the simple
worth. Cp. Phil. iv. i. nernet shews verb) Plaut. Trin. 367 ingcnio
that the athlete's wreath of leaves is apiscitur sapientia. Sallust, Tacitus
the crown here meant ; cp. 7. 24 note. and others use adeptits in passive
adepta] passive, as at 119. 23. sense.
HYMN 37
An ancient MS, a pontifical written at Fort.'s own city
Poitiers and usually assigned to the VHIth century, is
the one MS authority for this hymn, which it expressly
ascribes to Fortunatus : interim canitur uersus Fortunati
presbyteri ad baptizatos. It is in every way worthy of him,
and the many parallels quoted in the notes from his un-
doubted poems seem to prove that he was the writer.
Leo confidently pronounces it spurious. But as he did
not so much as take the trouble of reading it in the
ancient MS that alone contains it, it would seem that he
took its later origin for granted.
It appears to have been written before Fort.'s con-
secration to the episcopate. His latest dated poem
(x. xiv) was written in A.D. 591. See Elss p. 22.
The poet has chosen the sprightly Anacreontic metre
(catalectic iambic dimeter), a metre already used by
Prudentius for his hymnns ante somnum (Cath. VI), from
which Hymn 26 is an extract.
F P
Tibi laus perennis, auctor,
baptismatis sacrator,
qui sorte passionis
i. In accordance with Fort.'s 2. baptismatis sacrator] Cp.
usage perennis is to be taken with 33. 20 note.
laus, rather than with auctor, as 3. ' by thy death and passion.
some punctuate. Cp. II. x. 26 laude sorte, thus used in connexion with
perennis erit\ VII. v. 20 laude death, is one of Fort.'s characteristic
perenne refert. words ; thus he has II. v. i extorquet
auctor] used by Fort. vil. xxii. 5, hoc sorte Dei ueniabile signum etc. ;
36. 33. IV. ix. i ultima sors ; xii. i sors
190
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
das praemium salutis.
nox clara plus et alma
quam luna, sol, uel astra,
quae luminum corona
reddis diem per umbram;
dulcis, sacrata, blanda,
electa, pura, pulchra
sudans honore mella,
rigans odore chrisma ;
10
inreparabilis horae', xvi. 4 sors
rapit una uiros ; xx. 4 sors inimica ;
xxii. 3 simili sunt sorte sepulti ; cp.
xxv. 19, xxvi. 5 and 61, and 155;
xxviii. 5 etc.
4. das praemium salutis] Cp.
36. 34 dando salutis opem ', Fort. I.
viii. 1 7 praemia salutis ; II. vii. 3 f.
salutis .. .praemia ; II. vii. 37 dantur
modo dona salulis ; X. viii. 12 dona
salutis habent.
5. clara plus et alma] i.e. clarior
et almior_. plus thus used for magis
is found Fort. IV. xvii. 10 plus
lacrimanda ; ib. xxvi. 9 plus nexa ;
VI. v. iog pia plus, and often.
nox clara are placed side by side
in sharp contrast, as are diem and
umbram in 8. Baptisms took place
late on Easter Even, and the rest of
the night was spent in vigil : see
Thompson Offices of Bapt. and
Conf. p. 19.
6. Fort, constantly uses uel where
et might be expected. Leo quotes
among other examples IX. i. 22 sic
tibi cuncta sitnul, terra uel astra
fauent.
8. reddis diem] Cp. 36. 48 redde
diem ; Fort. X. xii a. 10 or bat o kuic
patri redde uidendo diem. And for
the whole line n. xvi. 69 sacra
htmen suscepit ab umbra, luminum
cor. are the lights with which the
church is glowing.
9. For this truly Venantian list
of epithets see the note on 33. 19
and cp. Fort. IV. iv. 21 mansuetus,
fattens, bonus, aequus, amator,
amandus; I. xv. 103 cara, serena,
decens, sellers, pia, mitis, opima.
dulcis] 33. 24, 35. 9, 18, Fort,
in. xxiia. 7, iv. vii. 4, xiv. 10 etc.,
viii. xvii. 5.
sacrata] Fort. n. xi. r, xvi. 95.
blanda] Fort. i. xviii. 16, n.
viii. 26 etc.
10. electa] line 30, 34. 19, n.
iv. 21 electa... pulchra (x. vii. 27).
pura] 36. 52.
n. sudans... mella] comes from
Verg. Eel. IV. 30 sudabunt roscida
mella ; cp. Fort. viii. iii. 270 aut
hyacintheo sudat honore mantis.
The use by Fort, of honore amounts
to a mannerism, cp. I. i. 10 reddis
honore uicem, iii. 8 nescit honore
mori, viii. 2 tendit honore fides etc.
' odor is an extraordinarily common
word of Fort, and is used meta-
phorically of things of the most
distinct nature' (Elss p. 25); cp.
also 34. 25, 35. n, vii. xii. 120
suauitts et recreat quam quod aroma
reflat; n. xvi. 15, in. xii. 42, xiii.
3, vi. vi. 2 ; Vit. Mart. I. 193
mortis odore. Does mella, joined
with chrisma, allude to the milk
and honey given to neophytes?
Thompson Offices of Bapt. and Conf.
p. 35 says that the custom was
confined to Re me, Africa, and
Egypt.
12. Fort. II. iv. 28 ramis de
cuius uitalia crismata surgunt ; IV.
iv. 26 cum sale mella rigans ; V. v.
112 chrismatis ffflat odor ', VII. xvii.
9 puro fonte rigans nectar.
HYMN XXX VII. FORTUNATUS 191
in qua redemptor orbis
de morte uiuus exit,
et quos catena uinxit
sepultus ille soluit ;
quam Christus aperiuit
ad gentium salutem,
cuius salubre cura
redit nouata plasma.
20
17 aperuit Fp.
For chrisma (spelt cristna at II.
iv. 28 so as to tit into an acrostic),
see 26. 4 note.
13. in qua] 'on which night.'
redemptor orbis] Cp. 23. 15,
33. 3, 36. 27. It seems probable
that Fort, intended exit and perhaps
redit, as well as soluit, to be taken
as the past tense, contracted like
redisse 36. 16.
15. catena] Here, as at 36. 45 f.,
the reference is to the harrowing of
hell.
1 6. sepultus] Cp. 36. 33 note.
17. ' Night which Christ revealed
[made known] for the healing of the
nations.' aperiuit might also be
taken in the sense of ' began,'
' opened out,' as in Claudian de
Sexto Cons. Honorii 640 nouum
fastis aperit felicibns annum ; but
the other interpretation is perhaps
the simpler. I have by the smallest
possible change written aperiuit for
aperuit of the MS which Fort, would
never have written in this place. For
this form of the perf. the Thesaurus
quotes Corp. XI. 191 aperierit; and
Fort. XI. xxiii. 3 scans aferlebam,
which js perhaps a clue. Ro'nsch
p. 287 quotes similar forms fosiui,
deposiui, supposiui, habiui, sapiui
etc. And for the scanning aperitti,
cp. patibulo 34. 4, as well as alacer,
cdmt/us, catholicus, charisma etc.
all found in Fort. ; see the note on
36. 1 4 meridie.
is. ad gentium salutem] Cp.
Rev. xxii. 2 (Vulg.) ad sanitatern
19 salubri F/>.
gentium, (Old Latin) in curationem
gentium.
19. cuius refers to nox\ and
cura is used in the medical sense,
perhaps with conscious reference to
the passage in Rev.
salubre] Cp. Fort. v. ii. 49, vn.
v. 3 1 defonte salubri, X. x. 1 1 . For
the abl. in -e, used for the sake of
the short final, see note on 33. 24
duke clauo. It is quite like Fort,
to put salubre almost immediately
after salutem ; cp. the note on 36.
30 principf principium.
20. redit] ' is restored ' to health.
Very similar are Fort. Vit. Mart.
II. 53 excutiturque lues...et sudibus
laceros rediit culis una per artus ;
III. 528 redeat medicata cicatrix,
and not unlike is vn. vii. 6 te duce
sed itobis hie modo Roma redit. ,
nouata] ' renewed ' in baptism ; a
Venantian word. Cp. II. xi. 8, HI.
xxiii. n, vi. Hi. 27, ix. xiv. n.
plasma] ' the creation.' This
word is normally neuter, as at 94.
26. But Commodian Afol. 311
writes : descendit in tumulum
Domintis suae plasmae miserfus.
And Fort, is given to variety in his
genders; writing v. v. 113 pascka
nouellum, VI 1 1. ix. 15 gandia pas-
chae ; and he has II. xvi. 135 misero
atuo, ill. iv. 2 tantus iubar, iv.
xxvi. 1 5 ingenium mitem ; and even
II. viii. 5 est habilem de magnis
magnafateri, ib. iv. 31 gemmanteni
et nobile signum, 36. 7 note. For
the word plasma cp. V. i. i, v. 54
192
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
accedite ergo digni
ad gratiam lauacri,
quo fonte recreati
refulgeatis agni.
hie gurges est fidelis,
purgans liquore mentes :
dum rore corpus udat,
peccata tergit unda.
gaudete candidati,
electa uasa regni,
27 sudat Fp.
huius plasma sumus, and the note
on 23. 10.
21. accedite] Cp. 107. 13.
digni agrees with the subject of
accedite, like candidati below.
24. agni] ' lambs,' but perhaps
not without a thought of the mean-
ing of the Greek ayv6s, ' pure,' cp.
36. 52 purum. As a rule Fort.,
with the other writers of his time,
reserves agnus to denote Christ, as
at 33. 30, 35. 4 ; II. iii. 6 in cruce
restituit uirginis agnus ones, X. xiii.
3 ; but cp. v. iii. 23 muniat inclusos
pretiosi uelleris agnos ', in. xi. 19,
IV. iii. 3, ix. ix. 13; Sedul. Carm.
v. 413.
25 f. The use of the six words
for the baptismal water, lauacri,
fonte, gurges, liquore, rore, unda is
quite in Fort.'s manner.
gurges] 31. 41.
fidelis] one of Fort.'s character-
istic words; see 33. 22 note. Leo
printsyfofc/^r with Luchi. But this is
not the MS reading, gives an inferior
construction (est purgans =purgaf)
and sense, and is less in the style
of Fort.
26. purgans] Fort. n. ix. 92
atque uetus uitium purgat in amne
nouo ; ib. xi. 5 pater orbis \ pur-
gauit medicis crimina mortis aquis.
mentes] 2. 30.
27. rore is used of the baptismal
water at 26. 3 by Prud., whom
Fort, so often imitates.
udat] 'wets.' The MS reading
sudat, which might come in from
sudans in 1 1 , gives a poor sense
and a spondee in the third foot of
the verse, whereas in the other lines
this is the case only in the first foot.
No mistake is more common in MSS
than inserting at the beginning of a
word when this begins with a vowel
the final consonant of the preceding
word. For the sense cp. [Damas.]
LXXII. 4 roborat hie animos diuino
fonte lauacrum, et dum membra
madent, metis solidatur aquis.
28. tergit] ' washes away,' cp.
7. 3 i.
unda] ' water, as at 33. 20,
34. 12.
29. candidati | ' in your white
robes' of baptism ; cp. Fort. ill. ix.
91 candidus egreditur nitidis exer-
citus undis ; iv. xxii. 5 lotus fonte
sacro prius ille recessit in albis ; v.
v. 119, 136; 109. 2 stolis albis can-
didi.
30. electa uasa] Fort. in.
xxiiia. 17 eligit in tali Christus se
uase recondi', IX. ii. nsf. sancto
baptismate puri...stantes ante Deum
uelut aurea uasa decoris ; X. vi. 31 f.
Of course the poet has in mind
Acts ix. 15 (cp. 13. ii electionis uas
sacrae).
H YMN XXX VIII. FOR TUNA TVS 1 93
in morte consepulti,
Christi fide renati.
31. Cp. Rom. vi. 4. From the L. 85 punctuate. Christi, however,
like passage, Col. ii. 12 consepulti would make perfectly good sense,
a in baptismo, we might conjecture either with morte or with fide, and
that the original reading in 32 was perhaps would strengthen the end
Christo (dative), and that this was of the poem, consepulti would
altered to Christi from the idea that in that case imply Christo under -
it was to be taken with fide, as stood.
Daniel IV. 159 and Dreves Analecta
HYMN 38
The following hymn is not found in the MSS containing
the collected poems of Fortunatus, but this is very far
from proving that it is not his work. For in the first place
the same fate has befallen 34 other poems of his, which
nevertheless Leo allows to be genuine and prints at
length on pp. 271-292 of his edition. Moreover hymns
far more easily than any other form of literary writing
were apt to go astray, seeing that in the great majority
of cases they would be incorporated into the liturgical
books without the writer's name. We know that Hilary
and Ambrose wrote hymns which are not contained in
MSS of their collected works. The fact that hymns 33-36
are exceptionally included among the poems of Fortu-
natus is due to the fact that they were in the first place
occasional poems, afterwards used as hymns. In like
manner Prudentius' hymns were a part of his poems,
not being originally intended for singing in the public
services of the church, and therefore, having been handed
down in the MSS along with these other poems, can be
certainly identified as his.
Paul the Deacon expressly states that Fortunatus
wrote hymnos singularum festiuitatum. This Christmas
hymn Agnoscat omne saeculum may be one of them. And
Fabricius says that he found it in the second book of the
w. '3
194 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
poems of Fort, in a Murbach MS, which seems no longer
to be extant.
The question of the authenticity of 38 hangs with
that of 39 and of the Laus Mariae, as it may for con-
venience be called, a poem consisting of 180 elegiac
couplets, regarded as spurious by Leo, but printed by
him p. 371 f., and until the appearance of his edition con-
sidered genuine. For a careful reader will agree with
Ebert I. p. 533 note that 39 and this longer poem were
written by one and the same poet, whoever he may have
been. And many will go on to believe that he was no
other than Fortunatus, again agreeing with Ebert, who
pertinently asks : What man living within the next two
hundred years was capable of assimilating his style so
thoroughly? See the question worked out by G. M. Dreves
in his Hymnologische Studien zu Venant. Fort. etc. p. 6 f.
Then as to the intimate connexion between 38 and 39,
one has only to read the two hymns one after the other
in order to recognise it as at least likely. In especial cp.
38. 7 f. with 39. 9 f., 38. 1 1 f. with 39. 15 f., 38. 31 f. with
39. 31 f. However Ebert, who swallows the metrical
faults in 39, will have it that those in 38 condemn it.
But a few words will shew that the metre is not so bad
after all.
1. Ebert objects to the hiatus in 14 fructtim edidit.
But Fort. VIII. viii. I (according to the MSS) could leave
cui (also in thesis) unelided before aurum, much as Ennius
had scanned militum octo, and Lucilius sordidum omne ;
cp. also 33. 9 inde hostis.
2. He objects to spondees in the second foot. But in
13 lese is a foreign proper name, and with such all poets
take licence; cp. the notes on u. 2, 31. 29. And as to
1 6 uirgo, 23 dignando, from the time of Juvenal final o
was generally looked upon as short. And so Leo (p. 425)
HYMN XXXVIII. FORTUNATUS 195
speaking of Fort.'s usage, says o finalis in nominatiuis
nominum, uerbis et aduerbiis fere correpta ; cp. 34. 1 5 dicendd.
3. In 26 and 28 -us is made long by the stress of the
verse and by the following h, cp. 36. 39 note. Such a
strict metrist as Verg. Aen. IV. 64 could say pectortbus
inhians; cp. 34. 25 fundis aroma.
Contrast the judgment of Clichtoveus : Praesens hym-
nus iambicus est dimeter, ubique carminis illius leges
exacte seruans praeter id quod in septimo uersu bis secundo
loco pyrrichium habet pro iambo. Auctor eius Fortunatus
episcopus.
The hymn does not indeed rise to the supreme ex-
cellence of 33 and 34, but it is on the whole not unworthy
of Fortunatus and may well have been written by him.
He certainly wrote one beginning with the same line,
I. xvi, an alphabetical hymn about Leontius bishop of
Bordeaux ; but he may have written another as well.
If he did write both 38 and 39, we are confronted with
the difficulty that, whereas 39 is in almost every hymnal
from the IX-X cent, onwards, 38 found its way into
very few. However the same has happened in the case
of several of Ambrose's hymns, e.g. 3 and 4.
4. In 9 we find concfyit and in 27 deifcit, which might
have been presents in Lucretius (see Lachmann on Lucr.
II. 951), but which in this passage are certainly perfects.
See the note on 35. 2 Iduit, which is also perfect.
Ehx# Fs/3 Ga Hcefgh lach Vs
Agnoscat omne saeculum
uenisse uitae praemium ;
post hostis asperi iugum
adparuit redemptio.
i. omne s.] No doul>t a reminis- of life,' i.e. 'consisting in life':
cence of 6. 7. that Christ who is our life has
i. uitae praemium] ' the reward come ; cp. 8. 9 note.
'3
196
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
Esa'ias quae praecinit 5
conpleta sunt in uirgine,
adnuntiauit angelus,
sanctus repleuit Spiritus.
Maria uentre concepit
uerbi fidelis semine ; 10
quem totus orbs non baiulat,
portant puellae uiscera.
radix lese iam floruit
et uirga fructum edidit,
fecunda partum protulit 15
et uirgo mater permanet.
5 cecinit Ehj. 10 uerbum Ex</> Fs Ih Vs. fideli Ga. ii orbis
Fs Ih. 12 portat Fs Vs. 13 om. iam Ga. 14 fructus Ex,
fructu Vs.
3. post...iugum] For this preg-
nant use of post, ' after our enduring
the yoke,' cp. 36. 17 note. Perhaps
the cruel enemy thought of is Pha-
raoh, typifying Satan, though this
thought is more usually connected
with Easter, as in 109.
4. adparuit] Tit. ii. n, iii. 4.
5. Isaiah vii. 14.
6. in uirgine] Cp. 14. 1 3 in illo
martyre.
7. Lk. i. 35.
10. uerbi] the faithful word spoken
to her by the angel ; cp. Prud.
Apoth. 1 1 5 f. uerbo praestrinxit uis-
cera purae \ uirginis et uerbo struxit
puerilia membra ; Sedul. Op. II. 3
puellae credentis in utero fidelis uerbi
mansit adspirata conceptio ; Fort,
vni. iii. 91 concipiente fide nullo se
semine lusit, where see the context ;
31. 1 6, 39. ii. The variant uerbum
would refer to Joh. i. 14.
fidelis] 33. 22, 34. 14, 37. 25.
11. quem...] Fort, is especially
fond of thus beginning with the
relative clause, the antecedent being
omitted ; cp. I. i. 10 qui tibi digna
dedit reddis honor e uicem ; vii. 12,
xvi. 23, ii. v. 2, II. vii. 41 quem
male credebas obitu finire salutem, \
dat uitam multis', vi. iv. 19 qui
sine ueste iacet, tegmen pietate mi-
nistras; vn. xx. 3f., xxv. 26, IX.
ii. 75; 36. 41, 39. 5f., 23 f.
OT'bB] = 0r(>ts (terrarutii), a late
form found at Fort. ix. iii. 14 orbs
quoque totus, Vit. Mart. iv. 583,
Laus Mariae 358. Rbnsch p. 263
mentions similar syncopated nomi-
natives, nubs, saeps, stips.
baiulat makes a better antithesis
than, and is therefore here put for,
the usual capit. See 31. 1 1 note.
12. puellae is thus used of the
Virgin, Fort. VIII. iii. 85 respice qui
uoluit nasci se uentre puellae, ib.
95 ; Laus Mariae 3, 67, 142, 216,
231 ; cp. vi. i. 99, vni. iii. 276,
iv. 4, 23.
13. radix lese] Is. xi. i, 10,
Rom. xv 12, 1. 4. Prud. Cath. XII.
49 f. iam flos subit Dauiticus \ ra-
dice lesse editus, \ sceptrique per uir-
gam uirens \ rerum cacumen occupat.
Dreves and others, in order to
bring an iambus into the second
foot of the verse, write radix lesse,
omitting iam which is found in
almost all the MSS. But see intro-
HYMN XXXVIII. FORTUNATUS 197
praesepe poni pertulit,
qui lucis auctor exstitit :
cum Patre caelos condidit,
sub matre pannos induit. 20
legem dedit qui saeculo,
cuius decem praecepta sunt,
dignando factus est homo
sub legis esse uinculo.
Adam uetus quod polluit, 25
Adam nouus hoc abluit :
tumens quod ille deiecit,
1 1 saeculi Fs Vs.
duction to this hymn. And Fort.'s
way is to treat initial consonantal i
as a consonant (as at viu. iii. 286)
or to disregard it (as at IX. ii. 27),
but not to regard it as a vowel.
14. uirga] The poet understands
the uirga to be Mary, and plays
upon the words uirga and uirgo, cp.
Laus Marine ri ttirgo haec uirga
fuit, de qua est_flos Christus abortus.
fructum ed. is not in Vulg. or
O. L., but it is a natural interpreta-
tion, and according to the R.V. a
correct one.
1 6. uirgd] See introduction and
cp. Fort. ix. vii. 30 ibS, 61 scitff, 65
ergS, 86 soluS.
1 7 . praesepe . . pertulit] Cp . 31 .
21 f., and for the rhythm of the line
Fort. I. xvi. 9 celare se non pertulit,
and for the abl. in e instead of i
33. 24 note. Perhaps, however, the
writer imitating Plautus has used the
abl. not oi praesepe but of a collateral
form of the word, 'though we are
not to think of a nominative prae-
sepesj Huemer de Sedulii...scriptis
p. 26 f. ; cp. Plaut. Cure. 228 ad
praesepem suani ; Sedul. Carm. n.
62 Deus in praesepe quieuit.
1 8. exstitit] exstare is often used
by Fort, meaning little more than
esse, as at vi. \a. 20, x. xi. 28 et re-
leuate inopes, si quis et exstat egens.
27 deicit Fs Vs.
20. pannos] 33. 14 note.
21. 'He who gave law to the
world, whose are the ten com-
mandments, was made man, deign-
ing to be under the bond of the
law.' For the thought of the stanza
cp. Laus Mariae 255 factor dans
legem, foetus sub lege minister;
Sedul. Carm. n. 38 rerumque crea-
tor | nascendi sub lege fuit ; id. Op.
n. 3 prolesque siderea nascetidi sub
lege delituit, quae cuncta suo nasci
nutu concessit. All such passages
are based upon Gal. iv. 3.
23. dignando] Cp. 32. 26, 42.
12, 26, 42, 104. 20. For the use of
the gerund see 21. 1 1.
25 f. i Cor. xv. 45, Eph. iv. 21
deponere. ..ueterem hominem.
26. nouus hoc] For Fort.'s treat-
ment of h see 36. 32 .
27. 'What Adam by his pride
(shewn in disobeying God) over-
threw, Christ by His great humility
raises up.' The neuter words quod. ..
hoc remind us of 31. 8 ne perderet
quod condidit. For the general sense
of the two lines cp. Prov. iii. 34,
Lk. i. 53, Jas. iv. o, i Pet. v. 5 and
other passages. Fort. VI. ii. 33 cal-
cauit hastes tumidos, erexit arnicas ;
ib. 109 erigis abiectos.
tumens] ' swelling with pride,' as
Deut. i. 43 tuntentes superbia. The
198 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
humillimus hie erigit.
iam nata lux est et salus,
fugata nox et uicta mors : 30
uenite, gentes, credite !
Deum Maria protulit.
word is a favourite one of disparage- utero lucem clausit\ ix. ii. 43 mor-
ment with Fort.; cp. IV. xiv. 14 tern g ustante salute ; x. x. 5 concepit
discipulus humilis, qui fuit ante tu- uirgo salutem ; Juvenc. in. 356
mens, V. v. 22, vin. iii. 290. Dauidis suboles, hominum lumenque
deiecit] perf. in spite of the short salusque.
penultimate, for which cp. note on 30. Cp. I. xv. 56 nox ubi uicta
35. 2 l&uit. fugit.
28. humillimus] Mt. xi. 29, 31. Cp. Fort. I. xvi. 77 uenite
Phil. ii. 8. dues flaudite; v. iii. i plaudite,
29. For the personal use of the felices populi ; 39. 32.
abstracts cp. Fort. I. xv. 58 ilia 32. Cp. 4. 29.
HYMN 39
For the authorship of this hymn see the introduction
to 38, probably written by the same poet. Here we have
two cases of hiatus : in 24 and 28.
Eacdhjlsvi;/K0 Fdhps/3 Gafm Habcdefgi Ibdghnotv Vcs
Quem terra, pontus, aethera
colunt, adorant, praedicant,
trinam regentem machinam
claustrum Mariae baiulat.
cui luna, sol et omnia 5
deseruiunt per tempora,
perfusa caeli gratia
gestant puellae uiscera.
i . For the triple division of the haps nowhere else is the word used
elements so common in Fort, see so absolutely in this sense.
23. 6, 33. 21 notes. baiulat] see 31. ii.
aethera] neuter plural, as at 6. per tempora] ' through their
36. 7. seasons' ; cp. 2. 3 note, and the in-
3. trinam machinam] see 23. 6, troduction to that hymn, per has
cp. Fort. in. vi. 52 et Trinitatis here its distributive sense, deserui-
opemmachinatrinasonet. The sense unt, Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 91.
is like that of 38. nf. 7. Lk. i. 26.
4. claustrum] see 6. 14. Per- 8. puellae] Cp. 38. 12 note.
HYMN XXXIX. FORTUNATUS 199
mirentur ergo saecula,
quod angelus fert semina, 10
quod aure uirgo concipit
et corde credens parturit.
beata mater munere,
cuius supernus artifex,
mundum pugillo continens, 15
uentris sub area clausus est.
benedicta caeli nuntio,
fecunda sancto Spiritu,
desideratus gentibus
cuius per aluum fusus est. 20
o gloriosa femina,
excelsa super sidera !
qui te creauit prouide,
lactas sacrato ubere.
quod Eua tristis abstulit, 25
9 mirantur Elvjt Idho Vs. 10 nuntia Cm. 1 1 uerbo (pro
aure) Id. concepit Ecdhl</> Fp Ido Vs 1 . 13 Maria (pro munere) He
Ih, muneris Ha 2 . 15 contines Hi- 17 beata Eav/t Fdhp/3
Ibgntv Vcs'-. 21 domina E/* Fd 2 Ib. 24 lecta EC Habc'd 1
Igh Vcs. sacrata EC.
12. credens] Cp. 38. 10; Fort. 19. Construe cuius per aluum
VIII. iii. 91 concipientefide. desideratus gentibus (from Hag. ii.
13. munere] 'in her office.' 8, cp. Gen. xlix. 10) fusus est.
14. artifex] 'creator,' cp. Heb. 20. fusus est] Cp. 24. 19 note,
xi. 10 cuius artifex et conditor 22. excelsa] vocative ; cp. Laus
Deus ; Cypr. de Hab. Virg. 21 Afariae 212 celsa super cedros; 319
estote tales quales nos Deus artifex o decus excellens, o femina forma
fecit. Here cuius goes with uentris, salutis. Fort, takes a liberty with
not with artifex. the of super.
15. pugillo] Cp. 36. 41 note. 23. prouide] 91.6, like prudent
1 6. uentris sub area] Cp. Fort. in Horace.
IV. xi. 4 cuius semper habet pectoris 24. Cp. Fort. VIII. iii. 103 *-
area Diuw, VII. viii. 36; Vit. Mart. temerata Deum sitspendit ad ubera
I. 185; Laus Afariae 154 infra natum, et panem taeli munere lactis
arcam abscondensfulgida luna iubar ; a/it ; 31. 23. -to ubere forms a violent
Vit. Mart. in. 443 quae fades, hiatus.
oculi, gena,pes, manus, arca,figura. 25. Cp. Sedul. Carm. II. 30 f.
There is probably a tacit allusion to sic Euae de stirpt sacra ueniente
the ' ark of the covenant.' Maria uirginis antiquae facinus
17. benedicta] Lk. i. 28. noua uirgo piaret; Fort. III. ix. 99
200 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
tu reddis almo germine ;
intrent ut astra flebiles,
caeli fenestra facta es.
tu regis alti ianua,
et porta lucis fulgida : 30
uitam datam per uirginem
gentes redemptae plaudite.
26 aluo Fh 1 . 28 est EC. 29 alta El. 31 uita data Ed Iv 2 .
quos prius Eua nocens infecerat, hos person ill. vii. \QianuafidaPetrus.
modo reddit \ ecclesiae pastas ubere, Cp. Arnob. adu. Nat. II. 65 hanc
lacte, sinu ; Laus Mariae 125 hu- uitae t tttadixerim,iantiam;?>eA\\\.
mano generi genuit quos Eua dolor es. Op. V. 29 pia genetrix...quae fuit
curanit genitus uirgo Maria tuus. nascentis ianua. There is doubtless
26. germine] Is. iv. 2 in die ilia a reference to Ezek. xliv. 2.
erit germen Domini. 30. porta is used of the Virgin
27. astra] 'heaven,' cp. 36. 19 Laus Mariae 51; 88. i.
note. lucis] Cp. 38. 29 note.
28. Cp. Laus Mariae 56 maferna 31. datam] sc. esse, as 1. 64 etc.
et puero membra feneslra f nit . Note 32. See 38. 31 note; Ps. xlvi.
the hiatus. (xlvii.) 2 omnes gentes plaudite mani-
29. ianua is used by Fort, of a bus.
VII. FLAVIUS
HYMN 40
The most ancient authority that ascribes this hymn to
Flavius is the pontifical of Poitiers, cp. introduction to
37 p. 189, in which the rubric is nersus Flauii episcopi ad
mandatum in cena Domini, Flavius was bishop of Chalon-
sur-Saone and died A.D. 591.
The hymn is rhythmical, mainly based upon the accent
of each word, and spondees are freely admitted into the
second foot of the verse.
Ednvx# Fehmnrs Gefgl Hi Im Vhs
Tellus ac aethra iubilent
in magni cena principis,
quae protoplasti pectora
uitae purgauit ferculo.
i aether Vs. iubilant Ed Ge. 3 qui Gel. pectore Vs. 4 fercula Vs,
ferculum Im.
i. For this appeal to heaven and of life given in the Eucharist, but
earth cp. Ps. Ixviii. (Ixix.) 34. his system as inherited by us is thus
aethra] 'heaven, ' strictly aetheris purified and healed.
splendor qui sereno caeli conspicitur, 4. uitae... ferculo] ' by the ban-
as Servius notes on Verg. Aen. in. quet of life,' i.e. the life-giving
585. banquet. 'The food of life' is a
i. principis] 24. 10 note. reminiscence of the 'tree of life'
3. protoplasti] Adam, as at 33. and of the ' bread of life. ' The ex-
4, 112. 16; cp. note on 23. 10. pression is caught up in a more
Adam's body is regarded as poisoned famous hymn (the Verbum super-
by eating of the forbidden fruit ; mtm prodiens of Thomas Aquinas,
the Eucharist is the antidote, see Analecta L. p. 588), line 7 prius
Ignatius' QdpfiaKov d0axaff/aj, &vrl- in uitae ferculo \ se tradidit discipu-
Soros roD M AiroOavfiv. It is of Its. ferculum originally meant 'a
course inexact to say that Adam's charger' or 'dish,' then that which
own system is purified by the food was thereon.
2O2
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
hac nocte factor omnium 5
potenti sat mysterio
carnem suam cum sanguine
in escam transfert animae.
a celsis surgens dapibus
praebet formam mortalibus, 10
humilitatis gratia
Petri petens uestigia.
pallet seruus obsequio,
cum angelorum dominum
ferendo lympham linteo 15
cernit caeno procumbere.
6 potentis at mysterium Ed 1 Im Vh (p. ad m. Ev), potentis ac mysterii
Gel, potentiae mysterio En (-ium Vs). 9 accisis (pro a celsis) Im.
10 praebens Fe. 12 petit Fe. 13 pallens Im, debet Vs. obsequi
Vs. 15 ferentem Fr. limpha Im. linteum Ge. 16 cena Edv.
5. factor] 1. 9.
6. ' in a most mighty mystery.'
sat strengthens potenti, like assai in
Italian. Cp. Is. Ixiv. g ne irascaris
Domine satis, ' be not wroth very
sore ' and many other places in the
Vulg. ; 104. 24. The variants shew
the perplexity of copyists. The text
is found in the French MSS ehnr.
8. transfert] ' changes,' but it
is a curious use of the word. Cp.
Jude 4 gratiam transferentes in
iuxuriam.
9f. Joh. xiii. 4f. Cp. Ambr. de
My st. 31 Jesus in euangelio lauit
pedes discipulis suis...\_Petrus~\ non
aduertit mysterium et idea minis-
terium recusauit, quod grauari
humilitatem serui crederet, si obse-
quium Domini patienter admitteret.
celsis] perhaps in reference to its
Paschal character, as well as to
the Eucharist, is in contrast with
humilitatis in n.
10. praebet] Cp. Tit. ii. 7 te
ipsum praebe exemplum.
formam] 'a pattern,' cp. 2 Thess.
iii. 9 ut nosrnet ipsos formam dare-
mus uobis ad imitandum nos. For
the general sense cp. Joh. xiii. 15,
on which of course the line is based.
12. petens] 'approaching.' In
late Latin this verb often loses all
idea of 'seeking'; see 124. 20.
Fort, uses it as a synonym of ire,
cp. I. vi. 1 6 quac unique petit ; VIII.
i. 52 super astra petit.
uestigia] ' the feet,' as at 34. 6 ;
cp. 13. 13 note.
13. seruus is used because ' the
Lord of angels ' is waiting upon
him (Joh. xiii. 13), and probably
with a further reference to 2 Pet. i.
i . There is a like contrast Domini. . .
serui at 111. i8f
obsequio] ' at the service offered
to him ' ; cp. Ambr. in Luc. v. 98
denique [Petrus] alibi lauari sibi
pedes recusat, ubi mysterium non
agnoscit, dum dominico grauatur
obsequio; Juvenc. III. 609 hominis
natus sic uestra minister \ obsequio
sohis proprio pia munera gestat.
15. feTKOAo]ferentem of some
MSS ; see 21. 11.
linteo] ' together with a towel,'
Joh. xiii. 4. The abl. is a very loose
abl. of attendant circumstance ; ac
203
20
HYMN XL. FLA VIUS
' permitte Simon ahlui ;
acta figurant mystica,
dum summus ima baiulo,
quod cinis seruet cineri.'
lauator toris accubat,
uerbique fauos aggerat,
quos inter hostem denotat,
necis dolos qui ruminat.
trux lupe, luda pessime, 25
fers agno miti basia,
das membra loris regia
quae sorde tergunt saecula.
1 8 figuram Im, figura Gel. 19 sumus Im. baiulat Env Im Vs
(-let Ed). 20 qui Ed. seruit Ev, seruias Vs. 22 adgregat
Fn Gl. 23 hostes Im. deuotat Vs. 24 necisque dolos Fh.
25 luda lupe Fe. 26 mitti Fe Vh. 27 dans Edv. rigida Vs.
28 sordes Ev Im Vs. saeculi Im Vs.
linteum of later MSS gives the same
sense.
1 6. Note the exaggeration of ' in
the mud.'
1 7 f- The stanza contains the
words of Christ to Peter.
17. 'Allow thyself to be washed,'
' consent to be washed ' ; the subject
of the inf. (te) is omitted. See
38. 17.
i8f. i.e. My actions, which thou
understandest not (mystica, cp. Joh.
xiii. 7), depict (are a type of) what
respect mortal should render to
mortal. For the general sense cp.
Gal. vi. 2.
19 f. is a paraphrase of Joh. xiii.
J3-I5-
19. dum... bai.] 'in carrying,' ex-
planatory of acta.
ima] the water and towel, the
instruments of homely work.
baiulo] Cp. 31. n.
20. cinis] one who is but dust
and ashes ; cp. Gen. xviii. 27.
seruet is used for the compound
obseruet.
21. lauator] = aui lauerat.
accubat] 1. 29 note.
22. lit. 'and heaps up honey-
combs of the word,' i.e. 'utters
much discourse as sweet as honey.'
The metaphor is a very common
one, cp. e.g. Ps. xviii. (xix.) 10,
Prov. xvi. 24, Cant. iv. n, Ambr.
in Ps. cxvin. xiii. 23, xiv. 24 fauos
ore fingere, mella ore componere ;
Ennod. Epist. XIII. dum fauos
loqueris\ Fort. VII. i. 19 aedificas
sermone fauos', vil. vii. 74 construis
ore fauos.
23. quos inter] i.e. in the course
of these words.
hostem] viz. Judas, Joh. xiii.
21 f.
24. ruminat] ' is plotting.' The
word in this sense is only ante- and
post-classical. Vergil and others
use it in its literal sense of cattle
chewing the cud.
26. Mt. xxvi. 48 f.
27. loris] 'to the thongs' that
bound Him.
28. tergunt] Cp. 7. 31, 37. 28.
204
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
nexi soluuntur hodie
carnis ac cordis carcere ;
unguen sacratur chrismatis :
spes inde crescit miseris.
uictori mortis inclitam
pangamus laude gloriam,
cum Patre et sancto Spiritu
qui nos redemit obitu.
35
29 nexis E0 Gl. 30 cordis ac carnis Fn (cordis a carnis Fe). a (pro
ac) Fh Im. 31 unguens Fe Im, unguem Ev, unguentum En Gl
(to Vs), tingens Ed. sacri Vs, sacrantur Im, sacratus Vh. crismate Ed.
32 unde Ev Fn. crescat Ev, datur En Gl. 33 inclita Gefl Vs,
inclito En Fe Gg. 34 laudem Im, laudis Vs. Christe (pro 1.) Fe.
35 ac (pro et) Ed Vs.
29. hodie] ' on this day,' when
the absolutions were pronounced on
those who had undergone penance
during Lent.
30. carnis... carcere] 'from the
imprisonment to which flesh and
heart were consigned ' ; ' flesh '
because the penance partly con-
sisted in fastings and other bodily
mortifications, cordis is probably
chosen, rather than some other
word, for the sake of the alliteration,
and refers to the humiliation of the
soul. For a comparison of the peni-
tential discipline to imprisonment,
see Cypr. Ep. LV. 20.
31. Cp. 27. 32 ; Lact. Phoen.
119 unguine balsa meo ; Fort. V. v.
103 hinc oleare miiiim perfnnditur
unguine uellus.
chrismatis is the identical gen.
See 26. 4.
33. inclitam is used as at 92.
1 6 ; cp. also 89. 19, 104. 15, 126. 3.
34. pangamus] Cp. 33. i.
36. Imitated from 31. 88.
obitu] ' by His death.'
VIII. ANONYMOUS HYMNS
THE EARLIER HYMNAL
HYMN 41
We now come to the second class of hymns, those of
which the writers are no longer known by name. These,
as might be expected, are many more in number than
those which can with any degree of certainty be ascribed
to a particular writer.
Daniel IV. 28 quotes a passage from Ambrose which
the writer of 41 clearly had in mind : in Ps. CXVIII. viii.
45 f. docet te propheta quomodo teneas Dominum lesum.
media node, inquit, surgebam ad confitendum tibi. Ib. 47
tempus est poenae. ,.non enim otiose Dominus Deus noster,
cum posset quocumque momenta primitiua Aegyptiorum
exstinguere, hoc tamen tempus dolori et luctui peccatoris
opportunius iudicauit. sic enim scriptum est, quia media
nocte primogeniti Aegyptiorum liberi ab exterminatore sint
interempti. Ib. 49 non otiose Paulus apostoius et Silas
trusi in carcerem, media tamen nocte surgebant mentis
uestigio, exorabant Dominum et laudis sacrificium defere-
bant, ideoque ubi non defuit deuotionis officium, adfuit
etiant absolutionis remedium. subito enim media nocte
terrae motus factus est grandis, ita ut mota essent funda-
menta carceris, ualuae apertae, omnium uincula soluta.
Ib. 52 solet sponsus media nocte uenire : caue ne te dor-
mientem inueniat, caue ne facem tuam non queas somno-
lentus accendere.
As to the use of the hymn Caesarius of Aries writes :
alia nocte ad primum nocturnum dicendum est Mediae
noctis tempus est ; i.e. in alternation with 42 Rex aeterne
Domine; cp. Blume Cursus p. 37. And with this agrees
206 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
the witness of the older hymnals, but X/XI cent. MSS
appoint it for Nocturn in Lent.
It will be observed that this hymn differs metrically
from all that have preceded it in this volume. Most of
them have been guided by the rules of classical prosody,
though those rules have been freely dispensed with from
time to time, especially under the influence of the accen-
tuation of the words. The present hymn pays little
regard even to accent, none to quantity. It can begin a
line with mediae or obuiam, and end one with peccatorum
or mereamur. To cut the words into lines of eight
syllables each is almost the only law by which the writer
is governed.
As to the writer : Niceta, Bishop of Remesiana in
Dacia, was a writer of hymns, though no complete col-
lection of them has come down to us. He also composed
two tractates, which we possess, de Vigiliis and de Bono
Psalmodiae. What if the hymn Mediae noctis tempus est
should be one of his hymns, composed for singing in the
vigils for which he contended so strongly ? in the night
seasons which he declares to be hymnis lectionibusque
fecundas (p. 56, ed. Burn)? It is true that the arguments
for observing midnight as a time for prayer and praise
are not identical in the hymn and the tractate ; but in
both stress is laid on the 'prophetic' passage, Psalm cxviii.
62 (p. 60), and in both the example of Paul and 'Sileas'
is referred to. The Trinitarian doctrine of the hymn is
that of Niceta: see p. 37 perfectam Trinitatem adorantes,
andjides Integra Trinitatis ; cp. p. 13 where the Nicene
de substantia Patris is discussed. The phrase Patri in-
genito, contrasted with (Filio) unigenito, belongs rather
specially to the age of Niceta; cp. Burn pp. 20, 39.
Particular turns of expression and choice of words in
the hymn may be illustrated from Niceta, Its very first
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLI 207
words may recall nox ecce est caligo carports, p. 55. In
lines 17, \% flebat fortiter is like fortiter canens, p. 71 ;
fnnera is like quae et qualia eis funera manerent (ib.) ;
while tantorum = tot is frequent in Niceta : see p. 1 1
tantarum rerum immensitatem ; p. 35 haec tanta ac talia ;
p. 6 1 haec et huinsmodi tanta et talia; p. 78 cum tantis ac
talibus sanctis. The combination uigilemus sobrie in 37
is of course biblical, but Niceta not only quotes the
passages (pp. 63, 64) ; he insists very emphatically upon
the sobriety of the Christian's vigil, p. 66. With conlau-
dantes in 44 cp. conlaudo eos, p. 68.
If Niceta was the author of the Te Deum, lines 3 f. and
46 would run naturally from his pen. The thought of the
uincla peccatorum in 47 occurs on p. 39 nincula serpen-
tina, quae stringunt animas hominum, etc. The phrase
sancte credentinm in 48 may be a reminiscence of Jude
20, but Niceta is fond of expressions \\ke professio sancta,
p. 13 ; omnia pie intellegenda sunt, p. 16 ; fideliter uene-
rando and honorificent integre Trinitatem, p. 36 ; pia con-
fessio in Deum, p. 40. In 51 f. ut mereamur...concinere is
a somewhat common kind of phrase, but we may com-
pare quo adiutus a Domino... canere possis et tu aliquando
merearis dicere, etc., p. 58. From p. 80 chori concinentis
and its context, it may be supposed that concinere in 52
has its proper meaning of 'singing in concert.'
Eo Fs\J< Hbdr Wn Mafk Vrs
Mediae noctis tempus est :
prophetica uox admonet
i medium Maf, media Vr. tempore Eo Hr Ma.
1 . tempus est is shewn to be that of the Psalmist ; the reference is
the original text by the agreement to Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 61. propheta is
in wording of the quotation by Cae- used of David at 50. 36, 62. 8, 66.
sarius with the oldest MSS. tempore 10, 82. 6, cp. Mt. xiii. 35, Acts n.
would come from line 41. 3. and ver y often in Nlceta -
2. ' The voice of the prophet ' is
208 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
dicamus laudes ut Deo
Patri semper ac Filio,
sancto quoque Spiritui ; 5
perfecta enim Trinitas
uniusque substantiae
laudanda semper nobis est.
terrorem tempus hoc habet,
quo, cum uastator angelus 10
Aegypto mortes intulit,
deleuit primogenita.
haec hora iustis salus est,
quos ibidem tune angelus
ausus punire non erat, 15
signum formidans sanguinis.
3 domino (pro ut deo) Eo Hr Mafk Vr. 4 om. ac Vr. et Mafk.
7 quoque (pro -que) Vr. 8 laudando Mf. 9 terrorum Hbd Vrs.
(pro hoc uersu) medium (mediae) noctis tempore Mafk. 10 quod Fs Hd 2
In Vs. quocumque Hr. pergens (pro quo cum) Mafk. 1 1 mortem
Hbdr 1 IKn Vrs. 12 delet Eo 1 , diluit Mafk. 13 iustis
hora Fs Hbd IKn Vs. 14 et quos idem IN, in quos idem In, in qua
idem Fs Hb Vs, in quo hisdem Hd. 15 puniri Hbd IN Vr.
1 6 signi Mf.
6. perfecta Trinitas] see 1. 60 Append, iv. 6 quando uel unde tui
note. Cp. Niceta de Spir. S. 22 nuntiet aura boni ; Mulomed. Chir.
perfectam Trinitatem ador antes. p.%-].$infundituranacallidistritae;
7. substantiae] used in the Vul- 175. 16 admisceto mellis quatn op-
gate of Heb. i. 3, iii. 14 etc. to timi; 180. 16 stimito fun's boni.
represent the virbffrains of the Greek. It must be owned, however, that
Here it is, of course, to be taken in terroris would be more natural in
the sense which it bears, for in- this sense than the plural.
stance, in the Quicumque uult, 10. quo] ' at which.'
9 f . Exod. xii. The variant ter- 12. primogenita] neuter, as at
rorum is perhaps the original, as Ps. cxxxiv. 8, because 'all the first-
being more difficult, and may be born of beasts' were smitten, as
defended by such passages as Plaut. well as of men, Exod. xi. 5.
Poen. 642 boni de nostro tibi nee i3f. Exod. xii. 23f. , cp. 109. 9f.
ferimus nee damns; Most. 1017 f. 14. ibidem] i.e. in Egypt.
mecum ut ille hie gesserit, \ dum tu 15. ausus... non erat] 'did not
hinc abes, negoti? Ter. Phorm. 709 dare.' For the force of the pluperf.
ante brumam autem noui negoti in- see 95. 10 note.
cipere; Fort. vi. v. 168 si uenit, 17. Exod. xii. 30. Aegyptus
ipsa mihi nuntiet aura boni; id. stands for 'the Egyptians,' as at
EARLIER HYMNAL, HYMN XL! 209
Aegyptus flebat fortiter
tantorum dira funera,
solus gaudebat Israhel,
agni protectus sanguine. 20
nos uerus Israhel sumus ;
laetamur in te, Domine,
hostem spernentes et malum
Christi defensi sanguine.
ipsum profecto tempus est, 25
quo uoce euangelica
uenturus sponsus creditur,
regni caelestis conditor.
occurrunt sanctae uirgines
18 natorum Eo Fs Hbdr 2 Vs, tantarum Mafk. cliro funere IK Vr.
21 uero Hbdr. 22 laetemur Eo F^ Hbd 2 r In. 23 hostes Fs
Hb Vs. immanem (pro et malum) Hd In, immar.es Fs Hb Vs. hostem
prosternentes malum Mafk. 24 redempti Vr. 25 (pro hoc itentm
nersii) medium (mediae) noctis tempore Mafk. 26 per uocem -am Mk.
om. quo Maf. 29 occurrent Hd 1 Mafk.
Ps. civ. (cv.) 38 ; so ludaea for participle in the sense of a finite
the Jews 1. 52 note, cp. Israhel in verb is very common, see e.g. Leo's
1 9. Fortunatus p. 4 1 1 . No hymn writer
fortiter] ' loudly,' ' bitterly ' ; cp. would shrink from using spernentes
Jud. viii. i iurgantes fortiter', Dan. =spernimns. et (like ut in 3) is out
v. 7 exda mauit. . .fortiter ; Niceta of place, as often in late poets, cp.
de Psalmod. 4 in cithara... fortiter Fort. VI. i. 42 mollittr incumbent et
canens. inhaesit.jlanimamedullis. It was no
1 8. tantorum] 'so many,' a late doubt the difficulty caused thereby
usage, the first traces of which we that made some of the later copyists
find in Propert. I. v. 10 milia substitute immanent for et malum.
quanta. It became common, cp. 25. profecto] 'moreover,' here
e.g. Joh. vi. 9 sed haec quid sunt used as a particle of transition to
inter tantcs? Fort. xi. ix. 7 portitor another point ; cp. its use at 14. 26
ad tantos missus non sufficit nnus. note.
See the references to Niceta in the 26 f. Mt. xxv. i f., especially 6.
Introd. 27. uenturus] sc. esse which is
21. uerus Israhel] 'the true usually omitted with the future,
Israel,' answering to St Paul's often with the past, participle,
phrase ' the Israel of God,' Gal. vi. 28. There is a reference to the
[6, cp. Rom. ii. 28, ix. 6. first words of the parable, 'the
23. 'and we laugh to scorn our kingdom of heaven,' Mt. xxv. i.
malicious enemy,' viz. the devil, 29. sanctae is contrasted with
cp. 5. 27 etc. The use of the present stultae in 33.
210 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
obuiam tune aduentui, 30
gestantes claras lampadas,
magno laetantes gaudio.
stultae uero remanent,
quia stinctas habent lampadas,
frustra pulsantes ianuam 35
clausa iam regni regia.
quare uigilemus sobrie
gestantes mentes splendidas,
aduenienti ut lesu
digni curramus obuiam. 40
noctisque mediae tempore
Paulus quoque et Sileas,
Christum uincti in carcere
conlaudantes, soluti sunt.
31 claras gestantes Mafk. 33 at st. Fs Hbd In Vs, quae st. Vr 2 .
34 quae exstinctas omnes exc. Vr. 35 ianuas Hb IN, ianua Mfk.
36 iam clausa Mfk, clausam i. r. ueniam Ma. 37 peruigilemus Eo
F^ Hr. 38 stantes Maf. om. mentes Vr. mente splendidi Ma.
splendide Mfk. 39 adueniente Eo 1 F^ Ma Vr, aduentui Hd.
40 digne IN. occurramus Eo F^ Hr Mafk. 41 mediae noctis Mk,
medium noctis Maf, media nocte Vr. 44 laudantes resoluti Ma
(laudando res. Mfk).
31. Cp. 120. 46. uig'lemus, as it was probably pro-
33. stultae is a trisyllable to be nounced by the vulgar tongue. Cp.
scanned istultae ; see Index. Ital. vegliare, Fr. veiller. So mediae
34. quia is to be regarded as a in 41 is a dissyllable, medjae.
monosyllable, as at Fort. II. xv. 8. For uigilemus sobrie cp. 20. 7 and
stinctas is a rare and poetical the introduction to this hymn,
form, and has been ousted except in 38. The epithet splendidas is of
the most ancient MS by the better course chosen with reference to the
known exstinctas, which might and lampades in the previous stanzas,
would come from the Vulgate of but we may compare Ecclus. xxx. 27
Mt. xxv. 8 quia lampades nostrae splendidum cor\ Hor. Od. iv. vii. 21
exstingwmtur. It is used by Lucr. splendida Minos \fecerit arbitria.
I. 667 ignes in coetus stingui. In 40. Cp. 104. 46.
our hymn elision is unlikely in view 41 f. Acts xvi. 25 f.
of the several instances of hiatus in 42. Sileas] a by-form of Silas.
39, 42, 43, 53. See the critical notes to Wordsworth-
36. regia] 'the palace,' as at White Vidgate Acts xv. 22 etc.;
27. 5. cp. Niceta de Vigiliis 7 (p. 63, ed.
37. uigilemus is to be scanned Burn) Paulus et Sileas in citstodia
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLII 211
nobis hie mundus career est ; 45
te laudamus, Christe Deus ;
solue uincla peccatorum
in te sancte credentium.
dignos nos fac, rex hagie,
uenturi regni gloria, 50
aeternis ut mereamur
te laudibus concinere.
gloria Patri ingenito,
gloria unigenito,
simul cum sancto Spiritu 55
in sempiterna saecula.
45 mundus hie IK. 48 Christe Ff . 50 futuri IS. gloriae
Hbdr 1 IK. 51 aeternas Fs Hbd In Vs. 51 tibi laudes Fs Hbd
In Vs.
publica circa medium noctis orantes the more easily because it seems to
hymnum andientibus uinctis dixisse have been retained in the ' Holy,
mcmorantur ; tibi repente .. .omnium Holy, Holy,' even in Latin-speaking
nincula sunt soluta. communities : see Passio S. Perpet.
4.S. Cp. 40. 30 note. 12.
46. Cp. line 22 and the first 50. uenturi regnl no doubt refers
words of the Te Deurn. In later to the petition in the Lord's Prayer,
hymns such indicatives were often adueniat regnum tuum, cp. 44 . 3,
toned down into subjunctives. though we find in Verg.Aen.vi 11.62 7
47. Cp. Prov. v. 22 funibus uenturi.,. aeui. Blume reads futuri
peccatorum suorum constringitur ; with the Bangor Antiphonary ; but
Sacr. Greg. p. 123 (ed. Wilson) et this may have been a gloss in the
quos delictorum catena constringit, first place, or the scribe may not
miseratio tuae pictatis absoluat. have seen the full meaning of uen-
48. sancte] Probably sancte turi.
here is an adverb, qualifying ere- gloriae is perhaps the original, a
Jentium, rather than a vocative. gen. being sometimes found with
Cp. Niceta de Ps. Bono 13 Deum... dignus, cp. 1. 15 note.
humiliter sancteque iaudauerint. 51. ' that we may be permitted '
49. hagie] see 44. 17, 84. 21. etc.; see 4. 8 note.
Perhaps the use of this word came
HYMN 42
The first thing that strikes us in this ancient hymn is
the number of lines defective in metre. In view of them
Bede's words, (Keil Gramm. Lat. VII. 259) quomodo et
ad ins tar iambici metri pulcherrinie factus est hymnus ille
142
212
praeclarus Rex aeterne Domine, seem somewhat strange.
But at any rate the first line, which seems to us defec-
tive, stood as it does now long before Bede's time.
Caesarius gives the first words as Rex aeterne domine.
Caesarius and Aurelian of Aries prescribe the hymn
die dominica ad primos nocturnos, Caesarius adding the
rubric alia nocte ad primum nocturnum dicendum est
Mediae noctis tempus est. See Blume Cursus p. 37.
Originally it was written to commemorate the whole
redeeming work of Christ ; but from the Xth century
onwards the first seven stanzas were taken by themselves
to form an Easter hymn, for which purpose they are not
especially suited.
The hymn seems indeed to fall into two parts. In the
first seven stanzas one or another case of qui constantly
recurs : in the following stanzas tu (tibi, te) takes its
place. Did these first seven stanzas originally constitute
a separate hymn, which was added to in the early
hymnal, but adopted by itself in the later one as an
Easter hymn ?
It will be observed that the first seven contain not one
spondee in the fourth foot, the others two or three, in 37,
49 and perhaps 53. Would Bede have thought nothing
of this ? Also st. VIII joins on rather abruptly to st. VII,
with its introductory nam.
Aefg (a uersu 45) EKadgosi^x Fhmrsu^ Gam Hdk Ibhmov Vs
Rex aeterne Domine,
rerum creator omnium,
i sempiterne (pro act.) Vs.
i. Perhaps we should with Daniel diphthong in aet. into two syllables,
read O rex, laying the blame on the and likewise in saecula (v. 3).
rubricator of the archetype. If not, 2. creator] Cp. the note on 1. 8
we must presumably resolve the factor.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLII 213
qui es ante saecula
semper cum Patre Filius ;
qui mundi in primordio 5
Adam plasmasti hominem,
cui tuae imaginis
uultum dedisti similem ;
quern diaholus deceperat,
hostis humani generis, 10
cuius tu formam corporis
adsumere dignatus es,
ut hominem redimeres,
quern ante iam plasmaueras,
et nos Deo coniungeres 15
per carnis contubernium.
3 eras Ed Hd 2 k Ib 2 Vs 1 . 7 cuius Hk. imagini Ead j ij Fhm Gm
Ihv Vs, imagine E/t 1 (tu -ne Hk), imaginem Es. 9 satanas (pro
diab. ) Hd". n cui Iv. 13 redemeris EXo F^ Hk. 15 ut EK.
3. es] Perhaps we should with writers, zakulus. See Ronsch p.
later MSS read eras, or possibly 457, 41. 37 note.
[matt]es, as in Hilary Hymn. I. i. deceperat] 'ruined,' 'destroyed,'
Cassander's es et seems to be due the usual meaning of the word in
to his own conjecture. late Latin ; cp. Juvenc. II. 598 con-
ante saecula] 1. 8. ciliis trucibus conclamant decipien-
5. In primordio] ' in the begin- dum ; C. I. L. V. 3371 patri incom-
ning,' cp. 73. 3. The word is very parabili decepto a Daciscis in hello \
rare in the singular. Lucretius and C. I. L. \\. 5012 hie est Simplicity,
others use it in the plural, but not nam future mersus acerbo...prae-
so freely as exordia. clams sfudiis, primis decepttts in
6. plasmasti] ' didst fashion ' ; annis. See Lofstedt Spall. Studien
derived from irXao-areiv through p. 72. Cp. Ambr. Hex. v. 62 eo
Tr\a<rfj.a, found in the Vulgate at quod primus amor fefellerit earn
Job x. 8 manus tuae plasmanerunt dilecti morte deceptatn ; Aug. Con/,
me etc. ; Ambr. de Parad. 5 quern x. 46 scis Esau lenticulae concupis-
plasmauerat ; Prud. Apoth. 864 centia deceptum.
plas masse... corporis effigiem ; Fort. Between ro and n two MSS, Ed
v. vi. 3 plasmnta est Eua. See 23. and Hk, insert the two couplets
10 note ; Ronsch 253. following, per fomum Hgni uetiti |
7f. Gen. i. 27. cui is a dissyllable mortis propinans poculum. | quique
as at 4. 25 note. clausus in tenebris | gemebat in sup-
imaglnis is the gen. after similem. pliciis. .
9. Gen. iii. if. diabolus is a ir. Cp. 36. 32.
trisyllable: this pronunciation ac- 16. contubernium] an instance of
counts for the form of the word a word ennobled by its religious use.
found in Commodian and other To a Roman ear it generally meant
2I 4
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
quern editum ex uirgine
pauescit omnis anima,
per quern nos resurgere
deuota mente credimus.
qui nobis per baptismata
donasti indulgentiam,
qui tenebamur uinculis
ligati conscientiae.
qui crucem propter hominem
suscipere dignatus es,
dedisti tuum sanguinem
nostrae salutis pretium.
2 5
19 et nos Ibv, omnes Vs.
24 conscientia ESs Ga Hk lo.
either companionship in a military
tent or the so-called marriage of
slaves. But cp. Wisd. viii. 3 [.ra-
pientid] contubernium habens Dei :
so this line means 'by Thy dwelling
among men.' Perhaps the writer is
thinking of Joh. i. 14 *coi 6 \6yos...
{ffK71VUffei> fr TJIMV.
18. pauescit o. a.] Cp. Phil. ii.
10 f.
19. Probably quern is to be
scanned as a dissyllable. See an in-
teresting tract by A. M. Harmon,
' The Clausula in Ammianus Mar-
cellinus,' in which he shews that
may count as a syllable in the
combination qu- ; that, out of 71
clausulae of Ammian in which a
word containing qu- appears, the u
counts as a syllable in 35 of these,
while in 36 it does not ; and that
the relative pronoun is oftener a
dissyllable than a monosyllable.
Thus we have I. vii. 5 relaturi quae
audirent ; I. xcvi. 3 iste quern ui-
demus. In accordance with these
facts we find reliquiis and aqiid ;
cp. Lachmann's Lucretius, p. 305,
Munro on Lucr. I. 560, Ritschl on
Plaut.'TV/w. 14, Lindsay Lat. Lan-
guage p. 87. See also the note on
di'i 4. 25.
21 baptismum EXasij Gam HcPk.
nos resurgere] 'that we shall rise
again. ' We should according to rule
have the future, but resurrecturos
would be a cumbersome word and
could not be fitted into the verse.
Both in ante- and post-classical Latin
the present inf. is freely used for future
events after credo and like verbs ;
cp. 89. 1 8, Fort. Vit. Mart. I. 343
credit stare. The present tense gives
a more general sense : ' we believe
in our rising again.'
20. deu. mente] ' devoutly ' ;
the mente is on its way to become
the adverbial -merit, -mente, of the
Romance languages.
21. If we read baptismum, qui
again will be dissyllabic ; but bap-
tismata of the later MSS is probably
right. The plural is peculiar, but
is used by Fort. Vit. Mart. n. 187
ac sua perdiderint baptismata cri-
mine mersi ; Ambr. in Luc. i. 35
baptismata populis frequentata. It
seems to mean baptism as applied
to each penitent in succession ; cp.
Heb. vi. 2 baptismatum doctrinae.
22. Indulgentiam] 'pardon,' as
at 86. u, 94. 24.
24. conscientiae] 'a bad con-
science,' 'consciousness of guilt,' as
at 98. 5.
EARLIER HYMNAL, HYMN XLII 215
nam uelum templi scissum est
et omnis terra tremuit,
tu multos dormientium
resuscitasti, Domine.
tu hostis antiqui uires
per crucem mortis conterens,
qua nos signati frontibus
uexillum fidei ferimus.
tu ilium a nobis semper
repellere dignaueris,
ne umquam possit laedere
redemptos tuo sanguine.
qui propter nos ad inferos
descendere dignatus es,
35
40
29 nam et Hk. 31 tune multis Eo F^.
conteris Eo F^ (-es Vs). 35 signasti Hk.
38 dignaberis Ed.
34 crucis morte Hk.
37 semper a n. Vs.
26. suscipere] Cp.32. 18, Lact.
Diu. Inst. iv. xix. n nisi...illam
crucem portandam patiendamqiie sus-
ceperit. The word is perhaps chosen
with reference to Christ's own words
Mt. xvi. 24 tollat crucem.
28. pretium] see 33. 28 note,
i Cor. vi. 20, vii. 23. At this point
the hymn ends in all but the early
MSS.
29. Mt. xxvii. 51, 1. 43.
nam] ' moreover,' ' then,' used as
a mere particle of transition to an-
other point, as at Fort. ix. x. 13.
We find it with almost the adversa-
tive force of ' but,' ' whereas,' at
Commodian Apol. 256 sicut trot
striptum, quod aues stia tempora
norttnt, \ nam populus iste non me
intellexit adesse ; Fort. IV. xxvi. 30
forma peril hominum, nam bene-
facta manent; vii. vii. 14.
31. For the repeated tu in this
and the following lines cp. note on
1- 3-
32. resuscitasti] Cp. 1. 24. 56.
13, 104. 8.
33. hostis antiqui] the serpens
antiquus of Rev. xii. 9, xx. a. Often
in Bede.
34. crucem mortis] ' the cross of
death,' i.e. on which Thou didst die.
conterena] in fulfilment of Gen.
iii. 15 if>sa conteret caput tuum ;
cp. Rom. xvi. so Deus...conterat
Satanam.
35. Cp. 26. 7 note.
36. uexillum] 'the ensign,' 6.
15 note, 26. n, 34. i note, Victor
Vitensis Hist. Persec. I. 43 cuius
cum diu ac saepius tibias torquendo
tinnientibus constringerent c[k}ffrdis
etfronttm, in qua Christ us uexillum
suae fixer at crucis.
38. dignaueria] 'do Thou deign,'
perf. subjunctive. The active form
digno is rare, but used by some early
and late writers. As however the
deponent dignor is used in lines 1 3,
26 and 42 of this hymn, perhaps we
should here read dignaberis. The
future indicative may have seemed
strange to copyists, but would be
like such phrases as Ps. xi. (xii.) 8
tu Domine seruabis nos.
40. Cp. Rev. v. 9, Te Deum ao.
216 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
ut mortis debitoribus
uitae donates munera.
tibi nocturno tern pore 45
hymnum deflentes canimus,
ignosce nobis, Domine,
ignosce confitentibus.
quia tu testis et iudex es,
quern nemo potest fallere, 50
secreta conscientiae
nostrae uidens uestigia.
tu qui nostrorum pectorum
solus inuestigator es,
tu uulnerum latentium 55
bonus adsistis medicus.
tu es qui certo tempore
daturus finem saeculi,
tu pro cunctorum meritis
Justus remunerator es. 60
43 morti Vs, mortem F\f/ Hk. 44 donaris EKo Hk. 45 matutino
(pro noct. ) Aefg EK Vs. 49 q. ipse es (est Af) t. et i. Af Vs, q. tu ipse
t. et i. es Fs (om. es Eo), q. tu ipse t. es et i. es Hk. 52 nostra EX F^
(-am Vs). 53 addidi qui. peccatorum Hk. 56 assiste Eo 1 ,
assistens Eo 2 . 58 saeculo F^. 59 addidi pro. et tu Vs.
43. mortis debitor is a variation tu ? qui would easily drop out after
of the usual reus mortis of Mt. xxvi. tu. inuestigator (Prov. xi. 27) goes
66, 105. 18, 30 etc. well with either pectorum or pecca-
44. munera] ' the gift,' plural. torttm. The spondee in the fourth
45. At this point some of the foot would not stand alone in this
Ambrosian MSS begin a new hymn. part of the hymn.
46. deflentes] Cp. 31. 38 note. 55. uulnerum] Cp. 66, 19. 16
49. quia] a monosyllable, as at note.
41. 34. 56. adsistis, as at 65. 4, has some
testis] Rev. i. 5, iii. 14 ; but here of its later sense of ' assisting.' The
it seems to mean that Christ is an title of the bonus medicus probably
eyewitness of all that men do. comes from Mark ii. 1 7 and parallels,
52. uestigia] 'the lowest depths'; influenced by John x. n.
as Ambr. in Ps. xxxix. 2 animi 59. Perhaps we should read tu
nostri interior a uestigia. pro cunctorum meritis ; cp. 85. 1 1 f.
53. Should we read peccatorum reddens uicem pro abditis \ iustisque
with later MSS, or tu qui nos- regnum pro bouts; 86. 15 non pro
trorum pectorum, or possibly tu, realu puniat. For the sense cp.
EA RLIER H YMNA L. H YMN XLIII 2 1 7
te ergo, sancte, quaesumus,
ut nostra cures uulnera,
. qui es cum Patre Filius
semper cum sancto Spiritu.
2 Cor. v. 10, Heb. xi. 6, Rev. more than doubtful if the word
ii. 23. ever bears this meaning in classical
meritis] ' deserts,' whether good writers, except Liv. xxi. 8 dum
or bad. uulnus duds curaretur, and even
61. sancte] Cp. 32. 18 note. this may mean 'while. ..was being
62. cures] 'cure,' 'heal.' It is treated." Cp. cura in 37. 19.
HYMN 43
The sense of 43, which is handed down in just three
IXth century MSS, is difficult and the grammar abnormal.
This difficulty seems to have arisen from the misplace-
ment of the lines, for on a re-arrangement it disappears,
and the hymn runs smoothly.
[The lines as given in Blume Cursus 1 1 3 read thus :
Tempus noctis surgentibus,
laudes Deo dicentibus
Christo lesiique Domino
in trinitatis gloria,
ctwro sanctorum psallimns,
ceruices nostras flectimus
uel genua prosternimus
peccata confitentibus.
oremus Deo iugiter,
uincamus in bono malum,
cum fructu paenitentiae
uotum perenni reddere.
Christum rogemus et patrem
sanctum patrisque spiritum,
ut det nobis anxilium,
uincamus hostem iuuidum.
Perhaps the transposition is less effective in removing
difficulties than Mr Walpole thought.]
218
The hymn In matutinis surgimus is a Mozarabic re-
casting of 43. Daniel I. 3 takes it from Thomasius, who
in turn exactly copies the inferior text of the breviary
of Ortiz of 1502. Blume prints it more correctly from
the Xth century MS, Madrid 1005 hh 60, Analecta
XXVII. 71.
Eo Fa^
Tempus noctis surgentibus,
laudes Deo dicentibus,
Christo lesuque Domino
peccata confitentibus,
in Trinitatis gloria 5
chorus sanctorum psallimus,
ceruices nostras flectimus
uel genua prosternimus.
oremus Deo iugiter,
ut det nobis auxilium,
uincamus hostem inuidum,
uincamus in bono raalum.
3 Christi Fa.
10
2 laudis Fa.
12 bonis Fa.
T . ' Rising at night-time.' tempus
is hardly to be distinguished from
tempore, which would stand here
in a classical writer; cp. 55. 10
quod, ' at which,' 60. 4 uenturam
noc tern.
surgentibus, dicentibus (in 2),
confitentibus (in 4) are abl.'s abso-
lute, though they refer to the subject
of the finite verbs psallimus etc. ;
cp. 33. 17 note. The confitentibus
might have the same construction
at the end of stanza II, though to
us it seems more harsh to return to
the odd construction after once get-
ting clear of it.
3. -que is misplaced, as at 34. 24,
and comes in most awkwardly, if
we keep the MS order of the lines.
In the proposed rearrangement the
6 choro
9 deum Eo.
meaning is clear: 'and confessing
our sins to Christ Jesus the Lord.'
In either place Christus-Iestts is
treated as a single name.
5. ' in our praise of the Trinity' ;
gloria as at 40. 34 and often. There
is not much difference in Latin of
this kind between in gloria and in
gloriam.
6. sanctorum] i.e. of believers;
cp. 15. 21 note.
8. uel] 'and,' as at 37. 6.
genua prosternimus is an unusual
phrase for kneeling, derived from the
frequent use in the Vulgate of pro-
sterno to express the eastern prostra-
tion of the whole body, cp. Dan.
iii. 6, 10 etc.
11. hostem inuidum] 3. 14, 5. 27.
12. 'That we may overcome evil
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLIV 219
Christum rogemus et Patrem
sanctum Patrisque Spiritum,
cum fructu paenitentiae 15
uotum perenni reddere.
13 Christo Fa.
with good,' Rom. xii. 11, cp. 50. 10.
The use of in to express the instru-
ment is biblical.
13 comes from 5. 30, cp. 55. 33.
Notice the substitution of sanctumhr
Ambrose's Christi. The Mozarabic
version referred to in the introduc-
tion exactly reproduces 5. 30, and in
the following line substitutes repellat
for uincanius : perhaps to avoid the
sudden change of subject.
1 6 uota Fa, uoto F^.
16. reddere may be translated
''pay.' In the MS order the inf.
depends upon uincamus, as at Rev.
v. 5 uicit leo..,aperire librum. But
here this construction would be ex-
tremely harsh, owing to the inter-
vening words. If reddere uotum is
transferred to the end, it would
seem to mean ut reddamus: uotum
will then mean ' our desire.'
HYMN 44
This poetical hymn is not mentioned by Caesarius
or Aurelian, but early became the office hymn for
Mattins on Sunday. Probably the first four stanzas are
addressed to God the Father, the direct invocation of
Christ not coming until stanza V ; see the note on 3.
But sator in verse 2 may be vocative, in which case the
address to Christ begins at that point.
Eo Fai/' (ad 8) Hr (in parte)
Deus, qui caeli lumen es
satorque lucis, qui polum
paterno fultum bracchio
i certe (pro caeli) Fa. est Fa.
fluctus Fa.
1. caeli lumen] Rev. xxi. 23,
cp. xxii. 5.
2. sator] 'creator,' or 'father,'
lit. ' sower.' Perhaps the word is
chosen, because light and fire were
thought to spring from seeds ; cp.
27. 7 note, Prud. Cath. in. i o cru-
cifer bone lucisator, Fort. V. ii. 3 ut
tenebras animate lux sementitta fu-
garet. However, like inuentor (27.
2 populum Fa.
3 fultus
i note) and other similar words,
sator lost its special meaning : cp.
58. 1 sator,.. t em porum; Arnob. adu.
Nat. I. 34 sator saeculorum ac tern-
poritm ; ib. II. 25.
3. fultum] 'firmly set.' The
firmament was supposed to be solid
and propped upon mountains at
either end ; see the diagram in
Hastings Diet, of Bible \. 503.
22O
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
praeclara pandis dextera ;
Aurora Stellas iam tegit
rubrum sustollens gurgitem,
umectis namque flatibus
terram baptizans roribus.
currus iam poscit Phosphorus
radiis rotisque flammeis,
quod caeli scandens uerticem
profectus moram nesciens.
5 auroram Fa. teget Fa.
12 profectis moris Fa.
' The arm of the Lord ' is a meta-
phor frequently found in the O.T.,
as at Exod. vi. 6. If sator is taken
a.s\\om.,paternov!i\\ be ' Thyfatherly
arm ' ; if as voc., ' Thy Father's.'
4. pandis] Cp. Ps. ciii. (civ.) 2
' Thou...spreadest out the heavens
like a curtain.' Job ix. 8, Is. xl. 22,
xlii. 5, xliv. 24, li. 13, Jer. x. 12.
Here however pandis seems to de-
note the opening of the curtain to
give light ; cp. 45. 4, 1. 43.
5 f. ' Dawn now shrouds the
stars, uplifting her ruddy flood, for
with damp blasts she bedews the
earth.'
Aurora is personiBed, as generally
in the Latin poets. And just as the
darkness is regarded as a material
substance (21. 5), so also the light
(46. 7). Ambr. Hex. IV. n implies
the objective existence of a man's
shadow uidemus umbram uel homi-
nis uel uirgulti alicuius a lumine
separari. . . est enim , ut per Mores pro-
bauerunt, . . . umbra terrae. The flood
of light being brought up from ocean
(Verg. Aen. IV. 129, XII. 114 alto
se gurgite tollunt \ solis equi) is of a
watery nature.
7. namque introduces the clause
that explains this use of gurgitem
' a flood of light ' : elsewhere gor-
ges means 'a water-flood,' as at
31. 41, 77. 3. namque, used as
it is here, with a participle instead
8 terra Fa.
1 1 celis cadens Fa.
of a finite verb, seems to be con-
sidered as synonymous with the
kindred nempe, in which the con-
junctive force is often lost, and
treated 2& = scilicet-, qriippe; cp.
Sedul. Carm. i. 78 totum namque
lauans uno baptismate mundum.
Otherwise the grammar might be
helped by putting only a comma at
roribus and attaching baptizans to
Phosphorus. But the free use of the
pres. part, instead of the pres. indie,
is remarkable in our hymn; so 12
nesciens, 16 suscitans.
9. ' Now Phosphorus calls for
his chariot with flaming spokes and
wheels, because in his ascent to the
height of heaven (i.e. to his zenith)
his progress knows no delay.'
Phosphorus (4>wo-06pos, the light-
bringer), the Latin Lucifer, usually
denotes Venus the morning-star,
but here seems to be used of the
sun. Cp. 2 Pet. i. 19.
10 radiis] ' spokes,' as at Verg.
Georg. li. 444 radios triuere rotis;
but the sun's spokes are his rays.
12. profectus, if a substantive, is
homproficio, and is here either nomi-
native, or genitive after moram, ' his
progress is unacquainted with delay,'
or ' is unacquainted with any delay
of his progress.'
nesciens] For this use of the word
cp. 3. 20, 28. Pres. part, for pres.
indie., this time combined with
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLIVB 221
iam noctis umbra linquitur,
polum caligo deserit,
typusque Christi Lucifer 15
diem sopitum suscitans.
dies dierum hagius es
lucisque lumen ipse es,
unum potens per omnia,
potens in unum Trinitas. 20
te nunc, Saluator, quaesumus
tibique genu flectimus :
Patrem cum sancto Spiritu
totis rogamus uiribus.
13 linquetur Fa. 14 populum Fa. i\ tune (pro te) Fa.
qnod. Not unlike is Fort. II. ix. 64 20. It is difficult to see what the
horrea quando quidem construitura writer meant by these lines. Unlike
Dei. Ambr. , he seems to mean Christ by
13. linquitur] 'we leave the unum potens per omnia, but then
shade of night ' ; or perhaps ' it influenced by the recollection of
fails,' 'fades away.' Ovid Her. n. Ambr.'s hymn, proceeds to identify
130 uses linquor of 'fainting.' this 'one Almighty 'with the Trinity.
15. 'And Lucifer, the type of The effect is somewhat Sabellian.
Christ, awakens the day from its Line 10, in relation to 19, seems to
slumber.' Like Phosphorus in 9, mean that, as the Divine power ex-
Lucifer is the sun ; see 2. 9 note, tends over all things, so this un-
and contrast 45. 5 f. divided power resides in a Trinity.
17. dies dierum] 3. 4. Probably in unum is to be taken in
hagius] ' the holy one ' ; see note its adverbial sense, as in Ps. xlviii.
on 32. 18 sancte. Or possibly 'O 3, cxxxii. i, Joh. xi. 51, xvii. 73,
holy one' (nom. for voc.), 'Thou Acts ix. 13 and elsewhere,
art the day of our days.' We have 21. quaesumus and in 24 nawM.r
had hagius #t 41. 49. (as at 59. 3, 98. 1 1 ) are without the
1 8. ' Thou Thyself art the light usual complement expressing that
of (all earthly) light ' ; cp. 3. 3. which is prayed for.
19 is identical with 5. 31. 24. totis] = omnibus, as at 12. 27.
HYMN 441}
The following hymn, consisting of a paraphrase of the
Lord's Prayer, is regarded by Blume, against Daniel and
Sievers, as an integral part of 44. But the last stanza of
that hymn is a doxology, and forms as fitting a conclu-
sion to it, as the next stanza Pater, qui caelos confines,
222 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
etc., makes a fitting beginning of a new hymn, a
beginning of the same character as those of other hymns
of this series, with Pater of course substituted for the
usual Deus ; see the first lines of 44, 57, 59 respectively.
The four stanzas of 44b are, to be sure, written in the
MSS as if they belonged to the hymn Deus qui caeli
lumen es. But this has happened in other cases as well.
Thus the Bern MS 455 makes one continuous hymn of
100 Meridie orandum e"st, 99 Dei fide qua uiuimus, and
54 Perfectum trinum numerum ; and two Mozarabic MSS
write 41 Mediae noctis tenipus est as if it were a continua-
tion of the hymn lesu defensor omnium. The same has
happened also in other poems. Propert. III. iv and v are
written as one piece in the MSS ; Hor. Epist. I. xvii and
xviii in many.
To support his argument Blume emphasizes the use
of the Te Deum made in 49 Christe caeli Domine. But
the two cases are not parallel. In the present case the
paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer contained in 44 b is
simply tacked on to 44, whereas parts of the Te Deum
are interwoven into the very texture of 49 throughout.
If further argument for separating the two poems were
required, it might be found in the respective styles.
While 44 is full of imagery, delights in unusual words,
and abounds in grammatical conundrums, 44b is abso-
lutely simple and free from rhetorical ornament.
Eo Fa
Pater, qui caelos contines,
cantemus nunc nomen tuum ;
adueniat regnum tuum,
fiatque uoluntas tua.
( contenis Eo Fa. 4 om. que Fa.
i. contines] 39. 15,48. -,, cp. 18. i. cantemus] a restricted inter-
i note. pretation of sanctificetur.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XL V 223
haec, inquam, uoluntas tua 5
nobis agenda traditur :
simus fideles spiritu,
casto manentes corpore.
panem nostrum cotidie
de te edendum tribue; 10
remitte nobis debita,
ut nos nostris remittimus.
temptatione subdola
induci nos ne siueris,
sed puro corde supplices 15
tu nos a malo libera.
7 sumus fidilt Fa. 12 remittemus Fa. 13 temptatio Fa.
14 sineris Eo Fa.
5. inquam] ' I say,' often used at clause was already traditional when
the repetition of the same word or Tertullian wrote his de Oratione.
thought, cp. Ezek. iv. 6 diem pro 11. debita] Cp. Mt. xviii. 27,
anno, diem inquam pro anno', Ambr. Tab. 15 graue tiocabulum
Lucr. n. 256 unde haec animantibus debitorum. debita peccata dicuntur,
exstat, | unde est haec inquam fatis debitores quoque criminosi appellan-
aitoisa uoluntas. tur; 86. 10 laxare gratis debt turn.
6. traditur] The tradition of the 12. nostria] debitoribus ; or per-
Church teaches it us, that we may haps simply 'to men of our own
work it out. kind.'
7. 8 are adapted from 3. 18, and 13. 'Suffer us not to be led on
8 recurs at 46. 22. by treacherous temptation.' yow-
manentes] 'ever abiding.' maneo ever, as induco is usually followed
was a favourite word in late Latin by a word or words expressing that
writers, often meaning little more into which one is led astray, and as
than sum, especially in the pres. up to this point the wording of the
participle, which is wanting in sum hymn has closely followed the
(112. 26). The line tacitly con- original of Mt. vi. 9 f., perhaps the
trasts our earthly state with the writer intended the abl. to be
heavenly. governed by the in in induci. The
10. de te edendum] cp. 100. 3 difference between ace. and abl.
ut iubeat nos tdere \ de suo sancto after in tended to disappear, like
corpore. This spiritualisation of the that between e/s and iv.
HYMN 45
This beautiful and evidently ancient hymn has had a
remarkable history. It comes in no hymnal or breviary
earlier than the XVth century, nor in any MS of what-
ever kind before the Xlth century, those which contain it
224 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
being generally collections of poems and hymns. Yet of
its antiquity there can be little doubt ; and to judge by
its contents and style it may have been written by the
author of 44, 46, 47, 50, if indeed these were all written
by one man. Like them it is a happy copy of the
Ambrosian hymns, in style though not in scansion, and
is especially based upon 2 Splendor paternae gloriae.
Blume is of opinion that 48 and 49 were also the work
of the same writer. But the character of these hymns
seems to be wholly different in respect of their subject-
matter, style and prosody.
Most of the codices that contain 45 give Hilary of
Poitiers as the author ; but it is strikingly unlike those
hymns of his which Gamurrini discovered and published
(see the introduction to i, p. 2), and it is most unlikely
that he wrote it.
[No textual notes are here given. The hymn is not
contained in any of the MSS which Walpole collated.
The reader is .referred to Blume Cursus p. 1 15.]
Lucis largitor splendide,
cuius sereno lumine
post lapsa noctis tempora
dies refusus panditur,
tu uerus mundi lucifer, 5
non is qui parui sideris
i. largitor] 'generous giver, '98. with the genitive. The variant op-
i, 107. 1 8. time would come from 66. i, 73. i.
splendide seems to be on the i. sereno] ' bright,' see 10. i
whole better than splendidae. It note.
matches with the similar verse of 5 f . 'Thou the world's true morn-
46, aeterne lucis conditor, and is ing star, not he who, the herald
probably an allusion to 3. i splendor of the light to come, shines with a
paternae gloriae, though this is small star's tiny gleam, but brighter
brought out more at line 14. On than all the sun, Thyself art all
the other hand splendidae would light and day, lightening the in-
give a good sense and would be ward fibres of our hearts.' The first
like 47. i, where the epithet goes three stanzas are taken up with the
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XL V 225
uenturae lucis nuntius
angusto fulget lumine,
sed toto sole clarior
lux ipse totus et dies, 10
interna nostri pectoris
inluminans praecordia :
adesto, rerum conditor,
paternae lucis gloria,
cuius amota gratia 15
nostra patescunt corpora ;
tuo quae plena Spiritu
secum Deum gestantia
nil rapientis perfidi
diris pateant fraudibus, 20
invocation, the prayer itself does
not come until line 13. In some of
Horace's Odes e.g. IV. iv the apo-
dosis is deferred to a very late place.
lucifer] here the star, and not
the sun as at 44. 15.
6. The writer perhaps has in
mind Prud. Ca/A.v. ugf. non sicut
tenebras de face fulgida \ surgens
oceano Lucifer inbuit, \ sed terris
Domini de crnce tristibus \ maior
sole nouum restituens diem.
-,. Cp. 71. 10.
10. identical with 46. 2, cp 65. 2.
12. praecordia] 'the heart,'
strictly the membrane that separates
the larger from the smaller entrails,
the midriff or diaphragm ; cp. 68.
15. It is here and there (as at Is.
xxvi. 9, Nicet. de Psalmod. 5) used
for the heart, but rarely.
13 is an echo of 2. i, as line 14
is of 3. i.
1 6. patescunt] ' lie open ' to the
onset of the devil, a thought carried
on in the next stanza ; cp 53. 8
te/is patescant inuidi. The variant
pauescunt does not go so well with
the subject corpora.
17. 'May these full of Thy Spirit,
bearing God with them, in no way
lie open to the dread wiles of the
ravening traitor.'
quae refers to corpora in 16. The
usual reading is tuoque, but this
coupling of the indicative patescunt
with the subjunctive pateant would
be very harsh, quat for -que is
merely another way of reading the
MSS, many of which (e.g. Vat. reg.
n) use q: for either word. A
modern poet would avoid pateant
so close to patescunt ; but not so
these hymns, cp. e.g. lumine in i
and 8.
1 8. Our bodies bear God with
them so far as they are filled with
the Spirit ; cp. 28 below and i Cor.
vi. 19 f. membra uestra templum
sunt Spiritus sancti. . .portate Deum
in corpore uestro ; Ambr. in Luc.
V. 24 hunc tolle in animum (HUM,
consecra in templo tuo, tolle in cor-
pore tuo, sicut scriptum est ; tollite
deum in corpore uestro ', ib. IX. 1 1
disce.-.gestare Christum.
19. nil] ' in no way,' as at 88. 14.
rapientis] ' ravening ' ; the devil
being compared to a lion greedy for
prey; cp. Ps. xxi. (xxii.) 14 sicut
leo rapiens et rugiens.
perfldi being regarded as a subst.
'5
226 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
ut inter actus saeculi,
uitae quos usus exigit,
omni carentes crimine
tms uiuamus legibus.
probrosas mentis castitas 25
carnis uincat libidines,
sanctumque puri corporis
delubrum seruet Spiritus.
haec spes precantis animae,
haec sunt uotiua munera, 30
, ut matutina nobis sit
lujc in noctis custodiam.
is qualified by rapiens. It is used as shewing wherein the delubrum con-
an adj., of the devil 84. 24. sists, and Spiritus is the gen. of the
7i. actos saeculi] 'oar worldly possessor, both connected with ab-
actions,' cp. 13. i diem saeculi. lubrum ; which generally, always
22. usus exigit] Cp. Ambr. in the Vulgate, denotes die shrine
Hex. V. 47 hie usus est uitae ; Fort. of a false god ; but cp. Juvenc. II.
X. L 57 non nobis necesse sit ad escam \ 74 cognouere uiriproprio de corpore
am p!i us qtiam cotidianus usus exigit Christum \ delubrum dixisse Dei ',
ut quaeramus re uera ; Prud. Psych. Fort. i. vi. 5 condidit ergo amis
609 nil uelle super, quam postulet delubra Leontius alma.
usus | debitus ; Hor. Epist. I. xii. 4 29 f. ' This is the hope of the
has the phrase rcrum usus. - supplicating soul, these are the
23. crimine] 1. 35 note. prayers which we present, that the
25. probrosas] 10. 4. morning light may endure for us
27. ' and may it (castitas in 25) until the night watch.'
keep holy the temple of the Spirit 32. noctis custodiam] Qp. Ps.
consisting of a pure body.' i Cor. iii. cxxix. (cxxx.) 6 a custodia matutina
\6 templum Dei estis, et Spiritus Dei usque ad noclem speret Israel in
habitat in uobis...Umplum enim Dei Domino. In this sense of a watch of
sanctum est, cp. i Cor. vi. 19, 52. 5. the night regarded as a point of time
corporis is the gen. of definition uigilia is much the commoner word.
HYMN 46
The use of 46 in the old series was for Mattins on
Tuesday, feria tertia ad matutinas laudes. In the
Mozarabic breviary it was appointed for Lauds on the
Saturday infra hebdomadam primam quadragesimae ;
Aiialecta XX VII. 77.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLVI 227
Eo
Hr MX Vr
Aeterne lucis conditor,
lux ipse totus et dies,
noctem nee ullam sentiens
natura lucis perpeti :
iam cedit pallens proximo 5
diei nox aduentui,
obtendens lumen siderum
adest et clarus lucifer.
iam stratis laeti surgimus
grates canentes et tuas, 10
quod caecam noctem uicerit
reuectans rursus sol diem.
2 lucis (pro totus) MX. 4 naturalis Fa. perpete Eo, perpetitn
MX Vr. 5 cedet Eo, cedat MX. 7 obtundens Eo Fa^.
8 adstet Fa. 9 strati Fa, stratum MX. 10 gratis Fa^.
12 reuertat MX.
1 . aeterne is better than atternae,
which Daniel I. 39 reads. For not
only is the line based on 2. i aeterne
rertim conditor, but aeternae htcis
would give a wrong sense : the
phrase, could refer' only to God the
Father, as at Wisd. vii. 26 candor
est eniin lucis aeternae, cp. 48. r, or
to Christ, as at Ambr. in Luc. II.
1 2 Pater. . .genitor lucis aeternae, 84.
i, neither of which would go well
with conditor.
2. Cp. 45. 10.
3. Cp. i John i. 5 ; there is no
darkness in God's everlasting nature
of light.
5. pallens] ' colourless, ' cp. 22. 2
pallens. . .caecitas.
7 f. ' The bright morning star
also is with us shrouding the light
of the stars,' with the solid light of
dawn, cp. 44. 5 note, Amb. Hex.
IV. 9 fulgorem illam lunarem stel-
larumque omnium sol exortui abs-
condit.
obtendens] 'shrouding' by a
veil, cp. Sil. Punic, x. 228 obtendit
puluere lucent. See also 44. 5. The
variant obtundens would mean
' striking against ' and then ' dul-
ling,' cp. Lucr. iv. 619 uox obtun-
ditur ; Arnob. adu. Naliones n. 58
obtunsi luminis. Lines 7 and 8
might have changed places, when
the connexion would have been
easier ; but the poet wishes to put
the emphatic Lucifer at the end of
the stanza, et is displaced in the
same way two lines below ; cp.
41. 23.
10. The line is an echo of
5. gf.
jr. uicerit should regularly be
uicit : qtiod when it gives the actual
reason (here the grounds on which
we give thanks) takes the indicative.
12. reuectans] intensive in form,
not in sense ; characteristic of late
Latin, reuectare is not used by any
classical writer.
'5 *
228
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
te nunc, ne carnis gaudia
blandis subrepant aestibus,
dolis ne cedat saeculi 15
mens nostra, sancte, quaesumus:
ira ne rixas prouocet,
gula ne uentrem incitet,
opum peruertat ne famis,
turpis ne luxus occupet. 20
sed firma mente sobrii
casto manentes corpore
totum fideli spiritu,
Christe, ducamus hunc diem.
13 nee Eo. 14 subrepat Vr. 15 nee Fa. 17 iram
Eo F^. nee Fa. rixa Eo. 18 gulam Eo F^ Vr. nee uenter Eo Fa^.
19 opem Fa^. nee Eo Fa. 10 nee Eo Fa. lux Fa. 21 firmamento
MX Vr. 22 manente Fa. 23 toto Fa MX Vr. fidele Eo.
24 Christo Eo Fa^. dicamus Fa.
14. blandis] 'alluring,' cp. 57.
1 2. It has a better meaning at 47.
II, HI. 21.
subrepant] of evil stealing on us
unawares, as at 57. 13.
aestibus] originally ' burning
heat,' 'sultriness,' as at 11. 8, 35.
13 ; here of the undue heat of pas-
sion as at 57. 12, 101. n and fre-
quently in classical authors. So are
used also ttapor 5. 24, calor 17. 6,
ardor 58. 13.
1 6. sancte] i.e. Christ, 32. 18
note.
17 from Prov. xv. 18 uir iracun-
dus prouocat rixas.
1 8. gala] properly ' the gullet, '
hence ' gluttony ' ; cp. Juv. I. 140
quanta est gula, quae si hi tolas \ ponit
apros! Ambr. in Luc. IV. 17 tria
praecipue docemur tela diaboli, qui-
bus ad conuulnerandam mentein
hominis consueuit armari, gulae
unum, aliud iactantiae, ambitionis
tertiutn.
19. opum... famis] 'hunger for
riches,' cp. Verg. Aen. in. 57 quid
tton mortalia pectora cogis \ auri
sacra fames; Hor. Od. in. xvi. 17
crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam \
maiorumque fames ; Prud. Hatnart.
256 auri namque fames parto Jit
maior ab auro; Sedul. Op. n.
p. 228 ed. Huemer sunt istis uitiis
et plura similia, quibus arnica sem-
per fames auri conmilitat; 50. 33.
For the form famis see 50. 34.
20. occupet] 50. 25 ; Job iii. 5
occupet eum caligo.
21 f. based upon 3. 18 f. See note
on 42. 20.
sobrii] 3. 23, 5. 16, 20. 7, 10.
22. manentes] repeated from
44 b. 8.
24. The reading Christe is pre-
ferable to Christo, which might well
come from the parallel passage 50.
38 f. , where Christo is governed
by placentes. The vocative in the
closing stanza is not unlike the use
of Redemptor at 15. 29, of Christe
in 20. 13 etc.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XL VII 229
HYMN 47
This hymn was appointed by Caesarius of Aries ad
priniam from October to Easter. See Blume Cursus
p. 38 deinde dicenda est prima cum psalmis sex,et hymn its
Fulgentis auctor aetheris, lectiones duae, una de ueteri,
alia de nono testamento, et capitellum. hoc modo dominica
uel sabbato et maioribus festiuitatibus fieri debet. In the
old use it was to be sung feria quarto, ad matittinos, i.e.
at Mattins" on Wednesday, in the Mozarabic breviary
feria secnnda post oct. cpiphaniac.
Eo Fa^ MX Vr
Fulgentis auctor aetheris,
qui lunam lumen noctibus,
solem dierum cursibus
certo fundasti tramite ;
nox atra iam depellitur, 5
mundi nitor renascitur,
nouusque iam mentis uigor
dulces in actus erigit.
laudes sonare iam tuas
dies relatus admonet, 10
1 fulgentes Ff Vr. i lunae MX. 3 diei Fa. 5 repellitur MX.
7 nouis Fa. om. que Eo 1 . 8 actos Eo Fa 2 , actis Fa 1 , in ahum
egerit MX. 9 tuus F^. 10 relictos Fa.
2 f . Gen. i. 16. 'Who hast set 4. tramite generally means 'a
the moon to lighten the night, the side path,' here 'an orbit'; cp.
sun with fixed orbit to lighten the 117. 3. For the allusion to the
days' course.' regularity of the heavenly bodies,
noctibus. dierum] These words see introduction to 2.
are often used in the plural when 6. nitor is used of the brightness
the reference is general, that is to of dawn by Lucr. iv. 540.
say when no particular night or day 7. nouus] as being reinvigorated
is thought of, see 8. 18, 66. 10, 69. by sleep.
13, 83/6. 8. dulces] 'delightful,' because
3. cursibus is sometimes used in it is now a delight to do them,
the plural, where we might expect 9. Cp. 2. 31.
the singular, see 3. 29 note. But here 10. admonet] Cp 61.3.
it is used because dierum is plural.
230 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
uultusque caeli blandior
nostra serenat pectora.
uitemus omne lubricum,
declinet praua spiritus,
uitam facta non inquinent, 15
linguam culpa non inplicet:
sed sol diem dum conficit,
fides profunda ferueat,
spes ad promissa prouocet,
Christo coniungat caritas. 20
ii uultu MX. 12 serena Eo 1 , serenet MX. 13 ergo (pro omne) Fa.
14 declinat F\//, declinent Vr. 15 factam Eo Fa. inquinet Ft/' MX.
1 6 lingua culpam Fa Vr. implicent Fa. 19 adprouocet Fa.
11. Cp. 21. i6f. stead of the usual tie is once used
blandior] 'more pleasant' than by Cic. pro Cluent. 57 a legibus non
in the dark ; contrast the sinister recedamus, and is found in early
meaning of blandus at 46. 14. writers, in Liv. vi. 41 non leges
12. serenat] 'brightens,' 'illu- auspicate ferantur, non magistratus
minates ' ; cp. 10. 2 note, Verg. creentur, in Verg. Georg. I. 456 and
Aen. I. 255 uultu quo caelum tern- Hor. Sat. II. v. 91 non...sileas, Epist.
pestatesque serenat; ibid. IV. 477. I. i. 29 non...contemnas. In later
The general meaning is rather like writers it became common, cp. 50.
that of Ps. xxix. (xxx.) 6 'Heaviness 17, 19, 25, 33, 58. 9, 82. 17.
may endure for a night, but joy inquinent] 22. 12.
cometh in the morning.' 16. inplicet] 'entangle.' For the
13. lubricum] 3. 12 note. sense cp. Prov. xxix. 5 f.
14. declinet p.] The Thesaurus 17. conficit] 'completes.'
gives a good many instances of this 18. For the theological virtues
use of declinare, beginning with cp. 15. 21 note.
Cic. Plane. 97 urbem...amicissimam fides... ferueat] 3. 19.
declinaui. profunda] ' to its depths.'
15. non with the subjunctive in-
HYMN 48
This hymn is remarkable and difficult. Not only are
some of its expressions hard to explain, but it is not easy
to see to whom the several stanzas are addressed. The
last four seem to be addressed to Christ the first also
may be the second invokes the Father, and the third,
or rather the first two lines of it, the Trinity.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLVIII 231
Biraghi, p. 26, has some criticisms on I3f., against
those who would claim the hymn for Ambrose. ' Come
mai Ambrogio avrebbe cantato di cotale stranezze? Che
e questo settimo trono ? Come appellar Dio 1' onnipotente
Sabaoth, Dio lo Hosanna ? Ambrogio sapeva benissimo
che Sabaoth e un plurale che vale eserciti, che Hosanna
e un ottativo Salva noi di grazia, Evviva. Forse a questi
versi Adalberto di Magonza, famoso impostore, attinse
quella sua cabalistica preghiera, condannata poi dal Con-
cilio Romano, nell' Azione 3, nell' anno 745 a istanza
di san Bonifacio. Qui sedes super septimum thronum...
Angele Sabaoth... Angele Simiel...e simili altre peco-
raggini e ribalderie. Se questo fosse vero, bisognerebbe
supporre que quest' Inno anteriore a quella condanna,
non piu sia stato dippoi accolto fra la viva liturgia.' See
Dreves Ambrosins p. 17 note, Labbe VIII. 305.
However the hymn was undoubtedly in liturgical use,
being appointed for Mattins on Thursday in the old
Benedictine series, and for the Tuesday post act. epiphamae
in the Mozarabic breviary, Analecta XXVII. 70. Therefore
an orthodox meaning for all its expressions had to be
found.
Eo Faf MX Vr
Deus, aeterni luminis
candor inenarrabilis,
uenturus diei iudex,
i aeterne Eo Fa.
i. 'Inexpressible brightness of Although the coming to judge is
the eternal light' comes from Wisd. generally connected with the .
vii. 26 candor est enim lucis aeternae, it is possible also to connect it wiUi
a passage used also Heb. i. 3- and the Father, as in Acts xvii. 31.
by Prudentius, see 27. 30 note and 3- **] ' f ' lfe ' ' f < he de ^ s
3 i note. done in this life : cp. Job. ix. 4. <
It is, however, possible that the it may refer to the day of Judg-
author intended aelerni luminis to ment (cp. i Cor. m 13, iv. 3)^ *
PO with Deus ' God of eternal in that case we should expect some
fight! addre Jed to the Father. word qualifying <//: 'Mo/day'or
232
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
qui mentis occulta uides,
tu regnum caelorum tenes, 5
et totus in uerbo tu es,
per Filium cuncta regis,
sancti Spiritus tu fons es.
trinum nomen, alta fides,
unum per omnia potens, 10
mirumque per signum crucis
tu rector inmensae lucis.
4 uidens Fa. 5 tenens Fa. 8 sancto MX. spiritui MX Vr,
spiritu Fa. 9 nominum F\f/. uides Vr. 10 poles Vr. n am.
per Fa.
' the last day.' The word is used,
apparently, to suit the early morning
hour at which the hymn was to be
sung.
4. occulta] 'secrets,' Rom. ii. 16,
i Cor. xiv. 25, 22. 13, 66. 14.
5. For the repeated use of tu
in this line, and in 12 f. etc. see
1. 3 note.
6. Cp. 3. 32.
8. Neale quoted by Daniel IV. 29
argues that this line, clearly de-
claring the procession of the Spirit
from the Father alone, shews that
the hymn was written before A.D.
700. The reasoning is precarious ;
for on the one hand the doctrine of
the double procession was taught
long before that date (see Ambr.
de Sfir. S. I. 152; and cp. Swete
History of the Doctrine of the Pro-
cession p. 120); and on the other
hand to ascribe the procession to
the Father without mentioning the
Son is no denial of the double pro-
cession, being merely a reference to
John xv. 26. Nevertheless the fact
that the hymn was in the Old
Series (see Introduction) shews that
it is very ancient. The reading
of Fa Spiritu seems to indicate an
original Spiritus tu, which we have
restored. Otherwise the line must
be scanned sancti iSpiritus fons es ;
see 41. 33.
9. ' Threefold the name, lofty the
faith' ; cp. Sedul. Carm. I. 324 (of
Arrius and Sabellius) iste fidem
ternam, hie non amplectitur unam ;
Fort. V. v. 41 cst Deus, alta fides,
unus trinus et trinus unus. ' The
name ' is used in its pregnant sense,
so common in Scripture, the nature
and essence of God as made known
to men. But possibly, as no name
has been mentioned, we should read
numen ; cp. 27. 39 numine triplici,
and the note on 91. 29 hoc mystico
sub nomine. With the constant con-
fusion in our MSS of o and u a
copyist might write the more familiar
word nomen for numen ; 10. 1 1
note.
10 from 5. 31. The order of the
words is altered for the sake of the
rhyme, the n being hardly sounded
before s in Latin, polens stands for
potens es, or in loose apposition to
nomen.
u. The Son is once more ad-
dressed, minim qualifies sigtnnn;
cp. Analecta LI. p. 85 Signum crucis
mirabile,
12. rector] 17. i, 29. 5, 66. 2.
inmensae lucis] 'with incom-
prehensible light,' a kind of descrip-
tive gen. For inmensae cp. 1. 69
note, and for the phrase Commodian
Apol. 1 1 4 quichjuid est, unus est in
inmenso lumine. How our Lord
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLVI1I 233
tu mundi constitutor es,
tu septimo throno sedes
iudex, ex alto humilis 15
uenisti pati pro nobis.
tu sabaoth omnipotens,
hosanna summi culminis,
tibi laus est mirabilis,
tu rex primus, anastasis. 20
tu fidei auditor es,
et humiles tu respicis,
tibi alta sedes thronus,
tibi diuinus est honor.
14 in s. Vr. 15 alta F^. 18 tu osianna Vr. 10 tu es MX.
prima Vr. 23 altae sedis Eo, alta sedis Fa, altum uides thronum MX.
24 tibique Eo. honor est Eo.
reigns by means of the Cross needs
no explanation.
14. septimo throno] i.e. on the
throne of the seventh and highest
heaven; for which cp. Juvenc. I.
358 caeli septemplicis aethra, Prud.
Cath. VII. 36 caeli principem sep-
tetiiplicis ; Paul. Nol. Cartn. xxxn.
iSsf. hoc etiam caelum, quod nos
sublime uidemiis, \ sex aliis infra
est...postque thronos septem, post tot
caelestia regna \ cetera pars omnis,
quae cunctis eminet ultra. There
were seven heavens because there
were seven planets, Plin. Hist. n.6.
[See Irenaeus Demonstration of the
Apost. Preaching 10, with J. A.
Robinson's important note, and p. 41
of his Introduction (S.P.C.K.. 1920).]
17. sabaoth] (like 'hosanna') is
treated as a name of G<xl. Cp. (e.g.)
Sibyll. Or. I. 316 6 jt^-yas Za0aw0
d( xoXwflei's, and the famous sequence
'Alma chorus Domini compangat
nomina summi : Messias, Soter, Em-
manuel, Sabaoth, Adonai ' (Mone I.
p. 5). It was commonly understood
as a kind of adjectival epithet ; see
Ambr. de Fide iv. i. 14.
18. hosanna] 'Thou art the
Hosanna of the highest height.'
The gen. is a loose one of quality.
20. rex primus answers to Rev.
i. 5 prtHceps region. Daniel I. 69
reads frima and sees a reference
to ' the first resurrection ' of Rev.
xx. 5 ; but to say that Christ is
the first resurrection would be
strange.
anastasis] ' the resurrection, ' cp.
Joh. xi. 25. It we might read
primae, the meaning would be
' Thou art the King of the first
resurrection ' ; we have anastasis as
a genitive at 110. 4. Cp. Commod.
Instr. n. iii. i. The writer loves an
imposing foreign word.
11. fldei auditor] 'the hearer of
faithful piayer.' The glossator of
Eo (Bodl. Jun. 25), who writes the
gloss der du helfant bist, evidently
translates adiutor, which would refer
to Mk. ix. 23 adiuua increduli-
tatem meam.
22. Lk. i. 48.
24. diuinus] because the praise
lauds Thee as God ; cp. 49. 20.
234 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Christo aeternoque Deo 25
Patri cum sancto Spiritu
uitae soluamus munera
a saeculis in saecula.
25. Here, as in 5. 29 and other saeculi, and soluamus as at 82. 12.
hymns, the doxology begins with uitae munera has quite another
Christ ; so does the apostolic bless- sense at 42. 44.
ing 2 Cor. xiii. 14. It is noticeable that the rhyme in
27. The meaning seems to be e or i, which has been carried through
'let us perform (lit. 'pay' as in as far as line 22 (see the note on 10),
2. 32) the duties of life ' ; rather there ceases : final o or u, and in the
like 45. 22. tiitae is for the usual last two lines a, are put in its place.
HYMN 49
This fine if rugged hymn continually reminds us of
the Te Deuiu, upon which it is based, and phrases of
which it incorporates. The text seems to have suffered
in the course of its transmission no less than that of 42.
There are several defective lines as these are handed
down in the MSS, viz. i, 3, 17, 29, 33, 34, 35, 38. Of them
29 and 33 f. being quotations from Scripture may perhaps
have been unmetrical from the first. The defects of the
other lines are probably due to mistakes made in the
copying. Even in rhythmical hymns spondees are very
rare in the last foot of the verse, but here they occur at
lines 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 29, 31, 33,37,39,41,43,47.
In the old series the hymn was appointed for Mattins
on Friday. It did not pass into the Mozarabic use.
Eo Fa^ Vr
Christe, caeli Domine,
mundi saluator maxime,
qui nos crucis munere
mortis soluisti legibus,
i rex caeli Vr manu poster. 3 hoc crucis Vr manu post-* 4 legimus
F^, crimine Vr 2 .
if. In Vat. reg. n a later hand the line rex after Christe, and in 3
of about the Xth cent, adds above hoc after nos.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XHX 235
te nunc orantes poscimus,
tua conserues munera,
quae per legem catholicam
cunctis donasti gentibus.
tu uerbum Patris aeterni
ore diuino editus,
Deus ex Deo subsistens,
unigenitus Filius.
te uniuersa creatura
mundi fatetur dominum,
iussu Patris inchoata,
tuis perfecta uiribus.
tibi omnes angeli
caelestem praestant gloriam,
te chorus archangelorum
diuinis laudant uocibus.
10
20
5 te orantes Vr 1 , te deprecantes Vr 2 . 6 conseruas Fa, conseruis Vr.
7 quern Fa. 9 aeterne Fa-^. u consistens Vr. 14 fatentur Vr.
16 perfectis Eo. 15, 16 patris inch, tuis perfecta uiribus iussu F^.
17 et ang. Vr manu post. 20 laudibus (pro uocibus) Fa.
4 is based upon Acts ii. 24, Rom.
viii. 2 lex enim spiritus uitae in
Christo lesu liberauit me a lege...
mortis ; cp. 36. 19 legibus infemi
with the note ; 56. 22, 111. 13.
6. munera] ' the gifts ' of life and
salvation. The 'catholic law' is
opposed to 'the laws of death' in 4.
9. uerbum] 1. 3 note. Prud.
Cath. XI. 17 ex ore quamlibel Pa-
tris \ sis ortusetuerbo editus, \ taw en
paterno in pectore \ sophia callebas
prius. | quae prompta caelum con-
didit, | caelum diemque et cetera, \
uirtute uerbi effecta sunt \ haec
cuncta, nam uerbum Deus.
Patris aeterni] Cp. Te Deum i
te aeternum Pat rent omnis terra
ueneratur.
ro. editus agrees in gender with
the sense of the passage.
1 1. Cp. Oebv ^AC 0eoD of the Nicene
creed ; 36. 28.
13. Rev. v. 13. creatura, seni-
orum in 21, and beatorum in 41 are
to be scanned as trisyllables.
14. Cp. TV Deum i te Dominum
confitemur.
15. Cp. 1. 10 omniumque tu
creator, quae Pater nasci iubet ; 44.
4, 50. 5 f. ; Ambr. Hex. vi. 8
\_Moyses descripsit] quod produxerit
terra iuxta Dei omnipotentis im-
perium operationemque domini lesu
uirgulta de terris et omnetii animani
uiuentem secundum genus.
1 7. We should perhaps read with
the corrector of Vat. reg. 1 1 et an-
geli.
1 8. caelestem] because the angels
who give the praise dwell in
heaven.
gloriam] 'praise' as at 51. 16,
79. 7 and often.
19. chorus] Cp. Te Deum 7.
20. diuinis] because the words
236
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
te multitude seniorum,
bis duodenus numerus,
odoribus plenas gestans
supplex adorat pateras.
tibi cherubin et seraphin 25
throno paterni luminis
senis alarum plausibus
clamore iugi personant.
sanctus, sanctus, sanctus,
Dominus Deus sabaoth ; 30
omne caelum atque terra
tua sunt plena gloria.
hosianna filius Dauid !
benedictus es a Patre,
21 seniorum mult. Vr. 23 odoramentis Eo Fa Vr, (omentis F^). plena
Vr. gestant omnes. 24 adorant omnes. 26 throni omnes. 27 ala Fa.
28 clamorem F^, clamori Fa. 34 am. es omnes exc. Vr manu poster.
uttered praise Christ as God ; cp.
48. 24 diuinus honor.
11 f. 'Thee the company of elders
...humbly worship, bearing bowls
full of incense.' Rev. v. 8.
22. numerus] as in 45, Te Deum
8 prophetarum laudabilis numerus ;
Cyprian Epist. XL gloriosus marly-
rum numerus ; Damas. XII. 5 hie
numerus procerum, seruat qui altaria
Christi.
23. odoribus] The MS reading
gives a syllable too many. It may
have come in from the Vulgate
of Rev. v. 8 phialas aureas plenas
odoramentorum, and the right word
here may be odoribus, which easily
comes to mean 'incense'; cp. Plaut.
Menaechm. 354 incendite adores ;
Tibull. II. ii. 3 uranlur adores \ quos
tetter e terra diuite mittit Arabs ;
Juvenc. I. 10 cum forte adytis arisque
inferrft adores \ Zachartas ; Ambr.
Hex. v. 79 phoenix... .facit sibi the-
cam de ture et murra el ceteris odori-
bus.
25 f. Is. vi. 2, Rev. iv. 8. ttbi,
the MS reading, may have come
from the Te Deum 4 : if kept, it is
to be scanned with the following
che- as an anapaest or tribrach.
But perhaps we should read te...
personant, 'sound Thy praise,' as at
110. i ; cp. 47 below and 2. 31.
26. throno] The MS throni is so
strange a gen. that I can but think
that throno was the original. Either
word must mean ' at the throne ' ;
throni would come from the following
genitives, throno would be an abl.
like caelo in 42, cp. Fort. II. xiy. 25
sidereo chorus iste throno cum carne
locandus. The TjAvcz.se paterni luminis
recurs at 65. i. [Conceivably, how-
ever, throni is nom., and intended
for the title of an order of angels, in
which case the writer probably under-
stood that they were so called from
forming a throne of the paternum
lumen, like the Cherub of Ezekiel.]
27. 'with the beatings of their
six wings.'
29 f. Is. vi. 3.
30. Cp. Burn Niceta p. xcvi.
33 f. Mt. xxi. 9 ; cp. Ps. cxvii.
(cxviii.) 25 f., 104. 33 f.
-~ *~c- .
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN XLIX 237
qui in nomine Domini 35
uenisti ex celsis Deus.
tu agnus inmaculatus
datus es terrae uictima,
qui sanctorum uestimenta
tuo lauisti sanguine. 40
te multitudo beatorum
caelo locata martyrum,
palmis insignis, coronis,
ducem sectantur gloriae :
quorum nos addas numero, 45
te deprecamur, Domine ;
una uoce te sonamus,
uno laudamus carmine.
35 dei omnes. 36 de F^. domine (pro Deus) omnes. 38 addit es
Vr manu post. 42 caeli F^ Vr. 43 psalmis Fa. signis Eo Fa^.
et cor. omnes. 46 precamur Vr. 47 soneinus F^, desonamus Eo
(desonemus Fa). 48 unum Vr. laudetnus Fa^.
hosianna of Vat. reg. 1 1 is as
correct a transliteration as the usual
hosanna. Or we might read hosanna
filio Daieii/, cp. 104. 36 ; but this
coming direct from Mt. xxi. 9 would
scarcely have been altered. [Words-
worth and White give osianna or
ossianna as the reading of several
MSS of the Vulg. ad loc. Sabatier at
Mt. xxi. 15 gives the same form for
the Old Latin.]
35. For the sake of the metre I
follow Blume in reading Domini in
35, Deus in 36.
36. I omit de as not required.
Perhaps, however, it is a relic of
an original Deus ; uenisti Deus ex
celsis.
37. i Pet. i. 19, cp. Exod. xii. 5.
39 f. Rev. vii. 14.
42. caelo locata] see note on
line 26.
43. I have taken the reading in-
signis of Vat. reg. n, but have
omitted the et which mars the metre
without helping the sense ; if we
keep it, coronis must be scanned as
a dissyllable. We have had several
cases in these hymns of words un-
connected by any particle, e.g. 34.
20 sanguis, unda proftuit, cp. Fort.
X. xv. lopalma, corona decus. signis
of the other MSS seems to be a cor-
ruption.
For the combination palmis...
coronis see 24. 8 note.
44. sectantur] Rev. viii. 17, xix.
14, cp. 19. 10. d. gloriae like rex
gloriae in the Psalm.
45. Qp. 16. 30, and Te Deum.
The words addas numero here per-
haps indicate that the writer found
numerari not munerari in Te Deum
(Blume Ur sprung des Ambrosian-
ischen Lobgesanges p. 1 4).
47. te sonamusj like 2. 31 te...
sonet.
48. uno is more vigorous than
unum which Blurne reads.
238 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
HYMN 50
This hymn was in the old series appointed for Mattins
on Saturday : himnus die sabati dicendus is the rubric
in Vat. reg. 1 1 .
Eo Fa.\// Vr
Die! luce reddita
primis post somnum uocibus
Dei canamus gloriam,
Christi fatentes gratiam ;
per quern creator omnium 5
diem noctemque condidit,
aeterna lege sanciens
ut semper succedant sibi.
tu uera lux fidelium,
quern lex ueterna non tenet 10
noctis nee ortus succedens,
aeterno fulgens lumine,
Christe, precamur, annue
orantibus seruis tuis,
iniquitas haec saeculi 15
ne nostram captiuet fidem.
4 fatente gratia Fa, fauente gratia Eo F^. 6 condens Vr.
10 aeterna Eo Fai/'. n noctem nee ortu(orto) Eo Fi/*. sucidis Fa,
occidens Vr. 1 3 annuas Vr, abnue Fa. 1 5 ne (pro haec) Vr.
1 6 om. ne Vr.
2. Cp. 2. 31. [Perhaps the reading which would
5. Cp. 49. 15 note. best explain the variants would be
creator omnium] 5. i. noctis nee ortu succidens, ' neither
6f. Cp. 18. -zf. succumbing to the rise of night.']
8. sibi] ' each other.' In our hymn, as in 45, the first
9 f. ' Thou the true light of the three stanzas are taken up by the
faithful, shining with eternal light, invocation and the prayer is not ex-
who art not bound by the ancient pressed until stanza IV.
law (viz. of constant change, men- uera lux] Joh. i. 9, cp. 3. 5.
tioned in line 7), nor by the rising 10. ueterna] This rare word is
of each successive night ; cp. 6. 31 more likely to have been changed
note. Not unlike is Sedul. Carm. into aeterna than vice versa.
IV- "3 genitor rerum, qui mundum n. noctis... ortus] see 5. 10
lege cohercet \ et nulla sub lege manet. note.
EARLIER HYMNAL, HYMN L 239
non cogitemus impie,
inuideamus nemini,
laesi non reddamus uicem,
uincamus in bono malum.
absit nostris e cordibus
ira, dolus, superbia ;
absistat auaritia,
malorum radix omnium,
uinum mentem non occupet
ebrietate perdita,
sed nostro sensui conpetens
tuum bibamus poculum.
conseruet pacis foedera
non simulata caritas,
20
20 bonum Fa. 26 perpeti (-te) Eo
Vr 1 (nost. sensus Vr 2 ).
27 sit nostris sensibus
12. aeterno...lumine] 48. i.
15. Cp. 60. r. 'Grant... that this
iniquity of the world may not bring
our faith into captivity.' Cp. Ambr.
Apol. Dauid 49 praecedit iniquitas,
peccatum sequitur. radix est iniqui-
tas, jrnctits antem radicis est culpa.
unde uidetur iniquitas ad mentis
improbitatem referri, peccalum ad
prolapsionem corporis. granior ini-
quitas tamquam materia peccatorum.
1 6. captiuet] Cp. Rom. vii. 23
legem . . .captiuantei me in lege pec-
cati; 109. 19.
The MS Vr omits 17 and 18, and
begins 19 with the words non cored-
damus.
17. non cogitemus] Cp. 47. 15
note.
19. Cp. Rom. xii. 17, i Thess.
v. 15, i Pet. iii. 9.
reddere uicem means to requite
either with good (as at Jud. ix. 16
reddidistis uicem benejiciis eius, Fort,
i. vii. 12 recite benigne uicem}, or
with evil (as here, cp. Fort, iv.vi. 12
nesciit offensis ira referre tiices). At
Lam. iii. 64 reddes eis uicem Domine
iuxta opera manuuin suarum, and
at 86. xi it means ' recompense '
whether with good or evil.
20. Rom. xii. 21, cp. 43. 16.
23 f. i Tim. vi. 10, where the
Vulgate translates <t>i\apyvpla by
cupiditas. Prud. Hamart. 257 f.
atiri namque fames... inde seges sce-
lernm, radix et sola malorttm.
absistat] = absit as at 81. 10.
25. Eph. v. 18.
occupet] as at 46. 20.
26. perdita] 'abandoned,' hence
' uncontrolled.' The reading perpeti
would come from 32.
27. sensui] a dissyllable, unless
we read sensu, which would here
presumably be a dative. But con-
petens 'suitable to,' 'compatible
with our intelligence,' is sometimes
found with abl. [Was not the
original reading sed nostri sensus
compotes ?]
28. Cp. 3. 22. 'Christ's cup' is
not that which He drank, but the
drink which He gives (Job. iv. 14,
vii. 37).
29. pacis foedera] 78. 16. Cp,
Eph. iv. 3.
30. Cp. 2 Cor. vi. 6, i Tim. i. 5.
2 4 o EARLY LATIN HYMNS
sit inlibata castitas
credulitate perpeti.
addendis non sit praediis
malesuada semper famis ;
si affluant diuitiae, 35
prophetae nos psalmus regat.
praesta, Pater ingenite,
totum ducamus iugiter
Christo placentes hunc diem
sancto repleti Spiritu. 40
31 sed Eo Fa^. 33 adtendis Fa. 34 mala suadet F^ (-dat Fa).
35 affluent F\f/, ut se fluant Vr. diuitiae si affl. Fa. 36 propetiae non
ps. redgat Fa.
31. castitas and fides are thus nom. famis which is used by Prud.
linked together at 3. 18, 5. 23, and Psych. 479 and some other late
often. Lact. Dtu. Inst. I. xvii. n, writers. Cp.46. 19; Rdnsch p. 263.
VI. xxiii. 36 uses the phrase inlibata 35. ' If riches increase ' from Ps.
castitas; and inlibata recurs at 87. Ixi. (Ixii.) n. 'The prophet' is the
11. psalmist, cp. 41. 2 note.
32. credulitate] 'faith,' cp. Fort. From afflno come our words
XI. i. i in qua et integritas creduli- 'affluent,' 'affluence'; cp. 92. 20
tatis ostenditur 1. 61 note. affluis. This use of the word is
33 f. ' Let there be no greed that common in classical writers, as Sail.
ever prompts to evil in the piling up Cat. xxxvi. 4 cum...domi otiitm at-
of estates." When Aeneas visited the que dtuiliae, quae prima mortales
lower regions malesuada fames was putant, affluerent. Especially does
one of the grisly forms that he saw Cic. use affluens = abtm<{ans.
at the mouth of hell, Verg. Aen. vi. 37. ingenitus is seldom thus
276. So Prud. Psych. 404 speaks of used without its correlative uni-
malesiiada luxuries, Plaut. Gapt. genitus, as at 41. 33 f.
325 odi ego aurum . multa multis 38 f. Cp. 46. 23f.
scupe suasit perperam. Note the 40. Eph. v. 18
HYMN 51
Hymn 51 was in the old series appointed for daily use
at Prime throughout the year. It was adopted in the
later hymnal also and was therein reserved for Prime
during Lent, its former place having been taken by
hymn 81 lam lucis orto sidere. It was originally written
for monastic use : see the notes on lines 4, 6, and 1 3.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LI 241
i -nas laudes Hb.
Eo Fars^ Hbr Ih Vbs
Post matutinis laudibus,
quas Trinitati psallimus,
psallamus rursus admonet
uerus paterfamilias.
simus semper solliciti
ne praetereat opus Dei,
sed adoremus sedule
sicut docet apostolus :
psallamus mente Domino,
psallamus simul spiritu,
rie uaga mens in turpibus
inertes tegat animos.
2 triiiitatis Hr, trinitate Fa.
familia Hr.
7 oremus oinnes.
8 decet Fa.
10
4 ueris F^.
apostolos Eo 1 Fa.
10 simul et Eo Fr Hr.
i. ' After the mattin lauds which
we have sung to the Trinity.' post
in late Latin came to govern an
abl. ; cp. Ronsch p. 408. Blume in-
geniously makes one word of post-
matutinis, and explains ' in the
after-mattin lauds,' identical with
' Prime.' In that case the rursus
would presumably mean 'as we did
yesterday and other days ' ; but this
is not nearly so natural.
3. admonet] Cp. 47. 10.
4. The word paterfamilias is
borrowed from the parable of the
labourers in the vineyard, Mt. xx.
r f., upon which stanzas I and II are
based, as is hymn 56. The use of
the word here denotes that the hymn
was in the first place written for
household (monastic) use, as indeed
we might conclude from septies in
'3-
6. ' lest the service of God pass
by'; cp. 56. 5 f . [Opus Dei is a
technical word in Benedictine lan-
guage for divine service : for instance
S. Bened. Reg, L agant ibidem opus
Dei ubi operantur...non eos practer-
eant ho rae constitutae. ] The last two
syllables of praetereat coalesce ; -eat.
7. The MS reading sed oremus
sedule is defective in metre. I would
read adoremus, the word used in
i Cor. xiv. 25 cadens in faciem
adorabit Deum, to verse 15 of which
chapterallusion is made immediately
after. The writer's eye would pass
on from the dot sed; and moreover
adorare meaning ' to pray ' was
much rarer than the simple orare.
The reference in 8 seems, however,
to be to what follows, not to line 7.
9 f. i Cor. xiv. 1 5 orabo spiritu,
oral/a et mente: psallam spiritu,
psallam et mente, 82 21 f. It seems
to me that the writer reversed St
Paul's order of words, writing mente
...spiritu, to suit the metre, but
that the older MSS have spoilt this
by inserting et before spiritu from
the recollection of the et before
mente. I would therefore omit the
et, for which simul is substituted.
If it be retained simul et must be
scanned as a kind of tribrach.
ir. uaga mens] 57. 15, 82. 27,
94. 14 ; cp. 20. 1 1 note, Prud. Psych.
312 luxuria.-.oculis uaga.
12. tegat] 'shroud,' as with a
pall of darkness; cp. 21. 5 note.
.6
242 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
sed septies in hac die
dicamus laudes Domino,
diuinitati perpeti 1 5
debita demus gloriae.
15 diuinitate Fa Hr 1 . perpetim Eo Hr. 16 debitam Fs Vs.
gloriam Fs Vs, gloria Hb.
13. septies] i.e. at the seven i$f. 'Let us give the eternal
canonical hours, the observance of Godhead His due of glory,' cp.
which was as yet confined to monas- 49. 18.
tic use, derived from Ps. cxviii. 16. debita... gloriae] Cp. 5. 13
(cxix.) 164; cp. 82. 9. cordis inia (note). Daniel reads de-
14. Identical with 53. i. hi/am gloriam with the later MSS.
HYMN 52
52 was of course always sung at Terce : see line 3.
The rubric in Vat. reg. 1 1 is Hymnus ad tertia cotidian.,
in Rheinau 34 hymnus priuatis diebus ad tertiam. The
hymn passed into the Mozarabic use (Analecta xxvil.
103), but not into the later hymnal.
Eo Fast/ 1 Hr Max Vrs
Certum tenentes ordinem
pio poscamus pectore
hora diei tertia
trinae uirtutis gloriam :
ut simus habitaculum 5
illi sancto Spiritui,
qui quondam in apostolis
hac hora distributus est.
i certo Vr 1 . ordine Fa^. 2 pascamus Vr (paschamus Fa). 4 gloria
Fa, gloriae Eo F^/ Hr. uirtutem trini numinis Max. 8 haec Fa.
i. certum] ' fixed, 'cp. 27. 2 note. in habitaculum Dei in Spiritu ; cp.
i. ' Let us with dutiful heart pray 45. 27 f. habitaculum is used at 30. 16
to the glory of the threefold might,' of the body as 'the abode' of the soul,
i.e. to the glorious Trinity. For 6 f . Acts ii. i f. and 15, 16. if.
this use of the abstract gloriam see illi is used emphatically as at 19. i.
the Index. 7. in apostolis] The abl. is here
5. Eph. ii. 22 uos coaedificamini used in the same sense as the accus.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LIU 243
hoc gradientes ordine
ornauit cuncta splendide 10
regni caelestis conditor
aeternae uitae praemiis.
9 quo (pro hoc) Max. ordinem MX. 10 splendida Eo Hr 2 .
ii celesti Fa. 12 praemia Eo (-miae F^), praemium Fa.
9 f . 'Them that walk in this of the thing may take both acc.'s
order (according to this rule) the together, as Ter. Phorm. 947 argen-
founder of the kingdom of heaven turn quod habes condonamtis te, Act.
has rewarded in all respects glori- Fratr. Arual. Corf. p. 550. 7 uic-
ously, even with the gifts of eternal tores palmas et coronas argenteas
life.' Perhaps we should read prae- lionoraueriint. In late Latin among
mia. The use of the doub'e ace. many instances we find in an in-
(which in classical writers was con- scription aetatem tantos onerare do-
fined to a few words of asking, lores, and Commodian Apol. 418
teaching, concealing) was wide in quern et polauerunt secundum scrip-
early and late Latin. Any verb turas acetum.
which takes an ace. of the person or
HYMN 53
The rubric in the MSS is either ad sexta or ad sextam
except in Rheinau 34 which has ad sextant priuatis
diebus.
Eo Fat/' MX Vr
Dicamus laudes Domino
feruente prompto spiritu,
hora uoluta sexies
nos ad orandum prouocat :
quia in hac fidelibus 5
uerae salutis gratia
beati agni hostia
crucis uirtute redditur :
2 feruenti Vr. promptu Eo Fai/'. rursus (pro pr.) Vr. 3 uolata Fa.
5 qui Fa^. hoc MX. 6 uera MX. gloriae Eo. 7 agnis Fa.
8 crucem Fa(?)^. uirtutes Eo Fa.
1. Identical with 51. 14. rtirsus of Vat. reg. n might come
2. Blume reads prompti, but from 51. 3.
prumptu of the MSS points to an 4. prouocat has a good sense a<
original prompto, which comes from 47. 19, 112. 29, cp. 108. 17. Cp. Heb.
16. 3 dignare promptus insert': x. 24. Here it governs duainus.
'with ready and fervent spirit.' 5 f . 'Because at this hour the
1 61
244 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
cuius luce clarissima
tenebricat meridies : 10
sumamus toto pectore
tanti splendoris gratiam.
9 lux Fa. 10 meridie F^, meridiem Fa. 12 gratia Fai/<,
gratiae Vr.
grace of true salvation is restored to midday is darkened.' The first refer-
believers by the sacrifice of the ence is to Mt. xxvii. 45 ; cp. 55.
blessed Lamb, by the power of the 13 f. ; but the author seems at the
cross,' Job. xix. 14. Or there may same time to wish to suggest that
be a reference here already, as there the midday sun is dark in corn-
is in 1 1 f., to the midday communion parison with Christ,
on a fast day as at 100. i f. when we 10. tenebricare is used in the
should translate ' ... by the grace of Old Latin, but not in the Vulgate,
our true salvation (Christ) the sacri- of Amos viii. 9, Lk. xxiii. 45 ; cp.
fice of the blessed Lamb is restored Ronsch p. 159.
to believers....' For salutis thus n. sumamus] Cp. 107. 16.
used cp. 23. 14, 36. 27, 38. '-29. In 12. tanti splendoris] = tarn splen-
either interpretation beati agni is didi: of Him who was splendor
the gen. of definition. paternae gloriae, 3. i .
9. ' by the brilliant light of whom
HYMN 54
The original use of 54 was ad nonam throughout the
year, and so also in the Mozarabic breviary, Analecta
xxvii. p. 105. It was adopted in the later series of
hymns, and, as in that series hymn i&Rerum Deus tenax
uigor was the usual one for this hour, our hymn was
appointed for None during Lent.
Ecdhjlov Fais^ Gm Hbcd/3 lop MX Vrs
Perfectum trinum numerum
ternis horarum terminis,
laudes canentes debitas
nonam dicentes psallimus.
i perfecto -no -ro Ev lop Vs. 3 debita Vr. 4 nona F^ (nota
Fa) Vr. dicente Vr.
i. 'The threefold number ac- kind of apposition to nonam in 4;
complished in periods of three hours or they may be ace. absolute, as the
each,' i.e. 'the ninth hour having later copyists who wrote perfecto
come.' trino numero probably took the
The acc.'s in- i may be in a passage; see 33. 1 6 note.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LV 245
sacrum Dei mysterium 5
puro tenentes pectore,
Petri magistri regula
signo salutis prodita,
et nos psallamus spiritu
adhaerentes apostolis : 10
qui plantas adhuc debiles
Christ! uirtute dirigant.
6 purum Fa. canentes MX. pectori Elv. 7 patris MX. magistra
F^. regulam Ecv Vr, regulae He. 8 signum Fa^ Ip Vr. proditam Vr,
proditum He. 9 at Edo. om. nos Fa. spiritum F^ H/3, spiritus Vs.
10 apostoli H/3. n mentes MX. habent (pro adhuc) onines praeter Vr.
12 uirtutem Fi Gm Hb lo. diligant Eel Fi Gm Hc/3 lop, dirigunt Vr.
3. Cp. 15. 3. psallamus (cp. Bl. 10) and adhae-
4. nonam] i.e. the office so-called, rentes. For adhaerentes apostolis cp.
'None.' 10. 15 note.
5. 'holding the sacred mystery n. 'And may they (the apostles)
of God in a pure heart ' ; this mys- make straight our feet (ankles), that
tery being the faith in the Trinity. are yet weak, by the power of
See i Tim. iii. 9 habentes mysterium Christ.' For dirigant in this sense
jidei in conscientia pura, which pas- cp. Celsus vm. x. 7 frangi rursus
sage the hymn-writer has in mind. ossa et dirigi debent ; Prosper in Ps,
7 f. 'after the rule of our master cxxxiv. 18 diriguntur pedes claudo-
Peter made known to us by the rum. The variant habent would be
miracle of healing,' viz. that of the due to the copyists not understand-
lame man ; see Acts iii. i f. and ing the construction here,
especially St Peter's words in v. 16. plantas] strictly 'the soles' of
wag-istrt = 'who taught us thus to the feet, probably connected with
do.' plaints, but here used for falos, as
9. ' Let us also (as well as the in Acts iii. 7 consolidatae sunt bases
lame man, Acts iii. 8) sing, clinging eius et plantae (TO. cr<f>vpd).
in spirit to the apostles ' (ibid. u). Cbr. uirtute] 'by the healing
psallamus looks back to psallimus power,' in reference to Acts iii. n,
in 4. spiritu seems to go with both iv. 7.
HYMN 55
The rules of Caesarius and Aurelian prescribe this
hymn ad sextam tempore paschali (Blume Cursus pp. 36,
40). In Vat. reg. 11, the one MS that contains it, the
rubric is simply ad sexta. The metre is noticeably
correct, except in lines 2, 6, 34, 36. The hymn, though
246 EARLY LA TIN PI YMNS
appointed for sext, is here placed after hymn 54, because
of its special appointment by both bishops of Aries as an
Easter hymn.
Vr
lam sexta sensim uoluitur
ter binis hora cursibus,
diesque puncto aequabili .
utramque noctem respicit.
uenite, serui, supplices 5
mente, ore, extollite
dignis beatum laudibus
nomen Dei cum cantico.
hoc namque tempus illud est
quod saeculorum iudicem 10
iniusta morti tradidit
mortalium sententia,
cum sol repente territus,
horrore tanti criminis
mortem minatus saeculis, 15
diem refugit impium.
6 inseruit et Vr 1 manus recentior.
i . sensim refers to the gradual often in late writers, cp. Quint. X.
passing one by one of the first six iii. 14 nee dissimulauit adulescens,
hours. tertium iam diem esse, quod...non
uoluitur] 53. 3, 56. i, 59. 4. inueniret; Aetheriae Peregrinatio
3f. 'the day from an equidistant II. ihis diebus, quod sanctus Moyses
point (i.e. midday) regards both ascendit in montetn Domini. A third
nights,' viz. the night past and the interpretation would make quod the
night to come. nom. to tradidit, and sententia abl.
5. Ps. cxxxiv. i laudate serui saeculorum] ' of the world,' and
Dominum ; 82. 18. so in 15.
6. mente, ore] 'with mind and 13 f. Mt. xxvii. 45, cp. 1. 43,
mouth,' cp. 16. 5. Probably there 53. 9; Prud. Cath. IX. 79 f. sol
is an allusion to i Cor. xiv. 15. refugit et lugubri sordidus ferru-
8. Ps. Ixviii. (Ixix.) 30 laudabo gine \ igneum reliquit axem seque
nomen Dei cum cantico. maerens abdidit : \fertur horruisse
9. Joh. xix. 14. mundus noctis aeternae chaos. The
10. quod] 'at which,' in a clas- darkening of the sun was to be a
sical writer would be quo, cp. 43. i sign of the end of the age (mortem
note. Or perhaps quod may be a saeculis), Mt. xxiv. 29, cp. 120. 9.
conjunction meaning 'when,' as 18. Gen. xviii. 2 f. The MS read-
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LV 247
hoc et beatus tempore
Abraham fideliter rei
peritus in mysterio
tres uidit, unum credidit. 20
hanc ad precandum congruam
saluator horam tradidit,
cum diceret fidelibus
Patrem rogandum seruulis.
nee non et ille pertinax 25
hostis fidei gratiam,
quam praedicauit gentibus,
hoc est adeptus tempore.
et nos amore debito,
timore iusto subditi, 30
aduersus omnes impetus,
quos saeuus hostis incutit,
unum rogemus et Patrem
Deum regemque Filium
18, 19 reperitus Vr. 26 usus hostis Vr. 33 inseruit et manus rec.
ing Abraham fideliter re peritus fideliter] Abraham's faith is
needs correction. I would by the dwelt upon in Rom. iv. 3, Gal. iii.
addition of a stroke (perhaps already 6, Heb. xi. 8 ff., Jas. ii. 23, cp.
added by the corrector of the MS) i Maccab. ii. 52.
read ret; 'By faith (fideliter) 19. peritus is often found with a
Abraham knowing the truth saw in gen. of the thing known, e.g. Liv. ill.
a mystery three and believed but 51 peritus rerum popularium.
one.' The phrase became a com- 2 if. [oh. iv. 6.
monplace : cp. Ambr. de Cain 30 23. Perhaps the author under-
tres uidet, unum adorat ; de Fid. stood the ' hour ' in Joh. iv. 33
Res. n. 96 Abraham . . .fidelis Deo... to mean the hour of the day. The
Trinitatem in typo uidit ,.. .tres sus- emphasis is on Patrem,
piciens, unum adorans ; Aug. c. 25. Acts xxii. 6, xxvi. 13. The
Ma.\im. Ar. ii. xxvi. 8 et ipse allusion is to St Paul's conversion.
Abraham tres uidit et unum ado- 27. gentibus] to the Gentiles;
rauit; Prud. Apoth. 28 f. ; Fort. v. Acts ix. 15, Rom. xi. 13, Gal. ii. 7,
v. 47 tres uidet aequales, unum ue- Eph. iii. 8.
neratus adorat. It came to be re- 29. et nos] like those whom
garded as a biblical text. ' And Saul persecuted and then joined,
there he satt and saughe 3 Per- 33. Cp. 5. 29, 43. 13. Perhaps
sones, and worschipte Imt on ; as intended as an echo of 24.
Holy Writt scythe, Tres vidit et unu 34. regem] Cp. 1. 2, 15, 70;
adoravit' (Maundevile's Travaile 11. 19, 25. 4, 34. i, 18.
p. 66, ed. Halliwell).
248 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
simulque sanctum Spiritum 35
in Trinitate Dominum,
ut, quos redemit passio
isto peracto tempore,
possit sub ipso tempore
seruare deprecatio. 40
38 sto Vr.
37 f. 'that our prayer may avail often meaning no more than hie;
to keep us safe at this time whom cp. Aeth. Peregr. n. 3 placuit, ut...
the Passion redeemed at that past per medium uallem ipsam . . .redire-
time.' One is tempted to correct, mus; ib. xv. i requisiui de eo, quam
with most editors, to peracta : but longe essei ipse locus.
in these hymns peractus is always sub] 'in,' a late usage, cp. Jerome
used as an adj. meaning ' past,' cp. Epist. LXXVII. 10 sub una aestate,
5. 9, 33. 1 6, 115. 14. and (on an inscription) teneris sub
39 f. Cp. 84. 23 conserua nos in annis.
tempore \ hostis a telo perfidi. 40. deprecatio] Cp. 19. 13 note.
ipso] ' this present ' time, ipse The word is often so used in the
lost much of its force in late Latin, Vulgate, e.g. Ps. vi. 10, xvi. i etc.
HYMN 56
This hymn, which in point of style and metre is well-
nigh worthy of Ambrose himself, is prescribed by
Caesarius and Aurelian for None in the Easter season
(Blume Cursus pp. 36, 40). In Vat. reg. 1 1 the rubric is
(erroneously) Hymnus ad uesperum in die ieiunii. On
these last words Blume Analecta LI. p. 18 notes that, in
view of the above appointment by the two bishops of
Aries, the reference is to the fast on Wednesdays and
Fridays in Eastertide, not to Lent; see the note on line 29.
['Easter,' however, was not defined in ancient times in
the same manner as with us, and in die ieiunii may have
been intended for the day or days preceding Easter,
which would agree with Caesarius' words in die primo
PasckaeJ]
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LVI 249
Vapr
Ter hora trina uoluitur,
redire qua Christus solet
mercede largus uineam
locate mercenariis.
decet paratos sistere, 5
ne transeat merces Dei,
plantare quae uitem solet
Christumque cordi adfigere.
haec hora, quae resplenduit
crucisque soluit nubila, 10
mundum tenebris exuens,
reddens serena tempora.
haec hora, qua resuscitans
lesus sepulcris corpora
prodire mortis libera 15
2 quia Vr. 3 mercedem Vap. uineae Vap. 9 qua Vr.
10 om. que Vp. uincula Vr. 13 quae Vap.
i. ter] to be taken with trina, 5. sistere] 'to take our stand,'
not with uoluitur. with a view to being hired.
2 f. Mt. xx. r f., especially 5. 6. transeat] ' pass by us,' cp.
redire . . . solet] ' comes once more. ' praetereat 51. 5 f.
For this force of redire cp. 36. 38 ; 7. plantare] If a parable is
and for the periphrasis with solet still in view, it seems to be that
lines 7 and 30. For the common of the Vineyard, not that of the
use in late Latin of such peri- Vine, in which case cordi affigere
phrastic expressions see Lofstedt will express planlare. Ambr. in
Aeth. p. 207 f. Luc. IX. 29 agricola quippe omni-
3. mercede largus] 'generous in potens pater, uitis est Christus. ..ut
His payment': Mt. xx. 5, although uitis maritatur arboribus ', Hex. IV.
at the ninth hour only three hours qttidprodestponereuitem...adiungere
of work remain, the payment is still ulmis et quodam conubio copulare...'!
the same ; Ambr. Hex. n. 10 Deus This attachment is the result of
...inmensusinremuneratione. God's God's 'mercy' (quae solet).
payment is His grace or ' mercy ' 9 f. Mt. xxvii. 45.
and in this sense we often find naec hora] ' this is the hour ' ; so
merces used; see Leo's Fottnnatus also in 13, and in 4. 9, of which
p. 407. passage the writer is thinking.
4. locare] 'in order to let out,' 12. serena] 'bright,' cp. 10. 2
cp. Mt. xxi. 33 locauit earn agricolis. note.
There appears to be a confusion i3f. Mt. xxvii. 52 ; cp. 1. 44.
between this parable and that of the 15. mortis libera] 'free from
Labourers in the Vineyard. death'; cp. Verg. Aen. x. 154
250
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
iussit refuse spiritu.
redit fauilla in sanguinem
cinisque carnem reddidit,
mixtique uiuis mortui
uidere Christi gloriam.
nouata saecla crederes,
mortis solutis legibus,
uitae beatae munere
cursum perennem currere.
dicamus ergo, proximi,
laudes Deo cum cantico ;
confessus est latro fidem
in quo est redemptus tempore.
16 refulso Vp 1 . 17 reddit Vp 1 .
Vp. 28 om. in Vap.
libera fati ; Hor. Ars Poet. 212
liber laborum. Usually liber takes
an abl. , as at 12. 26, 31. 63.
16. spiritu] ' the breath of life.'
1 7. ' The ashes turned to blood
again.' fauilla is 'the ashes' of a
cremated body, as at Hor. Od. n.
vi. 23, hence the remains of a body
that has been buried ; cp. Fort. ix.
ii. 67 coeperit ut tegere arentes cuds
uda fauillas \ et niui cineres de
tumulis salient.
redit is perfect. Like contracted
forms are found : ;V(Ter. Verg. Ov.),
abit (Plaut. Ter. Sen.). Cp. 37. 14,
20.
20. uidere] perfect. Blume, who
thought that in 21 all the MSS read
credere, takes uidere, credere and
currere in 24 as historic inf. But
uidere as inf. after the indicative
perfects redit and reddidit would be
too abrupt. Possibly there is a re-
ference to Joh. xi. 40.
2 1 . crederes] ' you would think,'
were you there to see, like Ambr.'s
quisputet*. 13. For the tense cp.
Prud. Cath. ix. cerneres coire mem-
bra de fauillis aridis and several
21 credere Vap. 24 perhenne
examples quoted by Drager Hist.
Synt. I. 282 f.
nouata saecla] perhaps an echo
of 12. 29.
22. Cp. 49. 4.
23. uitae beatae] Cp. 10. i6and
42. 44 .
24. currere has saecla for subject,
cursum for object.
25. proximi] 'neighbours,' as at
16. 8. For the vocative thus used
cp. 55. 5, 82. 18.
26. Cp. 56. 8.
27. Cp. 10. 7. It is implied that
we too are redeemed at this hour,
and therefore ought to glorify God
as the penitent robber did.
28. in quo est, though not given
in any MS, is better than quo est,
for while elision occurs at lines 8
and 1 7, no instance of hiatus comes
in the hymn, in is thus used of
time at 37. 13, 53. 5, 84. 23, 91. 3,
101. 2.
29 f. ' By this grace (the redemp-
tion granted to the repentant robber,
10. 22, and to us) we joyfully bring
our fast to an end, a type of our
future reward ; may those who are
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LV II 251
qua gratia ieiunium
laeti solemus soluere 30
instar futuri muneris :
famem probati nesciant.
approved not know (experience) nondum nona diem resignat Aora' ;
hunger.' Daniel (i. 4) notes: ueteres Epiphan. Expos. Fid. 11 Terpddi, de
Christiani diebus stationum ieinnare KCLI tv irpoffa/Spdry iv vijartlq. ?ws
solebanl usque adNonam. See Prud. wpas twa.T-rp. Cp. the introduction
Cath. viu. 9f. nona sitbinissum rotat to this hymn, instar is in apposition
Aora solem ; ...nos breuis uoti dape with ieiunium soluere.
nindicata \ soluimus festum frui- 32. probati] ' the elect,' cp. 1.
murque mensis ; Perisl. vi. 54 f. 30, 57. See Rev. vii. 16.
' teiutiawus,' ait, ' recuso potum. \
HYMN 57
Caesarius and Aurelian appoint this hymn for use at
Vespers in alternation with 5 Deus creator omnium,
Aurelian's actual expression being ad lucernarium
(Blume Cursus pp. 38, 43). And in Vat. reg. 1 1 hymn 5
immediately follows our hymn with the rubric item
hymnus uespertinus. 57 and 58 are so much alike that it
is most likely that one poet wrote both. Neither of them
passed into the later hymnal.
Eo Fabi// MX Vr
Deus, qui certis legibus
noctem discernis ac diem,
ut fessa curis corpora
somnus relaxet otio,
te noctis inter horridae 5
tempus precamur, ut, sopor
mentem dum fessam detinet,
fidei lux inluminet.
2 a die F^. 3 cures MX. 4 somno Vr, somnum Eo Fa^. relaxat
Fabi/'. otium MX. 7 retinet Fa.
if. The thought of this stan/a dwelt upon ; cp. 27. 3.
often recurs ; see the introduction 8. For the combination of faith
to 2. and light see 5. 20, 6. 32.
5. The dread of night is often
252
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
hostis ne fallax incitet
lasciuis corda gaudiis,
secreta noctis aduocans,
blandos in aestus corporis.
subrepat nullus sensui
horror timoris anxii ;
inludat mentem ne uagam
fallax imago uisuum.
sed cum profundus uinxerit
somnus curarum nescius,
fides nequaquam dormiat,
uigil te sensus somniet.
10
20
9 hoste Fa. 10 lasciuas F^. cura (pro corda) Vr, curis Eo Fa^,
curam MX. n secretam MX. 11 blandus Eo Fa^ MX Vr.
aestu Fa. isto corpora Eo. 15 mente Fa. nee Vr. 16 uisui
Eo Fa. 17 secundum profundum Fa. 18 nesciens Fa.
19 fidem Fa. dormiet Fa^. 20 uigilue Eo, uigilque MX.
9 f. ' Let not our deceitful enemy,
calling to his aid the privacy of
night, stimulate our hearts with
licentious pleasures to alluring pas-
sions of the body. 1 The reading
cura, which in some codices was
changed into curis in consequence
of the words on either side of it,
bears no satisfactory sense. Blume
reads crura, but gives no authority.
I read corda, which would in one
MS or another be written curda (as
Vat. reg. 1 1 at line 6 of this hymn
writes supor) and this would be
corrupted into cura, a word occur-
ring in one or other of its cases at
lines 3 and 18. With incitet corda
cp. 26. 20 agitas quieta corda.
n. secreta noctis] Cp. 5. 26
cordis alta. For the implied mean-
ing cp. Eph. v. 12.
aduocans] Cp. Sil. Punic, ix.
8 1 ad conatnina noctem \ aduocat ac
furtim castris euadit inquis.
12. As hostis already has its epi-
thet (fallax}, for blandus I read
blandos; cp. 46. 14 blandis . . .aesti-
bus.
aestus corporis] ' bodily heats '
or ' passions ' ; cp. 5. 24, and for
the gen. 10. i\poenam corporis.
13. subrepat] as at 46. n.
14. ' dread torturing fear.'
anxii] Cp. 5. 8 note. The allu-
sion is to evil dreams or nightmares
sent by the devil, who was thought
to have special sway by night.
15. inludat] 103. 20. It seems
here to refer to apparitions or
'ghosts.' Cp. 83. 5, 6.
mentem uagam] 51. i r.
1 6. fallax] of that which speaks
or looks real but is not : ' a decep-
tive semblance of things seen.'
1 7 f. an echo of 5. 17 f.
1 8. curarum] the cares of the
past day, as in 3.
19. Cp. 6. 21.
20. Cp. 5. 26, 60. 5. sensus
(like sensui above) means the spirit
or inner consciousness.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN L VIII 253
HYMN 58
The rubric in Vat. reg. 1 1, the one authority for 58, is
item hymnus nespertinus : so it was in alternate use with
57 and 5, which it immediately follows in this MS. It is
not mentioned by Caesarius or Aurelian.
Vr
Sator princepsque temporum,
clarum diem laboribus
noctemque qui soporibus
fixo distinguis ordine,
mentem tu castam dirige, 5
obscura ne silentia
ad dira cordis uulnera
telis patescant inuidi.
somno non cedat spiritus,
uigilque custos corporis 10
metus inanes arceat,
fallax depellat gaudium.
uacent ardore pectora,
faces nee ullas sentiant,
3 laboribus Vr.
i. sator]44. i. cedat: 'may it refuse to yield';
5. mentem... castam] 3. 17. hence -que not se,i in the next line.
6 f. ' lest the dark silence (i.e. Vet -que can have an adversative
lest we in the dark and silent night) force, even in Cic. de Off. i. 11 non
be exposed to the darts of the nobis solum nati sumus ortusque
enemy, causing dread wounds of the nostri partem patria uindicat. The
heart.' Somewhat similar to this ' spirit ' watches over the body,
use of the abstract silentia is Pro- 12. fallax] as in 57. 9.
pert. II. xx. 31 tune inter Tityi 13. Cp. 17. 6, 67. 12.
uolucres mea poena (i.e. I in my 1 4 f. ' and may they feel no
punishment) uagetur. flames (of lust), lest these fastening
7. uulnera] 19. 16. on the heart destroy the vigour of
8. telis patescant] Eph. vi. 16, the soul.'
45. i6f. , 84. 24. faces] Cp. Cic. Tusc. \. 44 cum
inuidi] 3. 14, 6. 27 etc. corporisfacibusinQammarisoleamus
9. non is to be taken closely with ad omnes fere cupiditates.
254 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
adfixae ne praecordiis 15
mentis uigorem saucient.
sed cum defessa corpora
somni tenebunt gratiam,
caro quietis sit memor,
fides soporem nesciat. 20
15 adfixa Vr. 19 solo (pro caro) Vr. 20 nesciant Vr.
15. adfixae refers to/aces, cp. 56. 8. which is meaningless. Blume cor-
The MS reading adfixa can but agree rects to caro, comparing the com-
with pectora, which gives no good pline hymn lesu redemptor saeculi
sense. (Analecta LI. p. 43) 15 f. sic caro
praecordiis] Cp. 45. 12 note. nostra dormiat, \ ut mens soporem
1 6. saucient may be compared nesciat. [But if this conjecture be
with uulnera in 7. The verb is used right, caro must be taken in a strictly
again at 106. n, saucius at 80. 6, ethical sense. Something is wanted
86. 6. that would correspond to culpa in
18. somni... gratiam] Cp. 5. 4 6.22. Dolus would be a little nearer
soporis gratia. the MS reading, or see/us."]
19. caro] Our one MS has solo,
HYMN 59
In Eo and Fa the rubric is ad uesperas dominicis and
this was the use of the hyrnn.
Eo Fasi/' Gb Vs
Deus, qui claro lumine
diem fecisti, Domine,
tuam rogamus gloriam
dum pronus uoluitur dies.
iam sol urgente uespero 5
occasum suum graditur,
3 tua... gloria F^. 4 tu pronos soluitur Vs. 5 arguentes Vs.
uespere Fa, uesperum F^.
3. 'We pray to Thy glory, '-i.e. pressing on, goes down his western
we pray to Thee, O glorious one; slope.' Vesperus, more usually known
cp. the similar phrase 52. 2 f. pos- in the Greek form Hesperus, was
camus...trinae uirtutis gloriam. the evening star. Rising after and
4. pronus] ' on its downward following the sun, he ' presses him
course,' being past the zenith. So on.' It may, however, simply mean
Stat. Theb. n. 41 prona dies, Hor. 'the evening.' For the rhythm cp.
Od. III. xxviii. 5 indinare meridiem 84. 9.
sends. 6. occasum is a kind of contained
5. ' Now the sun, with Vesperus ace. after graditur; unless we take
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LIX 255
tnundum concludens tenebris,
suum obseruans ordinem.
sed tu, excelse Domine,
precantes tuos famulos
labore fessos diei
quietos nox suscipiat ;
. ut non fuscatis mentibus
dies abscedat saeculi,
sed tua tecti gratia
cernamus lucem prosperam.
7 tenebras Fa. 1 1 labores Eo Fa. "fessus Fa Vs.
15 tecta Gb. 16 luce prospera Fai/- Gb.
15
1 1 quieta Vs.
it as the ace. of the place to which,
as Verg. Aen. vi. 696 haec limina
lenders; Fort. Vit. Mart. III. 223
ire palatia, 'to go to the palace.'
It might perhaps even be treated as
the supine, in spite of the attached
suum.
7. The sun is said to shut the
world in darkness by ceasing to
shine, much as the wind is said to
calm the waves by ceasing to blow
(Soph. Aj. 674, Verg. Ed. \\. 26
etc.) or as a husband is said to
make his wife a widow by ceasing
to live, as in a Mozarabic hymn,
Anal. XXVII. p. 67 quam in flore
iuuentutis coniunx niduauerat.
8. Cp. 84. 17 f., Ps. ciii. (civ.) 19.
9 f. ' And Thou, O most high
Lord, may the night welcome into
its quiet Thy servants who wearied
with the day's toil now pray." The
emphatic tu is like the use of the
word in several hymns, see the note
on 1. 3. It is not necessary to make
any change in the text. Grimm for
tu suggests fac, but this is in any
case not close enough to the MS
tradition ; Daniel reads tune, which
does not fit in here. Blume would
supply mscipias from suscipiat in
12, but grammar forbids this. If a
change were needed, the simplest
would be to read te governed by
precantes, from which it is separated
by two words, as at 57. 5 te is sepa-
rated by four words from precamur.
sed has little or no adversative
force, as often in prayers, cp. 36. 37
note, quietos is used proleptically
= ut quieti sint.
13 f. 'That this day (the natural
day now almost gone) may not de-
part leaving our souls darkened, but
that we shielded by Thy grace may
see a happy morrow.' Or, after
the manner of these hymns, the lux
pr. may mean the inward light
which makes safe our passage
through the night.
fuscatis] ' darkened ' by sin, as
our bodies are by the night. Cp.
Symmachus Epist. I. 40 quern ad
hoc aeui nulla actuum culpa /us-
cauit; Sidonius vn. 505 quern
fuscat id unum \ quod te Roma
capit ; Sedul. Op. V. 28 synagoga
proprio iam colore fuscat a ; Fort.
VIII. iii. 109 haec sua membra pu-
tans quae nulla iniuria fuscat.
14. dies ..saeculi] 13. 2.
15. tecti] 'covered' as with a
shield.
1 6. prosperam] of temporal hap-
piness, as nearly always ; cp. 80.
n, 125. 7. So also our words
' prosper,' ' prosperous.'
256 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
HYMN 60
Caesarius of Aries writing in A.D. 534 says : ad duo-
decimam [i.e. at Compline] hymnus Christe precamur
adnue; die altera Christe qui lux es et dies dicatur. et sic
omni tempore isti duo kymni dicantur (Blume Cursus
p. 36). The hymn is contained only in one MS Toled.
Cod. 35-2 and in the printed Mozarabic breviary of
1502, where it is appointed ad uesperas feria sexta infra
hebdomadam primam quadragesimae; cp. Analecta XXVII.
78. We have to bear in mind the possibility that the
two hymns may not be the same; for the Mozarabic
church in at least one case took the first line of a hymn
by Ambrose Dens creator omnium and made a hymn
which had nothing of the original except this line, see
the introduction to 2. Or it may be that, just as the
Ambrosian use took a stanza or two of the midnight
hymn mediae noctis tempus est with the change of a word
tibi matutino tempore etc. = 42. 45 f., so Caesarius took a
stanza or two of 50, beginning at line 13. The stanzas
of that hymn however are more suitable for the morning
than for Compline. One would have expected him to
make some mention of 50, which was one of the old
series. But hymn 60 is certainly suited to Compline and
is probably the one prescribed for such use by Caesarius.
Mdx
Christe, precamur adnue,
mixtasque uoces fletibus
semper benignus et pius
uenturam noctem suscipe.
4 in noct. MX.
i. adnue] lit. 'nod assent,' hence identical with 50. 13; cp. also 123. 13.
'regard with favour.' Verg. often 2. Cp. 20. 10 note,
uses it of gods shewing favour, as at 3. Cp. 29. 39.
Aen. i. 250, iv. 128. The line is 4. uenturam noctem] for the
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LX
te corda nostra somnient,
te per soporem sentiant,
tuamque semper gloriam
uicina luce concinant.
uitam salubrem tribue,
nostrum calorem refice,
taetram noctis caliginem
claritas tua inluminet.
hymnis uota persoluimus,
uesperque sacrum poscimus
nostrum delens chirographum
tuumque praestans editum.
257
5
ro
ace., 'during the night,' cp. 43. i,
55. 10, 82. 9 septies diem. The
printed Mozarabic breviary reads
uenturam in nocteni, which seems
to be a correction.
5. Cp. 5. 26.
6. te. . .sentiant] ' be conscious of
Thy presence.'
7 f. ' and may they sing Thy
eternal glory as day draws near.'
For this adjectival use of the adverb
semper cp. Plaut. Pers. 385 non tu
nunc homimim mores uides ; Ter.
Andr. 175 eri semper lenitas, which
Wagner illustrates by the Greek ^
del eufdveta. The construction is
here demanded by the order of the
words and because semper taken as
an adv. with concinant will clash
with uicina luce.
10. ' Renew the warmth of our
faith ' ; the prayer corresponds to
3. \<) fides calore ferueat.
11. claritas tua] 62 b. i, 120. 41.
13 is an evening echo of a thought
from Ambr.'s morning hymn, 2. 32.
Cp. also 5. 1 1 f .
14 f. 'and we pray for a holy
evening that cancels .our bond etc.'
uesper is here neuter, like uespere at
18. 5, and delens, praestans agree
with it. An objection to this render-
ing is that our evening, however
holy, cannot 'cancel the bond' in
view of Col. ii. 14, of which passage
the writer is thinking. It may be
that, in the havoc of cases indicated
in 4, delens and praestans are a kind
of vocative, implied by poscimus,
as if, instead of poscimus, or in
addition to it, the writer had said
da or some such word, delens and
praestans would agree with the
subject of such an imperative. The
thought is like that of 18. 5 f. largire
clarum uespere etc.
ijf. 'Blotting out the hand-
writing that was against us (or
' our bond ') and giving us what
thou hast declared (or 'published')
in the gospel,' probably meaning
the donans omnia delicta of Col. ii.
13. editum must be taken as a sub-
stantive, and tuum editum is con-
trasted with nostrum chirographum.
We cannot give a parallel use of
editum, but edere is a word used in
legal and civil Latin for ' publishing,'
' announcing,' ' making known." We
find it in Dirksen used in juxta-
position with chir. (s.v. chirogr.)
moram facere in chirographo sccuri-
tatis edendo (apparently ' in declaring
the contents of the bond of assur-
ance').
chirograpnum
258 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
signed bond,' cp. Ambr. de Tab. 33 uit, quod postea Dominus suo cruore
quis isle faeneratar nisi diabolus, a deleuit. Aug. often refers to Col. ii.
quo Eua mutuata peccatum obnoxiae 14, cp. Conf. V. 17, VII. 27, IX. 36.
successionis usuris omne genus defae- So Paulin. Aquil. VI. 14 chirogra-
nerauit humanum? denique quasi phum \ mortis cruore diluit rosifluo.
malus faenerator chirographum ten-
HYMN 61
This fine old hymn was originally set for Compline on
alternate days throughout the year, as is shewn by the
united evidence of the Rule of Caesarius, quoted in the
introduction to 60, and of all the older MSS. In the
course of time however, when a rival appeared in the Te
lucis ante terminum, hymn 83, its use was in one way or
other restricted. Thus in the Mozarabic breviary it was
reserved for Compline on Sunday (see Analecta XXVII.
p. in), in the later Ambrosian breviary for the same
office during the first two weeks of Lent, while the rubric
of Paris lat. 11550 runs ad completorium in hieme. Its
later use was very varied. Chevalier, under No. 2934,
gives it thus Quadragesima (fer., fest., quot. ; Passio ;
Aduent. ; domin. et fest.} always of course at Compline.
The mention of it by Caesarius proves that it was
already written in the early part of the Vlth century, so
that Mone (I. 92) and Chevalier (1. c.), who say that it
was not composed before the Vllth century, date it at
least a hundred years too late.
The text has, in the various authorities which contain
it, suffered many changes ; some of the stanzas have
been rewritten. It is therefore not easy to say in some
lines what the original words were.
The hymn was contained in the French breviaries
until the end of the XVIIth century, but it was not
adopted in the modern Roman use.
EARLIER HYMNAL. HYMN LXI 259
Abcdgh Eacdghjlosvxi7/u< Fbdhiklnprstu^ Gd Hbcdefh
Ibcdefghmnopv Mackmx Vacps
Christe, qui lux es et dies,
noctis tenebras detegis,
lucifer lucem praeferens,
lumen beatum praedicans,
precamur, sancte Domine, 5
defende nos in hac nocte,
sit nobis in te requies,
quietam noctem tribue.
ne grauis somnus inruat,
nee hostis nos subripiat ; 10
ne caro illi consentiens
nos tibi reos statuat.
oculi somnum capiant,
cor ad te semper uigilet,
i detegens Ab Hc 2 d* Id Vap, deteges F^, detege s Hh Mak ! x. 3 lux
ipse lucem proferens Hh Mk (lumen Max), lux ipse lucis crederis Es,
lucisque lumen crederis Eacdglv Fbdiknrtu^ Hbcdef Ibceghmnopv Mm Vc.
4 beatis Eo, uitam beatam praed. Max, uitam beatam tribue Acdgh Hh
Vap. 6 nocte ac die Eo Fb^ (nos n. a. d. Hh). 7 uite ( = uitae)/ro
in te Ex Ib. 8 retribue Vc, tribuas Fs 2 . 9 graui Ab 2 Fi leo Mm
Vap. somnu ( = somno) Ab 2 . 10 ne Acdh Gd Hbd'h Ic Vap. hostis
ne E<. i 1 nee Eacov Gd Hcde Icd'hm Mamx. om. ne E# Mk.
om. caro Eo. consentiat Ad FbV lo Vap. ra et ne nos reos Acdh,
et nos reos Vap. 14 semper ad te Eco Gd. uigilat E^> Gd.
r. Cp. 3. 2 f., 45. 10, 46. 2. 4. 'proclaiming the light of
2. detegis] ' removest ' the pall of bliss,' cp. 15. 12 lucem beatam.
darkness. As a rule detegere has the Praed. seems to mean that Christ
further sense of 'revealing' that in His gospel tells us that this light
which is hidden beneath. awaits us hereafter.
3. lucifer] Cp. 44. 15, 45. 5. 9. grauis is emphatic, to be
Mone I. 92 seeing a reference to taken with inruat as part of the
Ps. cix. (ex.) 3 ante luciferum predicate.
genui te, conjectures luciferum lux 10. subripiat] Cp. Job. x. 10,
praeiens. He objects that lucem \ Pet. v. 8.
praeferens is tautological after lud- 11. illi consentiens] 'conspiring
fer ; but the hymn writer is thinking with him.' consent is a Bible word,
of the personified Morning Star, not cp. 2 Thess. ii. 12 consenserunt in-
of the etymological meaning of the iquitati. illi is contrasted with tibi
word. in 12.
praeferens] lit. 'holding in front,' 14. See Cant. v. i. Cp. 26. 27
i.e. displaying, cp. 13. 4, 94. 6. and often.
171
2<5o EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
dextera tua protegat 1 5
famulos qui te diligunt.
defensor noster adspice,
insidiantes reprime,
guberna tuos famulos,
quos sanguine mercatus es. 20
memento nostri, Domine,
in isto graui corpore,
qui es defensor animae,
adesto nobis, Domine.
1 8 insidiantem Ac Es/t# Im'nWv Makx Vap. 20 quo Vp.
22 graui isto Ev (gr. isti Fs). 23 tu (pro qui) E0. 24 sancte
spiritus (pro nobis d.) Hh Vap.
15. The right hand (i.e. the may be the original. We may be
power) of Christ is referred to at called ' the sons of Christ ' (unusual
71. 5. The expression is of course as the thought is) in somewhat the
frequent in the Psalms. same sense as St Paul calls his con-
17. From Ps. Ixxxiii. 10 protector verts at Ephesus etc. 'the sons of
noster aspice Deus. light.' So Sedul. Carm. iv. 181 (of
18. Insidiantes] ' treacherous Christ) tton tulit haiic speciem mundi
foes.' The variant insidiantem pater.
would refer to Satan ; but the 20. Acts xx. 28, Ps. Ixxiii. 2.
special prayer for deliverance from 22. 'under the burden of this
him has already been made in body.' The reference is to Wisd. ix.
line 10. 15, cp. 2 Cor. v. 4. Mone compares
19. famulos may have come in Greg. Mor. xn. 17 grauis est sar-
from line 16, and the variant Jilios cina corruptions .
THE LATER HYMNAL
NOCTURN HYMNS 62-69
We now come to the later series of hymns ; see the
Introduction at the beginning of the book. The Nocturn
hymns 62 ff. were probably at first all iambic dimeters
of the Ambrosian type, until the Sapphic hymn 63 was
introduced : see the Introduction to that hymn.
Hitherto 62 a and 62 b have been regarded as making
but one hymn, consisting of eight stanzas. The argu-
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LX II 261
ments in favour of dividing them into two separate
hymns by different writers are manifold and weighty.
In subject-matter they are quite unlike. As Blume
Analecta LI. p. 26 notes, 62 a addresses the singers, 62 b
addresses Christ. In metre they are also quite unlike.
62 a is metrical and correct with one exception the
hiatus in line I ; but this fault coming in the third foot
is less serious than elsewhere. 62 b is rhythmical and,
besides the spondaic second foot in 16, has no less than
six instances of hiatus, three of them in the second foot
of the verse. Not one of the other hymns of this later
nocturn series contains eight stanzas, each having but
four; except 63, the unlikeness of which to the rest pro-
claims it as a later intruder, and 68, which now consists
of five stanzas.
It seems likely that 62 b was ousted from its indepen-
dent standing by the new-comer 63, and yet kept its
place in the series by being tacked on to 62 a. lam nunc
is a favourite phrase with which to begin a hymn.
Chevalier Repertorium 6326-6343, 28431-28435 refers
to more than twenty first lines with this commencement.
The Parisian breviary of 1680 contained only 62 a, and
Archbishop Harlay was at the time and afterwards
severely criticized for the omission of 62 b. Evidently he
thought that the two hymns were independent and dis-
tinct. The blending of them into one whole took place,
however, before the writing of any of our MSS of the later
hymnal : the earliest of these was not made before the
IXth century, whereas the hymns are more ancient,
whoever may have been the authors.
The original use of 62 (a and b) as given in the MSS
was at nocturns on Sundays during the winter. The
modern Roman breviary has retained the hymn with
comparatively few corrections, see Daniel I. p. 175 f.
262
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
HYMN 62 A
Eacdhjlsvx??Ai0 Fdhijls Gam Habcdefghi Ibefhmnop Mafkm Vbcs
Primo dierum omnium,
quo mundus exstat conditus,
. uel quo resurgens conditor
nos morte uicta liberat :
pulsis procul torporibus
surgamus omnes ocius
et nocte quaeramus pium,
sicut prophetam nouimus,
nostras pieces ut audiat,
suamque dextram porrigat,
4 libera Ip, liberans Es Mk, liberet Ecdhlm/i0 Fins Hbce Mm In.
i f. The writer may well be
thinking of Sedul. Carm. V. 31 5 f.
coeperat interea post tristia sabbata
felix | inradiare dies, culrnen qui
nominis alti \ a Domino dominante
trahit primusque uidere \ promeruit
nasci mundum atque resurgere
Christum. \ septima nam Genesis
cum dicit sabbata, claret \ htmc orbis
caput esse diem, quern gloria regis ',
nunc etiam proprii donans fulgore
tropaei \ primatum retinere dedit,
Mone I. 371 quotes Greg. Magn.
Horn, in Ezech. n. iv. i dies domi-
nicus, qui tertius est a morte domi-
nica, a conditione dierum numeratus
octauus, quia septimum sequitur;
ib. u. viii. i in nouo testamento
octauus dies in sacramento est, is
uidelicet qui dominicus appellatur
qui .. .octauus a conditione est. The
meaning of the stanza is that Sunday
was the first day on which ' the
world stood forth created ' (exstat
conditus). The modern Roman
breviary reads primo die quo Trini-
las I beata mundum condidit, which
must mean that God created the
world on the first day, which is a
different thing, and quite in accord-
ance with Genesis. See also 110. 9
octaua prima redditur ; Blume
Analecta LI. p. 26.
3. uel] 'and,' 37. 6 note. This
use is very frequent in the Regula
S. Benedicti; see the Index to
Butler's edition.
4. i Cor. xv. 54 f.
5. torporibus] 'sloth,' the plural
perhaps indicating its repeated at-
tacks.
6. Cp. 2. 17.
7. pium] ' our gracious God ' ;
cp. 9. 4 note.
8. ' as we know the prophet ' to
have sought God by night. The
prophet is the psalmist, as at 41. 2
note. See Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 55, 62,
cxxxiii. (cxxxiv.) 2. Or possibly the
reference may be to Is. xxvi. 9.
10. Cp. Job xiv. 15 (Vulg.) ;
Aug. Solil. vi exaudi me palpitan-
tem in his tenebris et mihi dexter am
porrige.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXIlB 263
et hie piatos sordibus
reddat polorum sedibus,
ut quique sacratissimo
huius diei tempore
horis quietis psallimus, 15
donis beatis muneret.
ii ut Ecl/x Mk. expiates (pro hie p.) omnes proffer Es Fdn Mk Vli.
13 quicquid He.
n. 'purified here' (i.e. on earth); 101, Ronsch p. 336. huius diei
cp. 25. 7 expiatur (note). tempore is used as one compound
12. polorum] 'of heaven,' cp. word and therefore sacratissimo is
6. 2. in the abl. So 46. 5 proximo diei
i3f. 'that all we, who in this aduentui, 50. n noctis ortus suc-
day's most sacred season sing in the ctdens, ib. 1 5 iniquitas haec saecti/i,
hours of quiet, may be rewarded 71. 15 omnique fine did. This last
with blessed gifts.' qnique = qnicum- stanza of the hymn is similar to the
tji/f, n. common usage in late Latin, last stanza of 69.
but found also in Plaut. Miles 160 16. donis beatis] Cp. 42. 40
qiit-mque in tegulis \ uiderilis alie- uitae munera.
num ; cp. 69. 13, Draeger n. p. muneret] Cp. 42. 60.
HYMN 62 B
EacdhjlsvxTj/u.0 Fdhijls Gam Habcdefghi Ibefhmnop Mafkm Vbcs
lam nunc, paterna claritas,
te postulamus affatim,
absit libido sordidans
omnisque actus noxius.
ne foeda sit uel lubrica 5
conpago huius corporis,
5 nee Ecd. ut (pro uel) Es Mm.
i. paterna claritas] Claritas is fatis, with which c^.fati-sco,fati-go.
a synonym of gloria especially in 3. sordidans] Cp. Lactant. de
African Latin: pat. cl. therefore Ira Dei (ad fin.) templum cordis
means 'glory of the Father ' = glori- non fumo, non puluerf, sed malis
ous Father ; or perhaps Christ, as cogitationibus sordidatur.
being ' the glory of the Father.' 4- noxius] ' guilty,' as at 1. 39 ;
i. affatim] i.e. ad fatim, 'to cp. the note on 22. 1 i noxa.
satiety,' and hence 'incessantly,' j- lubrica] 3. 1 2 note,
'urgently,' as at 69. 16, 92. 22. fatim 6. cftnpago] lit. 'the fastening
is the ace. of a disused substantive together'; i.e. our body so mar-
264 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
per quam auerni ignibus
ipsi crememur acrius.
ob hoc, redemptor, quaesumus
ut probra nostra diluas, 10
uitae perennis commoda
nobis benignus conferas.
quo carnis actu exsules,
effecti ipsi caelibes,
ut praestolamur cernui, 15
melos canamus gloriae.
7 quod Ex0 Fs Ih, quern Ehs Ip Mk Vc, que ( = quae) Eav/* Fhin Mm.
10 deluas Ecdhlyu. Fh In Vc. 12 benigne Ea/u. Fh Vc. 15 praesto-
lantes Es Mk (ras.).
vellously knit together. Cp. Souter both our souls and bodies, con-
Study of Ambrosiaster p. 105 A cor- trasted with conpago, of our bodies
ports manente compagine. alone.
7. perqu&m]i.e.f0eJametJul>ri- 9. Cp. 68. 17.
cam conpaginem. ob hoc] i.e. because we shall so
Avernus was a lake near Cumae suffer, if we allow ourselves to be
in south Italy, the deadly exhala- foedi itel lubrici.
tions from which were said to kill 10. probra] 'shameful sins,' es-
birds that flew over it, cp. Lucr. VI. pecially those of an unclean life; cp.
740 f., Verg. Aen. VI. 137 f., Sil. the &&}. probrosus at 10. 4, 45. 25.
Ital. xn. 120 f. ille, olim populis \\. uitae perennis] 15. 20.
dictum Styga, nomine uerso \ stagna 13. 'in order that being absent
inter celebrem nunc mitia monstrat from the activity of the flesh. ' This
Auermint ; \ turn tristi nemore atque freeing is contemporaneous with the
umbris nigrantibus horrens \ etfor- becoming ' as the angels of God in
midatus uolucri letale uomebat \ suf- heaven ' (effecti cael.}. Not unlike is
fuso uirus caelo. From it there was the use of exsul at 73. 10. Pimont
thought to be a descent into hell, prefers to translate : ' that being
and hence it became a name for now exiles by the action of the
hell, adopted also by Christian flesh, (but hereafter) made ' This
writers. Eustace Classical 7*our does not seem so simple.
through Italy I. p. 534 says of Aver- 14. caelibes] lit. ' unwedded,'
nus that it is now 'a scene on the comes from Mt. xxii. 30, cp. 85. 16.
whole light, airy and exhilarating.' ipsi as in 8, distinguished from our
8. ipsi] ' we ourselves,' including caro.
HYMN 63
63 is so unlike the hymns on either side of it, especially
in its metre and in the number of its stanzas, that we
cannot but look upon t it as a late-comer into the series.
And, when we consider the determination and zeal with
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXIII 265
which Charlemagne forced these Roman hymns upon
the churches throughout his empire, we are tempted to
conjecture that the poet of 63 and of 70 may have been
one of those scholars who gathered round him. After
the Caroline reformation of letters a hymn like 62 b with
its many metrical faults would not be looked upon with
a favourable eye, and hymn 63 was apparently written
to take its place, with but partial success, for 62 b sur-
vived as a part of 62 a. However 63 won and kept its place
as the nocturn hymn on Sundays during the summer.
Was Alcuin himself the writer of 63 and 70? He wrote
a few sapphics, these not unlike our hymn. Cp. the first
stanza of 63 with the tenth of Ale. CXXI which runs:
te Deum semper uigilans requirat, cogitet 'cunctis resoluta
curis, actibus cunctis queat ut placere rex tibi summe.
With the use of pio in 5 cp. Ale. I.e. 2 tu pius nostris
predbus faueto, 49 quod pius totum habitet per aeuum \
with aula in 6 cp. Ale. LV. v. 3 hac in aula, LXXXIX. 35
praemia digna retinet honore regis in aula ; with pariter
in 5 and 10 Ale. p. 313 (ed. Diimmler) 39 Spiritus sancti
pariter ; with rutilans in 70. 2 cp. lumen rutilum, rutilo
...colore Ale. CXIV. vi. 3, rutilet nitore CXXI. 31.
Eacdghjlsvxi;/^ Fdehijlpqs Habcdefy3</> Ibefghimno Mm Vbcs
Nocte surgentes uigilemus omnes,
semper in psalmis meditemur, atque
uiribus totis Domino canamus
dulciter hymnos,
ut pio regi pariter canentes 5
i f. This stanza is imitated in a tabar in mandatis tuis.
Mozarabic hymn, Analecta xxvii. 3. uiribus totis] from Lk. x. 27.
xviii. 33 f. cor enim nostrum uigilet totis stands for omnibus as at 12. 27.
sopore, | somniet Christum Domi- 5. pariter qualifies both cantntes
numque nostrum, \ insonet psalmis, and mereamur. It means 'to-
mediletur hymnis \ nocte dieque. gether. '
i. Cp. Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 47 medi-
266 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
cum suis sanctis mereamur aulam
ingredi caeli, simul et beatam
ducere uitam.
praestet hoc nobis Deltas beata
Patris ac Nati pariterque sancti 10
Spiritus, cuius reboatur omni
gloria mundo.
7 ac Ej, ad Eh. 10 et Eacdhjsv Habd/3. n cui HjS. reboat in
Eacdglv le Vc, reboat per -em -um Fe, reboamus H/3, renouatur Hb.
6. cum suis sanctis] Cp. Te 9. Deitas] Cp. 36. 28, 98. 18.
Deumii. suis may perhaps be used 10. pariter] 'no less,' for the
because ' our gracious king ' is vir- holy Spirit also is God,
tually the subject of the stanza. But 1 1. cuius refers back to Deitas.
in late Latin suus was indiscrimi- reboatur] ' resounds.' reboare, a
nately written for 'his,' 'her,' etc., rare and poetical word, is transitive
becoming at last the French son, as at 70. n, 92. 17. The variant
the Italian suo. ' reboat could also stand, being used
mereamur] Cp. 4. 8 note. intransitively, as at Lucr. n. 28,
aulam] Cp. 15. 7. Verg. Georg. in. 223.
HYMN 64
The universal use of this hymn has been ad nocturnas
feria II, i.e. on Mondays. It has been ascribed to
St Ambrose, chiefly on the authority of Hincmar de
non Trina Deitate p. 548. Hincmar's date prevents him
from being a trustworthy witness on such a point. It will
be noticed that rhyme is carried almost throughout,
whereas Ambrose neither chooses nor avoids rhyme.
Pimont I. p. 132 f. argues strongly for Ambrose's author-
ship, alleging that its characteristics prove it: 'pens^es
graves et nobles sous un tour bref et nettement tranche ;
diction pure et ferme dans un vers toujours correct ' etc.
He adds that the resemblance to parts of 5 is so striking
that both hymns must be written by the same writer.
But the fact that the hymn is not in the Ambrosian
tradition means that it was not Ambrose's.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXIV 267
Eacdghjlsvxiw^ Fbdghiklnpsy Ga Habcdefgi Ibcefghmnopv Mafkmx Vbc
Spmno refectis artubus
spreto cubili surgimus :
nobis, Pater, canentibus
adesse te deposcimus.
te lingua primum concinat, 5
te mentis ardor ambiat,
ut actuum sequentium
tu, sancte, sis exordium.
cedant tenebrae lumini
et nox diurno sideri, 10
ut culpa, quam nox intulit,
lucis labascat munere.
precamur idem supplices
noxas ut omnes amputes,
5 concinant Ej Ic Mk, concinnat Imp 1 . 6 ambigat Haf Ih.
7 artuum Ih, ad tuura Ev. 8 te Fb. 9 cedent Ic. 1 1 culpam Fb.
1 2 labescat Ecglsv Fbhinpsy Habd 2 e Ibgimpv Mkm Vb.
i. Cp. Prud. Cath. I. g post so/is mira liber las uiri ambire Christum
ortum fulgidi \ serum est cubile sper- suaserat.
nere. 7. sequentium] i.e. during the
3. Hincmar of Reims (see Daniel day about to begin.
IV - P- 37) gives the line thus : nostris 8. exordium] 'starting point.'
Pater conuentibus. But this is found Cp. the well-known collect ut euntta
in no MS of the hymn and is an in- nostra operatic... a te...incipiat.
exact quotation. 9. cedant] optative : the dark-
4. deposcimus] 'pray earnestly.' ness and light are spiritual. For the
Verbs of entreating are usually fol- contrast cp. Eph. v. 8 gratis ali-
losved by ul with the subj., but cp. quando tenebrae, mine autem lux in
Fort. VI. v. 33 retineri filia poscens. Domino.
5. primum] ' first on waking,' 10. diurno sideri] the sun, here
cp. 2. 31. the sun of righteousness, cp. 21. 8
6. mentis ardor] i.e. the soul note.
warmed with fire from on high. 12. munere] 'office,' ' working.'
ardor is used in a good sense, as at 13. idem] nom. plu., so spelt in
16. 8. all the older MSS ; it is a way of
ambiat] 'solicit.' ambire usually expressing 'also.'
meant ' to go round ' canvassing for 14. noxas] 'sins,' cp. 22. 12 note,
votes (hence ' ambition '), but also amputes] strictly ' prune away,'
'to solicit' or 'pray to' a higher cp. Cic. de Sen. 52 uitis...quam...
power. Cp. Hor. Od. I. xxxv. 5 te ferro ampiitans coercet ars agrico-
pauper ambit sollicita prece \ ruris larum ; Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 39 amputa
colonus ; Prud. Perist. II. 491 quos opprobrium menm ; Ambr. /'// Luc.
268
et ore te canentium 15
lauderis in perpetuum.
15 ut Ej Mm. ora Ip Mk (ras.). 16 imperp. Hcdf.
V. 1 8 medicamenio quod . . .causam amputatione. The line is based on
dirt uulneris nmputauit ; Arnob. Prud. Perist. v. 560 noxas nee omiies
adu. Nat. I. 27 delictorum omnium imputet.
HYMN 65
The use of this hymn was ad nocturnas feria tertia i.e.
on Tuesdays. It has often been assigned to St Ambrose,
and is in many ways worthy of him, but its absence from
the Ambrosian MSS is fatal to this claim. In the Roman
Breviary it is adopted without any change. The doxology
is so insistently contained in all MSS, that I have printed
it as an integral part of the hymn.
EacdhjsvxT;/it0 Fhklpqs Gam Hacdefgh Ibcdefghmnopv Mafkx Vbc
Censors paterni luminis,
lux ipse lucis et dies,
noctem canendo rumpimus ;
adsiste postulantibus.
aufer tenebras mentium, 5
fuga cateruas daemonum,
expelle somnolentiam,
ne pigritantes obruat.
2 lucis ipse EC. 3 rupimus Es Mk.
i. censors] Cp. Dracont. de Deo Varro de Re Rust. I. ii. 5 diffindere
II. 68 et censors cum Patre manens ; insiticio somno aestiuom diem.
ib. 547 dexter in arce sedens censors 4. adsiste] lit. ' stand by,' i.e. to
Genitoris amatus. For the sense of hear with favour, like adesse, cp. 42.
the line cp. 3. i. 56, and the prayer in our communion
2 is almost identical with 45. 10, office: 'assist us mercifully, O Lord,
46. i ', cp. 3. 3 f. in these our supplications and
3. rumpimus] ' interrupt, break prayers.'
in upon' ; cp. Verg. Aen. vn. 458 6. cateruas] as at 26. 24.
somnum ingens rumpitpauor ; Prud. 8. pigritantes] 'lingering'; cp.
Cath. i. 98 ( 20. 14) tu rumpe Acts ix. 28 ne pigriteris tienire usque
nod is uiiicula; 66. 8, 69. 14. So adnos.
Hor. Od. n. vii. 7 diem merofregi\
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXVI 269
sic, Christe, nobis omnibus
indulgeas credentibus, 10
ut prosit exorantibus
quod praecinentes psallimus.
praesta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar unice,
cum Spiritu Paraclito 15
regnans per omne saeculum.
9 hie E/i.
9. sic is answered by ut in n. added, it is impossible for us now
n. exorantibus J 'praying ear- to say when, but it was before any
nestly,' not, as it usually means, of our MSS were written, for it is
'gaining our requests.' contained in all, in order to bring
12. praecinentes] 'singing be- up the number of stanzas to the
fore Thee,' prae- here having a usual four. One is tempted to ask
local force ; contrast the temporal whether the fifth stanza of 68,
use in 20. i, 38. 5. quod psallimus which breaks the symmetry of the
is the subject of prosit ' that our many four-stanza hymns, originally
singing may avail for our good.' belonged here. But the materials
i3f. This formal doxology, the for giving a definite answer are
only one in the series, was probably lacking.
HYMN 66
The use of this hymn was ad nocturnas feria quarta
i.e. on Wednesdays. This hymn also has often been
ascribed to St Ambrose, often to St Gregory: in each
case by guesswork. Mone rightly I. p. 377 disallows the
Ambrosian authorship on account of the rhyme running
throughout.
Fhlpqsyfl Gam Hacdefghi Ibcdefghimnopv Mafk Vbc
Rerum creator optime
rectorque noster, respice,
nos a quiete noxia
mersos sopore libera.
i aspice (adsp.) Esx Fp 2 y0 Hgh leiv 1 . 4 erso Gm Id ' hv Mk -
1. Cp. 5. i, 46. i, 73. i. as at 2. 25 etc.
2. respice] ' regard with favour,' 3. noxia] ' sinful, cp. 62 b. 4.
2/o EARLY LATIN HYMNS
te, sancte Christe, poscimus, 5
ignosce tu criminibus ;
ad confitendum surgimus
morasque nostras rumpimus.
mentes manusque tollimus,
propheta sicut noctibus 10
nobis gerendum praecipit,
Paulusque gestis censuit.
uides malum quod gessimus,
occulta nostra pandimus,
preces gementes fundimus, 15
dimitte quod peccauimus.
8 rupimus Mk. 10 sic in Mk. n praecepit Ha. 16 deliquimus Vb.
7. It is not easy to say, here and omne supplicium ipse habitus orantis
at 67. 3, 82. 15, whether confiteor Christiani, quasi diceret orans :
denotes declaring God's praise (cp. praesto sum, necte et plecte si uis
16. 6, 56. 27) or confessing our sins. aut certe miserere ; Prud. Cath. IV.
The two examples given in the next 52 aim tender et ad superna palmas.
stanza seem to point to the former. The hands so raised would make
8. ' and we bring our delay to an the form of the Cross, Prud. Perist.
end.' Cp. Verg. Georg. in. 43 and VI. 106 non ausa est cohibere poena
often; Paul. Nol. Carm. xiv. 51 .palmas \ in morem cruets ad Patrem
uotis auidis mora noctis rumpitur', leuandas.
Fort. Vit. Mart. I. 314; 20. 14, 65. 10. propheta] the psalmist, as at
3, 69. 13 f. 41.2.
9. Ps. cxxxiii. (cxxxiv.) 2 in HOC- 12. censuit] ' shmved his ap-
tibus extollite manus uestras in proval ' ; cp. Acts xvi. 25.
sancta. Cp. Lam. iii. 41. The an- 13. quod gessimus] For this use
cients prayed with hands uplifted of gerere cp. Deut. ix. 18 peccata
and upturned (cp. Verg. Aen. I. 93 uestra quae gessistis. For the sense
dupliccs tendens ad sidera palmas ; of the line cp. 94. 29.
in. 176 tendoque supinas \ ad cae- 14. occulta nostrahu dicuntur pec-
lum cum uoce manus') ; including the cata, quae clam hominibus aut cogi-
early Christians, cp. i Tim. ii. tando aut semotis arbitris mali quip-
8 irpoaeuxeaOai ... tiraipovTa.* offiovs piatn agenda committimus (Clicht.) ;
Xeipas ; Tertull. Apol. xxx (where cp. 48. 4.
see Mayor's note) paratus est ad 15. gementes] 20. 10 note.
HYMN 67
This hymn was appointed for nocturns on Thursdays.
Like the preceding hymns this is ascribed to Ambrose
or Gregory by guesswork. It is retained unchanged in
the modern Roman breviary.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXVII 271
Eacdhjsvx?;/i0 Fhlqs Gam Hacdefghi Ibcdefghmnopv Mm Vbc
Nox atra rerum contegit
terrae colores omnium ;
nos confitentes poscimus
te, iuste iudex cordium,
ut auferas piacula, 5
sordesque mentis abluas,
donesque, Christe, gratiam,
ut arceantur crimina.
mens ecce torpet impia,
quam culpa mordet noxia; 10
obscura gestit tollere
et te, redemptor, quaerere.
repelle tu caliginem
intrinsecus quam maxime,
ut in beato gaudeat 15
se collocari lumine.
i content EC. i calores Ech Ip. 15, 16 praemittit Gm uersibus
13, 14. 14 que (pro quam) He. 15 gaudeant Es. 16 collo-
care He.
if.] Cp. 21. 7 note. 58. n.
contegit] ' covers ' with the sub- 9, 10 refer to the present state of
stantial pall of darkness. the soul, n, 12 to its state after
2. terrae is gen. rather than dat., Christ has given His grace,
which it would probably be in a 1 1 . obscura] 22. 8 ; opera tette-
classical poet, ' of all the things of brarum, siue peccata, says Client,
earth.' gestit] ' is eager," 31. 19 note.
4. iustus iudex comes at Ps. vii. 14. intrinsecus taken in conjunc-
12, 2 Mac. xii. 5 (cp. Ps. vii. 10). tion with caliginem gets the force
For the general sense of the line of an adj., 'inner'; cp. 60. 7 note,
cp. 22. 13 f. The line ends with a literary bathos.
5. piacula] usually 'sin offer- 15. beato... lumine] 61. 4.
ings,' cp. 25. 7 note; but here the gaudeat] sc. mens, to be supplied
' sins ' themselves ; cp. Verg. Aen. from line 9.
vi. 569 commissa piacula, Jud. xx. 16. The subject of the dependent
6 nnmqnam...tatn grande piaculum infinitive, when it is the same as that
factum est in Israel, 98. 8. of gaudeo, is usually omitted, as at
8. arceantur] ' warded off,' as at 75. 15.
272 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
4r-
HYMN 68
This hymn was appointed' for nocturns on Fridays.
Hincmar of Reims assigns the hymn to Ambrose, but it
is not his. Several writers (Mone, Pimont and others)
have of late given it to Gregory, but on purely subjective
grounds.
The Roman breviary has made few changes in it.
And (since the revision of 1 568) it has borrowed the first
stanza of this hymn and the third of 71, to form a new
hymn for Lauds on Trinity Sunday; see Analecta LI.
p. 30, Lipp p. 112.
Eacdhjlsvx7//i0 Fhilnopqsx Gabm Hacdefghi Ibcdefghimnopv Mafkm Vbcs
Tu Trinitatis unitas,
orbem potenter qui regis,
adtende laudum cantica,
quae excubantes psallimus.
nam lectulo consurgimus 5
noctis quieto tempore,
ut flagitemus uulnerum
a te medellam omnium,
quo fraude quidquid daemonum
in noctibus deliquimus, 10
abstergat illud caelitus
tuae potestas gloriae.
4 qui EC Fs, qua Es Mk (ras.). excusantes EC. 5 iam Ig'o 1 .
8 ad Echv Fn Gb Mk (manu rec.) m. medela Ha. 9 quod Ga Ic 2 .
i o delinquimus Gb Hceg.
i. Cp. 79. if. spiritus, \ quodcumque restat tern-
1. potenter] 90. 28, 117. 6, an- ports, \ dum meta noctis clauditur, \
swers to \hzfortiter in Wisd. viii. i. stans ac laborans excubet.
3. adtendo is usually followed by 7. uulnerum] 19. 16.
a dat. or a prep., here by an ace. as g f . ' in order that, whatever sin
at Job xxi. 5 attendite me, and nine we have committed at night by
other places in the Vulg. reason of the craft of evil spirits,
4. Those who watch in order to this the might of Thy heavenly
pray are compared to sentinels ; cp. glory may wash away.' Thus taken
Prud. Cath. I. 77 f. uigil uicissim caelitus is virtually an adj., cp. 60,
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXVIII 273
ne corpus adsit sordidum,
nee torpor instet cordium
et criminis contagio
tepescat ardor spiritus.
ob hoc, redemptor, quaesumus,
reple tuo nos lumine,
per quod dierum circulis
nullis ruamus actibus.
'5
20
13 nec Earllv Fn Gm Mm. absit Fnp Ic. 14 ne Ej Gb He Ig.
15 nec E/A Fs Gm Hd Idiv Mm Vc. 18 nos tuo Fo Hac lo Vb.
19 quos Hd. 20 ruamur EIsv/* Fiknos Gb Hcdeg'hi Idghimo 2 Mkm Vb.
7 note. For daemonum cp. 2. n,
65. 6 ; for the plu. form noctibus,
47. 3 note ; for deliquimus, 7. 26
note; for abstergat, 7. 31 note.
13. adsit almost =szf, a common
use of the word in late Latin ; cp.
Commodian Instr. I. xxix. 12 disce
Deum, stulte, qui uult te immor-
talem adesse; Paul. Nol. Epist. xxv.
2 si cerlus esses tantum te adhuc
adesse uicturum, quantum uixisti ;
Sedul. Carm. II. 100 Deus... semper
adest semperquefuit semperque mane-
bit ; Fort. IX. ii. 22 cum de legr. necis
nemo solutus adest. However, the
comparison with instet seems to
suggest the force of ' to be there to
witness against us at our prayers.'
15. 'and so the warmth of the
spirit grow cool by the pollution of
guilt.' The negative of 14 is carried
on. For contagio cp. 90. 16.
16. tepescat] For the bad mean-
ing cp. Rev. iii. 16 quia tepidus es.
17 is identical with 62 b. 9. The
fact that this one hymn in the noc-
turn series has more than four
stanzas makes us wonder if this
concluding stanza, which does not
follow the preceding one as closely
as its first words ob hoc would seem
to indicate, at first belonged to an-
other hymn, perhaps to 65 ; see the
note there. This conjecture is to a
certain extent confirmed by the ex-
istence of this stanza in a slightly
different form. Blume Analecta LI.
p. 30 quotes from a Prague MS a
short hymn of two stanzas, the
former of which runs Te puro corde
quaesumus, \ tuo nos reple lumine, \
per quod dierum circulis \ nullis
ruamur actibus.
19 f. 'By means of which (i.e. if
we are illuminated by this light) in
the course of the days no actions of
ours may cause us to fall.'
circulis] 87. 14, 94. 3. Dierum,
like in noctibus, gives a more
general sense than the singular.
20. ruamus] intransitive followed
by the abl., a classical usage, as Cic.
pro Milone i 8 iacent tesiibus ; cp.
32. 4 inpulsu rut'f, 80. 8 curis
ruant. For the general sense cp.
Joh. xi. to.
18
274
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
HYMN 69
Appointed for nocturns on Saturday.
EacdhjsvxT/A'tf' Fhiklnpsx Gabm Habcdefghi Ibcdefghmnop Mafk Vbcs
Summae Deus clementiae
mundique factor machinae,
unus potentialiter
trinusque personaliter,
nostros plus cum canticis 5
fletus, benigne, suscipe,
quo corda pura sordibus
te perfruamur largius.
lumbos iecurque morbidum
adure igni congruo, 10
5 piis Ech Im Vb, pios Gm. nostras preces Ic. 6 benignus Gm Hh.
7 corde puro Eadv/t Fhknps Idghm Vs. 8 actibus (pro larg.) Ic.
1. 'O God of utmost mercy.'
Here summae balances the line
better than summe. To say Deus
clementiae would be well enough =
Deus clernens, and Deus summae
clem. = Deus clementissime', but the
two epithets, summe and clementiae,
do not go well together. The read-
ing of most of the MSS is summe,
but in e and ae the MSS are no
guide.
2. machinae] 23. 6 note.
3. potentialiter] ' in power,' like
5. 3 1 iinum potens.
5. pius] Cp. 29. 39 note, ' hear
graciously.'
6. fletus] 20. 10 note.
7. Mt. v. 8. The quo is used as in
68. 9. corda pura is nom. or ace.
als. These nominatives abs. are
very common in the Rule of St
Benedict: e.g. cap. II iussio eius...
in discipulorum mentibus conspar-
gatur, memor semper abbas guia
etc. ; cap. vil abbalem non celauerit
suum, hortans tios de hac re scrip-
tura, dicens etc.
9. iecur] The ancients regarded
the liver as the main spring of life
and as the seat of the passions and
affections, cp. Soph. Aj. 937, Tim-
aeus Locr. IOOA r6 ^v dv^ociSts
irfpl TO.V KapSiav, r6 8' ^iriOvfiariKov
vfpl TO TJirap : Hor. Od. I. xiii. 4,
Sat. I. ix. 66, Prud. Psych. 238 anne
pudicitiae geliditm iecur utile hello
est?
morbidum] ' diseased ' in the
moral sense, cp. 80. 8.
10. adure] 'burn away' with
cautery. So Celsus often uses the
term as V. xxvi. 21 medicamentis...
adurentibus, ib. 33 adurt locus debet,
VIII. 2 ferramento adurere. Cp.
the Sarum prayer Ure igne sancti
Spiritus renes nostros et cor nostrum,
Domine (Maskell Ancient Litera-
ture of the Church of England p.
204, ed. 3 ; Procter and Words-
worth Brev. Sar. fasc. II. col. 500) ;
Anal. XLVI. 17 lire per ignem
geminurn \ nostrarum sordes men-
tium.
congruo almost comes to mean
' healing ' : it ' meets the occasion '
by curing the diseased part ; cp.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXX 275
accincti ut sint perpetim
luxu remote pessimo,
ut, quique horas noctium
nunc concinendo rumpimus,
donis beatae patriae 15
ditemur omnes affatim.
ii perpeti Gm. 13 quicquid Im. 14 concidendo H<1.
16 ditemus Ig^v.
the use of the word at 55. 21, and tium praeceptorum.
Ambrosiaster's use of. the word, 12. pessimo] note the superlative,
Quaestiones 102 si congruam paeni- as at 73. 16.
tentiam agant, ib. 44 congritas 13. quique] 'all we who,' cp.
poenas. 62. 13 note.
ii. accincti] 'girt up,' referring 14. rumpimus | See note on
to lumbos in 9, cp. Lk. xii. 35, Eph. 65. 3.
vi. 14, i Pet. i. 13, 13. 17 note, 15. patriae] Cp. Heb. xi. [4,
120. 45; Ambr. in Luc. II. 70 ail 29. 55, 92. 13, 106. 8, 120. 37.
omne accingamur obsequium caeles- 16. affatim] 62. 18 note.
MATTINS SERIES. HYMNS 70-72
The Mattins series is thus arranged : on Sundays,
hymn 2 Aeterne reruni conditor for winter use, and 70
Ecce iam noctis to be sung during the summer; on
Mondays, 3 Splendor paternae gloriae ; on Tuesdays, 20
Ales diet nuntius ; on Wednesdays, 21 Nox et tenebrae et
nubila ; on Thursdays, 22 Lux ecce surgit aurea ; on
Fridays, 71 Aeterna caeli gloria ; on Saturdays, 72 Aurora
iam spargit polnm.
In metre the two following hymns are in a transition
state. The laws of prosody are as a rule observed, but
see 70. 2 aurora, 6 pellat I. (in ist foot of sapphic) ; 71. 3
celsltonantis, 7 -qu? in, 1 1 caligo, \ 5 dlPi ; 72. 9 man?
illud.
HYMN 70
70 was evidently written by the author of 63. See the
introduction to that hymn.
1 8 2
276 EA RLY LA TIN H YMNS
Fdfhijkops HabcdefjS Ibefhmno Vbcs
Ecce iam noctis tenuatur umbra,
lucis aurora rutilans coruscat,
nisibus totis rogitemus omnes
cunctipotentem,
ut Deus nostri miseratus omnem 5
pellat languorem, tribuat salutem,
donet et Patris pietate nobis
regna polorum.
praestet hoc nobis Deitas beata
Patris ac Nati pariterque sancti 10
Spiritus, cuius reboatur omni
gloria mundo.
2 rutilat coruscans Hd 1 . 3 rogitamus Ha, recogitemus Vb.
5 noster Es/t Fiop 2 Hd 2 , nosmet Hj8. misereatur Fs. 7 nobis p.
Patris Evx Fio Ibh. sola (pro Patris) Eacdhj.
2. lucis, as at 111. i, may be a in classical writers takes an ace., in
kind of adjectival gen., cp. 10. 14 early and later writers a gen. as
poenam carports, 13. 2 diem saeculi, here, cp. Accius apud Non. 445. 12
here meaning 'bright'; but it is miserabar met; Prud. Psych. 580
more probably a possessive gen., miserando inopum. Festus p. 123
luci s = die i , 'the dawn of day'; says miseratur is, qui conqueritur
rutilans coruscat sufficiently supplies aliena incommoda : tniseretur is, qui
the idea of brightness. miserum subleuat. The distinction
rutilans, ' blushing,' is used of does not hold here.
dawn by Accius apudV&iro L. L. 6. langTiorem] 'sickness,' much
vn. v. 96, cp. 36. i, 111. i ; of the stronger than our word 'languor' ;
flash of arms, Verg. Aen. vin. 529; cp. Is. liii. 4 uere languores nostros
of the glitter of gold, Fort, vm.-vii. ipse tulit, Mt. iv. 23, viii. 17, 121.
351 rutilantior auro. 14; and languidum 84. 7.
3. totis] = omnibus as at 12. 27 As in the first stanza nox is con-
note, 63. 3. trasted with lucis aurora, so here
4. cunctipotentem] a late com- languor with salutem.
pound, first as it seems used by 9 f. This doxology is the same as
Prud. Perist. vn. 56 lesu cuncli- that of 63 and is an integral part of
potens. the hymn, being contained in all
5. Ps. Ixvi. (Ixvii.) i. miserari MSS (except perhaps one).
HYMN 71
[This is the hymn for Lauds on Fridays at ferial
seasons ; see Julian p. 25.]
Like 31, this hymn is alphabetic. Notice that the
C-stanza is duplicated and that the alphabetic sequence
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXI 277
does not go beyond T ; cp. the note on 31. 85. The
Latin alphabet contained 23 letters and the redoubling
of particular lines is common in these acrostic hymns.
Thus e.g. at Anal. XXVII. xvi. we find the A-stanza
repeated : Altissimi uerbum Patris \ Almaeque lesu uir-
ginis. In another hymn (ib. ix) a last line is added to
make the odds even : ne ualeat subripere. See also the
introduction to 31.
Eacdghjlsvx77/*0 Fdhijknopqrsy/30^ Gabm Habcdefghi
Ibcdefghmnopv Mm Vbcs
Aeterna caeli gloria,
Beata spes mortalium,
Celsitonantis unice,
Castaeque proles uirginis :
Da dexteram surgentibus, 5
Exsurgat et mens sobria
Flagransque in laudem Dei
Grates rependat debitas.
(H)ortus refulget lucifer
i aeterne EC. 4 casti EC. 7 laude Ecdjlv Haef Iv. 8 perenni
(pro rep.) EC. 9 ortu Gab.
i. The hymn is addressed to I. ii. 17 Martini, qui texit iteste
Christ ; gloria and spes are voca- tonantem etc.
lives. The thought in this line 6. mens sobria] 5. 16.
seems to be that of Christ as the 7. flagrans] 125. 15.
subject of the praises sung by the 8. An echo of 5. 9 f. ; cp. 1. 2
heavenly choirs, cp. 49. 18 caelestem latides... debitas. referre is a much
praestant gloriam. commoner verb than repettdere, for
i. spes] Col. i. 27, i Tim. i. i, returning thanks, but Ovid Met. n.
87. 6, 88. 10, 99. 2, cp. 27. 9, Sedul. 693 has neu gratia facto \ nulla
Hymn. I. 96 spes in fine bonis hie rependatur, nitidam cape praemia
homo, qui Dens est. vaccatn.
3. Celsitonantis] 'of Him who 9. Hortus is written for ortus
thunders on high,' one of the com- according to the vulgar pronuncia-
pound words mentioned on 27. 8, tion of the time. Even Nigidius
36. i. This word is used as a syno- Figulus, the contemporary of Cic.,
nym for Dens by Raban. Maur. gives the warning rusticusfit sernio,
IV. 33, Theodulf LXV. i, and others. si adspires perperam. Cp. Catull.
But commoner still is the simple i.xxxiv. But the tendency to put
totians, used by Prud., Sedul., Fort. in A grew. In the Peregrinatio
2/8
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Ipsamque lucem nuntiat,
Kadit caligo noctium,
Lux sancta nos inluminet :
Manensque nostris sensibus
Noctem repellat saeculi,
Omnique fine diei
Purgata seruet pectora.
Quaesita iam primum fides
Radicet aids sensibus,
Secunda spes congaudeat,
Tune maior exstet caritas.
10
20
10 sparsamque Ih. nutriat Gb. 11 kadat Ej. caligo cadit Vc.
noxium Fy. 12 illuminat Ic. 13 manes Ig. 18 radies Ic.
19 fecunda Mm. 20 et (pro tune) Eag Hac lop, ut EC, qua Edh# F0
Hfgh, quo Ex/* Fhknops^ Gb Hbdei Ibeghimv Vc, quod EvFylnVs,
cum F/3 Vb. extat Ih Vc.
Aetheriae we find twice hoc si = ac
si, repeatedly hostium = ostium. An
inscription of about IVth cent.,
Damasus LXXXII. 7, has hornat=
ornat. On the other hand in 31. 85
ymnis, 120. 43 ydri the initial h is
omitted for special reasons.
lucifer here seems to be the
Morning Star, as at 46. 5 ; not the
sun, as usually in these hymns, cp.
2. 9 .
10. sparsamque, the reading of
the MSS, must be wrong, as the first
word of the line must begin with i.
Moneys correction Ipsamque seems
probably right : ' and heralds the
light itself.' Cp. 46. $f., Fort. vil.
vi. i f. Lucifer. ..laeto nuntiat ore
diem. If the rubricator of the arche-
type omitted the / and the next
copyist found only psam, he might
look upon it as an abbreviation of
sparsam. In all extant hymnals the
stanza is written consecutively and
not in lines: thus, Hortus refulget
lucifer sparsamque lucem etc.
Yet, as Verg. , whose influence on
the hymn writers was so great,
always uses nuntia, nuntiare, nun-
tius of ' announcing ' what has
already taken place (cp. 1. 16, 56,
116. 12), and as Lucifer in these
hymns usually means 'the sun,'
perhaps we might read lactatnque ;
cp. Lucr. v. 576 luna...iactat de
cor pore lucem.
1 1 . Kadit (so spelled to suit the
alphabetic sequence), cp. 2. 27
lapsus tadunt, 72. 5 decidat.
noctium] ' of night,' not ' of the
night just past,' which would require
noctis, 47. 3 note.
12. Here begins the spiritual ap-
plication of the hymn.
13. The subject is lux sancta.
14. 'The night of the world' is
the darkness of sin ; cp. Ambr. de
Tab. 75 hoc pignus in hoc saeculi
nocte reddalur, hoc uestimento in
his mundi teuebris induatur. The
phrase therefore is not like diem
saeculi of 13. 2 etc.
15. ' preserve... from any close of
day,' cp. 3. 28, 18. 6.
I7f. For the three 'theological
virtues ' cp. 15. 2 1 f. quaesita ' won,'
as at 10. 22. primum answers to
secunda in 19 and to tune in 20.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXIf 279
18. radicet] 'take root,' a late words, as he notes, are often corn-
verb and usually dei onent ; but cp. bined.
Ambr. in Ps. xxxv. 4 ut regiium 19. congaudeat seems to refer to
Dei in hominitm mentibus radi- i Cor. xiii. 6.
caret. Mone, thinking that sensibits 20. i Cor. xiii. 13 maior autem
has come in from line 13, would horuni est caritas.
read alt is mentibns, which two exstet] Cp. 38. 1 8 note.
HYMN 72
Appointed for Mattins on Saturdays.
Eacdhjsv^ Fhlqs Gabm Habcdefghifl Ibcdefghmnopv Mak Vbcs
Aurora iam spargit polum,
terris dies inlabitur,
lucis resultat spiculum;
discedat omne lubricum.
phantasma noctis decidat, 5
mentis reatus subruat,
quidquid tenebris horridum
nox adtulit culpae cadat,
ut mane illud ultimum,
quod praestolamur cernui, 10
in lucem nobis effluat,
3 resultet Fx, refulget EC. speculum Ecsv-'Gb H0 Ibmpv. 4 recedat
He Vcs 2 . 7 qui quid Fx. 9 manet Im. 10 postulamus EC.
cernuo Im. 1 1 luce Es. . affluat Ich.
1. Cp. Lucr. ii. 144 primum for the plu., which we have at
Aurora nouo cum spargit lumine 83. 6.
terras, Verg. Aen. iv. 584, Dra- decidat] 18. 6.
contius de Deo I. 671 roscida puni- 6. reatus j 'guilt,' as at 86. 15 :
ceiim spargens aurora ruborem. the condition of the reus 5. n, 10.
2. inlabitur] 'steals over,' as at 15 etc. subruat, lit. 'be under-
73. 7 ; cp. 3. 5, 89. 10, 115. 19. mined.'
3. ' the dart of the light (cp. 21. 7. ' May whatever dark and
8 note) rebounds,' as a missile vio- horrible sin night has brought come
lently flung would do after hitting to an end.' culpae goes with quid-
its mark ; cp. Verg. Aen. X. 329 tela quid. Cp. 27. 3 chaos... horridum,
...galea clipeoq tie resultant. 57. 5 noctis... horridae. For cadat
4. discedat] ' avaunt ! ' as at 21. cp. 2. 27.
4, 26. 21. 9^. 'that the last great morning,
5. ' May the apparitions of the which we in awe expect, may burst
night die away.' phantasma, sing. for us into a flood of light.' mane is
280 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
dum hoc tenore concrepat.
12 uox canora Ih. concrepet E0 Habcef Vs 1 .
a subst., as at 17. 3. With illud cp. behave to-day as we should wish to
19. 2 note. behave then, we may hope that that
12. The line is difficult to under- day will be to us a day of light,
stand. We might take concrepare It is however perhaps easier to
(the con- being emphatic) as equiva- take hoc with tenore. The subject
lent to conuenire, consentire, con- would then be mane illud, ' that
gruere. That meaning is given in that last morning may break into a
Goetz's Glossary, and the Thesaurus flood of light for us, seeing that it
quotes it from Claudius Mamertus : is in keeping with this sense (in-
orbis uniuersi de animae statu nobis tendon),' with the mind that we
concrepare indicium. Its opposite is are in.
dhcrepare. If the doxology Deo Patri sit
If then we take hoc = l this gloria had been a part of the hymn
morning,' the general sense would from the beginning, the hoc tenore
be ' while (since, on the under- might be intended to point on to it.
standing that) this morning is in But it is contained in some MSS only,
keeping ' (tenore concrepat} with it, dum] Cp. Draeger Syntax u.
i.e. with the day of judgment. If we Stil des Toe. 168.
VESPER SERIES. HYMNS 73 foil.
HYMN 73
This hymn was appointed for Vespers on Sunday,
being based on Gen. i. 1-5.
Eacdhjsv?j/n0 Fdhlnpqs Gabd Habcdefgifl Ibcdefghnopv Mamx Vbc
Lucis creator optime,
lucem dierum proferens,
primordiis lucis nouae
mundi parans originem :
qui mane iunctum uesperi 5
diem uocari praecipis,
taetrum chaos inlabitur;
audi preces cum fletibus.
3 primordia Gb. 4 paras Hd 2 . 5 nam (pro qui) Gd.
1. Cp. 45. i, 66. i. est solis.
2. Cp. 3. 2 and 4. 5. ' Who biddest morning, joined
3. 'furnishing with the first be- to evening, to be called day,' Gen.
ginnings of newly created light,' i. 5. mane is a subst., cp. 17. 3
the light of Gen. i. 3 : the sun, note, uesperi dat. of utspere, which
moon and stars were not created nominative is found at 18. 5, Gen. i.
until the fourth day, ib. 14 f. ; Ambr. 5, 8, 13 etc.
Hex. IV. i lucem, quae praecessor 7. taetrum] as at 60. 1 1 .
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXIV 281
ne mens grauata crimine
uitae sit exsul munere, i o
dum nil perenne cogitat
seseque culpis inligat.
caelorum pulset intimum,
uitale tollat praemium;
uitemus omne noxium, 15
purgemus omne pessimum.
ii cogitans Ih Mm. 14 toilet Gd. 16 purgemur Gd Ih 1 .
chaos] Cp. 27. 3 note. The Latin idiom freely uses adj.'s
inlabitur] as at 72. 2. in this way; cp. e.g. Sedul. Carm.
8. Cp. 20. i o note. II. 121 puerilia milia, 'thousands
10. exsul] 'deprived of,' cp. note of boys.'
on 62. 29. mens = 'soul.' tollat] 'may it 'receive,' cp. for
ii is an echo of 4. 3, 'has no this use of tollere, which is common
thought of eternity.' in late Latin, Mt. xx. 14 tolle quod
12. inligat] 'entangles'; cp. tuum est.
Prov. v. 22 funibus peccatorum 16. pessimum] 'evil,' the superl.
suorum constringitur. being used as at 69. 12.
14. uitale answers to uitae in 10.
HYMN 74
Appointed for Vespers on Monday : it describes the
creation work of the second day, as in Gen. i. 6-10.
Eacdghjsvx?7At0 Fdhiknps Gabm Hacdefgifl Ibcdefghimnopv Vbcs
Inmense caeli conditor,
qui, mixta ne confunderent,
aquae fluenta diuidens
caelum dedisti limitem;
firmans locum caelestibus 5
simulque terrae riuulis,
i confunderet Hd s , confundere EC.
i. inmense] 1. 69 note. So far water- floods are those above and
as I know, not a MS earlier than the those below the vault of heaven,
middle of the Xlth cent, writes which is thought of as solid, cp. 44.
immense. 3 note, mixta is nom. agreeing with
2 f. ' Who dividing the water- fluenta to be supplied,
floods, lest, if mingled, they should 5 f. 'establishing a place for the
make confusion, hast set the heaven streams of heaven (i.e. for those
as their boundary.' Gen. i. 7. The above the firmament) and also for
282
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
ut unda flammas temperet,
terrae solum ne dissipet;
infunde nunc, piissime,
donum perennis gratiae, 10
fraudis nouae ne casibus
nos error atterat uetus.
lucem fides inueniat,
sic luminis iubar ferat,
haec uana cuncta terreat, 15
hanc falsa nulla conprimant.
7 undae Eh. 8 solo Hd 1 . dissipent Ea Fhr Hd 2 g Ic. 15 con-
terat Ha. 16 comprimat Es< Fs Gb Hd 1 .
those of earth.' firmans is chosen
with reference to the firmament,
cp. Ps. xxxii. (xxxiii.) 6 uerbo
Domini caelifirmati sunf.
7 f. ' that the water may allay
the burning heat and not destroy
the face of the earth ' ; the flammae
are those of the sun, which without
the moisture would scorch the earth,
cp. Ambr. Hex. II. 12 sicut neces-
saria ignis creatura, ut ordinata et
disposita permaneant caelique de-
mentia temperet aquarum redundan-
tia non superflua, ne alteruin altero
consumeretur . , . it a titri usque tern -
perauit dispendia, ut neque plus
ignis excoqueret neque exuberaret
aqua quant inminutio fieret utrius-
que moderata.
8. Gen. ix. n neque erit deinceps
diluuium dissipans terram.
terrae solum] Cp. Lucr. v. 1294.
9. infunde] 3. 8. Perhaps in
reference to the waters just men-
tioned ; but the comparison is not
carried on.
10. perennis gratiae] 3. lof.
11. fraudis] 3. 20.
casibus] 82. 28.
12. atterat] 75. 12. The uetus
error appears to mean the fall of
Adam, which is repeated in subse-
quent falls.
13. lucem fides] The combina-
tion is found at 3. 27 and often.
14. ' O that it may bring a beam
of brightness.' sic is used in a peti-
tion as at 22. 9, where see the note.
iubar] 3. 7.
15. haec] lux, and in 16 hanc]
fide m.
uana] In the O.T. whoever is
without the knowledge of God is
' vain ' or ' empty,' and especially is
this word applied to false gods who
are powerless to help ; cp. i Kings
xii. 21 nolite declinare post uana,
quae non proderunt uobis neque
eruent uos, quia uana sunt. In the
hymn emissaries of the devil are
meant, and the neuter is partly
contemptuous.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXV 283
HYMN 75
Appointed for Vespers on Tuesday, based on Gen. i.
1 1-13, the third day of the creation.
EacdghjlsvxT/M^ Fdhijklnprsuy/3y0 Gabm Hacdefghifl Ibcdefghimnopv
Ma Vbc
Telluris ingens conditor,
mundi solum qui eruens,
pulsis aquae molestiis,
terrain dedisti inmobilem,
ut germen aptum proferens, 5
fuluis decora floribus,
fecunda fructu sisteret
pastumque gratum redderet,
mentis perustae uulnera
munda uiroris gratia, 10
i mundum H0. 5 actum Ev He. 7 fructum EC Hd Id 2 v.
10 mundi Ex Iv. uirore gratiae Ecdhjl/u Fdhjprsy/3-x0 Ig'm Vb (uirorem
g. Hd), uigore gratiae Esv Ib, mundauit roris gratia Fi Hce0, mundabit
rove gratiae Gb.
1. Ingens] An unpleasing word 5; Sedul. Carm. iv. 113 litore
in this connexion ; but see Prud. sistentem firmabat ab aequore \ ple-
Apoth. 809 Deus ingens \ atque bent.
superfusus trans omnia. 8. pastum] ' food,' usually for
2. Dracont. dt Deo I. 151 eruitur cattle, but cp. Lucr. vi. 1127 out
tfllus uasto demcrsa pro/undo. olios hominum fas/us \ Prud. Cath.
4. 'didst banish the troublesome IV. 56 qui pastum famiilo daret pro-
waters and set the earth that it bato\ Levit. iii. 14 pastum ignis
should not be moved ' ; inmobilem dominici. So also at times xoprdfu,
is emphatically put at the end of xfy> racr M a X&PTOS.
the stanza. Ps. xcii. (xciii.) i, ciii. 10. niroris gratia] like soporis
(civ.) 5 ; Ambr. Hex. i. 22 terram gr. in 5. 4. Clichtov., reading uirore
...mole sun inmobilem manere. gratiae, makes the comment, uiror
5 f. Note the climax germtn,jlos, gratiae ad herbam uirentem tertio
fructus, pastus, and the alliteration die productam congruiim habet re-
in 6, 7. sponsum, et ex exposito ad mentem
6. fuluis] ' bright,' with no uitiorum aestu penistam, quae tali
special reference to its usual meaning uirore uegetetur, reuirescal et inno-
'golden red,' so Prud. Cath. ix. 76 uetur. [Walpole records that two
sed Deus dum hue fulua mortis other MSS not mentioned elsewhere,
antra inluminat. which he calls 'Mainz xil, Koln
7. sisteret] 'present itself,' xiv,' agree with the reading of
scarcely more than esset. Cp. 56. Ex Iv.] The many variants may be
284 EA RLY LA TIN H YMNS
ut facta fletu diluat
motusque prauos adterat.
iussis tuis obtemperet,
nullis malis adproximet,
bonis repleri gaudeat 15
et mortis actum nesciat.
11 deluat EcMhyu 1 Fin legn Vc, deleat Gm Hce. 13 ut temp. Ej.
15 boni EJU. 16 actus E0 Fs Hcd'e^gitf Ibeg 2 n, actuum lo.
due to the rarity of the word uiror. verb twice used in the Vulgate, at
perustae seems to refer to arida in Ps. xxxii. 6, 9, for the usual adpro-
Gen. i. 9, 10, but with exaggerated pinquare. For the sense cp. Prov. v.
emphasis. 8 ne adpropinques foribus domus
n. Cp. 2. 1 6. wens, from mentis eius.
in 9, is the subject of diluat, ad- 16. mortis actum] ' the action of
terat, and of the verbs in 13 f. eternal death.' Cp. 62 b. 13 carnis
1 2 gives the converse of 74. 1 2. actu.
1 4. adproximet is a late and rare
HYMN 76
Appointed for Vespers on Wednesday, based on
Gen. i. 14-19, the fourth day of the creation. Note the
structure of the hymn. The first two stanzas contain
relative clauses concerning God and the creation of the
sun, moon and stars. The third stanza contains a final
clause, and not until trie last stanza is the prayer uttered
to which all the first part of the hymn has been leading
up.
EacdhjlsvxijM^ Fhijklnps? Gabm Habcdefghifl Ibcdefghmnopv Ma Vbc
Caeli Deus sanctissime,
qui lucidum centrum poli
2. lucidum centrum p.] 'the there is no finite verb, dares in 12
shining centre of the sky' is the implies a past tense for stanza n.
sun, or to be exact the spot where It was the more easy for the writer
the sun is fixed. It may be objected to proceed in this order because at the
that in this way stanza I anticipates outset he had in view his application
stanza n. Perhaps the objection is of the facts, inlumina cor hominum.
not very serious. The writer des- The Thesaurus as the meaning of
cribes in stanza I what now happens centrum gives medium camerae, i.e.
(pingis), and in stanza n how this the centre of a vaulted ceiling, of
state of things came about : though course dealing with the word as a
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LX XVI 285
candore pingis igneo,
augens decoro lumine,
quarto die qui flammeam 5
soils rotam constituens,
lunae ministrans ordini
uagos recursus siderum,
ut noctibus uel lumini
diremptionis terminum, 10
primordiis et mensium
signum dares notissimum :
inlumina cor hominum,
absterge sordes mentium,
3 pinguis 10. 4 decora Ecdhl, decore Ev Ib l , decori Es Gb Hhi
lopv Vb, decorem Fs Hd Ic Vc. lumina Ecdhls Hgi Ip Vb (luminam Iv),
luminis Ic, lumini Fs Hd In Vc. 5 quarta E'v. 7 lunam Hce a .
ministras Eadj Hg Idv Vb. ordinem Elv 1 Fs Had IbhMno Vc. 9 et EC,
luminis Esv 1 Fhis Gab Hdef len, luminum Id Vc. 10 direptionis Ejs
Fhiknps Gbm Hacefg Id'egv, directionis Hd Id 2 h. 12 daret Edjv Fhi
Gb Ib'g'v Vb, darent Eacl, dare Es lehp 1 . 13 hominis Ic.
Latin word, not a Greek one. It sun,' as at Lucr. v. 433, 565, Prud.
refers to a passage of Cassian Coll. Cath. XII. 5 etc. Cp. solis...g/obo
xxiv. vi. i, which is .well worth 23. 7. 44. 10 is not quite parallel,
reading : Quam ob rent ita monachi 7 f. ' supplying to the moon's
omnis intentio in unitm semper est path the speeding courses of the
defigenda, cunctarumque cogitatio- stars,' cp. Judg. v. 20 stellae manen-
num eius ortus ac circumitus in id tes in ordine suo; Job xxxviii. 33,
ipsum,\.e. admemoriam Dei,s(renue 59. 8. Observe that there is no verb
reuocandi, uelut si quis teretis apsidis in the relative clause.
cameram nolens in sublime conclu- 8. uagos] 36. 4 note. The 'fixed'
dere, sublimissimiillius centri lineam stars are included, returning to their
iugiter circumdncat, ac secundum stations at the appointed time. They
certissimam normam omnem rotun- are regarded as waiting upon the
ditatis parilitatem structnrae colligat moon, their mistress.
disciphna. Cassian goes on to say 9 f. ' that Thou mightest give to
how impossible it would be to con- night and day a limit of separation
struct a good vault absque illius and a conspicuous sign for the be-
medietate examine. ginnings of months.' For the plu.
poll] 2. 10 note. noctibus see 47. 3 note.
3. pingis] 27. 6 note. uel] 'and,' 37. 6 note.
4. 'enhancing it with beauteous 10. diremptionia] distinclionis,
light,' cp. Lucr. V. 722 ignibus discretionisatquediuisionisl,\\cht.).
aucta. To this unusual sense of The sign would be in 9, 10 the
augens the many variants are due. rising and setting of the sun, in 1 1
decoro lumine] 5. 3, cp. 116. 14. the changes of the moon.
6. soils rotam] 'the disk of the 14. absterge] as at 68. u.
286 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
resolue culpae uinculum, 15
euerte moles criminum.
1 6 auerte Id.
16. Cp. Tac. Ann. XII. 66 in hymn (Analecta xxvil. p. 112) des-
tanta mole curarum ; Juvenc. n. cribes us as peccati mole grauide
786 spinosus ager curarum mole presses,
graaatis \ responded A Mozarabic
HYMN 77
Appointed for Vespers on Thursday, based on Gen. i.
20-23, the fifth day of creation.
Eacdhjsvx^^) Fhijknpqsxy-y Gabm Hacdefghi Ibcdefghmnopv Max Vbcs
Magnae Deus potentiae,
qui ex aquis ortum genus
partim remittis gurgiti,
partim leuas in aera,
dimersa lymphis inprimens, 5
subuecta caelis inrogans,
ut stirpe una prodita
diuersa rapiant loca:
largire cunctis seruulis,
quos mundat unda, sanguinis, 10
1 magne Ecd Fs Haceghi. 3 partem EC. gurgitis E/t Ic.
4 leuans Ic. acre Gb. 5 imprimis Eh, imprimes In. 6 subiecta
Esyu, Ig^v. caelo E^t. inrigans Es, irrogas Fs Id 2 v. 8 rapiunt E/J,
rapiens Fi.
i. 'O God of mighty power,' take up different abodes." lymphis
i.e. ' O great and mighty God.' I and caelis are (datives) governed by
have written magnae here, as in inprimens Z.K& inrogans, but (as often
69. i summae ; see the note there. happens) connected at the same
2 f. ' Who, of the race sprung time (as dat. or abl.) with dimersa
from the waters, sendest some back and subuecta. irrogare is generally
to the deep, raisest others into the used of inflicting something disad-
air.' vantageous, as at Levit. xxiv. 19.
partim... partim] adverbs mean- 7. stirpe una is explained by
ing ' partly,' originally the ace. of line 2.
pars. 9 f. largire... nescire] Perhaps
.5 f. ' Setting down those plunged an echo of 18. 5, 19. 13 f.
in the waters, assigning those that seruulis] 15. 31 note,
are raised to the heavens; that 10. 'Who are cleansed by the
sprung from o"ne stock they may water and the blood.' sanguinis is
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXVIII 287
nescire lapsus criminum
nee ferre mortis taedium ;
ut culpa nullum deprimat,
nullum leuet iactantia,
elisa mens ne concidat, 15
elata mens ne corruat.
it lapsum Ecdh Fpsx Gb Hacd'g Icd^mop Vbc, lapsis Ej. criminis
He. 13 deprimet Eh. 14 leuat Es Gb. iactantiae Fx. 15 nee
Eac He Icm. 16 nee Eac.
probably to be taken as nom., the templationum saeculi ad imbuendas
form (cp. Ronsch p. -264) being gentes nomine tuo in baptismo tuo,
adopted to suit the metre, like nee- u. lapsus] 2. 27.
tare at 34. 26. The sense of the criminum may be 'into sins' or
passage is to be compared with that ' caused by sins.'
of 33. 20 sanguis, unda profluit, 34. 12. 'the loathsomeness of ever-
12, Sedul. Carni. V. 290 corpus, lasting death,' cp. 75. 16. Perhaps
sanguis, aqua tria uitae munera taedium is to be taken in the special
nostrae, \ Joh. v. 6. Of course the sense of 'malice,' as at Vincent,
juxtaposition with umia makes it Ler. Comm. xxx absque taedio,
natural to consider s. as genitive ; praesumptione, et gratia ; where
but in a hymn concerning the off- Moxon refers to Ronsch Semasilog.
spring of the water the special men- Beitrdge i. p. 69.
tion of the water of Joh. xix. 34 13. nullum] =<?', cp. 30. 3
and of baptism is more than likely. note ; or rather, the clause being
So Aug. Con/, xm. 26 concipiat et final, ut nullum stands for ne quern-
mare et pariat opera itestra, et pro~ quam.
ducant aquae reptilia animarutn 15. elisa] 'broken,' 'crushed';
uiuarum . . .repserunt enim sacra- cp. Ps. cxliv. (cxlv.) 14 Dominus...
menta tua, Deus, per opera sancto- erigit ontnes elisos,
rum tuorum inter medics fluctus 17. elata] i Tim. iii. 6.
HYMN 78
Appointed for Vespers on Friday, based on Gen. i.
24-31, the sixth day of creation.
Ecdhjsvx?;/x0 Fhnpqsy Gabm Habcdefghi Ibcdefhmnopv Mamx Vbcs
Plasmator hominis Deus,
qui cuncta solus ordinans
humum iubes producere
reptantis et ferae genus,
3 iubens Fs 1 Ig. 4 et ferre Fs Gb Vs, efferre Ic.
i. plasmator] 'creator,' 'maker,' 4. 'the race of the creeping ^hing
cp. 23. 10 note. and of the beast.' The gen.'s are
288 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
qui magna rerum corpora 5
dictu iubentis uiuida,
ut seruiant per ordinem,
subdens dedisti homini :
repelle a seruis tuis,
quidquid per inmunditiam 10
aut moribus se suggerit
aut actibus se interserit.
da gaudiorum praemia,
da gratiarum munera,
dissolue litis uincula, 15
adstringe pacis foedera.
6 dicto He 1 In 2 , dictum Gb 1 Hd. 8 hominem Es Hb 1 Mm 1 Ihv.
16 abstringe Ev Fn Hbde Ihv Mm.
sing, for plu. The word used for 7 f . Cp. Gen. i. 28, Ps. viii. 8,
/era at Gen. i. 24 f. is bestia, and Eccli. xvii. 4.
for reptans, reptile. 10. The hymn rather unkindly
5 f. ' Who hast put into subjec- views these creatures as unclean,
tion to man, that they may serve In per inmunditiam the per is used
him each in its place, the mighty as in per ludum, per iramfacere.
forms of things called into life at 12. For interserit Mone would
the bidding of Thy command.' read mserit, probably because of
magna rerum corpora] a poetical the hiatus in 9. But a hymn may
phrase used to contrast the great have both hiatus and elision, cp.
bulk of beasts with their subser- Fort. VI ir. viii. i o regina potens cut
vience to men. Cp. Lucr. I. 680 aurum et purpura uile est. If any
corpora rerum', Juvenc. I. 157 cor- change were needed it would be
pora magna iunencum. So Ambr. better to omit se to be supplied in
Hex. vi. 35 (of the elephant) haec thought from se in n.
tanlae molis bestia subiecta nobis im- 14. gratiarum] 'of grace,'
periis seruit humanis. brought into the plu. by the other
6. dictu] 'at the bidding,' the plu. 's around.
abl. of a verbal subst. very rare 15. i.e. free us from the power of
except as an abl. of respect (so- strife.
called supine): mirabile dictu, 16. pacis foedera] 50. 29. foedus
nefas diclu etc. Mone would read pacis occurs at Is. liv. 10, Ezek.
dicto, ' at the word.' xxxvii. 26.
HYMN 79
79 is generally, but not universally, appointed for
Vespers on Saturday during the summer, and we are
hereby brought face to face with a difficult question.
The first six of the Vesper hymns, 73-78, are alike in
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXIX 289
every respect and are no doubt the work of one writer.
They appear with unfailing regularity in all the MSS of
the later hymnal. But O lux beata Trinitas is a hymn
of quite another type, with only two instead of the usual
four stanzas. Did the Roman use ever have a seventh
hymn concerning the seventh day of the creation, the
sabbath rest, answering more or less to 80 ? Probably
not. If it did the hymn has disappeared ; see the intro-
duction to 80. Trier 1245 omits hymn 79, though it
contains 5 Dens creator omnium, which was normally the
winter hymn for Saturday Vespers. In the Mozar. MS
Madrid 1005 (Hh 60) the rubric of 79 is cottidianus
dominicalis, and in St Gall. 387 the hymn is appointed
dominica de sancta Trinitate, in Vesp. D. XII, Durham
III. 32, Harl. 2961 it is described as inuocatio ad sanctam
Trinitatem, in the Moz. brev. of Ortiz (1502) it is ap-
pointed in dom. II post act. epiphan.
As to the contents of the hymn. Probably on account
of its shortness, it has been much interpolated. A good
many MSS add between stanzas I and II: iam tempus
noctis aduenit noctem quietam tribuens, diluculo nos respice,
saluator unigenite. The Mozarabic authorities add two
more stanzas after this : tu Christe solue uincula, absterge
nostra uitia, relaxa pius crimina et indulge facinora.
Oramus ut exaudias.precamur ut subuenias, Christe lesu
omnipotens, tu nos a malo libera. A Rheinau MS (Cod.
LXXXIII, see Werner die dltesten Hymnensdmmlungen
von Rheinau p. 52) adds : Nos angelorum gloriam, apos-
tolorum gratiam et mar ty nun certamina ac confitentum
praemia, laudemus almas uirgines in mente sacratissimas,
quod uirgo Christum gigneret mundoque uitam redderet.
[This is one of the hymns which the Benedictine
editors of St Ambrose ascribe without hesitation to that
saint. It is indeed worthy of him, though the constant
w. '9
290 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
rhyme is unlike his workmanship. In three different
passages of de una Deitate Hincmar speaks of it un-
questionably as his. Daniel IV. p. 48 argues for the
authorship of Ambrose from the well-known passage in
Epist. 21 where he speaks of the zeal with which the
people of Milan daily proclaimed their faith in the
Trinity by singing his verses. But the fact that this
beautiful hymn did not find its way into the Ambrosian
use is sufficient to disprove the contention. The eighteen
hymns of St Ambrose given above contain the doctrine
of the Trinity clearly enough to meet the requirements
of the Epistle referred to.]
EacdhlsvxS^^ Fabhlpqs Gdm Habcdefi Ibcdefghmnopv Max Vbcs
O lux beata Trinitas
et principalis unitas,
iam sol recedit igneus,
infunde lumen cordibus.
te mane laudum carmine, 5
te deprecamur uespere,
3 recedat Ic, recedunt Gd 1 . ignibus ES. 4 sensibus He. 5 lau-
dant He 1 Ig Vb, laudent ES Fb He 2 , ladunt EC, laude Gd. carmina Ehv5
Fb Ha 2 bcdef Igmo Vb. 6 deprecemur EacdhvxS0 Fabnps Hi
Ibdeghmnv Vs, praedicamus Es Max. uesperi Eahvx Hbe 1 Ib 2 cdegnv.
i. beata seems to belong to 3. sol igneuB] Verg. Georg. iv.
Trinitas rather than to lux. 426, Prud. Cath. II. 25.
i. principalis]' princely," royal,' 4. Cp. 3. 7 f.
is the adj. of princeps so often used 5. From deprecamur in 6 a suit-
in these hymns, as at 24. ro, 30. 32, able word is to be supplied, ' we
31. 3 etc. Cp. Ps. 1. 14 spiritu worship ' or the like, deprecamur
principali (wvetuari riyefwviKt?) con- often means simply ' we pray ' not
firma me, and 68. i f . o Trinitatis deprecate (19. 13 note), and may
unitas \ orbem potenter qui regis. It itself be supplied, laudum is at
is, however, possible that the word least on its way to becoming
is here used in the sense of ' primal, ' ' Lauds.'
' fundamental.' Much controversy For the repetition of te at the
has, of course, gathered about the commencement of these three con-
use of the word in patristic Latin, secutive lines see 1. 3 f.
especially in certain connexions : 7. ' May our humble praise ' or
see Puller Primitive Saints and See ' may our glory prostrate before
'Rome pp. 2932, 441442 Thee' 'laud Thee through all
3)- ages,' i.e. may we be permitted to
of i
(ed.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXX 291
te nostra supplex gloria
per cuncta laudet saecula.
8 laudat Ed He 1 , laudes Hd.
take a humble part in the triumph mean the soul : see Kirkpatrick on
song of heaven, supplex belongs to Ps. vii. 5. As, however, gloria is
the predicate rather than the sub- sometimes used in these hymns (as
ject. Cp. Ps. Ivii. 9 exsurge, gloria at 40. 34) in the sense of an ' as-
mea (in Ps. xv. (xvi.) 9 the Vulg. cription of glory,' it may perhaps be
has lingua tnea). The ' glory ' of so intended here,
man in the Psalms is interpreted to
HYMN 80
A most interesting, though difficult, hymn. It has
been pointed out in the introduction to 79 that, whereas
the ferial Vesper hymns 73-78 are based on the several
days of the creation, the series then breaks off and 79
O lux beata Trinitas is interpolated instead. Did the
Roman breviary ever have a special Vesper hymn on
the seventh day, similar to the first six ? If so, why has
it disappeared ?
Rerum Dens fons omnium is not likely to be the hymn
sought for. For one of the two MSS which contain it is
of the Mozarabic use. And the scanning of ?gris (for
aegris) in 7 points to Spain as its birthplace. Thus
Prudentius scans Enigma, hZresis, Meander, sphfra etc. ;
and Traube (Poetae Latini aeui car. p. 791) quotes from
Spanish poets cordult, dicat?, plum?, prfyotens, prhiia,
unit?. Probably therefore a Spanish poet saw his oppor-
tunity and wrote hymn 80. But if it be of Spanish
origin and, at one time at least, part of the Mozarabic
use, how comes it to be in a Bobbio MS (Turin G. v. 38)?
And why is it not in the printed breviary of Ortiz of
1 502 ?
19
292 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
loMa
Rerum Deus fons omnium,
qui rebus actis omnibus
totius orbis ambitum
censu replesti munerum,
non actibus fessus manens, 5
laboribus non saucius,
cunctis quietem das, aegris
curis ruant ne morbidi:
concede nunc temporibus
uti malorum consciis, 10
instare iam uirtutibus
et munerari prosperis;
terroris ut cum iudicis
horror supremus ceperit,
3 ambitu lo Ma. 4 numerum lo. 7 cuncta Ma. quietis lo.
8 morbidis lo Ma. 9 mortalibus Ma. to hostiis Ma. 1 1 in-
stitue lo. 12 munerare Ma, munere lo. 14 caeperit lo.
i. The time of actis is contem- come from the surrounding words
porary with that of replesti in 4. ending in -is. Blume punctuates
From the choice of this word rather cunctis quietem das aegris, which
ihanfactts, rebus seems not to be a can but mean that God gives the
synonym of rerum in line i. sabbath rest only to the sick, mor-
3. orbis ambitum] 120. 10, cp. bidi is my conjecture.
13. 25. 9 f. ' Grant us now to know our
4. censu | 9. 16, 14. 18. wrong-doings and make use of fixed
5 f. The thought of the stanza is seasons, and even now to strive after
that God, Himself not needing rest, virtues and to be rewarded with suc-
made the sabbath for man. cess.' nunc is contrasted with the
manens] 'being'; cp. 44 b. 8 time of 1 3 f.
note. temporibus] such seasons as the
6. saucius is frequently used in end of a week, when we may
poetry in the sense of ' ailing,' specially review our past conduct,
'disabled.' 12. prosperis] ' temporal happi-
7 f. ' Thou givest rest to all, that ness,' cp. 69. 16.
they may not perish stricken with 13 f. 'That when the last fear of
sickly cares.' the terror of the Judge shall seize
aegris curis] Cp. Lucr. in. 905 the world.' For this use of horror
doloribus aegris, ib. 933 aegris with a gen. cp. 57. 14,102. u, and
luctibus', Juvenc. I. 631 aegra... for the sense of the passage 86. 14.
cura. Join curis ruant 68. 20 note. [Perhaps it would be better to re-
morbidi] 'diseased,' as at 69. o. tain the MS reading coeperit (caep.)
The MS reading morbidis would ' shall begin.' There would then be
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXI 293
laetemur omnes in uicem 15
pacis repleti munere.
15 laetemus Ma. 16 replesti tnunerum lo.
a contrast between those who have compense.
prepared betimes and others.] 10. repleti munere looks back
15. in uicem] i.e. by way of re- to lines 4 and 7.
HYMNS FOR THE DAY HOURS. HYMNS 81 ff.
HYMN 81
This has always been the hymn for Prime in the later
series, taking the place of 51 Post matutinis laudibus, the
hymn for the same office in the old hymnal. But Vat.
82 f. 2I9 V has another short hymn for Prime: Christe
caelorum conditor, \ Deus dominator omnium, \ placabilis
nos aspice \ precantes tuos famulos. \ hora prima psalli-
nts, | landes Deo referimus, \ qui caecam noctem uicimus, \
Christum regem requirimus. \ Deo patri sit gloria \ eiusque
soli filio | cum spiritu paraclito \ etnunc et per perpetuum.
Blume suggests that this hymn, being the shorter one,
was intended for the summer.
Abdghk EacdhjvS/* Fbhlqs Gabd Habcdefgh/x Ibho MX Vabcps
lam lucis orto sidere
Deum precemur supplices,
ut in diurnis actibus
nos seruet a nocentibus ;
linguam refrenans temperet, 5
ne litis horror insonet,
i precamur Eh3 Fb. 5 temperat E5.
i. lucis... sidere] i.e. the sun. 5. Cp. Ps.xxxiii. (xxxiv.) 13; Ja.
3. diurnis actibus | the actions i. 16 non refretians linguam suam.
of the coming day, like actuum 6. 'that grating stiife may not
sequentium of 64. 7. resound on it,' the tongue being the
4 . nocentitous] like 'all things instrument, like calamis insonare in
that may hurt us' (noxia cunctd) Ovid. Cp. Ja. iv. i tank bella et
of our Collect. Htes in uobis? Lucr. II. 410 strrat
294
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
7 concitat E3.
1 1 superbia Edh.
uisum fouendo contegat
ne uanitates hauriat.
sint pura cordis intima,
absistat et uecordia, 10
carnis terat superbiam
potus cibique parcitas ;
ut cum dies abscesserit
noctemque sors reduxerit,
mundi per abstinentiam 15
ipsi canamus gloriam.
8 uanitatis Ab Ech Gb Ib, uanitatem Hd.
14 sol ES lo Va 2 .
stridentis acerbum horrorem. Or
litis horror may mean 'dread strife,'
cp. 57. 14 horror timoris ; 80. 13.
7 f. ' that His protection may
screen our eyes, lest they drink in
vanities.' Ps. cxviii. (cxix.) 37 auerte
oculos meos ne uideant uanitatem.
Probably the hymn writer is also
thinking of Aug. Conf. vn. 20
posteaquam fouisti caput nescientis
et clausisti oculos meos, ne ttiderent
uanitatem, cessaui de me paululum
et consopita est insania mea.
fouendo] Cp. 5. 32 note and for
the use of the gerund see Index.
uanitates] 74. 15 note.
hauriat] Cp. Verg. Aen. iv. 66 1
hauriat hunc oculis ignem ; Ambr.
in Luc. VI. 44 ne confusionem...
hauriret ; Fort. v. ii. 4 hauriret
mens oculatajidem ; Eccl. i. 18 non
saturabitur oculus uisu.
9. Cp. Ambr. Hex. IV. i sol in-
cipit. emunda oculos mentis, o homo,
animaeque interiores optutus, ne qua
festucapeccati aciem tui praestringat
ingenii et purl cordis turbet aspec-
tum. Cp. also 5. 13, 26.
10. absistat] =absit, as at 50. 23.
uecordia] 'folly,' 'madness,' as
often in Latin translation of O.T.
The heart is regarded as the centre
of thought, and the folly is that of
leading an impure life ; cp. Prov.
vii. 7 uecordem iuuenem, qui...prope
uiam illius graditur in obscuro.
11. terat superbiam] 32. 15.
14. sors pro successione uicissi-
tudineque temporis, cuius certa serie
ac alternatione diet succedit hora
nocturna (Clicht.).
15 f. mundi is probably an adj.
as at 20. 12, 98. n: 'that kept
clean by our abstinence we may
sing praise to Him.' But the mean-
ing may possibly be ' that by reason
of our abstaining from the world we
may....' Cp. the Oxyrhynchus Lo-
gion 2 eav /j.r) vrjffTevfftjTe TOP KbfffJiov.
For a gen. with abstinentia cp.
Num. xxx. 14 ceterarum rerum ab-
stinentiam. For the general sense
cp. i Thess. iv. 3, v. 22.
16. ipsi] as in 62 b. 8, 14.
HYMN 82
Here according to their use should come the three
hymns ad parnas horas which are printed among the
hymns of Ambrose : for Terce 16 Nunc sancte nobis
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXII 295
Spiritus, for Sext 17 Rector potens, uerax Deus; for
None 18 Rerum Deus tenax uigor. 82 is found only in
Vat. 82. In many ways it resembles 51, upon which it
seems to be based.
There are, it seems to me, good reasons for thinking
that Niceta of Remesiana may have written this hymn.
As was pointed out in the introduction to 41, Niceta
certainly wrote some hymns, and this, as well as 41, may
be of their number. Several words, phrases and thoughts
in it remind us more or less strongly of passages in his
prose writings, especially of the de Psalmodiae Bono.
Perhaps the most striking of these resemblances is
that between the last four lines of the hymn and de
Psalm. Bono i. 9 (p. 67, line 4 of Burn's edition). The
prose passage runs : tune acceptabiles nostrae uigiliae, tune
pernoctatio salutaris erit, si. . .deuotione sincera ministerium
nostrum diuinis obtutibus offeruntur. Here notice the
similarity of thought and wording, and above all the
unusual tunc(='on that condition ')....
But hardly less noteworthy is the likeness of lines 23,
24 to several passages of Niceta, who repeatedly either
quotes or refers to St Paul's admonition as to the neces-
sity of attending to what is being sung, I Cor. xiv. 26.
Thus we read p. 66. 4 qui orat spiritu, oret et mente,
p. 69. 1 5 sicut alto loco ait : psallam spiritu psallam et
mente. Again p. 77. 23 et iterum alibi: psallam inquit
spiritu, psalmum dicam et mente. Once more p. 79. 1 5
non solum spiritu, hoc est sono uocis, sed et mente psallamus
et ipsum quod psallimus cogitemus, ne captiuata mens
fabulis et extraneis cogitationibus laborem habeat infructuo-
sum. Here we have what might very well serve as a
paraphrase of this part of the hymn.
Then memento, used as in line 17, is one of Niceta's
ways of drawing attention to a special point ; see Niceta
296 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
P- 5- 3> 43- 1 S' I* 1 2I promeruit is used much as Niceta
uses it at p. 71. 1 6 Dauid...carminum thesaurus esse pro-
meruit. And although Niceta does not actually employ
the verb praeuenire (as in line 28), he definitely expresses
the thought of the passage at p. 18. 14 certtis autem sum
praeoccupatas aures et sensus alia opinione grauatos difficile
posse placari: perniciosa est enim praeuentio. Also at
p. 79. 17 captiuata mens fabulis et extraneis cogitationibus
pretty closely reproduces the meaning of uanis praeuentus
casibus.
Compare too line 6 prophetae (=David) with p. 26. 2
Dauid. . .prophetantem ; line 7 soluamus ora with p. 69. 6
ora nostra laxauit et linguas soluit\ line 9 with p. 75. 16
where Niceta quotes the same verse, Ps. cxviii. (cxix.)
164; line 12 soluamus debitum with p. 67. II debitnm
soluit. In line 31 gerat is used in a rather similar sense
to that in p. 75. 15 hanc scientiam gerens.
The writings of Niceta were of course copied and
studied, and it is always possible that some student of
the de Psalmodiae Bono may have written the hymn.
But this is much less likely.
Vp
Bis ternas horas explicans
diei sol ingreditur
ut sex idemque transigat,
in noctis claudat aditum.
4 auditum Vp.
i . ' The sun having brought to transigens. The asyndeton feels
an end six hours of the day pro- very harsh with the MS reading,
ceeds in like manner to complete 4. In a classical writer in aditum
other six and close it at the approach . would mean ' towards night fall ' ;
of night.' but late writers use in with the ace.
3. idemque] = item, as sometimes very loosely ; cp. Fort. II. xvi. 142
in late -Latin; see Ldfstedt Aeth. inlucemobscurus\ Rdnsch 410.
pp. 87, 295; Stud. 74; Bonnet claudat] Ambr. Hex. I. 35 prin-
p. 3851 We should have expected cipia... diei noctis txitum claudunt.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXII 297
nos ergo nunc, confamuli,
prophetae dicti memores
soluamus ora in canticis
prece mixta Dauiticis,
ut septies diem uere
orantes cum psalterio
laudesque cantantes Deo
laeti soluamus debitum.
sic enim Christi gratia
peccantibus dat ueniam,
saepeque confitentibus
non aderit mors impia.
memento non desit tamen
orantibus, serui Dei,
quod Pauli uox apostoli
seruandum praedixit nobis,
10
20
14 pecantibus Vp.
5. confamuli] vocative. Like 51
the hymn was originally written for
monastic use ; see line 9.
6. prophetae] the psalmist, cp.
line 8 and 41. i note. The reference
is to Ps. cxix. 164, mentioned in the
following stanza.
7. soluamus ora in c.] We may
compare Matt. xiii. 35 aperiam in
parabolis os tneum. But it is possible
that the construction is intended to
be sol. ora prece mixta in canticis :
cp. Rev. viii. 7 grando el ignis mixta
in sanguine; Hil. Hymn. I. 54
alter qui cum sit mixtus in altero.
9. septies] 51. 13 note.
diem] the ace. of time within
which ; cp. 60. 4 note.
10. cum psalterio] Ps. xxxii. ?,
xlviii. 5 etc. Does this imply an in-
strumental accompaniment to the
hymn?
12. debitum] 'our debt.' Cp.
1. 1 laudes demus debitas; 61. 16
etc.
13. sic] ' on this condition.'
Chriati gratia] 50. 4 .
1 7 momente Vp.
15. confitentibus combines the
idea of confessing our sins (with
reference to orantes in 10, peccan-
tibus in 14) and of praising God
(with reference to u), cp. 66. 7
note.
1 6. aderit] = *;//, 68. 13 note,
mors impia] the opposite of
mortis sacrae, 18. 7.
17. memento] 26. i. Here, as it
refers to the plu. serui, we should
have expected numentote ; but the
word has virtually become an inter-
jection. Not unlike are Plaut. Poen.
117 caue dirumpatis, Mil. 78 age
eamus. For non thus used see
47. 15.
18. serui, the MS reading, is a
vocative, like confamuli in 5, serui
55. 5 (note), proximi 66. 15. Cp.
Ps. cxxxiv. i etc. The reading of
Daniel etc. oranlibus seruis Dei is
taken from 60. 14.
20. praedixit] ' declared ' =prae-
dicauit. <^p. Damas. II. 10 (of
Paul) gentibus ac pofulis iussus
praedicere uera.
298 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
cuius uox hoc promeruit
ut diceret idem Deo :
orabo mente Dominum,
orabo simul spiritu.
ne uox sola Deo canat 25
sensusque noster alibi
ductus aberret fluctuans
uanis praeuentus casibus.
tune enim Deo accepta est
oratio canentium, 30
si pura mens idem gerat
quod explicat uox cantici.
29 hunc Vp.
11. promeruit] 'was permitted'; alibi] loosely used for alio, as
cp. Damas. II. 12 Paulus..,noscere Fort. III. x (title) cum fluuium
promeruit possent quod praemia alibi detorqueret.
uitae; Nicet. de Psalmodiae Bono 4 27. fluctuans] 26. 12.
Dauid...carminum thesaurus esse 28. uanis has a positively bad
promeruit. Ronsch 377 gives several sense, corresponding as it does to
examples of this use of the word, to turpibus of 51. ri. See the note on
which add Fort. in. vi. y, x. vii. 74. 15.
49, Vit. Mart. n. 66. praeuentus] 'preoccupied.'
22. The text seems to be corrupt. casibus] 74. it; if the meaning
idem may have come in from 3 or of casibus there is the same.
30, Deo from 1 1, 18 or 25. I would 29. tune. ..si] 'only then. ..if;
read, for idem Deo, idenlidem ' to Nicet. de Psalmodiae Bono 9 tune
the same effect,' 'in like manner' ; acceptabiles nostrae utgiliae,...sicoi-
see Ronsch p. 342, Lofstedt Aeth. petenti diligentia et deuotione sincera
p. 295. [Perhaps a simpler emenda- ministerium nostrum diuinis obluti-
tion would be idem duo, ' that the bus offeruntur.
two things (voice and heart) must Deo accepta] Acts x. 35 qui
be one.'] timet eum...acceptus est ei.
23 f. i Cor. xiv. 15, 51. 9f. 32. explicat] as in line i.
26. sensus] ' mind,' ' thoughts.'
HYMN 83
This beautiful hymn, which asks God to protect us
from the dangers of the coming night, has always been
appointed for Compline, to which office its contents make
it so suitable. In the younger hymnal it took the place
of 61 Christe qui lux es et dies. The use of it almost
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXIV 299
unaltered continues in the modern Roman breviary.
Lovers of Dante will remember the pathetic reference to
it in the eighth canto of the Purgatorio.
Abdghk Eacdhjsvx/x Fbdhijlpqs Gd Habcdefgi Ib Macm Vabp
Te lucis ante terminum,
rerum creator, poscimus,
ut solita dementia
sis praesul ad custodiam.
procul recedant somnia 5
et noctium phantasmata,
hostemque nostrum conprime
ne polluantur corpora,
praesta, Pater omnipotens,
per lesum Christum Uominum, 10
qui tecum in perpetuum
regnat cum sancto Spiritu.
8 nee Ab 1 EC. 9 piissime (pro omn.) Ab Gd. u perpetuo Gd.
12 uiuit Gd.
3. The lengthening of the o in last but one of 5 exuta sensu lubrico
solita is the one metrical liberty in etc., and on 26. i$(., see also 86. 3.
the hymn itself, apart from the doxo- somnia, as the context shews, means
logy, which was no doubt added evil and corrupting dreams.
later. Cassander suggested ut pro 6. noctium] ' of night,' 47. i
tua dementia and this is adopted in note.
the Roman breviary. phantasmata] 72. 5.
4. praesul] 13. 7 note. 7. hostem] 5. 27.
ad custodiam] ' to guard us.' ad 8. Cp. the last stanza of 103, and
expresses the purpose. 67. 9 foil., 61. n foil., 68. 13.
5 f. The stanza is based on the
FOR ADVENT. HYMNS 84-86
HYMN 84
Blume (Analecta LI p. 47) says that the contents of
this hymn apply less to the Advent season than those
of 85 and 86, that perhaps 84 was not originally meant
for Advent, and that the three hymns were certainly not
written by the same writer, nor even at the same period.
300 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
Eacdghjlsvxju^ Fdhikpsx Gm/x Habcdefgh/3 Ibcdefhmnov Vbcs
Conditor alme siderum,
aeterna lux credentium,
Christe redemptor omnium,
exaudi preces supplicum ;
qui, condolens interitu 5
mortis perire saeculum,
saluasti mundum languidum,
donans reis remedium,
uergente mundi uespere,
uti sponsus de thalamo, 10
egressus honestissima
uirginis matris clausula.
5 interitum Exyu Ihn. 8 rei Fs 1 Vs, regis Ehx 1 , eis Ic, ei Idn 1 .
9 uesperi Hd 2 , uespera Egl Fx Ha Vb. 10 ut Vb, sicut El. e (pro
de) E#. 1 1 ingressus EC Vb, ingressu Ha. honestissimo Hagh Vb,
-me Fs Hbcd^f Vs. 12 clausulam Fx Vb, clausulo Hgh.
1. siderum] the heavenly bodies, 104. 4, 120. 28. This use of the
including the sun and moon. The word is not found before Martial :
word strikes the keynote of the till then it meant 'languid,' 'weary.'
hymn, forecasting the light which 9. 'When the world's evening
Christ, Himself the eternal light, was drawing to a close, ' Heb. ix. 26.
was to bring into the world : cp. In meaning the line may be com-
85. 5 inlumina, 86. 7. pared with 33. 10, 85. 4, 114. 4; in
2. aeterna lux] Ambr. in Luc. form with 59. 5. The rhyme is so
li. 12 et ipse lux uera et genitor consistently carried through the
lucis aeternae. hymn as to make it almost certain
3. =87. i. that the original reading in 9 was
5 f. Mone found in a XlVth uespero, which was changed to
cent. MS of Lichtenthal what he uespere or uespera, as being a most
believed to be the original of this unusual form in the sense of ' even-
stanza. Qui condolens hominitus \ ing.' But uesperum (103. 6, 105. 5)
mortis subiectis legibus \ foetus homo justifies an abl. uespero, though we
restituis \ uitam in tuo sanguine ; need not think of a nom. uesperus
also i4f. omnium \ caelestium, ter- in this sense.
restrium \ nee non et infernalium; 10. From Ps. xix. 5; cp. 6. 17,
and 24 quamdiu sumus aduenae. 88. 7.
These readings are said (Julian 12. clausula] Cp. daustrum 6.
p. 257) to be those of the Cistercian 14, 39. 4. This use of the word ap-
breviary, but Lipp knows them not. pears to be wholly without parallel,
5. condolens | 33. 4. unless it be in a passage of Gildas,
interitu mortis] Cp. 23. i note. quoted in the Thesaurus, where it
7. languidum] 'sick,' Mt. xiv. =cella.
14 curauit languidos eorum, 93. 12,
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXIV. 301
cuius forti potentiae
genu curuantur omnia
caelestia, terrestria, 15
nutu fatentur subdita,
occasum sof custodiens,
luna pallorem retinens,
candor in astris relucens
13 fortis Ev Ib. 14 curuatur Eal Hb Id, curuantes Ej Ha, flectuntur
Es Fh He 1 Im, flectentes E/* H/3, flectentur Fx. omnium Ealv Iv.
16 fatentur nutu Ecdv< Fi. 19 elucens Ha.
1 3 f. 'To whose mighty power
all things in heaven and earth bow
the knee and confess that they are
subject to Thy sway.' The passage
is based upon Phil. ii. 10, cp. Rom.
xiv. 11, Is. xlv. 23 mihi curuabitur
omne genu. The Mozarabic Easter
Illation has the phrase Tibi genua
curuant caelestia, terrestria et in-
ferna. In our Lord's time standing
was the usual attitude of prayer
(Mk xi. 25, Lk. xviii. n, 13) ; but,
perhaps from His example (Lk.
xxii. 41), kneeling soon was the pre-
vailing custom ; Acts vii. 60, ix. 40,
xx. 36, xxi. 5, Herm. Pastor Vis. I.
3 nOC) T& yovara /ecu ijpfa/u.rji' irpoffev-
Xeffffai r<f Kvpltf) : cp. Dressel on Prud.
Cath. II. 51 rogare curuato genu.
13. forti] 'mighty,' cp. 111. 5.
Lbfstedt Aeth. 161 f. gives several
examples of this use of the word,
which comes from conversational
Latin. Not unlike \sfortiterQL. 17.
14. curuantur either governs^WM
as at 34. 5 confixa is followed by
uiscera, or genu must be taken as
an abl. ' on bended knee. '
1 6. nutu] dative, nutus lit.
means ' a nod,' hence ' the beck and
call ' of a superior ; cp. Verg. Aen.
VII. 592 nutu lunonis eunt res.
fatentur] supply se esse, which
words can be omitted almost at
will in late Latin poetry. See
Lofstedt Spdtlateinische Studien p.
44. However, the word may here
be taken absolutely, or with poten-
tiae, as in the passage of Rom.
1 7 f. sol, luna, candor are in
apposition to caelestia in 15.
The sun, moon and stars are
mentioned as obeying the divine
will. Ps. ciii. (civ.) 19, Ambr. Hex.
IV. 7 sol debit urn sibi agnouit occa-
sum;... luna... quae teniporum uici-
bus oboedire conpellitur ; in Ps.
cxvin. xii. 9 numquid ulla in ipso
est sole praeuaricatio. nonne cotti-
dianos cursus suos seruat? numquid
continuos nouit luna defectus et com-
missi munus deserit minislerii? is-
dem nempe uicibus annus redit...sol
diem inluminat, temfora statuta
custodiens. fulget splendoribus luna
nodurnis...stellartim nitentium ru-
tilat globus...lex una diuersis, con-
stitutoi-um semel uices cursuum cus-
todire . . . una omnium oboedientia. See
the introduction to 2, and the second
stanza of 59. The stanza is omitted
in several MSS, perhaps because the
copyists did not see its connexion
with the preceding one.
pallorem ret.] retinere here
seems to mean 'restraining,' 'with-
holding her pale light,' i.e. only
shewing it at the appointed seasons ;
unless pallor is intended to mean,
as elsewhere, the gloom and colour-
lessness of night (see 22. 2), which
the moon ' restrains ' from becoming
absolute darkness.
19. ' The brightness shining in
the stars,' i.e. the brightly shining
stars.
302 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
certos obseruans limites. 20
te deprecamur, hagie,
uenture iudex saeculi,
conserua nos in tempore
hostis a telo perfidi.
laus, honor, uirtus, gloria 25
Deo Patri cum Filio
sancto simul Paraclito
in sempiterna saecula.
20 obseruant Fdpx Hbd Vs 1 , obseruat Ed 2 x/* Fi Hf Ih Vs 2 , obseruet G/*.
22 uenturi Eel. 23 hoc (pro in) Ic. 24 noctis E/t Fi Hbd'gh/3 Imv
Vb (notis Ha), perfidis El. 26 et (pro cum) Eahv0 Inv Vc. 27 una
cum sancto spiritu Hae 1 In Vc, simul cum s. s. Ehlvx 1 .
21. hagie] 41. 49. read noctis for hostis in 24, in which
22. Cp. 48. 3. case we must join tempore noctis,
23. in tempore] ' at the present with which cp. 103. 8.
time' = i ipso tempore of 55. 39. 24. a telo] 45. i6f., 58. 8.
But it is just possible that we should
HYMN 85
Mone I. p. 49 says that this hymn was probably
written in the second half of the Vth century ; but this
is too early a date. The rhyme carried throughout
points rather to Vllth or Vlllth centuries.
Eacdhjlsvxi?M0 Fdhiks Gabm Hbcdefgh Ibcdefhmnopv Makx Vcs
Verbum supernum prodiens,
a Patre olim exiens,
i supremum He.
i. *O Word that proceedest forth writer of 84. 9 the N.T. view that
on high.' No doubt the poet had in the incarnation came in the end of
mind the great anthem O sapientia, the world's history (lines 3, 4). In
quae ex ore altissimi prodiisti, taken comparison with this event, the
from Ecclus. xxiv. 5. supernum is eternal existence of the Word with
part of the predicate, so to speak. the Father (lines i, 2) is denoted as
Unless it be taken closely along with what was olim. Line 2 interprets
prodiens, the exiens clause is mere line i, pointing out the source from
tautology, and/*W*V.ritself is rather which the Word proceeds on high,
unmeaning without some qualifica- For such a pres. part, as prodiens,
tion. The writer still takes like the exiens joined with olim, see Hebr. i.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXV 303
qui natus orbi subuenis
cursu decliui temporis ;
inlumina nunc pectora 5
tuoque amore concrema,
audita ut praeconia
sint pulsa tandem lubrica.
iudexque cum post aderis
rimari facta pectoris, 10
reddens uicem pro abditis
iustisque regnum pro bonis :
3 orbis Fi Gab Hd Ino. subueni Eh/* Ic. 5 tune Ib. 7 audito...
praeconio Ecdl Fks 2 HdV Ib Vc. 9 qui (pro que) Hgh. adueneris
(pro post ad.) Mk. aderit Hb. 10 rimare Gab 1 Mk.
i olim Deus loquens patribus. olim
is very frequently thus used of a
remote past compared with a sub-
sequent event which has wrought a
change; cp. Dirksen s.v.
It is possible to make line i refer
to the eternal generation and line 2
to the incarnation, line i thus
forming substantially part of the
relative cause qui natus; but the
difficulty of olim as contemporaneous
with cursu decliui temp, would re-
main, besides making the stanza
rather badly balanced.
This fine exordium supplied
Thomas Aquinas with the beginning
of one of his famous eucharistic
hymns. But he probably mistook
the meaning of the line.
4. decliui] lit. ' sloping ' towards
evening, as if the sun were past his
zenith, cp. Jud. xix. 9 dies ad oc-
casum dec/tutor. The age is com-
pared to a day as at 84. 9.
6 f. The sense may be ' and warm
them with love of Thee.' But it
may be 'and in Thy love burn them
up,' which fits in better with the
usual meaning of concrema ; cp. 108.
19 Deus c on f remans, 69. 10 adure ;
Fort. IV. vii. 17 cautere eloquii
bene purgans uulnera morbi\ Ambr.
in Luc. V. 27 otnne mandatum tuutn
sicut cauteriurn inpressum tenebo.
etsi urit cauterium mandati, tamen
putrefacta camisexurit, neaduiuum
serpat contagio.
7. audita... praeconia] i.e. when
Thy coming is proclaimed as it were
by a herald (praeco}. The words are
in the nom. or ace. abs. (see 69. 7),
which construction was not under-
stood by the later copyists, who
wrote per for ut, or audito .. .prae-
conio, to the wreck of the rhyme.
8. tandem strongly emphasizes
pulsa, being inserted instandi causa,
as Quint, ix.27 puts it; cp.itsuse94.
3 1 , 103. 1 8 and that of demum in 13.
lubrica] 3. 12 note.
9. post] ' hereafter,' as at 23. 3.
Notice the four notes of time, olim,
natus cursu decl. temp., nunc, post.
10. rtmari] 24. 20. The infin.
stands instead of rimaturus or ut
rimeris.
1 1 . reddens uicem] 60. 1 9 note,
abditis may mean merely the
secret doings of each one known
only to God, but as contrasted with
bonis in 1 2 it seems to have gained
some of the sinister sense of obscurus,
cp. 22. 8, 67. ii, 86. 2.
pro] ' according to,' ' in piopor-
tion to,' as at Plaut. Trin. 26 ami-
cum meum \ concastigabo pro con-
merit a noxia.
12. Mt. XXV. 34.
304 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
non demum artemur malis
pro qualitate criminis,
sed cum beads compotes 15
simus perennes caelibes.
13 demnes Gab 1 Mak, damnis E0 Hcd 2 fgh lop, des ut Ea. arcemur
EC. 15 compotens Ic. 16 simul Eh. perenne Fs Icm Vcs (-ni EC
Ga Ip).
13 f. 'Oh let us not be punished Capt. 301 fortuna huniana fingit
according to the heinousness of our artatque ut lubet ; often in late
guilt.' demum qualifies the prayer, Latin, cp. Ps. Cypr. de Sing. Cler. 9
much like tandem in 8. As to the quis tarn stultus qui artari cupit ad
variant demnes Blume suggests that laborem ; Victor Vitens. I. 28 dum
it may perhaps be the original, used uariis ab eis imidiis artarelur, in.
as the positive from which comes 11 artata poenis. The Vulgate of
indemnes (indemnati), and that it Lk. xii. 50, Phil. i. 23 has coartare.
may mean ' condemned ' in contrast 15. compotes] The word is usually
with beatis in 15. The more colour- followed by a gen. to express that
less demum and the damnis of the which has been attained ; thus we
Rheinau MSS would be the correc- have 114. 1 5 uoti compotes. Here it
tions of the lectio difficilior ; see means much the same, ' of the
Analecta xxvn. p. 65. If so, the number of those who have obtained. '
writer must have coined the word, Cp.\-,\v.i.\.'jmultitudinecompotum.
and coined it incorrectly. It occurs 16. perennes] an instance of the
nowhere else. adverbial use of an adj.
artare is thus used by Plaut. caelibes] 62. 30 note.
HYMN 86
This hymn was generally appointed for Mattins in
Advent, but according to date and locality its use varied.
Thus in the Mozarabic breviary it was sung at Vespers
on the Wednesday infra hebdomadam I Aduentus
{Analecta XXVII. p. 65). It is largely based on the
Advent Epistle Rom. xiii. 1 1 f. and Gospel Lk. xxi. 25 f.
Eacdhjlsvx/x0 Fdhikpsx Gabm Hbcdefgh Icdefghmnopv Makx Vcs
Vox clara ecce intonat,
obscura quaeque increpat,
1 . The voice is that of the Bap- quaeque is very common in the later
tist, the forerunner of Christ, Jon. Latin: see e.g. Vine. Ler. Comm.
i. 23. i necessaria quaeque, with Moxon's
intonat] 'resounds loudly' as at note; Niceta de Psalm. Bono 3 as-
111. 2, 116. 10, and perhaps 19. pera quaeque.
2. obscura] 22. 8. This use of increpat] 2. 19.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXVI 305
pellantur eminus somnia,
ab aethre Christus promicat.
mens iam resurgat torpida, 5
quae sorde exstat saucia ;
sidus refulget iam nouum,
ut tollat omne noxium.
e sursum agnus mittitur
laxare gratis debitum ; 10
omnes pro indulgentia
uocem demus cum lacrimis ;
secundo ut cum fulserit
mundumque horror cinxerit,
non pro reatu puniat, 15
sed pius nos tune protegat.
3 pellat EccPhj Gm. omnia Fx Hd Id j m Mk, omnium Es. 4 aethra
E/t Hb 2 , aethere Edj# Fdp Gab 1 He 2 Inp Mk Vc. 9 et (pro e) E^.
sursus Es. ii -tiam E/t. 16 nos pius Fs Gm Hbcdgh Idmopv
Vs, nos sed p. Mak, sed p. tune nos Eu.
3. eminus is to be scanned as if here intended.
emnus ; as aethere in 4 is actually agnus] because the tide was used
written aethre, so also at Hil. Carm. by John the Baptist.
in Gen. 65. 10. laxare is used instead of the
6. exstat] =est, cp. 38. 18. usual soluere, as at 94. 29. The inf.
saueia] 80. 6. is used to express purpose as at 66.
7. sidus] i.e. Christ. The refer- 4 etc.
ence may be to Mai. iv. 2, or to the debitum] 44 b. 1 1.
' Morning Star' of Rev. xxii. 16. So n. pro indulgentia] ' for pardon.'
Prud. Cath. xn. ijf. hoc sidus aeter- This curious use of pro seems to be
num manet, \ haec stella numquam an extension of its use in phrases
mergitur; Ambr. in Luc. II. 45 stella like non pro illo dico ut roget quis,
haec ilia est et uia Christus, quia i Joh. v. 16.
secundum incarnationis mysterium \i. Cp. 20. 10 note.
Christus est stella. i3f. Cp. the last stanza of 80
8. noxium] 'guilt,' cp. 22. 12 and of 113.
note. The word answers to lubrua secundo] ' for the second time,'
at 85. 8. With tollat cp. John i. 29. used with reference to line 7.
9. e sursum] 'from on high.' 15. pro reatu] 'according to our
sursum (from sub-uorsuni) strictly guilt,' 86. 14.
means ' upwards,' as at 38. 46, 16. plus] In such contexts the
113. 23, so that the phrase is not word pius(pietas) has nearly reached
correct; cp. Ronsch p. 233. It is the sense of pitii, 'pity.'
of course the ' first advent ' that is
306 - EARLY LATIN HYMNS
FOR CHRISTMAS. HYMN 87
Christmas has naturally been a fertile subject for
Christian poets to work upon ; and yet but few of our
anonymous hymns were written for the season in these
early times. It may well be that the excellence and wide
use of Ambrose's Intende qui regis Israhel (No. 6), as
also of Corde natus exparentis (23), of A solis ortus cardine
(31) and of Agnoscat omne saeculum (38), daunted
would-be writers.
The rubric of 87 in the several MSS is de natale
(natiuitate) domini, and then either ad nocturnas or
ad mat.
Daniel Thes. I. p. 79 says that hymn 87 is rarely found
in old hymnals : which is certainly not correct. Most
MSS from the Xth century on contain it, and as it does
not belong to the earlier series we cannot expect to find
it in the earliest MSS.
The general doxology of the Christmas hymns is
Gloria tibi domine qui natus es de uirgine cum patre et
sancto spiritu in sempiterna saecula. But in many hymnals
is given the alternative : Laus honor etc., as in 84.
EacdhjlsvxT^t^ Fbdhilmps Gm Hbcdfg Ibcdefghmnopv Vces
Christe, redemptor omnium,
ex Patre, Patris unice,
solus ante principium
natus ineffabiliter,
i gentium Ib.
1. =84.3. The same line is also Creed yfvvr)$^vTa 6c TOV varpos
the first of a rather later hymn for novoyevy, rovriyriv K -rip ovtrias
All Saints, Analecta LI. p. 150. TOV tra.Tpbs.
2. ex Patre. joined with Patris . 3. ante principium] 1. 8, 23. i.
unice, seems intended to emphasize There is a reference to Gen. i. i in
the doctrine of the (truly) Nicene principle creauit Deus caelum et
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXVII 307
tu lumen, tu splendor Patris,
tu spes perennis omnium,
intende quas fundunt preces
tui per orbem famuli.
memento, salutis auctor,
quod nostri quondam corporis
ex inlibata uirgine
nascendo formam sumpseris.
hie praesens testatur dies
currens per anni circulum
quod solus a sede Patris
mundi salus adueneris.
hunc caelum, terra, hunc mare,
hunc omne quod in eis est,
10
15
8 tuis Hd. famulis EC Hbd 1 .
Ha. 13 sic Ev Ih, hoc He 2 .
Hceg lop. 17 te Id 2 , hinc c. I
Ex0 Fi Heg Vs. maria (pro hunc
17, 1 8 pro hunc Es hiatum'habet.
terram ', perhaps still more to the
famous Prov. viii. 22 Dominus pos-
sedit me in initio uiarum suarum,
antequam quidquam faceret a prin-
cipio.
4. ineffabiliter] Cp. Aug. En-
chir. 89 Deus ineffabiliter artifex ;
Fort. ill. ix. 49 inrecitabiliter ma-
nans de corde parentis.
5. Cp. 3. i f.
9. memento] Hil. Hymn. 11. 42
memento carnis, in qua natus es,
nieae.
salutis auctor] Heb. ii. 10.
i o. quod . . . sumpseris] te sump-
sissf, and 15 quod...adueneris te
aduenisse; Rtinsch p. 402, 481.
corporis... formam] 23. 9, 42. u,
cp. 89. 6.
13. ' This present day (Christmas)
recurring in the year's cycle.' Pos-
sibly the writer thought of the year
as describing a circle as it goes
round, and carrying the day along
with it.
12 sumpserit EC Fs Vs 1 , sumpseras
r6 aduenerit EC Fs Ibd'h, adueneras
x# Fs 1 Hefg Vs. terrae EC. hinc m,
mare) Gm. 18 hinc Fs Vs.
praesens... dies] 8. 8.
14. per appears to have the kind
of distributive sense which it has ac-
quired in our modern per annum.
1 5 f. ' that Thou alone didst come
to be the salvation of the world '
St Peter's words are almost repro-
duced, Acts iv. 12 et non est in a/to
aliquo salus. This is simpler and
better than Clicht.'s explanation of
the passage solus aduenisse dicitur
Christus, quoniam solus ipse per in-
carnationem humanam induit na-
turam ; neque enim Pater incar-
natus est, neque Spiritus santtus.
1 7 f. ' This day heaven, earth,
sea, and all that is in them praise,
exulting with song at the advent of
their creator.' The two lines 17 and
18 are based upon Ps. xcv. (xcvi.)
u. The variants hinc and te for
hunc (sc. diem} are due to the copy-
ists not seeing what hunc referred
to.
308 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
auctoris aduentu sui
laudat exultans cantico. 20
nos quoque, qui sancto tuo
redempti sanguine sumus,
ob diem natalis tui
hymnum nouum concinimus.
19 auctorem Elvju Fbhps Hd Ibdhmpv Vcs. aduentum Ex Hg lo,
aduentus Eacd/u Fbhlps Ibdhmpv Vcs. tui Elv/* Fh He Ibd 2 hmv.
20 laudans E0 Hg. exultat Ec< Hg. laudas exultas Ib. collaudans
canit Fs Hbcd Icdn Vcs. canticum Id 2 n Vc. 11 sumus sanguine
Eacdlvx^ Hfe 2 Ibho.
20. cantico] Cp. 55. 8. 24. hymnum nouum] Ps. xxxii.
21. a quotation from the 7V (xxxiii.) 3, xxxix. (xl.) 4, xcv.
Deum. (xcvi.) i.
FOR THE B. V. MARY. HYMN 88
88 is a fragment of an alphabetic hymn, the' rest of
which is lost to us. For an attempt to supply some of
the missing stanzas see Daniel IV. 58 f. and Analecta
XX VII. p. ii8f. The Benedictine edd. of Ambrose
wrongly assigned it to him on the insufficient evidence
of Pseudo-Ildephonsus. Chevalier Repertorium 6346 notes
the various uses of the hymn thus B a Maria, Purificatio
(Conceptw, Annuntiatio, Visitatio, Compassio, Assumption
Aduentus, Natiuitas Dom. fer. IV.). hiem. completorhtm
(uesperae, matutinum, laudes); cp. Werner p. 61. In the
Mozarabic use, to judge by the rubric in Cod. Matrit.
1005 Hh 60 : in alia festiuitate non dicitur, this hymn
was sung only in die sanctae Mariae.
Edhvx^ Fbips Habcdefgh led f ho Mkx Vcs
Fit porta Christi peruia
referta plena gratia,
2 refecta Mk.
i. porta] Ezek. xliv. if. Cp. 39. 2. referta plena] 'filled (so as to
29 f. be) full ' ; Cic. Acad. I. iv. 17 plena
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN LXXXIX 309
transitque rex, et permanet
clausa, ut fuit, per saecula.
Genus superni numinis 5
processit aula uirginis,
sponsus, redemptor, conditor,
suae gigans ecclesiae.
Honor matris et gaudium,
inmensa spes credentium, 10
per atra mortis pocula
resoluit nostra crimina.
5 supermini E0. luminis Ex Fi Ih. 6 praec. Fb. 9 gaudia lo Mk.
et referta. Probably referta p. gr. is amiax lapeti genus.
the subject of/?/ 'She (or a maiden) 6. aula] an allusion to 6. 18, as
filled. ..is made the gate.' Probably are sponsus and gigans.
some reference to her had occurred 9. honor] 'He who is the glory."
in the previous stanza. 10. spes or.] Cp. 15. 22.
4. 6. 14 note, 84. 12. it. pocula] Cp. Matt. xxvi. 38
5. genus] 'the Son,' as in Horace's (calix).
FOR THE EPIPHANY. HYMN 89
This is again an alphabetical hymn; see introduction
to 71. Chevalier Repertorium 14 gives the Xth century
as the date of its composition, which is no doubt too
late. He says that it was an Epiphany hymn, but this
was by no means always the case. In some uses it was
sung at Christmas (see Werner p. 9); while, according
to Blume (Analecta XXVII. p. 66), its Mozarabic use was
infra hebdomadam 2. aduentus, feria 2 ad uesp. The
doxology varied according to the season. When sung at
Christmas this was Gloria tibi domine qui natus es de
uirgine etc. (see introduction to 87). When sung in the
Epiphany it was generally Gloria tibi domine qui lotus
es in flumine.
3io EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Ecdhjvx Fdips Gm Hbch Ibh Mmx Vs
A Patre unigenitus
Ad nos uenit per uirginein,
Baptisma cruce consecrans,
Cunctos fideles generans.
De caelo celsus prodiit, 5
Excepit formam hominis,
Facturam morte redimens,
Gaudia uitae largiens.
Hoc te, redemptor, quaesumus
Inlabere propitius, 10
Klarumque nostris sensibus
Lumen praebe fidelibus.
Mane nobiscum, Domine,
Noctem obscuram remoue,
Omne delictum ablue, 15
Piam medellam tribue.
i unigenite MX. 2 uenis MX. 3 baptismo Fs. crucem EC Gm.
baptismi rore MX. 4 fide regen. MX. 5 e caelo- Hb. prodiens Gm
MX. . 7 factura EC Gm. mortis EC, mortem Mm. consequens Hb.
uictor a morte rediens MX. 8 uita rediens Gm. 1 1 cordibus
Ev Fi Gm Hb MX. 12 deificum (pro fid.) MX. 14 remouens Gm.
16 pie Ex Hb Ibh.
i. Blume Analecta xxvil. 66 opus Dei et factura eius et plastica
follows the Mozarabic printed bre- adulterari nullo modo debeat, and
viary in reading unigenite... vents, in Iren. xxiv. i, Tert. de An. 4.
which suits the rhyme, but not the 10. inlabere] 3. 5 note, and nos-
grammar of 5 f. tris s. 3. 8.
3. Ambr. de Myst. 20 'quid est n. It may be questioned whether
enivi aqua sine cruce Christi? 33. fidelibus is epithet to sensibus ('our
20 note. faithful thoughts'), or whether n. s.
5. eelBUB] = Altissimus, an un- is governed by Klarum, and fid. by
usual use of the word. praebe.
prodiit] 'came forth' into the 13. Lk. xxiv. 29 mane nobiscum
world, 3. 30, 33. 12. quoniam aduesperascit.
6. formam] 42. u> 87. 12: of 14. n. obscuram] 22. 8.
course a reference to Phil. ii. 7. 15. delictum] 7. 26 note.
7. facturam] 'His creation '= 16. piam] 'loving,' 'gracious,'
quod condidit of 31. 8. Cp. Sedul. should strictly qualify the giver
Carm. II sua ne factura periret. rather than the gift, as was felt by
In this concrete sense factura is the copyists who wrote pie.
used by Cypr. de Hab. Virg. 15
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XC 311
Quern iam uenisse nouimus,
Redire item credimus,
Sceptrum tuum inclitum
Tuo defende clipeo. 20
Vita, salus, et ueritas,
Christe, rogantes adiuua ;
Ymnum sonantes iubilo
Zelum uincamus lubricum.
19 sceptrumque Ex Fds Hb Ih MX, sc. tuumque Gm, tu sc. tuum Ecdv
Fp He Mm. 20 tuum...clipeum Gm. 21-24 *' MX solo
reperinntur.
18. redire... credimus] 42. 19 and the Church.
note. 20. 2 Sam. xxii. 36, Ps. v. 13,
19. The line as it stands is pro- Prov. xxx. 5.
bably the original, sceptrum being 21 f. These four lines are found
pronounced as isceptrum, see 42. 33. only in the printed Mozar. brev.
But sceptrum \tu~\ tuum is possible, and may have been added by the
as the tu would easily fall out before editor Ortiz, who seems to have
tuum, God's 'glorious sceptre' had freely edited the rest of the hymn;
been Israel ; cp. Jer. li. 19 Israel see Analecta xxvn. p. 66 and cp.
sceptrum hereditatis etus; Lam. ii. i 31. 85 note.
terram inclitam Israel. Now it is
HYMN 90
The use of this hymn varies between Vespers and
Nocturn in Epiphany, it being in itself suitable to either
office. Mone I. 78 thinks that the alliteration shews it to
have been written by an Irish or Anglo-Saxon poet; but
is this sufficiently marked to demand such a conclusion?
The recurrence of Greek words in 4, 13, 20, 23 f. etc. is
remarkable. It is rhymed throughout, being in this
respect like 84, 85 and others. Daniel owing to a mis-
reading of a note of Thomasius assigns it without
grounds to Hilary of Poitiers; cp. Analecta XXVII. 49 f.
Pimont I. p. 92 f. energetically but unsuccessfully main-
tains the authorship of Hilary, which is stated as if a
certainty by Chevalier.
3i2 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
Ecdhjvxtf. Fils Cms Hbcdf Icdfhn Vcs
lesus refulsit omnium
plus redemptor gentium;
totum genus fidelium
laudes celebret dramatum.
quern Stella natum fulgida 5
monstrat micans in aethera,
magosque duxit praeuia
ipsius ad cunabula.
illi cadentes paruulum
pannis adorant obsitum, 10
uerum fatentur et Deum
munus ferendo mysticum.
denum ter annorum cyclis
iam parte uiuens corporis
4 celebrat EC He. 6 monstrans Gm Idhn. micat Gm Idh. aethere
Vc. 8 illius Gm. 13 denis Ecdv. ciclus Hd. 14 partem Ih.
uigens Ed.
i. omnium. ..g.] In reference to clothed in rags,' 33. 14 note,
the manifestation to the Gentiles : Though panni need not necessarily
totum g. likewise. mean rags, that sense points the
4. dramatum] ' of His deeds.' contrast between the real glory and
The Lat. drama, as well as its the apparent poverty. J uvencus >
Greek orig. 5pa/j.a, usually meant an though he does not use the word
action represented on the stage, ' a panni, echoes the general sense
drama.' I. 1 56 puerum ueteri c unabula textu
5. As to the brilliance of the inuoluunt, duroque datur praesepe
star seen by the magi cp. Ignat. cubili.
Eph. xix dffTTjp tv ovpavy ZXa.fj.ij/ei' nf. an echo of 31. 36 -Drum
vTrtp irdvTas TOVS dffT^pas, KCU. TO <f>tas fatentur munere.
O.VTGV dveK\d\i)Tov 7)i>...Tci dt \oiira 12. munus... mysticum] referring
irdvra dffrpa S./JM rj\i<p KO.I ffeX'/ivy to the frankincense in particular ;
Xopbs tytvfro rip dffrtpi' abrbs 5e see 1. 15 note.
T)V vTrep/3d\\uv TO <pws aurov virlp 13. 'having now lived a bodily
irdvTa. : Prud. Cath. xil. 5 haec life for thirty years.' denum is of
stella, quae salts rotam | uincit de- course the short form of deiwrum.
core ac lumine. cyclla is the abl. of duration of
6. in aethera] 'in the sky.' So time, cp. Paul. Nol. Carm. xix.
Fort. XI. i. 25, Vit.Mart.l. 290 in 285 paucis qiios corpore uiueret
aera = in aere; cp. 33. 18 note. The annis ; 1. 66 note.
declension of this word was a con- 14. parte... corporis, ' in respect
slant difficulty to Latin writers. of His body, ' is like tempus corporis,
7 f. Cp. 8. 9 f., 31. 33 f. 33. 16; cp. Ambr. in Luc. I. 36 post
10. pannis ..obsitum] 'though triennium nostri corporis*
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XC 313
lympham petit baptismatis 15
cunctis carens contagiis.
felix Johannes mergere
ilium tremescit flumine,
potens suo qui sanguine
peccata cosmi tergere. 20
uox ergo prolem de polis
testatur excels! Patris,
uirtus adestque Pneumatis
sancti datrix charismatis.
nos, Christe, supplici prece 25
precamur, omnes protege,
qui praecipis rubescere
po tenter hydrias aquae.
praesta benignum sedulo
solamen adiutorio, 30
raptosque nos a tartaro
regnare fac tecum polo.
15 baptismate Hd. 19 potest Ex Fs In Vcs. 20 tangere Ev.
21 uos Fs, nox Vs. 23 adestoqueGm. 24 secli Ev. 25 subnixa
Ex# Ih. 26 omnes prec. Hd. protege omnes Ev. 29 benignus Vs.
sedulus EC. 3 1 e Ex Vc.
16. For the sense cp. 91. 21, ergo is used, rather like our ' so '
Sedul. Carm. II. 158 f. in se cttncta or ' then ' and sometimes the Greek
lauat nostrae contagia uitae \ ipse ydp, without any causal or inferen-
nihil quod perdat habens, sanctoque tial force, cp. 27. 21, 33. 10, Sedul.
liquentes \ corpore mundauit latices. Op. II. 13 euangelicae lectionis ergo
17. mergere... tremescit] ' trem- texlus ita prosequitur.
bles at ('shrinks from') dipping.' 23. -que follows the second word
For the inf. cp. Schmalz p. 423. of its clause, as at 34. 24.
19. potens] est, like 76. 7. 24. charisma tl si = xap^aroj, i
20. cosmi] Walahfrid Strabo Cor. xii. 7 f., 31, 101. 9, 106. 13.
LXXXIII. 8 morle deuicta superastis 27. rubescere] 8. 17 note.
arma \ hostis antiqui trucis atque 28. potenter] 68. 2.
cosmi | carnis agone. The word is 30. adlutorlo] ' aid,' Ps. vii. 1 1
taken from John i. 29. and often in Vulgate.
21. ' Then the voice of the most 31. tartaro] 23. 1 1 note.
high Father from heaven bears wit- 32. regnare] 2 Tim. ii. 12, Rev.
ness to the Son,' i.e. that Christ is xx. 14.
His son. Cp. Sedul. Carm. in. The doxology found, I believe, in
291 f. sidereoque sono ' metis hie est all the MSS is/.ans Trinilali debita\
Filius ' aiens \ ostendit iterbo genittim honor poteslas gloria \ perenniter sit
uox patria Christum. ornnia \ per saeculorum saecttla.
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
HYMN 91
Although it is handed down in but four MSS of
which one is only a copy of another this hymn is
certainly ancient. Mone I. 77 dates it in the Vth
century, which is probably a little too early. And
Daniel IV. 1 1 is surely wrong when he says that it and
not 8 was written by Ambrose, thus making it earlier
than Ambrose's Epiphany hymn, 8 Inlnminans altis-
simus. This he does because 91 does not mention the
visit of the magi among the Epiphany signs. This is
indeed somewhat remarkable; but what events should
be commemorated at the festival was for a long time
not definitely fixed, nor in what order they should stand.
With regard to this see p. 63. This hymn seems to have
been written later than the hymn of Sedulius 31, phrases
of which have been caught up.
Fs/3 Ga Vs
Inluxit orbi iam dies
corusca tot miraculis,
in quo recurso tempore
signis Deus se prodidit.
mitis, benignus arbiter 5
haec cuncta fecit prouide,
humana gens ne falleret
sed se colendum crederet.
2 coruscans Fs Vs, coruscat Ga. 3 decursu temporis Fs Vs.
4 se deus Fy3. 7 mens Fs Vs.
i. inluxit is a favourite word 3. recurso] ' in which recurring
with which to begin a hymn. Che- season,' cp. decursa, 105. 5 ; see note
valier cites 12 hymns commencing there.
with this word ; cp. Verg. Georg.u. 4. signis] 1. 20 note. It is a
337 inluxisse diem, Fort. in. viii. i reference to John ii. n manifestauit
inluxit festiua dies, 112. 2. But gloriam suam.
here it has a special appropriateness, 5. arbiter] 32. 31.
like Ambrose's illuminans, on a 6. prouide] 39. 23.
festival which was sometimes called 7. ne falleret] ' might not go
the Feast of Lights. wrong.' The worAfallo is probably
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCI 315.
.rogatus est ad nuptias,
aqua repleuit hydrias ;
sermone Christi concite
mutauit unda originem.
stupent fluenta gignere
natura quae non contulit ;
pallor ruborem parturit
et uina currunt flumine.
lohanne Baptista sacro
implente munus debitum,
lordane mersus hac die
aquas lauando diluit,
10
20
ii sermones sui Fs Vs. [4 contigit Fs Vs. 16 uicina Fs
(uincina Vs), uini F/3. flumina Fs'/3 Vs. 17 Johannes Fs Vs. sacrum
Fs Vs. 18 impleuit Fs Vs.
connected with <T<t>d\\u, ' cause to
fall,' ' trip up.' Usually it means
' deceive ' ; but Du Cange quotes
Lobinell. Hist. Brit., tune . . .fallit
fossa, ' the ditch comes to an end,'
in a marshy meadow. This use of
falleret comes nearest to the nse
classified in the Thesaurus as B i (res
fallunt : absolute), where the mean-
ing approaches to that of faillir, to
fail. Thus Liv. xxvin. xxvii. 9
quantum opinio fefellit (' was at
fault,' ' went wrong ') ; Plin. Hist.
Nat. xni. 142 si fefellerint insidiae
('have miscarried ); perhaps still
nearer Plin. Epist. n. i. 3 per...
lubricum pauimentum fallente ues-
tigio cecidit ('missing,' 'slipping');
Porph. on Hor. Epod. xvn. 60
fallit sensus hie ( ' is wrong ').
pf. Joh. ii. 2, 8. 13 f., 31. 4Qf.
This use of rogare seems to be un-
paralleled.
1 1 . sermone] ' at the word ' ; cp.
Sedul. Op. III. i plenam puero sos-
pitateni uoce praestitit, sermone con-
concite, 'in haste,' seems only
to be known here and at 111. 25
and one or two other passages.
12. borrowed from 31. 52.
13. 'The water is astonished at
producing what nature had not
given."
Probably the writer found at 8.
19 the reading elementa mutata stu-
pent transire. To gignere supply se
as subject. Is it possible that the ori-
ginal reading here was stupet (i.e.
unda), making fl. ace. after gigneret
The quae in 14 seems harsh in the
sense of ' things which ' though no
doubt interpreted by what follows.
14 is an echo of 31. 59.
15. Cp. Sedul. Carm. III. +{.
amiltere gaudent | pallorem latices.
1 6. ulna] for the plu. cp. Verg.
Georg. i. 132 riuis currentia uina ;
36. 1 8 note.
17 f. 8. 5f., 31. 41 f., 90. 5f.
sacer is less common of persons
than is sanctus, but cp. Fort. III.
xv. 14 te pastore sacro. Probably
Bapt. sacro are to be taken together,
in apposition to lohannt.
20. lauando] ' by washing,' or
' in washing.' Our Saviour did not
' wash ' Himself in the spiritual
sense, but He did in the natural
sense, and by so doing purified the
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
non ipse mundari uolens,
ex uentre natus uirginis,
peccata sed mortalium
suo ut fugaret lauacro.
dicente Patre quod ' meus*
dilectus hie est Filius,'
sumensque sanctus Spiritus
formatn columbae caelitus,
hoc mystico sub nomine
micat salus ecclesiae ;
persona trina consonat,
unus Deus per omnia.
11 de Fs Vs. matris Fs Vs.
18 aduenit (pro columbae) Fs Vs.
element of water for higher pur-
poses, as Ambrose says, in Luc. II.
83 baptizatus ergo est Dominus non
mundari uolens, sedmundare aquas.
Cp. also de Spir. S.\. 114 nan quod
Christus peccata sua deponeret, qui
peccatum non fecit, sed quod in came
Christi omne in peccatis suis genus
absoluerettir humanum.
11. The virgin birth is treated as
cutting off the transmission of ori-
ginal sin.
24. Fort, twice scans laudcrum,
v. v. 96, Vit. Mart. II. 186. The
accent of the word is there thrown
on to the first a.
25. dicente quod. ..eat] see 87.
10, 15.
27. The nom. abs. certainly oc-
curs in late writers : see note on
69. 7, and Leo's Fortunatus p. 409,
Ennod. Panegyr. vm. 40 (ed.
Vogel), 103. 7, 113. 5, Schmalz
p. 391. But in view of the abl.'s in
14 fugare (pro ut f.) Fs/3 2 Vs.
31 commanet Fs Vs.
i7f. and 25 perhaps the original
was sumente sancto Spiritu.
sumens ..caelitus! Mt. iii. 16, a
pregnant phrase : ' descending from
heaven and taking.'
29. sub nomine] under the name
thus revealed as threefold, 48. 9
note.
30. micat s. e. means that the faith
in the Trinity which is the salvation
of the Church was signally set forth
in the events which the previous
stanza rehearses.
3 1 . pers. trina] = tres personae,
like 1. 27 pane tfuino = fanibus
quinque. consonat ' are in agree-
ment ' ; as Aug. in Ps. XLIX says
that the two Testaments consonant,
unus Deus is in apposition to per-
sona tr., and shews how the three
' agree.'
37. A variation of 5. 31. per
omnia may perhaps qualify consonat
rather than unus Deus.
IN SEPTUAGESIMA. HYMN 92
This interesting hymn is no doubt of Mozarabic origin,
but its use spread, and it is found in English, French,
German and Italian MSS. It dates from a time when
LA TER H YMNAL. H YMN XCII 3 1 7
such repetitions as the alleluia perenne at the close of
each stanza had become customary. For a careful read-
ing shews that these words are worked into the structure
of the hymn and that they are not a later addition, as is
the saeculorum saeculis of 23. The rubric in the Mozarabic
MS, BM add. 30851, de carnes tollendas, the general
rubric being in septuagesima, shews that the hymn was
to be sung especially on the first Sunday in Lent, after
which day the alleluia following the Gospel and in other
parts of the services was discontinued. In the printed
Mozarabic breviary of 1 502 at the end of this Sunday
comes the direction hie dauditur alleluia. See Julian
p. 4/t>; Analecta XXVII. p. 76; Neale Mediaeval
Hymns p. 182; Hymni Ecclesiae p. 248. In the earliest
English MS that contains the hymn (British Museum
add. 37517, Canterbury Psalter) stanza VI is omitted and
IX comes as a doxology after stanza IV, and also at the
end of the whole hymn.
EcdhjlsvT? Fsu Gm/3/i Hbcd Makx Vs
Alleluia piis edite laudibus,
ciues aetherei, psallite nauiter
alleluia perenne.
i suauiter Gm$u He, unanimiter MX.
i. clues aetherei] Eph. ii. 19, speak of the welcome that awaits
Heb. xii. 22; Fort. iv. vii. 21 ad them hereafter in heave* Stanzas
paradisiacas epulas te due rediuto ; IV and V encourage them to antici-
ib. xxvii. 10 ad patriae sedes ciuis pate the future joy. Stanzas vi and
opima redis. The same thought vn dwell upon the nature of it.
recurs in 10 reditu, 13 patriae (cp. The last two stanzas praise the
69. 15), 20 reduces, as it has already creator Christ,
occurred at 29. 55 genitali in sede. nauiter] 'loudly,' 'lustily.' Neale
The 'citizens of heaven' are the found unanimiter in the Mozar.
saints on earth, who are about to brev. of 1501 and 'the metre de-
forgo the singing of Alleluia for a manding ' corrected it not too suc-
season, but are urged to join in it cessfully into unanime. The word
heartily while yet they may : even nauiter (gnauiter) seems to have
when they may not sing it, it is an been in Spanish use, Anal, xxvii.
unceasing Alleluia that they take cxx. \gaudetnuncnauiteriamtoga
their part in. Stanzas n and in Candida; ib. cxxiv. 3.
3i8 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
hinc uos perpetui luminis accola
adsumet resonans hymniferis choris 5
alleluia perenne.
uos urbs eximia suscipiet Dei,
quae laetis resonans cantibus excitat
alleluia perenne.
felici reditu gaudia sumite, 10
reddentes Domino glorificos melos
alleluia perenne.
almum sidereae iam patriae decus
uictores capitis, quo canor est iugis
alleluia perenne. 15
4 hie Fs Hbd Vs. nos EC. accolas Ecdlv Fs Gm Hbd Vs, accolae MX.
5 assumens Gm Ma (-entes Fs Hd Vs). resonat Fs Hb Vs, resonant Hd,
ad summum resonate MX. hymniferi Fs Hd Vs. chori Fs Hd 2 Vs.
7 mox Hb. perpetua (pro exim.) Fs Hd Vs. 8 laeti Gm Hb. resonat
Ecdv Fs Hb Mak Vs. excita Ecd Fs G/x Hbcd 2 Vs, excitans Ev.
10 te lucis (pro fel.) Fs Vs. reddita Fs Vs. edite (pro sumite) Gm.
ti glorificum Eclv Fu. 13 sidereum Fs Hbd Vs. 14 canores Hb,
canore Fs Hd Vs. iugi Fs Hd Vs.
41". lit. 'The dweller hard by The perpetuum lumen is God Him-
the eternal light sounding forth in self: the accolae are the angels and
reply an endless alleluia shall re- saints who dwell in His presence,
ceive you hence with hymn-raising assumere is often used of adopting
choirs.' or taking into fellowship. Here it
hinc, emphatically placed first, appears to look forward to the
points the contrast between earth moment of entering heaven, but
and heaven. So hue 96. 8. With may perhaps include the thought
perpetui luminis cp. 46. i n. that our praises are even now caught
accola *neans 'a neighbour,' in- up by those of heavenly beings,
cola 'an inhabitant.' The sing, is 7. eximia has its last syll. length-
collective. Strictly speaking accola ened by the stress of the verse as
would imply a dweller in a place have iocunda.VR. 17 and Christe in.
that was not his own, like the 25.
Greek /^rot/roj. Thus Hil. in Ps. suscipiet] ' shall welcome,' as at
CXVIII. 19 says accola non iuris sui 30. 25.
terrain inco/it, sed aduena atque 10. felici reditu] ' at (by reason
peregrinus fructum ex ea tempo- of) your happy homecoming,' cp.
rariae operationis expectat. In this. note on 2.
interpretation he is followed by n. glorificos melos] So Fort.
Ambrose, Jerome and others. Here III. ix. $orepei-cusso...melo; vn.viii.
however it seems to be used in a 28 honortficuni...melum. Ronsch
freer, less technical sense of one p. 268.
who dwells near a spot or thing. 13. Verg. 'Aen. x. 3 sideream in
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCII 319
illic regis honor uocibus inclitis
iocunda reboat carmina perpetim
alleluia perenne.
hoc fessis requies, hoc cibus et potus,
oblectans reduces haustibus affluis 20
alleluia perenne.
nos te suauisonis conditor affatim
rerum carminibus laudeque pangimus
alleluia perenne.
te Christe celebrat gloria uocibus 25
nostris omnipotens, ac tibi dicimus
alleluia perenne.
17 iocundo He. psallendo carmine (fro c. perp.) He. 19 fessi Hbd 1 .
10 hoc laetans Fs Hbd Vs. reducens Eclv Fs Hd Vs. 11 suauisoni
Fs Vs. 23 laudesque Fs Vs. pandimus Hb. 25 celebret Ecv Fsu
Hbd Vs. 26 hac Ev.
sedem. Fort, often uses sidereus =
' heavenly.'
iam...capitis] 'even now ye re-
ceive,' by anticipation.
14. quo] 'where,' referring to
patriae in 13, cp. 1. 18, 117. 31.
iugis, like 'potus below, has lost its
quantity.
16. uocibus inclitis] Cp. 40. 33
inclitam...gloriam. One is tempted
to look upon inclitis as a transferred
epithet ; but in that case why should
not the poet have actually written
inclitil
17. reboat] 63. n. honor is
used in much the same way as
gloria in 25, for the ascription of
honour, and may thus be said to
echo or sound aloud glad songs.
19. hoc... hoc] in apposition with
alleluia perenne.
22 f. In these two stanzas, the
way in which the vocatives are in-
woven into the sentences creates a
good deal of difficulty, rerum being
separated from conditor, as omni-
potens is from Christe. With regard
to the construction of the sentence
nos te etc., it seems clear that te is
the object or accus. after pangimus.
pangimus must accordingly be un-
derstood as a synonym of canimus,
or dicimus. This is not surprising
after 33. i pange proelium ; cp. 121.
7 tropaea pangimus. This being so,
the only construction for all. per-
enne is to throw it into apposition
with the ablatives carminibus lau-
deque. affatim goes with pangi-
mus : "To our hearts' content; O
maker of the world, we celebrate
Thee with sweet songs and with the
praise ' Alleluia without end." "
In the following sentence gloria
mast be taken in the sense which
we have found before in these
hymns, e.g. 40. 34 'ascription of
glory': "Thee, O almighty Christ,'
our acclamations of praise extol (lit.
' praise by our voices extols')."
3 20 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
IN QUADRAGESIMA. HYMN 93
This Lenten hymn was in the older MSS generally
appointed for Vespers, in some few for Lauds. Mone I.
p. 94 gives it ad tertiam, which must be a later local use.
He gives Gregory as the writer, but does not say why.
Eacdghjlsvx5?7/*0 Fdhilprs Gkm Habcdegh/3 Ibcdfghmnv Mm Vcs
Audi, benigne conditor,
nostras preces cum fletibus
in hoc sacro ieiunio
fusas quadragenario.
scrutator alme cordium, 5
infirma tu scis uirium,
ad te reuersis exhibe
remissionis gratiam.
multum quidem peccauimus,
sed parce confitentibus ; i o
ad laudem tui nominis
confer medellam languidis.
sic corpus extra conteri
dona per abstinentiam,
i laudibus Eytt Fhis Gm Hd Ibcdgmn Mm Vcs 1 . 6 cordium E5.
7 adhibe He. 10 confidentibus Ig Mm. poenasque comparauimus Ex
Fdi Gk Hacefgh/3. n nom. tui Eacdhjv Gm Hbd Ib. sed cuncta qui
solus potes Ex Fdi Gk Hacefgh/3. 13 hie El, si Mm. conteris E/x Mm.
2. Cp. 20. 10 note. 6. 27.
4. quadr.] Numerals of this kind 8. Mone quotes Hil. in Ps. LXVI.
are often used without express men- i peccatorum remissio non probitatis
tion of the thing numbered ' of est meritum, sed spontaneae indul-
forty,' sc. days. gentiae uoluntas.
5. scrutator... cordium] Cp. i 10, n. Blume notes that the
Chron. xxviii. 9, Job x. 6, Ps. vii. German MSS, with one French one,
10, Rom. viii. 27,Juvenc. i.tftylum read poenasque comparauimus \ sed
digna rependet \ occulti solus scru- cuncta qui solus potes, which is more
tator praemia cordis \ Sedul. Op. II. in keeping with the general cha-
6 renum scrutator et cordis ; Ambr. racter of the metre.
Hex. VI. 44 scrutatur cordis occulta. 12. languidis] 84. 7 note.
6. Ps. cii. (ciii.) 14. 13- corpus is contrasted with
infirma... uirium] oxymoron. Cp. mens in 15.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCIV 321
ieiunet ut mens sobria 15
a labe prorsus criminum.
praesta, beata Trinitas,
concede, simplex Unitas,
ut fructuosa sint tuis
ieiuniorum munera. 20
1 6 pressus H/3. crimina Im Vs. 19 ut sint acceptabilia Edlv.
15. mens sobria] 5. 16. To 'fast' fast may be fruitful to Thy servants.'
from a 'stain' is a curious mixture munera in the sense of sacrifices,
of figures. gifts offered to God, is common
19 f. 'that the sacrifice of the enough, cp. 96. 18.
HYMN 94
In the older MSS generally appointed for Nocturns,
sometimes for Vespers, throughout Lent. Its later use
varied. In the Sarum and York and some other uses it
was sung at Vespers from the first to the third Sunday
in Lent. In the Roman breviary it is the Mattins hymn
during Lent up to Passion Sunday. Hymns 94, 95, 96
occur in very few early French MSS 95 I believe in not
one.
This hymn like 93 is assigned to Gregory by Mone
who says 'es hat nicht nur seine Behandlung der Zahl-
enmystik (vergl. seine Homil. in Evang. II. xxiv. 4 und
II. xxxi. 6) sondern auch die Art seiner Lehren und Pre-
digten.' This and the two hymns that follow seem to
have been written by the same man, and he may have
been Gregory ; but certainty is impossible.
Eadhlvxtf) Fhis Gm Habcdefgh Icfghmnv Mm Vcs
Ex more docti mystico
i doctis Ig.
i. ex more] 'by the custom.' For may however be 'as taught in ac-
the abl. of the instr. cp. Aug. Con/. cordance with.'
V. 20 ex carne inquinatutn ; Sedul. mystico may refer to the number
Carm. II. 173 tripiici Deus ex ra- forty; cp. Greg. Horn, in Eiiang.
'tone probatur ; Schmalz p. 408. It I. xvi. 5 cur in abstinentia quadra-
322 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
seruemus en ieiunium
denum dierum circulo
ducto quater notissimo.
lex et prophetae primitus 5
hoc praetulerunt, postmodum
Christus sacrauit, omnium
rex atque factor temper urn.
utamur ergo parcius
uerbis, cibis, et potibus, ro
somno, iocis ; et artius
perstemus in custodia.
uitemus autem pessima,
quae subruunt mentes uagas,
nullumque demus callido 15
hosti locum tyrannidis.
2 seruamus Hab j c. hoc {pro en) Ex Fi Hb 2 Ig 2 hn Mm Vc. 3 deno
Fh Gm He Iv. 6 protul. Edhl He. 10 cibisque Im. ac He.
12 custodiam Ehv Iv. 15, 16 callidi hostis 1. tyrannidi Gm Iv Vs 2 .
hostis Ig 1 hm.
genarius numerus custoditur, nisi 28 ; prophetae i.e. Elijah, i Kings
quia uirtus decalogi per libros quat- xix. 8.
tuor sancti euangelii impletur? de- 6. praetul. probably means
narius enim quater ductus in quad- ' displayed, exhibited ' ; but prae-
ragenarium surgit. Or it may refer ferre is used, though very rarely, in
to the 'mystery' of fasting, cp. 25. 6 the sense of 'to anticipate.' See
nil hoc profecto purius mysterio. Dirksen s.v.
2. en] 'Oh! let us...' lays an 7. sacrauit] 98. 14, cp. 95. 4,
emphasis on seruemus. It is often 96. 4.
used in questions (Pers. III. 5 en 9. utamur etc.] Cp. Reg. S.
quid agis ? ' What are you doing ? ') Bened. XLIX in Lent subtrahat
and with imperatives (Verg. Eel. vi. [unusquisque monachorum~\ corpori
69 en accipe, 'do take them'). For suo de cibo, de potu, de somno, de
the use in these hymns see 4. I9f., loquadiate, de scurrilitate.
28. i, 102. 5. 13. pessima] superl. as at 69. 12,
3f. lit. ' in the well-known round 73. 1 6.
of ten days four times reckoned.' 14. subruunt] 72. 6.
denum as at 90. 13. mentes uagas] see 51. n.
circulo] 68. 19, 87. 14. 15. callido] 103. n.
4. notissimo of course qualifies 16. locum] ' vantage ground,' a
circulo. Note the superl. military term. Cp. Eph. iv. 27.
5. lex] i.e. Moses, Exod. xxxiv.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCV 323
dicamus omnes cernui,
clamemus atque singuli,
ploremus ante iudicem,
flectamus iram uindicem. 20
nostris malis offendimus
tuam, Deus, clementiam:
effunde nobis desuper
remissor indulgentiam.
memento quod sumus tui 25
licet caduci plasmatis :
ne des honorem nominis
tui, precamur, alteri.
laxa malum quod fecimus,
auge bonum quod poscimus, 30
placere quo tandem tibi
possimus hie et perpetim.
17 ergo (pro omn.) Gm. 20 flectemus Elv. 23 infunde Ed 2 .
29 gessimus Eax Hce Ih. 31 quod Elv Gm. 32 hinc Eav He Ih.
in perpetuum (pro hie et p.) Edhl.
17. cernui] 62. 30. The dicamus 'though belonging to a fallen
looks on to the petition in 21 foil. creation.' tui is probably nom.
20. uindicem] 'avenging.' It is plur. ; but it might be joined with
used of that which does justice, plasmatis.
whether against one, as here and 27. Cp. (of men) Prov. v. Q ne
Rom. xiii. 4 uindex in iram, or for des alienis honorem tuum ; (of God)
one, 'championing,' as 112. 22. Is. xlii. 8 and xlviii. n gloriam
24. remissor] The word does meant alteri non dabo.
not seem to be found elsewhere, 29. laxa] as at 86. 10.
but this is probably accidental. It 30. auge] Reg. S. Bened. XLIX
is correctly formed, after the manner his diebus augeamus nobis aliquid
of promissor. solito penso seruitutis nostrae.
25. Is. Ixiv. 8 fictor nosier tu, et 31. tandem emphasizes the verb,
opera manuutn tuarum omnes nos. as at 86. 8.
26. plasmatis] 37. 20 note ;
HYMN 95
In liturgical practice this hymn is of course always
connected with Lent, but its use therein is very varied.
One MS from St Gall of the Xl/XIIth centuries assigns
it to the third Sunday, other old MSS to the first or
3 24 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
second Sunday. Another Xlth century MS from Bobbio
has the rubric dominica de passione ad nocturna.
This hymn like many others has been positively given
to Gregory, but on mere guesswork.
Eacdhjlvxtf. Fs Hefgh Ih Vs
Clarum decus ieiunii
monstratur orbi caelitus,
quod Christus altor omnium
cibis dicauit abstinens.
hoc Moyses cams Deo 5
legisque lator fact us est,
hoc Heliam per aera
curru leuauit igneo.
hinc Danihel mysteria
uictor leonum uiderat, 10
per hoc amicus intimus
sponsi Johannes claruit.
2 orbis Ev 1 Ih. 3 auctor Ex0 Ih, saluator Vs. 7, 8 Helias...
levatur Vs. 9 mysterium Evx< Hf Ih. 12 sponsus Ih, Christi
Vs, Christo Ev (ras.).
i. monstratur] 'is taught' or 7. i Kings xix. 8. hoc, nom. to
'prescribed,' as at Verg. Aen. iv. leuauit,
636 monstrata piacula, ' the pre- 9. hinc] ' by means of this,'
scribed offerings of atonement.' Dan. i. 8.
3. altor forms an excellent an- mysteria... uiderat] Dan. ii. 19
tithesis to abstinens in 4. The tune Daniheli mysterium per uisio-
variant auctor would come in as nem nocte reuelatum est.
being so much commoner as an 10. uiderat] 'saw.' The force of
appellation of Christ, as in 31. 5, the pluperf. is 'saw in days of old.''
36. 33, 37. i, 38. 18 etc. But see Cp. the tense of ausus erat in 41.
Greg. Horn, in EuangeL I. xvi. 3 15, and of sanxeras in 96. 4, and
Moyses, ut legem acciperet secundo, Propert. n. ii. 13 diuae quas pastor
diebus quadraginta ieiunauit, Helias uiderat olim.
in deserto quadraginta diebus ab- n. per hoc] Mt. iii. 4, xi. 18,
stinuit, ipse auctor hominum ad Prud. Cath. VI I. 66 illic dicata
homines ueniens in quadraginta die- parcus abstinentia \ potum cibumque
bus nullum omnino cibum sumpsit. uir seuerae industriae \ in usqiie
4. abstinens &\most = abstinen<io, serum respuebat uesperum, \ rarum
Matt. iv. i. locustis et fauorutn agrestium \ li-
5. Exod. xxxiv. 28. hoc, ' by qtiore pastum corpori suetus dare.
this.' Probably carus Deo refers to amicus... sponsi] Joh. iii. 29.
Exod. xxxiii. n, Deut. xxxiv. 10. Probably this is the real predicate,
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCVI 325
haec nos sequi dona, Deus,
exempla parsimoniae ;
tu robur auge mentium, 15
dans spiritale gaudium.
'John was distinguished as the 14. parsimoniae] 25. 3, 96. 6,
' 110. I9 .
HYMN 96
Ecdjvxtf. Fs Hefh Ih Vs
lesu, quadragenariae
dicator abstinentiae,
qui ob salutem mentium
hoc sanxeras ieiunium,
quo paradise redderes 5
seruata parsimonia,
quos inde gastrimargiae
hue inlecebra depulit.
adesto nunc ecclesiae,
adesto paenitentiae, 10
quae pro suis excessibus
orat profusis fletibus.
8 detulit He' 2 . 1 1 qua E< Hef Ih. 12 profusis orat E0 Hf Ih.
precibus Ex< Hf Ih.
i. dicator] Cp. 95. 4 dicauit. 7. gastrimargiae] 'gluttony,' a
3. 'who with a view to the word used by Plato Phaed. 8iR.
health of the soul didst in days of The MSS for the most part mis-spell
old hallow this fast.' the word grotesquely.
Ob rarely has this final force, 8. nuc] i.e. into this world of sin
except in late Latin ; in classical and suffering ; cp. the analogous
Latin it means ' on account of,' not use of hint, 92. 4. [It is possible
' with a view to ' as here. the word depulit, not expulit, sug-
mentium] see 12. 15 note. gests it that the writer regarded
4. sanxeras] see note on 95. 10 the Paradise as above this world.
uideras. Cp. Dr Robinson's note on Irenaeus
5. quo] 'in order that,' a conj., Demonstration p. 81.]
rather than an abl. ' whereby 're- 1 1 . pro] ' on account of her
ferring to ieiunium : for see line 6, transgressions.' The quae of course
which would otherwise be super- refers back to ettlesiae.
fluous. For the sense cp. 29. 49 f. n. Cp. 20. 10 note.
326 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
tu retro acta crimina
tua remitte gratia,
et a futuris adhibe 15
custodiam, mitissime,
ut expiati annuls
ieiuniorum uictimis
tendamus ad paschalia
digne colenda gaudia. 20
14 redemit Vs. 15 hac (pro a) Vs.
13. retro] 'in time past.' Ronsch 17, 18, like 110. 17 f., is based
P- 343 gives many examples of this on 25. 5 f., which see. The yearly
use of the word. Lenten fast is regarded as an offer-
15. ' and do Thou guard us from ing to Christ. For expiati cp. 25. 7.
sins in the future.' With a futuris Benedict Reg. XLIX exhorts negle-
supply criminibus from 13. Blume gentias aliorum temporum his diebus
reads affuturis, but does not say sanctis diluere.
how he takes it.
HYMN 97
As to the date of this fine old hymn, its merely
rhythmical character (note the repeated lengthening of
short syllables in i, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 etc.) and the incomplete
rhymes in 3 f., stanza III and iQf. forbid us to place it
after the revival of learning under Charles the Great. If
we say Vlth century we shall not be far from the truth.
Lipp says IX-XIth centuries, Daniel X-XIIIth cen-
turies. But Daniel postdates many hymns. Its general
use was at Mattins during Lent. The variety of readings,
which at times makes it hard to say what the original
text was, seems to be due partly to deliberate editing,
partly to the difficulty of certain of its stanzas.
ESVXTJ/IC Fdghimnrs Gm Hd Ibdeghmnv Vcs
lam, Christe, sol iustitiae,
mentis dehiscant tenebrae,
i recedant Id Vs.
i. sol iustitiae] Mai. iv. 2. tenebrae, \ mine mentis eat caecitas, \
2 f. The variant noctis recedunt nirtutum et lux redeat (coming, as
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCVII 327
uirtutum ut lux redeat,
terris diem cum reparas.
das tempus acceptable, 5
et paenitens cor tribue,
conuertat ut benignitas,
quos longa suffert pietas.
quiddamque paenitentiae
da ferre, quamuis grandium
10
maiore tui munere
3 et (pro ut) Fg Hd Id Vs. 4 terras Hd 2 . dies Hd Vs. dum Ev Fr.
reparat Ih. 2, 3, 4 de lectione Fm Gm uide annot. infra. 5 da Gm
Ibghv. 7, 8 uide infra, ad 2. 10 licet (fro quamuis) Gm.
1 1 maiorem Hd 2 Idh, -ra Fm, -ri Fn. tuo Ev Gm Ib, tuis Hd 1 . munera
Fm, nomine Ibg, -nis Ex.
it does, in two MSS written probably
at Limoges and Moissac respectively)
seems to point to a local use. This
is so likewise with the variant in 7 f.
ne nos uacuum transeat hoc quod
benigne praerogas.
dehlscant] 'part asunder,' cp.
21. 5 scindititr and other passages,
where the darkness is regarded as a
material pall drawn over things.
The Thesaurus quotes the gloss
Siaxakw debt's fit, aperit,fatescita.nA
as synonyms oidehiscere gives scindi,
disrumpi.
4 . diem] 'the natural day,' the
hymn being written for an early
morning hymn ; ttrris (plural) means
the natural earth.
5 f. 'Thou givest an acceptable time
(2 Cor. vi. 2), grant us also a peni-
tent heart.' The appropriation of the
passage in 2 Cor. to the beginning
of Lent was universal in the West
from very ancient times. Leo Serin.
XXXIX (in Quadrag.) opportune
auribus nostris lectio apostolicae prae-
dicationis insonuit dicens, ' Ecce
nunc t. acceptum? etc. Cp. Serm.
XL.
paenitens and paenilendus are
the two forms of paenitere that are
used by classical writers personally,
but other parts of the verb are so
used in late Latin : see Paul. Nol.
Carm. vi. 263, xx. 236, Sedul. Op.
IV. 7 quae cadentibus manum dare
non paenitet ; Fort. Vit. Mart. n.
195 si nunc paenileas; Lofstedt
Aeth. p. 46. paenitens is always
used as an adj.
7 f . benignitas... pietas] 29. 39.
Cp. Rom. ii. 4 f.
9. paenitentiae seems here to
indicate the outward expression of
penitence, i.e. penance. 'Grant us
to bear (offer) something of peni
tential hardship.' Cicero uses quid-
dam mali, like quiddam p. here.
rof. lit. 'that there may be a
doing away of our sins however
great by Thy gift which is greater
still.' The penitence is regarded as
a gift of God, as in Acts xi. 18.
[As dentptio (a rare word) is used in
the Old Latin for an 'offering, 'per-
haps here also there is atouchof sacri-
ficial meaning in it.]
tui] = tuo, as often in late Latin ;
cp. Sedul. Hymn. I. 93 passio,
t'hriste, tui conpleuit munera legis ;
Fort. I. xiii. 9 pro mercede tui ; vil.
xviii. 14 dicta... tui. See Moxon's
note on Vincent Ler. Comm. i p. 8.
328 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
quo demptio sit criminum.
dies uenit, dies tua,
per quam reflorent omnia ;
laetemur in hac ut tuae 15
per hanc reducti gratiae.
te rerum uniuersitas
clemens adoret Trinitas,
et nos noui per ueniam
nouum canamus canticum. 20
12 quod Esx Fhmn Gm Hd legv Vcs. emptio Ex Fm Gm Hd 2 leg Vcs.
criminis Ex. 13 ueni Hd. in qua Esvx Ibghmv. 15 tui Fmr Hd 2 ,
tua E/x Gm Hd 1 Inv, tuam Ib 1 . 16 redempti Hd 2 . gratia Gm Hd 1 Iv,
gratiam Esx/* Fm Hd 3 In. 19 at Idehmn. uos In.
12. quo] 'in order that,' as in this day.' There is a contrast be-
96. 5. Note how late it comes in tween in hac and per hanc : Lenten
the sentence. penance leads to Easter joy.
131". 'The day is coming, Thy ut with the participle gives the
day, by which all things are brought reason, as utpote at 29. 34 ; Schmalz
again into bloom.' This day is p. 458.
Easter. As at 10. i there is a refer- 1 7. rerum uniuersitas] a phrase
ence to Ps. cxvii. (cxviii.) 24. used by Cic. de Nat. Deor. I. xliii.
14. For the underlying thought 120, who also has uniuersitas gene-
of this line cp. 36. 9-18, of which ris humani; cp. Tob. viii. 19 ut
passage the writer may be thinking. cognoscat uniuersitas gentium quia
reflorent] Ps. xxvii. (xxviii.) 7 tu es Deus solus in uniuersa terra,
refloruit caro mea. 19. noui] 'made new through
1 5 f. In the Psalm laetemur in ea, pardon.'
'let us be glad therein, as being 20. Cp. 87. 24; Rev. xiv. 3 and
brought home to Thy favour through often in Pss.
HYMN 98
The metre of 98 is rugged. Not only are short syllables
made long throughout, but there are many spondees in
the 2nd foot, and a spondee or trochee is found as often as
an iambus even in the 4th foot of the verse. The only other
hymn which does this to any extent is 49. The two may
have been written at the same time. The ruggedness of
the metre has caused some of the lines to be rewritten in
later MSS. Thus Lipp with the Cistercian breviary writes
2 f. spes una mundi perditi, \ preces intende pauperum \ ad
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN XCVIII 329
pedes tuos flentinm. \ nostra nos conscientia \ culpis accu-
sat grauibus. See Mone I. p. 97.
The hymn was used for various hours in different
places.
Eadghsviw* Fdhipr Gm HdghX Ih Mm
Summi largitor praemii,
spes qui es unica mundi,
preces intende seruorum
ad te deuote clamantum.
nostra te conscientia 5
graue offendisse se monstrat,
quam emundes supplicamus
ab omnibus piaculis.
si rennuis, quis tribuet ?
indulge, quia potens es : 10
si corde rogamus mundo,
certe debes ex promisso.
ergo acceptare nostrum
qui sacrasti ieiunium,
i summe Edghsv?;/x Fdhp Gm Hdg. 4 clamantium Hg. 5 se Ea
Fr. -tiam Mm. 6 se off. Hd. 7 qua Ed. emunda Hg 2 Ih.
ii rogaris Fhr Hd Mm. n, 12 te corde rogare mundo fac nos,
precamur, domine Eaghs/tt Gm (rogari Ev). 13 accepta rex Ea,
acceptato Eh. 14 quod Eh.
i. summi is preferred to summc 8. piaculis] 'defilements,' 67.
for much the same reasons as sum- 5.
mae in 69. i, magnae in 77. i. 9. For the spelling rennuis cp.
largitor] 45. i, 107. 18. 12. 12 note, and Stolz Lot. Gr.
i. spes ] 87. 6. p. 90.
3. intende takes an ace. as at 10. indulge] ' pardon,' 68. 10.
87. 7. ii f. The variant te corde rogare
6. The line grant off^ndisse" man- (rogari) mundo \ fac nos, precamur,
strdt is possible, as se is often omitted Domine looks like a softening down
when it is the subject of an infinitive, of what seemed too bold a state-
cp. e.g. 36. 36. But both grammar ment. The statement in the text is
and metre would be easier if we read the converse of Ps. Ixv. 18.
offendisse se. se might well fall out 13. acceptare] Unless we are to
after offendisse. The reading of Hd treat this as an unique occurrence of
is in favour of it. the verb as a deponent, we must
7. ' Which we beseech Thee to remove the stop at promisso, and
cleanse': cp. Heb. ix. 14, x. 2. take ace. with debes.
330
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
quo mystice paschalia
capiamus sacramenta.
summa nobis hoc conferat
in Deitate Trinitas,
in qua gloriatur unus
per cuncta saecula Deus.
1 6 sacramentum Mm.
15. mystice] evidently intended
to bear the sense of rite. sacr. in-
cludes all the sacred ceremonies of
the festival.
19.* in qua] sc. Trinitate.
gloriatur would seem to be
pass, 'is glorified'; but until such
an employment of the word is found
elsewhere it is safest to take it to
1 8 et adoranda (pro in d.) Ih.
mean that God rejoices in His three-
foldness. In the following passages
a passive meaning may be intended :
Cypr. Epist. LXVI. 2 qui indicia ac
testimonio Dei non probantur tan-
turn sed gloriantur ; Ambr. in Luc.
VI. 100 Christus noluit gloriari, sed
maluit igtiobilis uuleri. See Bayard
p. 36.
HYMN 99
In quadragesima ad tertiam or ad tertia was the un-
broken use of this hymn.
Eacdhjlosvx??/i0 Fagimsz^ Gbm Hbcdf/3 Icdefghmnopv Vcs
Dei fide qua uiuimus,
spe perenni qua credimus,
per caritatis gratiam
Christo canamus gloriam.
qui ductus hora tertia 5
ad passionis hostiam
2 perenne Fa^. om. qua Eo Fa^. 4 Christi nonmtlli. 6 hostia H/3.
i f. For the three theological
virtues cp. 15. ,21 f., 47. iyf.
Dei fide] ' by our faith in God ' ;
for the gen. cp. 116. i^fida Christi,
and Mark xi. 22 habete fidem Dei.
qua uiuimus] Habak. ii. 4, quoted
Rom. i. 17, Gal. iii. 1 1, Heb. x. 38.
i. spe perenni] ' by the hope of
eternal life,' Tit. i. 2 in spem uitae
aeternae. Or shall we simply cp.
87. 6? For the intimate connexion
of faith and hope cp. Gal. v. 5. Cp.
also" Rom. iv. 18 qui contra spem in
spem credidit.
5. Mk. xv. 25.
6. ' to the sacrifice of His passion.'
For the gen. passionis cp. 42. 34
crucem mortis, line 7 crucis suspen-
dia. hostia, like our word 'sacrifice,'
denotes both ' the victim ' (11. 29,
12. 5 etc.) and the act of offering it
(53. 7). Ronsch p. 327 quotes the
similar phrase Tert. Patient. 3 ad-
ducitur ut pecus ad uictimam.
LA TER H YMNA L. H YMN C 331
crucis ferens suspendia
ouem reduxit perditam.
precemur ergo subditi,
redemptione liberi, 10
ut eruat a saeculo
quos soluit a chirographo.
7 cmci H/3. 9 precamur El Hd 2 Vs, precentur H/3. 12 quod
Fi le Vs.
7. crucis... suspendia] 'enduring is the Lamb,
the hanging on the cross.' 9. subditi j 55. 30.
8 conies from 32. 28. An old 12. Cp. 60. 15. The doxology
scribe in Durh. B. III. 32 wrote to this and the four next hymns is
against ouem... perditam 'sc.Adam.' gloria tibi, Trinifas, \ aequalis una
The introduction of the ouis perdita Deitas, \ et ante omne saeculum \ et
is to some extent prepared for by nunc et in perpeluum.
the hostia, which implies that Christ
HYMN 100
In quadragesima(-mo) ad (sexto) sextam is the rubric
of the hymn in the MSS. Sievers in his edition of the
Oxford MS, Bodley Junius 25, says that the hymn is
contained only in that MS. But it is in about 20 other
MSS of the Xth and Xlth centuries, while 99 and 101
are contained in many more.
Ecdhjlov Fais^ Gbm Hbcd/3 lop Vs
Meridie orandum est,
Christusque deprecandus est,
ut iubeat nos edere
de suo sancto corpore :
i rorandum H/3. 2 om. que Eo Fa^ Gd Hbc lop. qui H.
4 sanguine Ev.
1. meridie] Ps. liv. (lv.) 18. fast days, when communion was
2. deprecandus] See note on deferred. The word inhere is often
19. 13, and observe that the gerun- used in late Latin in the weakened
dive is passive though from a de- sense of ' granting,' ' permitting,' as
ponent verb. The later MSS inserted in the well-known liturgical formula
-que here after Christus and in 9 lube domne benedieere, on which see
after Jet. See Huemer Untersiich- Maskell Ancient Liturgy (3rd ed.)
ungen p. 37 f. p. 64 f., and Ducange s.v.fufare.
Note that the hymn is one for 4- de .corpore] 'of His body.'
332 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
ut ille sit laudabilis 5
in uniuerso populo,
ipse caelorum Dominus,
qui sedet in altissimis.
detque nobis auxilium
per angelos mirabiles, 10
qui semper nos custodiant,
in omni uita saeculi.
5 et He. 6 uniuersis -lis aliquot posteriores. 7 qui est (pro ipse)
H/S. 9 om. que Eo Fai^ Ip Vs. n nos semp. He. 12 uitaeGb.
saecula Fa Hd.
Here and in the similar passage 'some of the sacred wood.' See
i Cor. xi. 28 sic de pane illo edat et de Lofstedt Aeth. p. 106 f., Ronsch
calice bibat, we have the beginnings p. 396, Schmalz p. 407.
of the partitive use of de, which is 5. laudabilis] 'praised.' The ut
so conspicuous in the Romance seems to be parallel to that in 3,
languages. In Latin this use be- and dependent upon deprecandus.
longed to the conversational style; 10. angelos mirabiles] Cp. Sedul.
cp. Plaut. Stick. 400 ibo intro ad Op.\. 27 angelus...mirabilis reside-
libros et discam de dictis melioribus, bat in saxo (with reference to Judges
'some better things to say'; Aug. xiii. 18) ; and in the Michaelmas
Conf. in. 7 utrum iusti,..qui sacri- collect : Deus qui miro ordine ange-
ficarent de animalibus(desanimaux). lorum ministeria...dispensas.
Aetheriae Peregrinatio in. 6 dede- 12. uita saeculi] 'our earthly
runt nobis presbyteri...de pomis (des life,' as in dies saeculi above, 13. 2,
pommes) ; ib. xxxvil. 2 dicitur and often.
quidam . . .furasse de sancto ligno,
HYMN 101
(
In quadragesima ad sextain. Blume (Analecta LI p. 66)
notes that no German MS earlier than the Xllth century
contains this hymn, and that Chevalier Repertorium
no. 15840 gives as sources for it several comparatively
modern printed French breviaries of the XVth and
XVIth centuries. There Fortunatus is named as the
writer of the hymn, a mistake which comes from Daniel
(I. 169, cp. IV. 176) who saysfertur sub Fortunati nomine
in Hymnario Thomasii\ but Tomasi says no such thing.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CI 333
Fisz Gm Hdf Icefghmnv Vcs
Qua Christus hora sitiit,
crucem uel in qua subiit,
quos praestat in hac psallere
ditet siti iustitiae.
quibus sit et esuries, 5
de se quam ipse satiet,
crimen sit ut fastidium
uirtusque desiderium.
charisma sancti Spiritus
sic influat psallentibus, 10
ut carnis aestus frigeat
et mentis algor ferueat.
i quam Hd 2 Vs. 3 quod Ih, quo Fz. hanc Fz. 5 esuriens
Es0 Ih. 6 quam i. de se Eav0 (ipsa Es) Fz Ightnv. 8 desiderio
Es. 10 sint Es. 1 1 ardor Gm.
i. The first reference is to Joh. this sense we should expect the dat.
iv. 6f. (cp. 66. T. if.), but the writer quibus. Cp. Damas. IX. i uiuere
may also be thinking of the thirst qui praestat morientia semina terrae,
on the cross, Joh. xix. 28, in spite Fort. I. xxi. 10. praestare is on its
of the inverted order. way to becoming the French prfter,
i. Joh. xix. 14. Cp. 63. 5 f. , 66. the Italian prestare. See further the
9f. note on 4 7.
uel] ' and,' 37. 6 note. 5. esuries] Mt. v. 6.
3 f. ' May He enrich with a thirst 6. Ps. cvi. (cvii.) 9 animam esu-
for righteousness (Mt. v. 6) those rientem satiauit bonis.
whom He allows to sing at this de se] Cp. 100. 4 note. See 3.
hour.' In form the sentence is like 21.
36. 41: the relative clause precedes 7. fastidium] ' a loathsome thing,'
the principal one and the antecedent cp. 2. 4.
Is omitted. 9. cbarisma] 90. 24.
quos is to be regarded as the 10. influat] 106. 13.
subject of psallere rather than as the 1 1 . aestua] 46. 1 4.
object of praestat, after which in
334 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
FOR NONE IN LENT. HYMN 102
Easvijyn^ Fhns Gm Hdf Icefghmn Vcs
Ternis ter horis numerus
sacrae fidei panditur ;
nunc Trinitatis nomine
munus precemur ueniae.
latronis en confessio 5
Christi meretur gratiam,
laus nostra uel deuotio
mercetur indulgentiam.
mors per crucem nunc interit,
et post tenebras lux redit : 10
horror dehiscat criminum,
splendor nitescat mentium.
i per Es. 2 fidei sacrae Hd 2 . pangitur Hd 2 . 3 ut (pro nunc) Fn.
4 precamur Esv^u Fh leg 1 . 8 meretur E0 1 . 9 mox Es. 10 rediit
E/tlg.
1. The number nine is here pro- procure us pardon.'
fessedly broken up into three threes latronis] Cp. 10. 7 f., 29. 45,
in order to introduce the number of 56. 27.
the Trinity ; so also at 54. i. Cp. 6. meretur] 4. 8 note.
52. 31". We may take ternis ter h. 7. uel] 'and,' 37. 6 note,
as a descriptive ablative attached to 8. mercetur] ' procure,' the idea
numerus, and s. fidei as dative after of buying having well-nigh gone.
panditur : ' the number of thrice Cp. Ambr. Apol. Dauid 85 corpora
three hours is disclosed to holy sua obtulerunt martyrio, ut Christi
faith.' Cicero, in his translation of sibi gratiam mercarentur \ [Damas.]
Aratus, uses panditur of a constella- LVIII. 3 sanguine purpureo mercan-
tion becoming visible. A Christian tes praemia uifae', Saluian. adEccles.
faith notes both the arrival of the II. 13 Dominum lesum Christum
hour and its mystical significance. non sanctitate solum sed etiam pau-
2. In like manner at 48. 9 fides pertate mercantur; Fort. I. v. iq,
means the special belief in the II. xvi. 148, IV. v. 20, xxvii. 17
Trinity. aetermtm mercata diem.
3. nomine] It is a somewhat 9. nunc] at the ninth hour, when
strange expression, to pray ' in the Christ by His death slew death,
name of the Trinity.' Perhaps the Cp. 10. 31 f.
reference is to the baptismal formula, 10. Mt. xxvii. 45.
by which forgiveness is first be- n. horror... criminum] 'dread
stowed. sins,' cp. 67. 14, 80. 14, 81. 6.
5 f. ' The robber's acknowledge- dehiscat] ' break up,' and so
ment wins Christ's grace (cp. 10. ' disperse,' as in 97. 2.
22), may our praise and devotion
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CIII 335
HYMN 103
Vespers in Lent. Is the first stanza an integral part
of the hymn ? Certainly sic ter quaternis in 5 would be a
most abrupt beginning, so abrupt that we can but suppose
some stanza to have preceded it. Some copyists tried to
remedy matters by writing tain for sic. But, if the hymn
originally began Ut nox etc., how is it that the stanza is
contained in so few MSS? In Veron. cap. CIX the hymn
is rewritten. Thus 7 f. sol ocddens reciproca \ noctis re-
signat sydera. \ Sanctae cruets signaculo \ signemus (h)ora
sedulo, | serpens ut ille callidus \ abhinc recedat longius. \
Manuspudicis actibus \ et cordapuris sensibus \ armentur,
ut perterritum \ hostem repellat inprobum. \ Et ne ciborum
crapula \ distendat umquam corpora, \ ne sompnus ingens
incidat \ uagasque mentes opprimat. \ Haec est Deo gratis-
sima | ieiuniorum kostia, \ si corpus et cor sobrium \ noxa
carebunt criminum. \ Summo Patri sit gloria \ prolique
laus quam maxima \ sanctoque sit spiramini \ per cuncta
secla seculi.
Eadhlovyu, Fabips/3f Gbmftu, Hbcdegh^ Icfhopv Vs
Ut nox tenebris obsita
aequans per horas tempora
ternis quater successibus
reddit diem mortalibus,
sic ter quaternis trahitur 5
horis dies ad uesperum,
1-4 in G/3 Hegh Ih tantum. 5 iam Eayu Gm Iv. uoluitur Ih.
i . tenebris obsita] ' shrouded by itself departing, cp. 59. 7 note.
with darkness ' as if with a cloak or 5. If sic ter is the original be-
pall; 21. 5 note. For the phrase ginning of the hymn, sic must be
cp. Prud. Cath. n. 86 hominem taken in the same kind of sense as
tenebris obsitum. ergo in Horace's well-known ergo
i. tempera] the times of day and Quinctifaun... sopor urget. But it
night, per h. distributive, ' hour would be difficult to find a similar
for hour.' instance.
4. The night gives back the day
3 36 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
occasu sol pronuntians
noctem redire temporum.
nos ergo signo Domini
tutemus claustra pectorum, 10
ne serpens ille callidus
intrandi templet aditum.
sed armis pudicitiae
mens fulta uigil libere
sobrietate comite 15
hostem repellat inprobum.
sed ne ciborum crapula
tandem distendat corpora,
7 occasum Edlov Gb Hd 1 eh/3 lov Vs. praenuntians Ev G/3, pronuntiat
Eah Fp/3 Iv. 8 noctis Fb. tempora Fb/3. 9 signum F^.
10 tutemur Hh Iv, tundamus Gb Hbc lo, tundimus Eo Fa^. pectoris Gm
Ipv, casta pectora Eho Fab/3 G/J Hgh lo, nostra p. H/3, casto pectore \f/.
12 attemptet G/J He. aditus Eo Fb^ GbjS. 14 liberae Eh, liberis
Eo F^. 15 -tern -tern Fa (-te -tern F^) Gb. 17 et (pro sed) Ih.
nee (pro ne) Eabchv Gbm/3 Hegh Vs. 18 dist. umquam Ih, distentet
Edhlv Hd (-tat Hh).
7 f. ' The sun telling forth by his si peccator es, magis curre ut uigi-
setting that the night season is re- lando et orando purgeris ; dutn tunso
turning.' sol pronuntians is nomin. pectore frequentius clamas....
absolute, cp. 91. 27 note. n. serpens... callidus] Gen. iii.
8. redire should strictly be fu- i serpens erat callidior cunctis ani-
ture, redituram esse. But in late mantibus', Ambr. in Ps. cxvm.
Latin the fut. inf. is almost always xv. 18 serpens ille callidus et astutus',
replaced by the present, cp. 42. 19 94. 15.
resurgere credimus, 89. 18, Schmalz 13. sed has little or no adver-
p. 428. n. temporum appears to be sative force here or in 1 7, cp. 36.
used in the same way as dies sae- 37.
cult. 14. libere... repellat] 'boldly re-
9f. The writer is probably think- pel'; cp. Cic. Gael. 7 liberius et
ing of 26. 5. fortius et magis more nostro refu-
10. tutemus] The active form taremus ; Quint, xn. i. 21 fortius
tutare is used by Naevius and liberinsque defendere.
Plant. Cp. Wisd. x. 12 a seduc- 15. comite] perhaps =socia, con-
toribus tutauit ilium. Fort. App. trasted with hostem.
xxui. 21, Vit, Mart. IV. 83 uses 17. crapula] 'surfeit,' 25. 9,
tutari in a passive sense. With 116. 27 ; Luke xxi. 34.
the variant tundamus .. .pectora cp. 18. tandem] 'we pray,' cp. 86. 8
Nicet. de Vigiliis 3 (p. 59 ed. Burn) note.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CIV 337
ne ui per somnum animam
ludificatam polluat. 20
19 ne cui H/3, nee ui Fb (nee aim Ff). anima H/3. 20 -ta El Hb/3
Iv Vs (-cat Hh), glorificata Eho F^ Ip, -tarn Hce lo.
19. per somnum] 'during sleep,' 20. ludiflcatam] 57. 1 5 i nludat.
as in Suet. Cats. 45 per somnum polluat] Cp. 83. 8.
exterreri sokbat.
FOR PALM SUNDAY. HYMN 104
Aabdefghik Bb Fls/3 Hbd lacefn Vcs
Magnum salutis gaudium !
laetetur omne saeculum !
lesus redemptor omnium
sanauit orbem languidum.
sex ante paschae ferias 5
aduenit in Bethaniam,
ubi pie post triduum
resuscitauit Lazarum.
i magno...gaudio Icef Vcs (magnum. ..gaudio Ae). 6 Bethania Aef.
1. 'O great joy of salvation!' over.' ferias here takes the place of
With the later reading magno...gau- dies of the Vulgate, having come to
dio the line goes closely with the mean 'days.' For the process see
next. Ducange s. v. Only once in the Vul-
2. Cp. 6. 7, 38. i, 31, 39. 32. gate is feriae used, of the feast of
4. sanare is always used of heal- Tabernacles, in Levit. xxiii.
ing bodily sickness, as at Mt. iv. 23 In giving a date the gen. denotes
sanans am turn languorem ; here of the starting-point, as at Oros. vil.
course metaphorically. xl. 3 ante biennium inruptionis.
languidum] 84. 7 note. 6. in B.] The curious in comes
After stanza I Cod. Vat. 7172 from Matt. xxi. 17, Mk xi. n,
inserts two others. Si hie fuisset Luke xxiv. 50.
Do minus, \ Lazarus adhuc uiueret. \ 7. post triduum] The deviation
quatriduamis iam fetet \ in monu- from Joh. xi. 39 quatriduanus est
mento positus. \ currunt uidere Laza- is perhaps due to ib. 6. The same
rum, \ qui fuerat iam mortuus, \ change is made by Damas. ix. 3f.
sedentem cum discipulis, \ loquentem soluere qui potuit Utalia uincula
cum apostolis. mortis, \ post tenebras fratrem, past
5. Joh. xii. i ante sex dies pas- tertia lumina softs \ ad superos ite~
chae uenit Bethaniam : the first rum Marthae donare sorori.
words of the Gospel for the day 8. resusc.] A classical writer
before Palm Sunday in the Roman would have used the pluperfect.
missal. ' Six days before the pass-
338 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
nardi Maria pistici
sumpsit libram mox optimi, 10
unxit beatos Domini
pedes rigando lacrimis.
post haec iugalis asinae
lesus, supernus arbiter,
pullo sedebat, inclitam 15
pergebat lerosolymara.
o quam stupenda pietas !
mira Dei dementia !
sessor aselli fieri
dignatur auctor saeculi. 20
olim propheta praescius
praedixit almo Spiritu :
' exulta ' dicens ' filia
Sion satis et iubila.
rex ecce tuus humilis, 25
noli timere, ueniet,
pullo iugalis residens,
tibi benignus, patiens.'
10 optimam la. 1 1 beato domino Bb. 15 pullum Aef Fl Icn Vcs.
27 pullum Aafh Bb. iugali Aeg Fl laen Vc. praesidens Ae.
jo. Joh. xii. 3. mox represents 104 f.) has substituted here and at
vbv of the Greek, ergo of the Latin. 27 the classical iugalis.
Late writers use it loosely, e.g. 14. arbiter] 32. 31.
Fort. Vit. Mart. I. 217 mox fragor 15. pullo] pullum is well attested
astra petit. Notice how late it comes both here and at 27, but would come
in the sentence. from the Latin of Zech. ix. 9, Mt.
optimi] = iroKvri^ov, pretiosi, of xxi. 5.
the Gospel. inclitam] 89. 19.
12. 'wetting His feet with her 19. sessor... fieri (a phrase which
tears ' comes from Lk. vii. 38. no classical writer would have here
For the gerund see 21. u. used) = severe; cp. Theodulf's hymn
i3f. Mt. xxi. 2 f . Gloria, laus et honor, stanza XI sis
iugalis] strictly one used for pius ascensor, tuus el nos simus asel-
ploughing, not for riding: cp. Lk. lus, see Daniel I. p. 216, Kayser
xix. 30 ' whereon no man ever yet vol. II p. 320.
sat.' It .represents the virof vyiov of 21 f. Zech. ix. 9f.
Mt. xxi. 5. Notice that the writer 22. almo] a divine attribute, as
for the unclassical subiugalis of the at 84. i.
Vulgate (for which see Ronsch p. 24. satis] ' greatly,' is the Vulgate
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CIV 339
ramos uirentes sumpserat
palma recisos tenera 30
turba, processit obuiam
regi perenni plurima.
coetus sequens et praeuius
sanctoque plenus Spiritu
clamabat ' in altissimis 35
hosanna Dauid filio.'
quidam solutis stropheis
uiam tegebant uestibus,
pluresque flore candido
iter parabant Domino. 40
ad cuius omnis ciuitas
commota ingressum tremuit,
30 recisa Ad, recisus Af. 31 praecessit Abefh. obuia Aae In Vc.
34 pleno Ic. 36 filium Bb. 37 salutis Abefh, silitis Bb. tropheis
Aabdfghi la. 39 flores la. candidum la. 42 cuncta (pro commota)
Bb. ingressus Abe, ingressu Afh len Vc.
representative of LXX o-(f>68pa ; cp. recollection of Juvenc. III. 639 Da-
40. 6. uidis origine creto \ osarina' excelsis
28. tibi] uenit tibi mansuetus in sit gloria laeta trophaeis! Theread-
the Vulgate of Mt. Probably both ing propriis would give a poor sense
there and here tibi=ad te, governed in the text and would be a gloss on
by the verb, not by the adj. stropheis. Ducange quotes zonatu
29 f. Joh. xii. 13. die strophium, and pretiosum eliam
32 f. Cp. Mt. xxi. 8 f. The stropheum quern cingebat. In MSS a
obuiam is from St John. final s before another s is often
34. The qtu has practically no omitted. Bluine reads quidam sa-
copulative force, but merely marks lutis propriis etc., which he explains
the predicate, as often in Fort. e.g. 'covered the way of the Saviour'
vm. iii. 1 20. (cp. 23. 14 note), but this does not
36. 49. 33. seem suitable here. He also reads
37 f. ' Some loosing their girdles with a carelessly written MS, Veron.
covered the way with their gar- cap. xc, in y) pluresque flores eatuii-
ments, and many with bright flowers dum etc. Withyfor* used collectively
prepared a road for the Lord.' The in the singular cp. 36. 18 gramma
loosing of the girdles would be a Jiorefanetit,]\i\enc.u\.6^Tguaifue
necessary preliminary to taking off iter est Christo subnexa fronde coro-
the outer cloaks, stropheis has the nant ; Verg. Georg. 11. 71.
merit not only of giving a good 40. parabant seems almost to
sense but also of accounting for the mean 'decked,' like the French
variant trophaeis, which can hardly parer. Cp. 73. 4.
be right, and which may also have 41 f. Mt. xxi. 10. ciuilas in late
come into the text of MSS from a Latin came to take the place of
340 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
Hebraea proles aurea
laudes ferebat debitas.
nos ergo tanto iudici 45
curramus omnes obuiam ;
palmas gerentes gloriae
mente canamus sobria.
43 prolis Bb la. 44 ferebant Hb 2 la. domino (pro deb.) Aa.
45 tanti iudici(s) Abf Vs. sui famuli (pro t. i.) Bb. 46 omn. curr. Bb
Hd. 47 palmam Abdg Bb Vs 2 . ferentes Vc, tegentes Bb.
urbs and oppidum, and survives in 44. laudes... debitas] 1. i.
the Italian citta, French '//, our 45. nos] emphatic, as well as the
city ; whereas urbs and oppidum Hebrew children,
died out in vulgar talk and writing 46. Cp. 41. 40.
and are not used e.g. in the Aethe- 47. gloriae] ' palms of praise,'
riae Peregrinatio ; cp. 119. 16. i.e. consisting of praise. Cp. Theo-
43. If this hymn was known, as dulf hi tibi passuro soluebant munia
it probably was, to Theodulf, proles laudis, \ nos tibi regnanti pangimus
aurea perhaps suggested his puerile ecce melos.
decus. 48. mente... sobria] 5. 1 6.
FOR MAUNDY THURSDAY. HYMN 105
This hymn seems to be from the same hand as the
foregoing.
Aabdeghk Fs Hbd Ihn Vaps
Hymnum dicamus Domino,
laudes Deo cum cantico,
qui nos crucis patibulo
suo redemit sanguine.
die decursa ad uesperum, 5
qua Christus morti traditur,
1 fratres (pro laud.) Hbd In Vs. 5 diei cursus Hbd Ihn Vs.
6 quo Hbd In Vs, quia Ae.
1. For the phrase hymnum dica- in Luc. vn. 5 dicat et tibi de pati-
mus cp. 1. r hymnum dicat. bulo crucis Christus. For patibulo
2. cum cantico] from Ps. Ixviii. cp. 34. 4 note.
31; cp. 55. 8. laudes is of course in 5. decursa] 'having run its
apposition to hymnum. For Deus course,' lit. 'having been run
in this connexion see Acts xx. -28. through'; cp. Ambr. Hex. in. 48
3. crucis patibulo] Cp. Ambr. decurso aetatis flore; Prud. Perist.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CV 341
ad cenam uenit impius,
qui erat Christ! proditor.
lesus futura nuntiat
cenantibus discipulis ; 10
' unus ex discumbentibus
ipse me traditurus est.'
ludas, mercator pessimus,
osculo petit Dominum;
ille, ut agnus innocens, 15
non negat ludae osculum.
denariorum numero
Christus ludaeis traditur
innocens et innoxius,
quern ludas tradit impius. 20
praeses Pilatus proclamat:
'nullam culpam inuenio';
ablutis aqua manibus
Christum ludaeis tradidit.
phalanx ludaea impia 25
9 nuntians Aa Hbd Ihn Vs. 10 apostolis Hb. 11 hie (pro ipse)
Aa. 14 osculum Hd. domino Hbd Ih Vs. 16 negauit Hbd 1 Vs.
17 numerum Ih. 18 christum... tradidit Hd Ihn Vs. 19 innocentem
pro noxiis Ihn Vs. 20 tradidit Aa 2 eh Hd Ih Vs. 25 fallax Hd
Ih Vs, fallaces ludei impii...petunt Aabdegh Vap.
XI. 195 decursis mensibus ; Fort. pro noxiis. For innoxius see note
III. vi. 8 tempore decurso; 91. 3. on 22. 12 noxa.
The Thesaurus gives further in- 21. praeses] 1. 35.
stances from Plautus, Lucretius, and 22. Lk. xxiii. 4, 14, 22.
many late authors. 23 f. Mt. xxvii. 24 f.
6. traditur] Cp. lines 12, 1 8, 25. phalanx ludaea impia] ' The
20, 24. Jews, a horde of unbelievers.' The
12. Ipse] =' actually one ' etc. reading phalanx, written falanx, is
13. 'Judas basest of hucksters,' doubtless the original, accounting
Mt. xxvi. 14 f.; but perhaps the as it does for the fallax of so many
superlative is hardly intended, see MSS, which would itself jar with the
94. 13. further epithet impia ; while /at/aces
14. 1. 32,31. 73 f. ludaei impii would be a gloss
15. agnus] Is. liii. 7. written over fallax ludaea impia,
19. ' without harm or guilt ' : when this had supplanted phalanx
perhaps an echo of 1. 39 innocens I, i. The word phalanx is used by
342 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
latronem petit uiuere,
Christum accusat grauiter :
' crucifigatur, reus est.'
et Barrabas dimittitur,
qui reus mortis fuerat; 30
uita mundi suspenditur,
per quern resurgunt mortui.
27 accusant Vp. 29 om. et Aabdeg Va. 30 morti Aa' 2 bd j gh Ih.
Prud. Psych. 816; Sedul. Carm. 26- 'beg a robber's life' = ^
ill. 83, Op. in. 7, always in a con- latro uiuat.
temptuous sense ; cp. Ronsch p. 244. 28. Mt. xxvi. 66, xxvii. 23.
ludaea] the Jewish nation per- 30. reus mortis] ' condemned to
sonified, as at 1. 52. death.'
impia] 4. 27 note. 31 f. imitated from 10. 27, 30.
HYMN 106
This hymn concerning the consecration of the Chrism
is largely made up of extracts from Prudentius Cath. IX
and Peristeph. II. The metre is trochaic tetrameter as
are i, 23, 33, 119, 120. Notice the rhyme, especially in 8,
9, 12, one of the earliest instances of this kind of rhyme
within a trochaic verse. The first line is sung as a refrain
after each stanza.
Ekw Gx. Vide Analecta Hymnica LI p. 80.
O Redemptor, sume carmen temet concinentium.
Audi, iudex mortuorum, una spes mortalium,
audi uoces proferentum donum pacis praeuium.
arbor feta alma luce hoc sacrandum protulit,
fert hoc prona praesens turba saluatori saeculi. 5
I summe Ekw. 3 proferentium Gx.
2. iudex mortuorum] 23. 25 Spiritu 24. 14. Prud. Apoth. 372
( = Prud. Cath. IX. 106). numinis almum lumen.
3. pacis praeuium] 'that leads hoc] donum.
the way of peace,' 27. 32 (Cath. v. 5. prona] used like 62. 31 cernui.
156) pacifiti chrismatis. promts is common in the Vulgate of
4. f. alma luce] ' fertilized by the eastern obeisance,
the light of grace ' ; like f. sanctb
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CVI 343
stans ad aram immo supplex infulatus pontifex,
debitum persoluit omne consecrate chrismate.
consecrate tu dignare, rex perennis patriae,
hoc oliuum, signum uiuum iura contra daemonum,
ut nouetur sexus omnis unctione chrismatis, 10
et medetur sauciata dignitatis gloria.
lota fronte sacro fonte aufugantur crimina,
uncta fronte sacrosancta influunt charismata.
12 leta mente Ew. sacrosancta (pro s. fonte) Ew. 13 influant Gx.
6. immo corrects or enhances
stans ad a., 'standing..., yea and
kneeling.'
infulatus] 'mitred.' In the old
Roman Pagan cult the infula was a
head-dress of white or red wool,
the two tails of which were kept in
place by a band (uitta). It was
worn by priests (Cic. Verr. iv. 50
sacerdotes Cereris cum infulis, Verg.
Aen. x. 537 sacerdos, \ infula cut
sacra redimibat tempora uitta), by
Vestal Virgins, later by the em-
perors and such magistrates as were
sacrosanct. The word was taken
over by Christian writers and in
later times (VIII or IXth cent, and
onwards) identified with the bishop's
mitra. Krieg (in Kraus II. 213)
denies that up to this date bishops,
as such, wore any head-dress. Ap-
parent exceptions to the contrary he
explains as the metaphorical lan-
guage of poets, infulatus is in fact
a part of the metaphor of pontifex.
Cp. Prud. Cath. IX. 5 Datiid...rex
sacerdos... infulatus, id. Peris t. iv.
79 sacerdotum domus infulala Va-
leriorum ', Ennod. Epigr. 77 Am-
brosius...serta redimitus geslabat lu-
cida fronte. Krieg quotes Tert. de
Coron. Mil. X quis denique . , .apo-
stolus aut euangelista ant episcopus
inuenitur coronatus ? Cheetham
(Diet. Christ. Antiq. I. 838) quotes
Gelasius as ' wishing to say that a
certain person ought to be rejected
from the Christian priesthood,'
clericalibus infulis reprobabilis. See
the same Diet. s.v. Mitre.
7. debitum p. omne] from Prud.
Peris t. I. 62.
9. signum u. ] because applied
crosswise.
10. Omnis] = uterine, a sense it
sometimes bears in late Latin.
Ldfstedt Beitrdge p. 107 f. gives
several instances. Similarly Ambr.
Hex. VI. 56 alium sexuin crinifa
dedecet, alium tonsa non decet, where
we should expect alterum.
1 1. medetur] passive, as from an
active medere, which is found in
Veil. II. xxv. 4 aquae medendis cor-
poribus nobiles, Fort. Vit. Mart. II.
21 neque cura mederet alumnae.
The overwhelming weight of MS
evidence is against the reading me-
deatur. We must not join medetur
to nouetur, as if dependent on the
ut : it must be treated as an inde-
pendent statement, ' consecrate this
oil,... and our injured honour is
healed. ' For gloria in this sense cp.
79. 7.
1-2. Cp. 1. 63 f., [Damas.] ci. 5.
The two lines express very clearly
the distinctive benefits of the two
parts of the baptismal sacrament.
13. influunt charismata] Prud.
Perist. I. 19 fonte ab ipso dona t err is
influunt ; 101. 10.
344 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
corde natus ex parentis, aluum implens uirginis,
praesta lucem, claude mortem chrismatis consortibus. 15
sit dies haec festa nobis saeculorum saeculis,
sit sacrata digna laude, nee senescat tempore.
15 damna (fro claude) Gx.
14. Cp. 23. i=Prud. Cath. IX. 16. sit d. h. f. nobis] from Prud.
10. Here natus stands for nate. Perist. I. 120, as is sacrata in 17.
15. praesta lucem] Cath. ix. saeculorum saeculis] from Cath.
77 candidum praestat diem. ix. 114.
claude] 'bring to an end,' 35. 6 17. digna laude] 55. 7.
clausit... mortis Her. Mone reads nee s. tempore] = almost Perist.
with later MSS dampna, but sug- I. 82 ; cp. Nicet. de Symb. i qui non
gests deme as the original, chr. mutatur temporibus nee senescit ae-
consortibus seems like a reference to tate.
Ps. xliv. 8.
HYMN 107
This hymn is found only in the Bangor Antiphonary,
written A.D. 680-691. Daniel I p. 194 speaks of it as
hymno nobili quadam simplicitate conspicuo. ' Rugged
and unpoetical as this hymn is, it has a certain pious
simplicity about it which renders it well worthy of
preservation. It is an early example of a metrical com-
position, sung during the communion of the people.
The Communio of the Latin, like the Koinonicon of
the Eastern, Church, never now appears but as prose.
The present hymn seems not later than the seventh
century ' (Neale Mediaeval Hymns p. 1 3). The absence of
rhyme is a sign of early date. The metre is (rhythmic)
iambic trimeter, not as Blume says 'ein jambischer
Fiinfsilber und trochaischer katalektischer Dimeter ab-
wechseln ' ; he and others print each line in two halves, as
they also cut in two trochaic tetrameters.
HYMN CVII
345
m
Sancti uenite, Christi corpus sumite,
sanctum bibentes, quo redempti sanguine,
saluati Christi corpora et sanguine,
a quo refecti laudes dicamus Deo.
hoc sacramento corporis et sanguinis
omnes exuti ab inferni faucibus.
dator salutis, Christus filius Dei, .
mundum saluauit per crucem et sanguinem.
pro uniuersis inmolatus Dominus
ipse sacerdos exstitit et hostia.
lege praeceptum inmolari hostias,
qua adumbrantur diuina mysteria.
lucis indultor et saluator omnium
praeclaram sanctis largitus est gratiam.
accedant omnes pura mente creduli,
sumant aeternam salutis custodiam.
10
10 existit IX.
i f. sancti... sanctum reminds
us of i Pet. i. 15 secuiidum eitm qui
uocauit uos sanctum et ipsi sancti
sitis, and of the well-known litur-
gical sane/a sanctis.
i, ' drinking the holy blood by
which ye were redeemed.' Daniel
and Blume read sanguinem, but
perhaps sanguine (the MS reading),
attracted into the relative clause, is
possible ; cp. Plaut. Trin. 985 ilium
(fueni ementiltis is ego sum ipsus
Char m ides; 27. 27 note. But the
copyist's eye may have caught sight
of sanguine in 3.
3. saluati may perhaps be gram-
matically attached to the preceding
couplet, ' ye that are saved ' ; or, as
seems to be the case with exuti
three lines below, and again prae-
ceptum in n, it may stand for a
finite verb, ' We (or, ye) are saved
by ' etc.
5. inferni faucibus] ' the jaws of
15 accedunt IX.
hell': cp. Verg. Aen. vi. 201 fau-
ces. ..Auerni', ib. i^^faucibusOrci.
This use of exuerevs not classical.
7. dator salutis] 108. 4.
10. exstitit] 38. 18 note. For
the thought cp. Heb. ix. 14; Anibr.
in Luc. Prol. ^ idem...et uitulus et
sacerdos. ipse idem .
n. praeceptum] impersonal, 'it
was commanded.'
12. Heb. x. i umbram . . .habens
lex futurorum bonorum.
13. indultor] 'giver,' cp. 103. 10
indulges.
15. So in the Communion Office :
' Draw near and take this holy
sacrament to your comfort,' and the
fjifTa 06/3oi' fffov TrpofftXOfTf in the
Liturgy of St James.
pura mente] 21. 10.
creduli] 1. 61.
1 6. We should expect aeternae,
but salutis custodiam is treated as a
kind of compound word.
346 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
sanctorum custos, rector quoque, Dominus,
uitae perennis largitor credentibus.
caelestem panem dat esurientibus,
de fonte uiuo praebet sitientibus. 20
alpha et to ipse Christus Dominus
uenit, uenturus iudicare homines.
17. 'The Lord is the guardian Rev. i. 8, xxi. 6 ego sum a. et o> put
and guide of the holy.' into the third person. Probably
1 8. uitae perennis] 15. 20. w was taken to be 66 (two syl-
largitor] 45. i, 98. i. lables) or the verse would be a
19. caelestem panem] Joh. vi. syllable short. The form o mega,
5- which most editors read, is a modern
20. de fonte uiuo] Joh. iv. 10, invention and cannot have been the
Rev. xxi. 6 ego sitienti dabo de fonte original in this ancient hymn.
aquae uitae gratis. 11. ' He comes (in the sacrament)
21. 'Christ the Lord Himself who will hereafter come to judge
cometh, who is the alpha and men.'
omega ' (the beginning and the iudicare] for the inf. cp. 56. 4
end), 23. 2 note. These words are locare, 85. lorimart, 86. 10 laxare.
HYMN 108
This hymn of the Vth or Vlth century is, like the
foregoing, of Irish origin. It is handed down only in the
Bangor Antiphonary and in a Bobbio MS, Turin G. V. 38
(Xl/XIIth cent). The title in Bangor Antiphonary is
hymnus quando cerea benedicitur (\.z. the Paschal Candle),
and this seems to have been the first purpose of the
hymn, rather than a daily use at the lucernarium i.e.
Vespers (see the introduction to 27).
Uto
Ignis creator igneus,
lumen donator luminis,
uitaque uitae conditor,
dator salutis et salus :
i. creator igneus] nom. for voc. 3. uita] 10. 27 f.
For the sense cp. 29. i Deus ignee 4. dator salutis] 107. 7.
fans animarum. salus] 23. 1 4.
HYMN CVIII
ne noctis huius gaudia
uigil lucerna deserat,
qui hominem non uis mori,
da nostro lumen pectori.
ex Aegypto migrantibus
indulges geminam gratiam :
nubis uelamen exhibes,
nocturnum lumen porrigis.
nubis columna per diem
uenientem plebem protegis,
ignis columna ad uesperum
noctem depellis lumine.
e flamma famulum prouocas ;
rubum non spernis spineam,
6 lucernae lo. 10 indulgens lo. 13 nobis lo.
lo. 17 prouocans lo.
5. noctis... gaudia] 37. $(. The
ne seems to depend upon the fol-
lowing da... lumen . If so, the lucerna
is interpreted spiritually.
6. Cic. ad Att. vii. vii. 7 ' facerem
347
14 protegens
dititius, nisi me lucerna desereret.
7. Ezek. xviii. 32 etc.
9f. Exod. xiii. 21.
12. porrigis] 'givest,' cp. Mt.
vii. 9 niimt/iiid lapidem porriget ei ?
14. uenientem plebem] 'Thy
people on their way ' ; for this use
of uenire = iter facere cp. Fort. VI.
x. 64. Prud. Cath. v. 65 uses uian-
tibus of the Israelites making their
way from Egypt, and here uiantem
would suit both sense and metre.
On the other hand uenire is cor-
rectly used from the standpoint of
the Holy Land to which they came ;
and from the metrical point of view
it -is noticeable that this hymn thrice
resolves a long syllable : 10 gemi-
nam, if famulum and here. This
metrical feature appears in early
hymns, but not often in later ones.
1 7 f . The stanza is based on Exod .
iii. 2 f., cp. Ambr. Hex. iv. 9 f.
ignis... et inluminat et exttrit. unde
Deus uolens Moysi ostendere suae
operationis miraculum...in igne ui-
sus est in rubo, et rubus non exure-
batur, sed tantum splendere ignis
specie uidebatur.... Domini ignis in-
luminare solet, exurere non solet.
ac forte dicas : quomodo scriptum
est: ego sum ignis consumens?...
non solet consumere nisi sola peccata,
Ambr. also alludes to the Bush at
de Spir. Sancto I. 145 tiox ergo de
flamma et in rubojlamma et flamma
non tioxia. tirebatur enim rubus et
non exurebatur; eo qiiodillo mysterio
Domimts figttraret quia inlumina-
turus spinas nostri carports adue-
niret ; nee consumplurus aerum-
nosos sed mitigaturus aerumnas.
prouocans for prouocas would per-
haps improve the verse.
18. Cp. Ambr. de Virginib. I. a
Dominus...locutus est in stntibus.
Deus nee rubum est dedignatus.
rubum] fern, as in some MSS of
Prad. Cath. v. 31 Moyses nempe
Deum spinifera in rubo \ uidit con-
spicuo lumine flammeum ; id. Apoth.
56 and 70.
348
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
et, cum sis ignis concremans,
non uris quod inluminas. 20
fuco depasto nubilo
tempus decoctis sordibus
feruente sancto Spiritu
carnem lucere ceream.
secretis iam condis faui 25
diuini mellis alitus ;
cordis repurgans intimas
uerbo replesti cellulas,
examen ut fetus noui
ore praelectum, Spiritu, 30
19 om. sis lo. 20 illuminans IX. 21 foco lo. 12 denoctils lo.
24 carnis lo. creas lo. 25 condens IS 2 , fauis lo. 27 repurgas
IK, repugnans lo. 28 cellulis lo. 30 praelicto lo.
19. Deut. iv. 24.
20. QrosmsaduersusPaganosvii.
iii. i Christus...uere igfiis ardens,
quern qui sequitur inhtminatur, qui
temptat exuritur.
11 f. ' Now it is time that the
cloudy bee-bread should be con-
sumed (the presence of which would
spoil the wax) and all impurity
boiled away, and that the waxen
flesh should shine with the glow of
the Holy Spirit.' Even as the bee-
made wax is now to be lighted, so
the newly baptized are to be illu-
minated with the Spirit given in
baptism. Lines 21, 22 describe the
processes in the purifying of the
wax, of which the paschal candle
now to be lighted is made.
fuco] Cp. Verg. Georg. iv. 39
fucoque et floribus oras \ explent ;
Ambr. Hex. V. 69 quid enim aliud
est fauus nisi quaedam castrorum
species ? denique ab his praesepibus
apiumfucns wcetur*
23. Cp. 53. 2.
24. As plums are ' waxen ' be-
cause of their appearance (Verg.
Eel. n. 53), as the psalmist's heart
is like wax (Ps. xxi. (xxii.) 15),
as light is waxen because it is
fed by wax (Fort. v. v. 117 lux
cerea) : so the flesh, as here repre-
sented by the catechumens, because
it is to be lighted and to shine. The
shining is suggested by the lighting
of the taper and is the result of the
Easter baptism.
25f. 'Thou storest now in the
recesses of the comb the food (con-
sisting) of the divine honey, and
purifying the inmost cells of the
heart Thou hast filled them with
Thy word.' The wax of the taper
has set the writer thinking about
bees and he developes the meta-
phor. Again, as also in next stanza,
he is speaking of the newly bap-
tized, who have tasted the baptismal
honey. See note on 37. n.
26. alitus] 'food,' 'dainties';
cp. Suet. Vita Verg. p. 57 (some
Vi^parentibusquotannis aurum ad
abundantem alitum mittebat.
29 f. ' That the swarm of the
new brood, chosen by Thy mouth
and Spirit, may leave their burdens
and win heaven on wings free from
care.'
examen] Cp. Fort. iv. xi. 9 ex-
amina fundens \ floribus aeternis
mellificauit apes.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CIX 349
relictis caelum sarcinis
quaerat securis pinnulis.
31 relectum IS 1 , relictum IS 2 .
noui] i.e. made new by baptism, due to the praelectum above.]
cp. 37. 20. sarclnls] ' burdens ' of cares or
30. God's mouth is a phrase ex- other hindrances to the higher life,
pressed or implied at 30. 30, Ps. Cp. Salvian. ad Eccl. n. 13 expediti
xxxii. (xxxiii.) 6. Perhaps from this omnibus sarcinis saluatoris uiam
latter passage, spiritu art's eius, we sequuntur ; and for the sense Heb.
might amend to oris. But, as this xii. i; Fort. Vit. Mart. II. 388
would hardly be altered in MSS, tramite difficili potuit quia pergere
possibly ore. . . Spirit us is more likely, diues \ depositoque onere ascendit quia
if any change is needed. liber in arcem. [It is possible that
praeligere seems to be first found in relictis sarcinis etc. there is a re-
in Cyprian Epist. xxxvil. i. turn to the imagery of stanzas III
31. relictum, the reading of the and IV, though onera is the word
older and better MS, is just possible : in the Vulgate for the burdens of
' heaven deserted by reason of their Egypt-]
burdens.' But the construction is 32. quaerat] perhaps 'obtain,'
harsh, and relictis gives a much ' win,' as at 10. 22,71. 17.
better sense. [Relictum is probably
EASTER. HYMN 109
109, in and 61 are the only hymns common to both
the earlier and later hymnals, with the exception of
those written by Ambrose, and the first part of 42 ; see
introduction thereto. This is probably because they
were held in especial honour by reason of their early
date. They may have been written by a younger con-
temporary of Ambrose possibly by Niceta of Reme-
siana ; but not by Ambrose himself. 109 was always as-
signed to Vespers at Easter, but in the modern Roman
breviary in its rewritten form Ad regias agni dapes it is
appointed for the First Sunday after Easter (dominica in
albis). The hymn is rhymed almost throughout.
350
EARLY LA TJN HYMNS
Aa EacdghjlosvxSij/x^ Fabdhilprs/ty Gabm Habcdefi/J Ibcdefghmnop
Mk Vcs
Ad cenam agni prouidi,
stolis albis candidi,
post transitum maris rubri
Christo canamus principi.
cuius sacrum corpusculum 5
in ara crucis torridum ;
2 ex stolis H, et stolis Eadgvx/x Fdhir/3 Ibdghv Vs, stolis in Ej,
stolisque Aa lop. om. albis Aa. amicti candidis Fl Hb 2 Icefg 2 n Vc.
5 corpus sanctissimum Aa Ea Fir Gm Hbd Ibcdefg 2 hmn Mk 2 Vcs.
i. ' Looking forward to the sup-
per of the Lamb ' ; Rev. xix. 9.
Agni strikes at once the Paschal
note.
i refers to the white robes of
the newly baptized, which were worn
from Easter Eve until the end of
the ist Sunday after Easter. The
variants are so many attempts to
mend the metre, because the copy-
ists, especially in later times, did
not see that stolis is a trisyll. to be
scanned istolis ; see 89. 19.
3. Cp. i Cor. x. i ; Aug. Serin.
iv. 9 liberantur per mare ludaei,
obruuntur in mart Aegyptii, libe-
rantur Chrisiiani in remissione pec-
catorum^ delentur peccata per bap-
tismum.
4 from 31. 3.
5. ' Whose sacred body is roasted
on the altar of the cross."
sacrum corpusculum] The variant
corpus sanctissimum was no doubt
due to a reverent feeling that the
diminutive form was here out of
place. But this form was used e.g.
by Cyprian Epist. LXVIII. 12 quibus
ablui et nmndari corpusculum pos-
sit.
6. The cross on which Christ suf-
fered was also the altar on which
He, in the hymn, is regarded as the
victim-lamb, ' roasted with fire,'
Exod. xii. 9. crucis is a loose gen.
of definition, torridum sc. est. This
omission of est is very common :
Leo (Forlunatus p. 399) refers to
33. 19 amongst many instances.
Others take corpusculum as ace.
after gustando ; but this is rather a-
gerundive agreeing with cruore, not
a gerund. The difficulty of the pas-
sage is that there was no altar in
the case of the original Paschal Lamb
in Exodus, and the roasting with
fire was for the purpose of eating,
not for that of sacrifice. The writer
doubtless alludes to the roasting in
torridum ; if so, he mystically con-
fuses two separate things the
roasting of the Passover and the
burning of the daily sacrifice upon
the altar, torrere in the Vulgate is
the regular word for ' frying ' ; Lev.
ii. 14 of the first-fruits of corn ;
i Chron. xxiii. 29 for .that which is
fried ; 2 Mace. vii. 5 of the martyr
to be fried in the pan ; in Is. xxv. 5,
a very corrupt passage, sub nube
torrente seems to mean ' under -a
scorching cloud.' It is only a slight
objection to this view that the Latin
versions in Ex. xii. 9 have assuni,
assatttm, not tostum. Thus the
hymn would mean that our Lord's
body was, as it were, ' roasted '
('fried,' ' scorched ') for our food by
the fire of God's wrath against sin,
as the Paschal Lamb was roasted.
This was done on the Cross ; but
the metaphor is complicated by the
insertion of the thought of the ara.
The same thought is applied to
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CIX
35 r
cruore eius roseo
gustando uiuimus Deo.
protecti paschae uespero
a deuastante angelo, 10
erepti de durissimo
Pharaonis imperio.
iam pascha nostrum Christus est,
qui inmolatus agnus est ;
sinceritatis azyma 15
caro eius oblata est.
7 cruorem...roseum Aa Hb 2 d s Iv. et eius Hb*. 9 profecti Fa.
uespere Eacdjsv/ti< Gm HbcMef/3 Ic (-ri Ga), uesperum Eo Fa^ Gb 1 , ad
uesperum Fb. 10 devastando Fa^. u erecti Ev. 15 azimo Ic,
anima F^. 16 oblita Aa.
Christ considered as the Paschal
Bread : see Brevint Christian Sacra-
ment and Sacrifice p. 13 (ed. 1847)
' I behold in this bread, dried up,
and baked, and burnt at the fire,
the fiery wrath which He suffered
for me from above, and from the
hand of His own Father.'
Clicht. explains torridum as igne
passionis et doloris acerbitate excoc-
tum. Lipp translates it 'numbed,'
cp. Liv. xxi. 32 torrida frigore^, but
this explanation misses the point,
that Christ is the paschal lamb.
7. ' By drinking His rosy blood
we live unto God.' Neale Mediaeval
Hymns p. vii says : ' The poet
would tell us that, though- one drop
of our Lord's Blood was sufficient
to redeem the world (cuius nna sti/la
saluum facere \ totum mnndum quit
ab omni see/ere, as S. Thomas says),
yet out of the greatness of His love
to us He would shed all. As every
one knows, the last drainings of life-
blood are not crimson, but of a far
paler hue : strictly speaking, ro-
seate.' But this is farfetched. Cp.
Anakcta xxvil. cxxvii. 23 f. uiscera
martyris \ profundnnt rosei fluinina
Sanguinis.
8. uiuimus Deo] Cp. Lk. xx.
38, Rom. vi. iof., Gal. ii. 19.
9. protecti and erepti inn might
agree with the subject of uiuimus in
8, but perhaps we are intended to
understand suwtis, as in 6 (est).
uespero] ' on the eve,' appears to
be the right reading, as is shewn by
the rhyme ; cp. the note on 84. 9.
10. Cp. 41. 10.
1 1 f. Mone quotes Aug. Diu.
Quaest. LXI. 2 Christo duce ab one-
ribtts et laboribus huius peregrina-
tionis nostrae tamquam ab Aegypto
liberamur, et persequentia tios pec-
cata sacramento baptismatis tiobis
eitadentibns obruuntur. Cp. Ambr.
Hex. I. 4. 14 deserit qui abluitur /'-
tellegibilem ilium Pharao, princi-
pem istius mundi; in Ps. cxvui.
xii. 36 Dominus lesus, agnus Dei,
mundi hostia, solttit nos grauium
nexibus delictorum, quibus Pharao
tile taeterrimus, non MM fas Aegyptt
sed saeculi istitts princeps, ninculo
seruitii grants nos tentbat astrictos.
13 f. i Cor. v. 7.
15. 'His flesh, the unleavened
bread of sincerity, is offered up ' 1
i.e. free from ' the leaven of malice
and wickedness.' The paschal lamb
352
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
o uera digna hostia,
per quam fracta sunt tartara ;
redempta plebs captiuata,
reddita uitae praemia. 20
consurgit Christus tumulo,
uictor redit de barathro,
tyrannum trudens uinculo
et reserans paradisum.
17 uere Eajv$ Fbdp Gm Hi Ihno 2 Vcs, uera et Aa Es/* Imo'p 1 .
1 8 quern Aa Es Fab Gm H/3 Ip Vs. 19 red. est E5. captiua Fb.
20 reddito Fa 1 Hb 1 Mk. uita E5 F\f/ Igp. praemio Fa'b HbH Ihn Mk.
redit ad u. p. Ex 2 Gm He, reddit ad u. p. Ib. 11 cum surgit Fb Ig 1 ,
consurgens Fr. 23 tradens Eo H/3 Mk. uinculum Aa. 24 paradiso
Faf.
was to be without blemish, Exod.
xii. 5. Of course there is a reference
to the prohibition of leaven during
the passover. Here, as in 6, two
types are fused together : the un-
leavened bread was not ' offered. '
17 f. ' O true and worthy victim,
by whom the powers of hell are
broken, the enslaved people is re-
deemed, the prizes of life are re-
stored.' Daniel I. 89 notes the
climax : non solutn fracta sunt tar-
tara, sed etiam plebs in uincula
coniecta liberatur. ace edit tertium :
redduntur ipsi uitae beatae dona.
The reference is to the ' harrowing
of hell.' The want of connecting
particles adds to the strength of the
stanza.
1 8. tartara] 23. u note.
19. captiuata] Cp. i Mac. xv.
qo coepit , . .eaptiuare populum ; Rom.
vii. 23 aliam legeni . . .captiuantem
me ; 114. 10.
20. Damas. xm. 8 Christus, qui
reddit praemia uitae. Mone, not
seeing that reddita stands for reddita
sunt, reads with the later MSS redit
ad u. praemia, taking these words
in connexion with 19. This com-
plicates the construction of 19 and
destroys the vigour of the stanza.
21. consurgit is stronger than
cum surgit, which Daniel, Mone
and Blume read. Strictly speaking
the tomb of Christ was not a tumu-
lus, though Fortunatus, as at 36.
39, and others use the word ; and
the abl. without preposition is harsh.
22. The fldpaBpov was a deep
yawning pit at Athens into which
the lowest criminals were thrown.
[Damas.] xxvii. 7. uses it of a dun-
geon, and it was often used to denote
' hell ' ; cp. Lucr. in. 979 nee quis-
quam in barathrum nee Tartara
deditur atra ; Jud. v. 15 (Vulgate);
Prud. Cath. XI. 39 mancipatam
funiido uitam barathro inmerse-
rant ; id. Apoth. 785 inferni petal
ima poli barathroque loquatur ; Ju-
venc. IV. 286.
23. Rev. xx. 2.
trudens] ' thrusting ' ; Ambr. in
Ps. CXVIII. xii. 31 frusus in car-
cere m ; in Luc. VI. 45 in abysses se
esse trudendam ; Prud. Nol. Carm.
XIX. 243 infemis male trusus car-
ceribus." uinculo must be taken for
dative = in uinculum. trudens is a
more emphatic word than tradens,
which Mone prefers.
24. The reference is to Gen. iii.
24, perhaps combined with Lk. xxiii.
43. For the sake of the rhyme
Mone would read reserato paradiso \
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CX 353
quaesumus, auctor omnium, 25
in hoc paschali gaudio
ab omni mortis impetu
tuum defendas populum.
28 'defende Aa Easj* Gm Hbd Icgn Mk Vc.
but at the time when the hymn it was appended to other hymns,
was written o and u were pro- But it seems to form a part of this
nounced much alike, and the final hymn, for it is almost always found
m of paradisurn would scarcely be here, either in full or abbreviated,
sounded. and in most MSS a further doxology
25 f. That this last stanza is a is added : Gloria tibi Domine, \ qui
kind of doxology is shewn by the surrexisti a mortuis, \ cum Patre et
facts that in some MSS only the first sancto Spiritu \ in scmpiUrna sae-
few words are written here and that cula.
HYMN no
This hymn no was written for and used on Easter
Day itself, not for the dominica in albis, as Mone says,
misled by his interpretation of line 9 : see the note on
that line. In the Mozarabic use it is prescribed for
Prime : see Analecta XXVII. 87.
Edv0 Fdhirs/3 Gb Hbcdei Id Ma Vs
Te, lucis auctor, personant
huius cateruae carmina,
quam tu replesti gratia
anastasis potentia.
nobis dies haec innuit 5
diem supremum sistere,
i personent Ev# FdhH Hbd. 5 haec dies Hbcde.
1. te... personant] Cp. 2. 31. xxin. u die autem dominica exsul-
2. cateruae means perhaps the tatidum propheta dofft, duens : hie
newly baptized who make their first est dies quern fecit Dominus ; and
communion that day, cp. plebs at the introd. to 10, p. 77. But Caesar
36. 51. But the words may have a uses both genders in the same con-
wider bearing. text and with the same meaning,
4. anastasis] ' the resurrection,' B. G. I. vi. 4.
a Greek word used also at 48. ao, 6. sistere] sistere dum (stato die)
here declined as a Latin word. is a regular expression for ' fixing a
5f. The change in the gender of day ('on a fixed day ), especially
dies seems to be made for the sake for a trial. Here asttre must be
of distinction ; cp. Ambr. Epist. taken intransitively, ' that a last day
354
EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
quo mortuos resurgere
uitaeque fas sit reddere.
octaua prima redditur,
cum mors ab unda tollitur, 10
dum mente circumcidimur
nouique demum nascimur ;
cum mane nostrum cernimus
redisse uictis hostibus,
mundique luxum temnimus, 15
panem salutis sumimus.
7 qua Hi, quam Ma. 8 fassis Id Ma (fas sis He), faxis Hb (in marg.
uel fas sit). 10 dum Fd. abunde Hi 2 , habundat Fi Hcd. 13 dum
E0 Hbde, eum Fi. 16 panemque nostrum Hbcde.
stands fixed.' It seems a somewhat
curious turn for an Easter hymn to
take.
7. ' on which it is granted that
the dead should rise again and re-
turn to life.'
8. ultae] dat. as 35. 12 redeunt
uitae.
fas] ' the divine will.' The diffi-
culty of the passage has caused the
variants fassis, fas sis, faxis.
reddere] The word, which stands
in all the MSS without variant, is
used intransitively = redire. In like
manner Fort. Vita Germ. XXX. 88 B.
1 8. 7 perdit set-mo, = peril. Or per-
haps, with a violent change of the
subject : ' that the dead should rise
again and to restore them to life.'
9. ' The eighth day becomes the
first.' That this is the meaning is
shewn by the following passages.
Ambr. in Ps. CXVIII. prol. 2 pri-
mogenita offerimus octaua die, qua
omnes in Christi resurrectione non
solum resuscitati sed etiam confir-
mati sumus ; in Luc. VII. 6 octaua
enim die facta est resurrectio ; ib.
173 in octano numero resurrectionis
est plenitude ; Aug. de Serm. Dom.
I. 12 significatur fortasse Domini
resurrectione post sabbatum, qui est
utiqtie octauus idemque primus dies,
et celebratione octauarum feriarum ;
Mone I. 73 f. octaua praestat ceteris \
aetatibus sublimior, \ cum mortui
de pristine \ terrae resurgent aggere.
See also 62. i note.
10. 'on which death is destroyed
by the (baptismal) water ' ; but per-
haps with an allusion also to the
Red Sea. ab was used to denote
the instrument by the Augustan
poets, esp. Ovid, and then by late
writers of prose as well as of verse.
The use arose from the local sense
of ab as is clearly shewn by Prud.
Hamart. 257 auri namque fames
partofitmaiorabauro, Schmalz 383.
The variants abunde, habundat may
have been caused by a recollection
of Rom. v. 20.
11. Cp. Rom. ii. 29; Col. ii. n
foil.
12. 'and we are born new in-
deed' ; demum as at 85. 13.
1 31". The relation between the
various parts of this and the fore-
going stanza are rather complicated.
The dum ( 1 1 ) seems evidently to
refer to the same moment as cum
(10), and indeed probably means,
as so often, much the same as nam.
Our ' circumcision ' is coincident
with our baptism. Then cum (13)
seems to repeat cum (10).
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CX
355
ieiuniorum uictimis
corpus litamur aridis,
piisque parsimoniis
sacris potamur hostiis.
haec alma sit sollemnitas,
sit clara haec festiuitas,
sit feriata gaudiis
20
17-20 am.
Fdhir/3 Hbdei Id.
20 potimur Ma.
But how does 15 come in? It
would seem curious to fix Easter
Day as the day when we 'de-
spise the world's self-indulgence.'
The explanation seems to be that
mundi I. t. carries out the thought of
uictis hostibus. Perhaps we are to
emphasize ternnimus, ' the foes are
conquered, and we look with con-
tempt upon the self-indulgence,' as
the Israelites upon the dead Egyp-
tians in the morning. Then mundi
I. is again contrasted with pattern s.
sttmimus needs no connecting par-
ticle, but stands parallel to temni-
mus, and, with it, is coupled by the
que to the sentence under cum (13) ;
'we look with contempt upon self-
indulgence and take instead the
bread of salvation ' in the Easter
Communion.
mane nostrum] ' our morning,'
i.e. Christ. There is perhaps an
allusion to Ex. xiv. 27 f. For mane
used as a subst. cp. 17. 5.
I7f. The Prudentian verses 25.
5 f. guide us to the understanding of
this difficult stanza, litare is used
in its weakened, but not uncommon,
sense of to sacrifice, and corpus is
the ace. of the ' part affected.' 'Our
bodies have been sacrificed by the
dry offering of our Lenten fast, and
through dutiful abstinences we are
given sacred oblations to drink.'
The verses thus carry on the thought
of 15 and 1 6.
It is partly perhaps the difficulty
of this stanza that has caused it
to be omitted in some MSS, but
chiefly also its seeming unsuitability
in an Easter hymn. Some have been
inclined to doubt, even of late, if it
be not an interpolation, see Ana-
lecta xxvn p. 87.
For uictima (and its synonym
hostia) used in this somewhat en-
larged sense, see 24. 6, 96. 18 and
the Index. It will be seen that the
singular uictima is sometimes used
of many offerings classed together,
and sometimes the plural occurs
where a collective singular might
have been expected.
1 8. aridis] 'dry, 'gets the meaning
of ' chaste ' by way of contrast with
uuidus ' debauched ' in 26. 7. In
like manner siccus comes to mean
' sober ' at Hor. Od. iv. v. 39.
20. potamur] passive ir
Ps. Ixviii. (Ixix.) 22 potauerunt me
aceto \ i Cor. xii. 13 in uno spiritu
potati stinnts ; Ambr. in Luc. v. 71
lacU potantur; Sedul. Op. I. iSfas-
tusfaeno,potatusfluuio ; Fort. XI. 21
aceto uel felle aul uino murrato po-
tatus;\b. 11 felle... potatur. Ronsch
376 gives several other instances of
the transitive use of potare.
21. Mone compares Greg. Horn,
in Euang. II. xxii. 6 sicut in sacro
eloquio sancta sanctorum uel cantica
canticorum pro sui magnitudine
dicunlur, ita haec festiuitas (i.e.
Easter) recte did potest sollemnitas
sollemnitatum ; cp. Mone CLXIII. i
haec est sancta sollemnitas sollemni-
tatum, insignita triumpho Christi.
23. feriariest requiescere ab opere
etotium agere, inter m is sa quotidiana
533
356 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
dies reducta ab inferis.
opera says Clicht. Hence feriata and all that can be called day along
used passively = ' celebrated as a with Him, cp. 13, 3. 4, 61. i, and
holiday.' especially 36. 48, 37. 8.
24. dies] 'our day,' i.e. Christ
HYMN in
This hymn, which bears every mark of great antiquity,
is of universal diffusion. Blume Analecta LI p. 90 remarks
that (except the hymns of St Ambrose) this and Christe
qui htx es et dies (61) are the only two hymns which are
found alike in the ancient Irish hymnaries and in those
other than Irish.
It is appointed for Lauds on Easter Day and through-
out the season ; but it was soon broken up into portions,
one of which was used at Terce, and one at Sext.
Eacdgjlosvx?7/i0 FabdhilpsjSi/' Gabm Habcdei labcdefhmnopv MX Vcs
Aurora lucis rutilat,
caelum laudibus intonat,
mundus exultans iubilat,
gemens infernus ululat,
cum rex ille fortissimus 5
mortis confractis uiribus
pede conculcans tartara
soluit catena miseros.
ille, qui clausus lapide
custoditur sub milite, 10
i rutilans Hd. 2 laudabilis Fa. 3 exultat Fi Gm Im (exulta la).
6 iuribus la. 7 tartaros Fab^< Gab. 8 a poena Eac 2 gjsvx9j/x0 Fhi
Gm Hbdei 2 Ibcdehmp 2 v Vcs. 10 limite Hd.
i. Cp. 70. i. 8. catena] 36. 45, 37. 15. The
2. Intonat] 86. i. descent into hell is referred to : the
5. fortissimus] ' most mighty,' less definite a poena of many MSS is
84. 14, cp. 41. 17. inferior.
7. conculcans] often in O.T., 9. lapide] 36. 40 f.
e.g. Ps. xc. (xci.) 13 conculcabis 10. milite] 1. 47. The collective
leonem. use of this word in the sing, is
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXI 357
triumphans pompa nobile
uictor surgit de funere.
solutis iam gemitibus
et inferni doloribus,
quia surrexit Dominus 15
splendens clamat angelus.
tristes erant apostoli
de nece sui Domini,
quern poena mortis crudeli
serui damnarunt impii. 20
sermone blando angelus
praedixit mulieribus :
' in Galilaea Dominus
uidendus est quantocius.'
illae duni pergunt concite 25
apostolis hoc dicere,
12 e Es. 16 resplendens EaccPgjlsv^/u Fbdihlp/3 Gb(manu rec.)m
Hbd Ibcdefhmnp 2 Vcs. clamabat Ex< Hei (manu rec.) Iv, clamitat lo,
damans la. 19 morte Vs 1 . crudelis Gm Hd 1 la Vs 1 . 20 saeui
Ed 2 jsv/t0 F^ Ga Hab'cei laop, saeue Hb 2 d Id Vs. damnarant Eg/t Fdhip
Gab lefv Vc (-rent F^), damnauemnt Fa la. impie Ecjyu lav Vcs.
21 blandus Gm. 22 praedicit Eo Fb^ Hac la. 25 pergent Fa.
concitae Hde Vs. 26 haec MX.
common in poets, Verg. Aen. n. (1. 58). But eventually it was dis-
495 loca milite complent, and even used, whereas quod passed on into
in the prose of Livy and Tacitus. the Romance languages ; Schmalz
ii. nobile] ablative. Most of the p. 544, Ronsch pp. 402, 481, Kaulen
MSS give nobili, but the three good Handbuch zur Vulgata p. 211.
Mss Eo Fa Gb have nobile. 16. The variants point decisively
15. 'a shining angel cries out to the original text isplendens cla-
" The Lord is risen."' Ml. xxviii. mat angelus ; see p. 350.
2f., 1. 49. quia surrexit Dominus 20. serai is in pointed opposition
= surrexisse Dominum as at Mt. to Domini in 18; cp. 40. i$f.
xxviii. 7 dicite discipulis eius quia 21. Verg. Aen. I. 670 blandis
surrexit. The literary history of uocibus.
this usage of quia begins with the 22. praedixit takes up the words
Itala of Tert. ; the usage was taken of the angel at Mt. xxviii. 7 ecce
over into the Vulgate and became praecedit uos in. Galilaeam ; ibi turn
common even in non-ecclesiastical uidebitis : ecce praedixi uobis.
writers. For a time it was commoner 23 f. Mk xvi. 7.
than the like, construction of quod 24. quantocius] ' immediately.'
with indie. (91. 25 etc.) or subj. Ronsch p. 231 among other late
358 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
uidentes eum uiuere
osculant pedes Domini.
quo agnito discipuli
in Galilaeam propere 30
pergunt, uidere faciem
desideratam Domini.
claro paschali gaudio
sol mundo nitet radio,
cum Christum iam apostoli 35
uisu cernunt corporeo.
ostensa sibi uulnera
in Christi carne fulgida
resurrexisse Dominum
uoce fatentur publica. 40
28 osculantur Eagjsx?;/^ Fbdil Gab Habcdei labcdef hmnopv Vcs, ador-
ant Ecdlv, appetunt Fh. del Eagj Fb Ha 1 . 30 Galilaea Eo/u Fab Ga.
properant F^. 33 paschale Eo Fa^. 34 mundum Es Fa Gb.
nitens Fab^ Gab MX. 35 dum Ha. christo Fab Ga Hb 1 .
40 fatetur Eo.
instances of the word refers to the would get rid "of the difficulty of the
edict of Licinius in Lact. Mort. passage by reading with one MS sol
Pers. XLVIII. viii. 10 ut praeceptum mundo mittit radios, making mundo
nostrum quanlocius compleatur', = in mundum.
Commodian Instruct. I. xxv. 12 37 f. ' When the dazzling wounds
tamen uos adhortor quantocius ere- have been shewn to them (Joh. xx.
dere Christo. 20)... they (apostoli of 35) declare in
28. Mt. xxviii. 9. public speech....' ostensa. ..uulnera,
osculant] Ronsch p. 301 ; Titin. nom. or ace. abs. ; cp. 86. 7. This
ap. Non. 476 osculaui priuignae is better than taking ostensa = ostensa
caput. The word is elsewhere de- sunt.
ponent. It is just possible, however, 38. fulgida may be taken either
that we should read with some not with uulnera or with carne : per-
very ancient MSS osculantur pedes haps the former is the more forcible.
Dei, the variant Domini having Cp. the hymn Pone luctum Magda-
been introduced from 32. lena (Trench p. 162) line 25 f. quin-
33 might be taken closely with que plagas inspice : fulgent en ut
the preceding stanza, awkwardly margaritae, ornamenta nouae uitae,
perhaps, but no more so than 32. and ' Those dear tokens of His pas-
8, 9 ; 28, 29. It is simpler however sion still His dazzling body bears.'
to join it with nitet. 39. The resurrection was the
paschali gaudio] 96. 19. core of the first preaching of the
34. mundo] 'cleansed': even the apostles : see Acts if.
sun shines with a purer light. Mone
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXII 359
rex Christe clementissime,
tu corda nostra posside,
ut tibi laudes debitas
reddamus omni tempore.
43; laudes debitas] 1. 2. That some other doxology, Gloria tibi
this last stanza was regarded as a Doming qui surrexisli a mortals or
quasi-doxology is indicated by the Quaesumus auctor omnium or Deo
tact that some MSS give only the patri sit gloria.
first few words. But they all add
ASCENSIONTIDE. HYMN 112
Blume Analecta LI. 92 heads this hymn In Ascensione
Domini. Ad Vesperas; but he notes (p. 93) that the
usage varies. The Ambrosian use assigns it to the eve
of the Ascension ; Werner to the first Nocturn. Various
stanzas of it are omitted in various MSS.
Abdegh Ecdjlv Fblps Hbd Icdefmn Vachps
Optatus uotis omnium
sacratus inluxit dies
quo Christus, mundi spes, Deus
conscendit caelos arduos.
ascendens in altum Dominus, . 5
propriam ad sedem remeans,
gauisa sunt caeli regna
reditu unigeniti.
3 m. christus spes Elv Hbd Id, m. spes christus Ed. 5 om. in Ecj Fbp.
6 om. ad Ab 2 dg. remeat Edlv Icen Vc. 8 redita Ev.
2. inluxit] 91. i. simple ace., cp. (scando) line 33,
5. ascendens in altum Dominus] 1. 39, 44. u, 113. 5; (conscendo)
'as the Lord ascends on high.' It line 4 ; (ascendo) 4. 2, 32. i, 116. i.
seems best to treat these two lines as If we retain the in we must scan
forming a nom. absolute: as at 111. Domntis, as in fact the word came
37. The unmetrical reading of the to be written.
MSS, in altum, might naturally come 6. Cp. [Damas.] LXVI. i ad
from Eph. iv. 8 ascendens in altum, sedem propriam Deus exult morle
cp. Ps. Ixvii. (Ixviii. ) 19. In these resurgit.
hymns the normal construction of remeans] 36. 19.
scando and its compounds is the
360 EA RLY LA TIN H YMNS
magno triumpho proelii,
mundi perempto principe, 10
Patris praesentans uultibus
uictricis carnis gloriam,
est eleuatus in nubibus
et spem fecit credentibus,
aperiens paradisum, 15
quern protoplasti clauserant.
o grande cunctis gaudium,
quod partus nostrae uirginis
post sputa, flagra, post crucem
paternae sedi iungitur. 20
agamus ergo gratias
nostrae salutis uindici,
nostrum quod corpus uexerit
sublimem ad caeli regiam.
sit nobis cum caelestibus 25
commune manens gaudium :
9 magni Abdgh Ed Ic. triumph! Vap 1 , triumphum Abdegh. proelium
Vap 1 . 10 redemptor Ev. n praesentas EC Vc, praesentis Fbp Hb.
13 om. in Ecj Fbp Va. 16 protoplastus Id 2 , -to Ev Hd Im Vs, -tis
Ae El. clauserat Ade Elv Idm Vs. 18 parte EC. 22 iudici Fbp.
24 sublime Fbp Hd* In Vc. gloriam Ed 1 , gratiam EC. 26 mane Hd 2 .
9. triumpho proelii] 33. i. Blume 19. sputa, flagra... crucem] 1.
suggests that magni triumphi proe- 38 f.
Hum is the original text, comparing 22. uindici] 94. 20.
the ist line of 104. 23. quod... uexerit] 46. n note.
10. mundi... principe] 15. 24. This Christ has done by ascending
12. Cp. 6. 26 carnis tropaeo. to heaven in His human body, and
13. nubibus] Acts i. 9. [Perhaps also by enabling our nature to hope
the reading of several MSS in nube for heaven through His redemption
would best account for the variants.] and ascension.
14. Cp. 88. 10. 24. sublimem] 'lofty,' cp. Ju-
16. protoplasti] 33. 4. Thisword venc. in. 591 caeli sublimis in arce;
usually denotes Adam, here Adam 120. 13. The variant sublime, 'on
and Eve. Some copyists reserve it high,' might also stand, cp. Verg.
to Adam alone by writing proto- Aen. I. 259 sublimemque feres ad
plasto, or protoplastus clauserat. sidera caeli \ magnanimutn Aenean.
1 8. nostrae] 'of our race'; cp. regiam] 27. 5, 41. 36.
line 23. 25 f. sit... manens] Fort. Append.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXIII 361
illis quod se praesentauit,
nobis quod se non abstulit.
nunc prouocatis actibus
Christum exspectare nos decet, 30
uitaque tali uiuere,
quae possit caelum scandere.
31 uitamq. talem Ev 1 Ic. 32 ut (pro quae) Fb. caelos Ecdj Hd,
caelo Hb, caelos possit El.
VII. 14 sic tua uita decens hoc sit in habitare mereatur in caelo, quae
orbe manens ; cp. 44b. 8 note. caelesti uita uixit in saeculo. The
29. prouocatis actibus] 'calling variant uitam talem gives the more
forth all our energies,' ' zealous usual construction ; cp. Paul. Nol.
conduct,' 47. 19, 53. 4. Carm. xxvi. 206 et merear semper
31. Ambr. de Virginib. II. 17 uiuentis uittere uitam.
quanta angelorum laetitia t quod
HYMN 113
The most noteworthy fact concerning 113 is that a
short version is found in two of the oldest MSS. The
Moissac Ross. VIII. 144, after having given the hymn in
the usual form on f. 16, gives it again on f. 66 thus:
Aeterne rex altissime, \ scandens tribunal dexterae \ Pa-
trts, cui rerum machina \ flectit genu tarn subdita. Then
Tu Christe nostrum gaudium...\.z. stanzas v-VIH. A
IXth century MS in Paris has the same. Stanza IV is
omitted. One can understand the expansion of a hymn,
but abbreviation is very uncommon. It may be that the
short form was the original and was afterwards expanded
to the form in which the great majority of the MSS give
it. The Mozarabic MSS insert further stanzas :
after I :
quern lex subacta tartari marcens auerno dispulit carens
mucrone pessimo throno remisit patrio.
after IV :
nee sit salus ullo modo tuo foris uocabulo, a quo creata
cuncta sunt et recreata. cuncta sunt.
362 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
haectanta Christi gratia nexum tulit peccaminum, sump-
sitque corpus proprium totumque possidet polum.
after VII :
quae praeminet uirtutibus summis procul caelestibus
Deus caro atque spiritus, plenus Deus uerusque homo.
dicunt ex astris angeli demum reuerti huiusmodi, quern
nos redire credimus, regnare prorsus nouimus.
after XII :
da nobis illuc sedula \a.?>\. stanza of 117.
Eacdgjsv?;/* Fbdhips Gm Hbcdei/3 Ibdghm Madgi Vs
Aeterne rex altissime,
redemptor et fidelium,
quo mors soluta deperit,
datur triumphus gratiae;
scandens tribunal dexterae 5
Patris, potestas omnium
conlata est lesu caelitus,
quae non erat humanitus,
3 salute Mi. 4 triumphum Mgi, -is Es. 7 om. est Ea Id.
lesu est Mgi 3 , est et cael. Vs.
i . altissime] ' O Thou most probably dative after datur.
highest,' often in O.T. as appellation 5 f. ' At Thy ascent to the judg-
of God, e.g. Ps. ix. 3; here of ment seat, at the right hand of the
Christ. Father, power over all things was
3. ' by whom death is utterly given to Thee, Jesus, from heaven,
destroyed,' the abl. of instrument which was not Thine as man."
with a neuter verb used for the scandens is the nom. abs. (cp. 91.
passive of a transitive verb ; cp. 68. 27) rather than = scandis or in a
20 nullis ruamus actibus ; 80. 8 loose agreement with lesu in 7.
curis ruant ; 84. 5 f . interitu... tribunal is the Vulgate word for
perire. the judgment seat of Pilate, Herod,
The abl. of the instr., for the Gallio etc., and of Christ, Rom.
normal use with a, ab, of persons is xiv. 10, i Cor. v. 10, Prud. Cath.
found rarely in Cicero, cp. Cael. 34 ix. 104 arduum tribunal alti uictor
alienis uiris comitata, often in poets ascendit Patris \ inclito caelo repor-
who found it metrically convenient, tans passionis gloriam. For the ace.
e.g. Verg. Aen. I. 312 uno graditur cp. 112. 5 note.
comitatus Achate. It is found in late dexterae ) a loose descriptive gen.
writers as Cassian. Coll. xvm. xv. Or is it possessive, ' belonging to
7 dirissimo daemons adreptus, but Thee as the Right Hand of the
it never became common, gratiae Father ' ; cp. 1. 5 note ?
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXIII 363
ut trina rerum machina
caelestium terrestrium 10
et infernorum condita
flectat genu iam subdita.
tremunt uidentes angeli
uersam uicem mortalium,
culpat caro, purgat caro, 15
regnat Deus Dei caro.
tu, Christe, nostrum gaudium
manens Olympo praeditum,
mundi regis qui fabricam
9 at He, et Ev. u inferorum Mi. 12 flectet Gm, flectant Ea Ib
Magx. 13 trement Es Mgi. 14 uersa vice E/* Hd 1 Ig. 15 culpa
carnis Mg. purget Id 1 . 16 homo (pro dei) Hd 2 . 17 te Es Fb
Hbce/3 Ih Mgi Vs. 18 proditum He, praemium Gm.
7. caelitus] 1. 20. It is not unlikely
that lesu is to be regarded as dative
rather than vocative. There is no
tibi expressed. Stanza iv seems not
to be addressed to our Lord directly,
and the direct address may as well
end at line 4 (or 2) as at any other
point.
9. ' The threefold fabric of the
world ' is here heaven, earth and the
lower regions, cp. Phil. ii. 10; not
as usual heaven, earth and sea, as
at 23. 6 note.
10 f. Cp. 84. i3f.
1 1 . condita] ' which thou crea-
tedst' in opposition to subdita in 12.
13. tremunt, id est, cum tremore
reuerentur et uenerantur Christum
...et tune plane uersa est sors atque
condicio mortalium : nam prius hu-
mana natura et naturali sua con-
dicione et peccati depressione longe
infra angelicam naturam fuerat
constituta : in Christo uero eadem
super ornnes angdorum chores ex-
altata est et ad Dei Patris dexteram
collocata atque ah angelis nierito ado-
rota (Client.). Cp. Fort. XI. i. 31
Dominus caelos ascendit . . .unde ui-
dentes angeli carnis naturam caelos
intrare stupuerunt dicentes : quis est
iste rex gloriae?
14. Contrast Hor. Epod. v. 87
uenena magnum fas nefasque non
ualent \ conuertere humanam uicem.
is,, culpat] 'causes sin.' caro
Adaeculpaminduxit: Christiautem
caro nos a peccatis purgat (Clicht.),
cp. 10. 20 carnis uitia tnundans
caro. culpare elsewhere means ' to
blame,' ' find fault with.'
16. ipse Christus uerus homo,
regnat Deus. caro quae est Deus i*.
homo Deus (Clicht.).
With regnat Deus cp. regnauit...
Deus 34. 16.
17. tu] es.
1 8. manens is an adj. as at 112.
26.
praeditum] 'set over,' 'ruling
over,' a sense of the word in sil-
ver-age Latin, of which the dic-
tionaries give several examples. The
agreement with gaudium rather
than with tu is peculiar.
19. Cp. Ambr. Hex. vi. 55 hu-
mani corporis fabricam instar esse
mundi; Nicet. de Rat. Fid. \ fabri-
cam caeli; Sedul. Carm. I. 61 caeli
fabricator.
364 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
mundana uincens gaudia. 20
hinc te precantes quaesumus,
ignosce culpis omnibus,
et corda sursum subleua
ad te superna gratia ;
ut cum repente coeperis 25
clarere nube iudicis,
poenas repellas debitas,
reddas coronas perditas.
20 uices Gm, uidens Mi. 21 hie Mi Vs. 11 omnium He.
24 gratiam Gm Vs. 25 et Vs. rubente Eacdjsv Fh Gm He/3 2 Ibv
Magix. ceperit Fi 1 Hbd 1 . 26 clarare Vs. nubem Magi, nubes E/x.
iudicans Im.
20. uincens] 'surpassing,' as at original, coepi is often used in late
34. 26. writers as a mere auxiliary. Lofstedt
21. hinc may mean 'for this Aeth. p. 209 f. quotes Petron. xxix.
cause ' ; or possibly ' from where we 9 interrogare ergo atriensem coepi,
stand,' ' on this lowly earth.' quas in media picturas haberent,
23. corda sursum refers to the where interrogare coepi = l \ asked.'
well-known liturgical formula. See Friedlander on Petron. xxvil.
25. Mt. xxiv. 30, Lk. xxi. 34 i, and Ronsch p. 369 f . for the like
attendite . . .uobis , ne forte... super- use of incipio. In Cypr. ad Deme-
ueniat in uos repentina dies ilia, trianum 22 we have cum uastari
120. i. At first reading coeperis coeperitnmndus, and at Epist. LVIII.
clarere seems to clash with repente, 18 antichristus cum uenire coeperit.
and such may have been the thought 26. nube iudicis] ' in the cloud as-
of the scribe who substituted for signed prophetically to the judge.'
that word rubente, which is pic- 28. coronas perditas] Rev. iii.
turesque but less likely to be the n.
HYMN 114
Eacdgjlsv;/A0 Fbhimps Gm Hdei Ibghmv Vs
lesu, nostra redemptio,
amor et desiderium,
Deus creator omnium,
homo in fine temporum :
4 finem Es.
i. nostra redemptio] i Tim. ii. 6. 4. Cp. Heb. ix. 26, i Pel. i. 20,
i. desiderium] 101. 8. 84. 9.
3. =5.1.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXV 365
quae te uicit dementia, 5
ut ferres nostra crimina,
crudelem mortem patiens
ut nos a morte tolleres,
inferni claustra penetrans,
tuos captiuos redimens, 10
uictor triumpho nobili
ad dextram Patris residens ?
ipsa te cogat pietas
ut mala nostra superes
parcendo, et uoti compotes 15
nos tuo uultu saties.
tu esto nostrum gaudium,
qui es futurum praemium,
sit nostra in te gloria
per cuncta semper saecula. 20
6 nostra f. E<f> Ih. 9 penetras He Ih. 12 resides Ead 2 ]! Hd
Im 2 v Vs. 14 sufferas Fm. 15 om. et Fb. uotis Vs. 20 laus et
Hd, lausque (pro semper) Vs.
6. Is. liii. 4, i Pet. ii. 24. The nobis peccata lain commissa: tune
use of uincere in 5 is interesting. mala nostra parcendo superat. nant
10. 'redeeming the captives who maior est eius in nos m iseratio, quam
were all the time thine own.' The peccatorum nostrorum sit grauitas et
line seems to he connected with 32. pondus: praeualetque tune illitu mi-
ll rede mil ipse ius suum. Cp. 109. sericordianostraeculpae,efficaciorque
1 9 redempta plebs captiuata. The est ut nos saluet, quam sit pernidosa
spoiling of hell is meant. culpa ut nos damnet.
1 1 . triumpho nobili] 34. 28, 111. uoti compotes] 85. 15.
n, 117. 20. 16. Ps. xvi. (xvii.) 15.
12. Cp. 4. 32. 17. Cp. 113. 17.
13. pietas] ' Thy love (pity),' 7. 18. Cp. 38. 2.
13 note. 19. Jer. ix. 23 f., i Cor. i. 31,
i4f. Clicht. notes: cum Deus 2 Cor. x. 17.
ipse pro sua benignitate dimittit
FOR WHITSUNTIDE. HYMN 115
Mone regards this hymn as based upon 116, which he
says was written by Ambrose a purely arbitrary ascrip-
tion. The two hymns seem to have been written about
the same early date, but after Ambr.'s time. It will be
366 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
seen that the hymn falls into two parts : stanzas i-iv
are historical, stanzas V, VI pray that God will give us
the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Eacdgjlsvi7/40 Fdhlpswx Gam Hbcde Ibcdfhnmv Maix Vcs
Beata nobis gaudia
anni reduxit orbita,
cum Spiritus Paraclitus
effulsit in discipulos.
ignis uibrante lumine 5
linguae figuram detulit,
uerbis ut essent proflui
et caritate feruidi.
linguis locuntur omnium,
turbae pauent gentilium ; 10
musto madere deputant,
quos Spiritus repleuerat.
patrata sunt haec mystice
paschae peracto tempore,
4 discipulis Es. 5 igni Vs. luminis Hb Mi. 7 uerbi Vs.
9 omnibus Id 2 . 12 quod Hb, quo Mi. 13 mystica Ecv Fh
Gam He Imv.
i. ' The year's circle (i.e. the re- madere] Mone objects to the
volving year) has brought back.' word and substitutes calere. But
orbita is used for the commoner Latin poets often use madere of
circulus of 68. 19, 87. 14, 94. 3. heavy drinking, madidatus means
5. ' The Spirit took the form of ' drunk ' at Arnob. adv. Nat. v. i
a tongue in the quivering light of and elsewhere. Cp. 25. 7 note,
fire.' uibrante lumine is abl. of at- deputare is sometimes used with
tendant circumstance. a sinister meaning, like the Greek
7 refers back to 6, as 8 to 5. diroKa\eiv, cp. Lk. xxii. 37 cum
8. Cp. 16. 7. iniquis deputatus est ; 122. 7.
9. =116. 24, Acts ii. ii. 12. Cp. Acts ii. 17, and for the
10. gentilium] 'of Gentiles,' not form of expression iv. 8.
quite correctly, for the multitudes 13. ' These things were done in
would be at least proselytes (Acts mystic wise at the fulfilment of the
ii. 5). passover season, at the sacred number
11. ' They put them down as of days when by the law release is
sodden with young wine.' made.'
musto] Acts ii. 13. 'Must' is mystice] 'in mystic wise,' 98. 15.
young, and therefore intoxicating, The mystery lay in the sacred
wine; Juvenc. II. 373 calidwn mus- number of days (seven times seven,
turn. which inclusively reckoned made
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXV 367
sacro dierum numero
quo lege fit remissio.
te nunc, Deus piissime,
uultu precamur cernuo,
inlapsa nobis caelitus
largire dona Spiritus.
dudum sacrata pectora
tua replesti gratia ;
dimitte nunc peccamina
et da quieta tempora.
1 6 legis Ecdjv, longe He.
19 illapsi Gm (-pse Mi).
sit Fw.
1 8 cernui EC He Mai.
up 50) of which the passover season
was composed. This number 50 re-
minds the poet that every 50 years
came the year of Jubilee, annus re-
missionis, Num. xxxvi. 4, cp. Levit.
xxv. 8 f. ; Ambr. Apol. Dauid. 42 et
in Lege habes, quid iubilaeus did-
tur numerus quinquaginta annorum
recursus, celebrabilis admodum quo
debita euacuantur...hunc numerum
laeti celebramus post Domini pas-
sionem, remisso culpae totius debito,
chirographo quoque euacuato, ab
omni nexu liberi ; et suscipimtis
aduenientem in nos gratiam Spiri-
Itts sancti die Pcntecostes. The writer
may have in mind Ennodius Hymn.
IV. 25 f. (de pentecoste) : quae sacra
nunc remissio, \ paschalis instar
gratiae, \ duni mysticam septem-
plici \ ornat coronam munere, \
augmenta plenitudinis \ opus mi-
nistrat diuitis.
Kayser explains remissio as the
' atonement ' made by the sacrifices
that were offered at the feast of
weeks, referring to Levit. xxiii. lyf. ,
Num.xxviii. 27 f., Joseph. Ant. m.
x. 6, Mishna Menach. iv. 2. But
remissio in this connexion means
not ' atonement ' but ' release.'
18. cernuo] ' downcast,' expres-
sive of humility, a slight and na-
tural extension of its usual sense, as
at 62. 31, 72. 10, 94. 17.
19. inlapsa] 3. 5, 89. 10. Notice
that the time of inlapsa is in fact
subsequent to that of largire. Verg.
often uses the past participle passive
in a present sense, cp. e.g. Aen. I.
481 tunsae pectora palmis, 'beating
their breasts ' ; cp. 80. 2 note.
2 1 . dudum . . . replesti] 'of old
Thou didst fill.' dudum generally
means 'a short time ago,' but in
opposition to nunc, as here, it
comes to signify ' formerly.' Dona-
tus on Ter. Andr. 591 says dudum
de exiguo tempore praeterito sed in-
certo ; but he adds item dicitur de
tempore praeterito paulo longiore.
Cp. Plaut. Menaech. j^oi.,Amphitr.
479, 894 f., Ter. Andr. 824, Eun.
683 f., 730 f., Verg. Aen. II. 726 f.,
xii. 632 f. Kayser translates dudum
sacrata pectora ' langst geheiligte
Herzen der Apostel...die langst ge-
heiligt waren durch die Nahe und
den Umgang Christi.' To take du-
dum thus with sacrata might be in
accord with John xv. 3, said before
the coming of the Spirit. But it is
simpler to join it with replesti. It is
then contrasted with nunc in 23,
and the action upon the holy apostles
with the action upon us sinners,
repl. gratia] 110. 3.
368 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
HYMN 116
Mone I p. 239 positively asserts that 116 was written
by Ambrose. But his statement has no foundation to go
upon. The spondee in the second foot at lines 5, 9, 12,
19, 21, 28, 29 (if nothing else), the hiatus in 23, and the
different style forbid us to allow the possibility.
The hymn was differently used in different localities,
being generally divided into two or three sections. See
Julian 576.
Abdegh Eacdgjlsv?j/i0 Fbhipsx Gam Hbdei Ibcdefghmnopv Vacps
lam Christus astra ascenderat,
regressus unde uenerat,
promisso Patris munere
sanctum daturus Spiritum.
sollemnis surgebat dies, 5
quo mystico septemplici
3 promissum Ea0 FX Hbd In. promissa...munera Es/i Fb Gam Hei Ich
Vc. 4 sanctis Es Ib. daturum Es Hd. 5 urgebat (urguebat)
Eadjlsv/t< Fd Ga Hbde Icdhop. 6 qui Ga lov. mystice Iv.
i. Probably imitated from 32. i. the earth, orbis must therefore be
i. Joh. xvi. 28, vi. 63. taken as> = orbita, circulus, so often
3. Lk. xxiv. 49 promisso... mu- used in these hymns, septemplex,
nere is harder than the variants as Cass. notes, is used as a subst. ;
promissum, promissa munera (in but he is perhaps too concrete when
apposition with Spiritum), and so he says that it means ' a week.' It
the more likely to be the original. is rather ' a seven,' like f^5o/J.ds
4. daturus] 'in order to give,' a before it became 'a week.' septen-
fairly common use of the fut. part. ariurn is used in much the same
from Livy on. See Joh. xvi. 7. way in the hymn Veni sancte Spi-
5. surgebat] 'was beginning'; ritus. We might therefore translate
cp. Verg. Aen. ill. 588 dies primo after this fashion: 'on which the
surgebat Eoo ; 4. i , 22. i . The circuit seven times rolling in its
variant urgebat would mean ' was suggestive seven denotes the time of
pressing on,' but ' the day of Pente- blessing.'
cost was fully come,' Acts ii. i. mystico] Cp. 115. 13. Here, as
6 f. It is tempting to render ' on there, the sacred number 7 seven
which the globe having revolved times repeated constitutes the mys-
seven times in mystic seven.' But tery.
it is at least doubtful whether the 8. beata tempera] (cp. 4. 15) id
writer contemplated a rotation of est, futuram quie(em typo iubilaei^
LATER HYMNAL, HYMN CXVI 369
orbis uolutus septies
signal beala lempora,
cum hora cunclis tertia
repenle mundus inlonat, 10
apostolis oranlibus
Deum uenisse nunlians.
de Palris ergo lumine
decorus ignis almus esl,
qui fida Chrisli peclora 15
calore uerbi compleal.
orbem He 1 Ih j p, orbi Im, orbe Ejsv0 Fbp Ga Hbde Id. uoluto
Fbp Hbde Id, uolutos Ig. 9 dura Eas/t# Hbi, turn Fh Ihmop.
cunctus E0. 10 mundo lo Vap 1 . 11 orantibus ap. Elv/t0 Fhip Ga
Hi Ibdghmopv. 12 nuntiat Ag El/t Fi Gam Hei Idhmn l ov, nuntiant
Es Fh Ibgp. 13 te E< Hi. patre Hb. lumina Ga. 14 demissus
Ga. albus Es. 15 quo Ecjs<f> Fb Ga Hi. fide Fb, fidi Ad. christo
Ea Imn Vc. 16 uerbi c. Hd. compleuit Edlv 1 /* Fh Ig, com-
pleant Ecv 2 .
qui constabat septenario annorum
septies Jecurso, adumbratani (Cass. ).
Clicht. notes that the law was given
on the fiftieth day after leaving
Egypt : see also patristic references
in Hastings Diet, of Bible in s.v.
Pentecost p 742.
10. intonat] 86. i, 111. 2. 'The
world thunders round them all.'
There is possibly a tacit allusion to
Wisd. i. 7, which is often quoted in
rather a forced manner by eccle-
siastical writers.
n. Acts i. 14.
1 1. Possibly an allusion to Psalm
xlix. 3 Deus manifeste ueniet.
13 f. The two adjectives are per-
haps to be treated as the predicate
after est. ' Beauteous and gracious
then is the fire proceeding from the
Father's light.' Or perhaps ignis
also is a part of the predicate, ' It
(viz. what is portended by the rush-
ing noise) is a beauteous and gracious
fire' etc. The three Persons of the
Trinity are mentioned in the stanza :
the Father in 13, the Spirit in 14,
the Son in 15 and 16.
ergo merely marks the continua-
tion of the story.
14. decorus ignis] i.e. the holy
Spirit, cp. 115. 5, 118. 7, Aug.
Con/. XIII. 25 foetus est subito de
caelo sonus...et uisae sunt linguae
diuisae quasi ignis... et facta sunt
luminaria in firmamento caeli uer-
bum uitae habentia. ubique discttr-
rite, ignes sancti, ignes decori.
almus] a divine attribute, as at
36. 37, 84. i. 104. 22 etc. In Latin
poets the word is often applied to
gods, as to Venus (Lucr. I. 2, Hor.
Oii. IV. xv. 31), and to Ceres (Verg.
Georg. i. 7).
est] Cp. 32. 1 7 note.
15. flda Christi] for the active
sense of fidus thus used with a gen.
cp. Verg. A en. xil. 659 tui fidis-
sima, and see Lbfstedt Stud. p. 52 f.
1 6. uerbi] of the burning word
which they are to preach (cp. 115.
6f.).
370 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
impleta gaudent uiscera
afflata sancto lumine,
uoces diuersae consonant,
fantur Dei magnalia. 20
ex omni gente cogitur
Graecus, Latinus, Barbaras;
cunctisque admirantibus
linguis locuntur omnium.
ludaea tune incredula, 25
uesano turba spiritu,
17 complete Es Ib. gaudens E^. 18 afflato Ecv Fb Igmp. flamine
Ecj, spiritu Easv0 Fi He Ibdeghmnop Vc. sancti spiritus Ga Hi. 19 di-
uersas Eav/t^ Gam Hei, diuersis Es. intonant Ead/i Gam Hei, intonat
Ev Ib, consonae Hd 2 e, consono Hd 1 . 20 fantes EL 21 coitur Ae 2
Ed 2 j Fbp Id, cogniti Ead'svjt^ Fdhi Ga Hi Ibghmv, cognitis Ip 2 , cog-
nitos lop 1 . 12 Graecis -is -is Eadsv^ Fhi Ga Hi IbghmpV, Graecos
-os -os Fb lop 1 . 24 omnibus Ev/u0 Fd Ga Hi Ighmp. 26 uesana
Ag Eacv Fp Gm He Ibgmn Vc, uesani Hb. turbo Ag Es Hd 1 , torua Id 2 v,
toruo Ea/i Fp Gm Ibcghmn, tacta E< He 2 , tune Hi. spiritus Hb led.
17. uiscera] ' hearts' as. often in 497 Hebraeus, Graecus, Romanus,
Latin versions of N.T. as Lk. i. 78, barbarus, Indus, \ Israhelita canit.
Philem. 20 refice uiscera mea. The variant cogniti Graecis etc.
1 8. ' breathed upon (inspired) by (wherein the ablatives or datives
the sacred light.' The variant Spiritu of 22 are in a peculiar kind of
seems to be a gloss, though lumine apposition with ex o. gente 'men
may possibly have come in from of all nations') would come from
line 13. Note that the one word Acts ii. n and the thought is ex-
uiscera is qualified by both impleta pressed in line 23. cogniti would
and afflata \ impl. affl. means mean ' understood ' ; but this would
' filled by the inspiration of.' be a strange use of the word.
19. consonant] The less expres- cogitur] 14. 22. Daniel iv. 83 f.
sive intonant may have come from Sane uox cogitur s. coitur sine dubi-
line 10. u. diu. stands for the tatione recipienda est in textum ;...
uariis linguis of Acts ii. 4. fortasse legendum ex omni g. coitur,
20. magnalia] Acts ii. ii. Graecis etc. But coitur is not well
21 f. 'From every nation is attested and would not harmonize
gathered together Greek,' etc. The with the prosody of this hymn,
writer may be thinking of Prud. 22. Graecus etc.] sing, for plu.
Calh. Xll. 201 gaudete quicquid For the sense cp. Rom. i. 14, Col.
gentium est \ ludaea, Roma, Grae- iii. 1 1 .
cia ; or of Ennod.'s Pentecostal 24. =116.9.
hymn iv. 17 f. Thrax, Callus, 25. ludaea] Cp. 1. 52.
Indus unus est : \ quod blanda ludit 26. uesano] Cp. the similar use
Graecia \ ...mundi ad salutem cur- oiinsanus 16. 16, amens 24. ii.
ritur ; or of Fort. Vit. Mart. III.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXVI1 371
ructare musti crapulam
alumnos Christi concrepat.
sed signis et uirtutibus
occurrit et docet Petrus 30
falsa profari perfidos,
lohele teste comprobans.
27 crapula E^ Fh Ga Hi. 28 concrepant Ga, concrepet Ed 1 !.
31 falsas Hb, falso Ev Fh Ine Vc, falsos Eadsv/x0 Fdi Ga Hi Ighmp.
profare (proph.) lo, probari Ea Ig, probauit (prouabit) Eds/t# Fdi Ga Hi
Imp. 32 lohelis testimonio Eadlv^ Fdhi Ga Hi Ibghmopv (-nium Es).
27. musti] Acts ii. 13, 115. n. wonders and signs wrought later on
crapulam] 25. 9, 103. 17. by the apostles, ib. 43.
28. concrepat] 5. 14. 32. Acts ii. i6f. A curiously
29. ' But Peter meets them with abrupt ending, which is avoided in
signs and powers ' ; i.e. by remind- some MSS by ,the insertion of a
ing them of those which God had stanza : sic, Christe, nunc paracli-
wrought through Jesus and which tus \pertepiusnosuisita, \nouans-
ought to have persuaded them of que terrae faciem \ culfis solutos
His divine mission, Acts ii. 22. Or recreet.
there may be a reference to the
HYMN 117
Eacdgilsv7//i Fhips Gam Hbdei Ighmnv Vs
Hymnum canamus gloriae,
hymni noui nunc personent,
Christus nouo cum tramite
ad Patris ascendit thronum.
transit triumpho gloriae 5
poll potenter culmina,
i domino (pro gl.) Ed. 2 hymnum -um Fs Hb Vs. personet Ig Vs,
personant Fi. 3 nunc (pro cum) El/x Fh Gm Igm. 5 triumphus
Vs. nobili Elv Hi Ih.
1 . h. gloriae] like palmas gloriae from a scribe whose eye caught nunc
104. 47 ; and cp. v. 5. in 2.
2. hymni noui] 87. 24. The v. 1. tramite] 47. 4 .
hymnum noitum gives the usual ace. 5 f. Note the alliteration.
after A^, as at 19. 12. 6. poli... culmina] Cp. 48. 18.
3. nouo] as 6. 30. For the meaning of transit c. see
cum] The v. 1. nunc would come Eph. iv. 10.
241
372 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
qui morte mortem absumpserat
derisus a mortalibus.
apostoli tune mystico
in monte stantes chrismatis 10
cum matre clara uirgine
lesu uidebant gloriam.
hunc prosecuti lumine
laeto petentem sidera
laetis per auras cordibus 1 5
duxere regem saeculi.
quos alloquentes angeli :
* quid astra stantes cernitis ?
saluator hie est' inquiunt,
' lesus, triumpho nobili 20
a uobis ad caelestia
qui regna nunc adsumptus est,
uenturus inde saeculi
in fine iudex omnium.'
7 assumpserat Ev Fh Hbd 1 Igh,*superat Hd 2 . 9 turn Ga. mystice
Ev. 13 ac Edl Ga, hie Fp, hoc Eacj. 14 laetum Hi. 15 laeti
Hd. aures Ed Gm. cordium Es Hd 2 e Ig. 20 lesu Ev. nobilis EC
Fp Hbe. 22 regnat Ga Hbd 1 Vs. hinc Vs.
8. derisus] 'although derided.' cp. Juvenc. I. 659 cernis adhae-
9 f . i.e. on the Mount of Olives, rentem festucam in lumine fratris;
a name full of meaning (mystico) ; Paul. Nol. Carm, xvill. 291 lu-
the chrism (26. 4 note) was chiefly mine... cernis. Fort. IV. x. 24 a
made of olive oil. For mystico used nostro lumine raptus obit,
of that which has a hidden meaning, 15. Lk. xxiv. 52.
cp. 40. 18, 98. 15, 115. 17, 116. 6, 16. duxere] deducere is more
124. 7. common in this sense than ducere.
n. This of course is not ex- regem saeculi] 1. 70.
pressly stated in Scripture. 17. Acts i. 10.
13. 'with joyful gaze following 19. est goes with uenturus in 23.
Him in His ascent to heaven, with 20. triumpho nobili] referring to
joyful hearts they accompanied the ascension (cp. 114. u) not to
through the air the King of the the future parousia. It goes gram-
world.' The repetition laeto .. .laeti matically with assumptus est.
is emphatic. Sedul. Carm. V. 429 2 1 . English MSS for the most part
illi autem laetis cementes uultibus omit this stanza and the next but
altas | ire super nubes Dominum. one (quo nos), while the stanza
lumine] 'eye,' rare in sing., but sicque is omitted in foreign ones.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXVIII 373
sicque uenturum asserunt, 25
quern ad modum hunc uiderant
summa polorum culmina
scandere lesum splendida.
quo nos precamur tempore,
lesu redemptor unice, 30
inter tuos in aethera
seruos benignus adgrega.
da nobis illuc sedula
deuotione tendere,
quo te sedere cum Patre 35
in arce regni credimus.
28 splendide Ev. 32 benigne suscipe Hb. 33 illud Es. sedulo
EC. 35 qua Ga.
31. in aethera] i Thess. iv. 16. mus.
33. Cp. the Ascension Collect. 35. quo] .' where,' as in 1. 18.
Ambr. in Luc. X. 1 59 ergo et ascen- 36. arce regni] 23. 26, S3. n,
disti nobis, ut te sequeremur menti- 120. 7.
bus, quern octilis nidere non possu-
HYMN 118
[Walpole left prefixed to this hymn the note, ' Intro-
duction elsewhere.' We have not been able to find such
an introduction among his papers. Probably he put off
writing it, and never accomplished his purpose. In de-
fault of work of his, the student is referred to the excel-
lent account in Julian's Dictionary, by Dr Gibson, now
Bishop of Gloucester.
There is no evidence whatever to connect the author-
ship with any known name. The ascription to the Em-
peror Charlemagne by Ekkehard (c. 1220) is shewn by
Dr Gibson to be based on a blunder. The utmost which
can be inferred from Ekkehard's story, if there is any
truth in it at all, is that the hymn was new or not well-
known towards the end of the IXth century: otherwise
the Emperor of the time (Charles the Fat) would hardly
374 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
have sent it as a present to a distinguished ecclesiastic
like Notker. No MS of earlier date than the Xth century
contains it. The earliest of those whose readings are re-
corded in this volume, to which anything like a year can
be assigned, is the one here denoted Ej. It came from
Durham ; and Dr Mearns (Early Latin Hymnaries p. xi)
dates it from about 980. Our El Gm/i, and Ha are
reckoned to be of the same century. By about the be-
ginning of the Xlth century, it is found in MSS represent-
ing England, France, Germany with Switzerland, Italy,
and Spain.
Its earliest liturgical use seems to have been at Vespers
in Whitsuntide (as in Ej) ; but the Sarum use assigned
it to Terce on Whitsunday and the three following days,
when it was to be sung with special solemnity. No
doubt that hour was chosen with reference to Acts ii. 15.
Dr Gibson traces its use at Ordinations to the Xlth
century.
No other Latin hymn, except those of the daily offices,
has been so frequently and widely used as this. It is the
only one which has found its way, in alternative transla-
tions, into the English Prayer Book.
The most elaborate special work upon the hymn is
that which Dr Gibson mentions S. G. Pimont Hymnes
du Breviaire Remain vol. II, part II, pp. 125-143.]
Eacdgilsvxftu0 Fhilpsy Gm^w Habcdei Ibcdefghmn Vcs
Veni creator Spiritus,
mentes tuorum uisita,
imple superna gratia,
quae tu creasti pectora :
i. Ambr. de Spir. II. 41 dubitare (p. 26) sed dices : de Verbo quidem
ergo non possum Spiritum creator em, manifestatum est quod creauerit ;
quern dominicae cognoscimus incar- sed quid de Spiritu? accipe aliud
nationis auctorem ', Nicet. de Sp. S. testimonium iuslissimi illius et sane-
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXVIII 375
qui Paraclitus diceris, 5
donum Dei altissimi,
fons uiuus, ignis, caritas,
et spiritalis unctio.
tu septiformis munere,
dextrae Dei tu digitus,
10
6 altissimus EC.
9 gratia Ine Vc, gratiae Fy Gm a .
titstmi fob. Spiritus inquit diuinus
qui fecit me (Job xxxiii. 4) et Dauid
psallens dicit ad Deum : emitte Spi-
ritum tuum et creabuntur et re-
notiabis faciem terrae (Ps. ciii. (civ.)
30) . si creatio et renouatioper Spirt-
turn erit, sine dtibio et principium
creationis sine Spirit u nonfuit. sed
solent ei qui ueritati resistunt argute
Spiritus uocabulum et personam ad
Filium conuertere, sicubi creator
Spiritus inuenitur etc. Cp. id.
p. 74. 9. See also Ps. xxxii. (xxxiii.)
6, 4 Esdr. xvi. 63. Note the climax
tieni, uisita, iniple.
5. Notable as the only place in
these hymns where we find the
quantitative Paractitiis and not the
accentual Paraclitus.
6. donum] Joh. iv. 10, Acts viii.
20. Aug. de Trin. XV per donum,
quod est Spiritus sanctus, multa
propria dona diuidunttir membris
Christi ; Enchir. 1 2 Spiritus sanctus
ipse proprie sic est Deus, ut dicatur
etiam Dei domim.
7. fons uiuus] Joh. vii. 38 f.
Cp. iv. 14. Ambr. de Spir. I. 174
sed siue patrem quis hoc loco, siue
filium intellegat fontem ; fontem
utique intellegimus non aquae istius,
quae creatura est : sed diuinae illius
gratiae, hoc est Spiritus sancti ; ipse
enitn est aqua uiita.
ignis] Lk. xii. 49, Acts ii. 3,
Ambr. de Spir. I. 164 et Esaias
significat non solum lucent, sed etiam
ignem esseSpiritum sanctum ; Sedul.
Op. V. 35 ignis Spiritus sancti gerit
imaginem, quo deuoti consecramur
ad fidem. in eadem namque specie
demonstratus effulsit, cum beatos
apostolos, sicut liber eorum Actuum
protestatur, clara sui diuinitate per-
fudit.
caritas] Rom. v. 5 and other
places. Cp. Ambr. de Spir. I. 94
effunditur etiam caritas Dei per
Spiritum...ut intellegamus non esse
opus sanctum Spiritum, qui di-
uinae arbiter et fons projluus cari-
tatis est ; ib. I. 130 sicut enim tina
est caritas patris et filii, ita hanc
caritatem Dei supra effundi per
Spiritum sanctum et fructum esse
sancti Spiritus declarauimus.
8. i Joh. ii. 20, 27 ; cp. a tro-
parium givsn by Mone I. p. 81
Spiritui quoque cordis unctori iu-
bilemus.
9. ' Thou art sevenfold in Thy
gifts.' Is. xi. i. Cp. Rev. i. 4 ;
Greg. Moral, xxxv. 1 5 quos Spiritus
gratiae septiformis repleuit, perficit,
eisque non solum Trinitatis notitiam
sed etiam uirtutum quattuor, id est
prudentiae, temperantiae, fortitudi-
nis atque iustitiae, operationem prae-
6ft; id. Horn, in Ezech. n. vi. 7.
The prayer for the gift of the septi-
formis Spiritus in confirmation is
very ancient in the West, and very
widespread ; see Thompson Offices
of Baptism p. 216, Mason Relation
of Confirmation to Baptism 248.
i o. Dei . . . digitus] a phrase found
Exod. viii. 19, xxxi. 18, Deut. ix. 10,
cp. Ps. viii. 3. From these passages
(cp. Ambr. in Ps. cxvui. xv. 9
digitum...p:-o Spirit u, ut lex digito
Dei scripta est), and from a com-
parison of Mt. xii. 28 with Lk. xi.
20 ' the finger of God' was identified
with the Holy Spirit. Ambr. de
Spir. ill. n, 13.
376 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
tu rite promisso Patris
sermone ditas guttura.
accende lumen sensibus,
infunde amorem cordibus,
infirma nostri corporis 15
uirtute firmans perpeti.
hostem repellas longius,
pacemque dones protinus,
ductore sic te praeuio
uitemus omne noxium. 20
per te sciamus da Patrem,
noscamus atque Filium,
te utriusque Spiritum
credamus omni tempore.
1 1 promissum E/i Fhpy Ib 1 en Vc. 1 2 ditans Es/ct Fhpy Hd 1 leghmn
Vcs. 1 6 firma Gm. perpetim Ecs Fy Hbde. 17 repelle Gm Id,
repellat Ev Vs 1 . 18 dona Id, redde Gm, donet Ev. 23 utrorum-
que Gm.
11. Mk. xiii. ii promisso is a is not needed, sit laus Patri cum
suhst. as in Lk. xxiv. 49, ' by pro- Filio, which early MSS as a rule
mise of the Father.' The abl. as at know not. Durh. B. III. 32 gives it
116. 3. thus, sit laus Palricum Genito, \ am-
12. Acts ii. 4. borum et Paraclito, \ proles nt hunc
13. lumen] e.g. 2 Cor. iii. i6f. promiserat \ nobis modoque tribuat.
sensibus, ' thoughts.' Other doxologies are Praesta Pater
14. Greg. Horn, in Ezech. I. v. 8 or Hie Christe nunc Paraclitus \ per
Spiritus sanctus in electorum cordibus te pius nos uisitet or Dudum sacrata
ex se ipso flammas amort 's proic it. ( = 115. 21 f.) or Deo Patri sit gloria
15. 16] taken from 6. 27, 28. For or (most common) Gloria Patri do-
the application to the Spirit cp. mino \ natoque qui a mortuis \ sur-
Eph. iii. 1 6. rexit ac Paraclito \ in saeculorum
1 8. protinus is used in the less saecula. And the stanza which
common sense of ' continually.' Trench gives Da gaudiorum prae-
1 9. Probably the reference is to mia is interpolated from 78. 1 3 f.
the guiding cloud in the wilder- 23. Opens out the tremendous
ness. question which has estranged the
21 f. Cp. Job. xvi. 14, 15. The West from the East. But cp. (e.g.)
last stanza is a quasi-doxology, so Mt. x. 20 Spiritus Patris uestri
that the last stanza given by Trench with Acts xvi. 7 Spiritus lesu.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXIX 377
DEDICATION OF CHURCH. HYMN 119
This grand old hymn, full of poetical feeling though
rugged enough as to its prosody, was written in VI-
VHIth cent, if we may judge by its metre and the cha-
racter of its rhymes. The main idea is taken from Rev.
xxi. 2, some of its imagery from Is. xxviii. 16 and I Pet.
ii. 5 f-
Neale Med. Hymns p. 20 f. says : ' Daniel imagines
[stanzas vil, vin] to be a later addition, when the hymn,
originally general, was adapted to the dedication of a
church. Trench, on the contrary, will have the whole
poem to be of one date : and alleges, very truly, that
this mixture of the earthly and heavenly temple is
usual in hymns and sequences on a similar subject.
Nevertheless I think Daniel is right: (i) because there
is a clear difference in the style and language of the two
last and seven preceding stanzas, (2) because the transi-
tion from one part to the other is so unusually abrupt,
(3) because at the end of the sixth stanza there is a
quasi-doxology as if to point out that the hymn originally
concluded there.'
The oldest MS containing the hymn, Paris Arsenal
227, omits stanzas VII and VIII, and thus Daniel's idea
becomes quite likely. At Poitiers in IXth cent, the hymn
was sung at the Baptism on Easter Eve and instead of
the two stanzas this was added after line 18 : Fonte pro-
lent salutari chrismatis et unguine \ candidatum et orna-
tum uirgo mater afferens \ quam superna proles Patris
caelo Chris tus accipit.
The hymn was rewritten in smooth but comparatively
weak iambic dimeters for the modern Roman breviary,
beginning thus : Caelestis nrbs Jerusalem, \ beata pads
uisio, | quae celsa de uiuentibus \ saxis ad astra tolleris.
378 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Contrast the strength of line I3f. with Alto ex Olympi
uertice \ summi parentis filius \ ceu monte desectus lapis \
terras in imas decidens. Another version in smooth
trochaics, wherein less of the original power was lost,
was made by the Abbe Besnault for the Sens breviary
of 1726 Urbs beata, uera pacts \ uisio, Jerusalem ; \ quanta
surgit ! celsa saxis \ conditur uiuentibus : quae poliuit,
haec coaptat \ sedibus suis Deus.
This hymn is the ultimate source of inspiration to all
the many hymns concerning the New Jerusalem.
Fhlnrsp Gm Hdfhi Ibcdefghmnopv Mk Vcls
Urbs beata Jerusalem dicta pacis uisio,
quae construitur in caelis uiuis ex lapidibus,
et angelis coornata ut sponsata comite,
noua ueniens e caelo, nuptiali thalamo
praeparata, ut sponsata copuletur Domino, 5
plateae et muri eius ex auro purissimo.
2 quern Ig. caelo Es. 3 angelico ornata Es Ih (ornatu Mk).
coronata Hi. hac sponsata comiti Id, uelut sponsa nobilis Hfi, ut sponsa
de thalamo Es. 4 a Gm Iv, de Ih. 5 ac (pro ut) In 2 , copulata
Ean Fn Ih, copulatur Ev Id Vs. 6 portae atque m. Es Mk, plateae
murique E/i.
i. ' Blessed city called Jerusalem, leste transferret.
(that is to say) the vision of peace.' 3. ' adorned by angels as a bride
Cp. 120. 40. For this favourite de- (is adorned) by her attendants,' Rev.
rivation cp. e.g. Aug. in Ps. L. -22 xxi. 2 paratam sicut sponsam orna-
interpretatur enim Sion speculatio, tarn uiro suo. comes, from classical
et Iert4salem uisio pacis. Modern times downwards, is a constant
discovery has been thought to con- word for the attendants of great
firm it. See Hastings Diet. Bible s.v. personages ; cp. e.g. Hor. Od. IV. ix.
i. uiuis ex lapidibus] i Pet. ii. I4f. aurum uestibus illitum mirata
4 f. ad quern accedentes lapidem ui- regalesque cultus et comites Helene
uum...et ipsi tamquam lapides uiui Lacaena. Here the singular is used
superaedificamini. Prud. Nol. xvn. for the plural, as we have often had
237 f. bone serue Christi, \ qui tibi in these hymns.
donat lapides in astra \ uertere et The verb sponsare occurs in the
uiuis sacra templa saxis \ aedificare. Vulgate, as well as in the jurists, but
Bede Hist. IV. 3 superuenit namque it is not so common as the com-
clades diuinitus missa, quae per pound desponsare.
mortem carnis uiuos ecclesiae lapides Cassander's coronata is perhaps a
de terrenis sedibus adaedificium cat- misprint.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXIX 379
portae nitent margaritis adytis patentibus,
et uirtute meritorum illuc introducitur
omnis qui pro Christi nomen hie in mundo premitur.
tunsionibus, pressuris expoliti lapides, 10
suis coaptantur locis per manum artificis,
disponuntur permansuri sacris aedificiis.
angularis fundamentum lapis Christus missus est,
qui conpage parietis in utroque nectitur,
quern Syon sancta suscepit, in quo credens permanet. 1 5
7 nitet Vs. abditis Fn Im. 8 illic Id. 9 ob Gm. nomine
Eanvi; Fhn Hd Ih Vcl. christo deo E<f> Hfi. hoc immutando geritur Vs.
10 tonsionibus Es Fh Id Mk (-oribus Ev), tensionibus Vs. pressure (sc.
-rae) Es Mk. 1 1 suisque apt. Eanv< Hdf Ic'n. manus Eavjt Fh Hi
Ibdv Vs. 12 permansuris E/x Fhn Hd Id 2 m Vs. sacri Ih.
13 angulare En Fn Ih. fundamenti Es# Hfi Mk. 14 parietum Gm
Hfi, pariete Ei;.
6. Rev. xxi. 21.
7. ib. 21, 25.
8. meritorum] No doubt the
poet meant ''their merits,' 'in ac-
cordance with their deserts.'
9. i Pet. iv. 14, Damas. LVIII.
2 Christi .. .pro nomine passi. In
view of the hiatus in lines 3, 5, 6,
16, 17, 22, 24 and of the absence
of any elisions in the hymn the
reading nomen, which is found in
Es Icn Mk Vc, is more likely than
nomine, the last syllable of which
would be elided. The variants ob
Christi nomen and pro Christo Deo
would avoid the elision but would
not account for pro C. nomine.
For pro with the ace. cp. Rdnsch
pp. 412, 523, Schmalz p. 410,
Lofstedt Aeth. p. 289. hie is of
course the adverb, explained by the
following words : ' here in the
world.' We have had this adver-
bial use at 62. 1 1 e t hie piatos sordi-
bus.
~ jo- pressuris] in reference to
premitur above, cp. Joh. xvi. 13 in
mundo presstiram habebitis. See
Ronsch p. 320 f. Clicht. says nempe
in exstruenda domo exciduntur lapi-
des et sculpuntur tundunturque mal-
let's, antequam aptentur aedificio.
Greg, in Ezech. II. ii. 5 Jerusalem
caelestis tit cinitas aedtficatur, quae
tauten in hoc peregrinationis terra,
dttm Jlagellis percutitur, tribula-
tionibus titnditur, eius lapides cot-
tidie quadranlur. et ipsa est cinitas,
scilicet sancta ecclesia, quae regna-
tura in caelo ad hut labor at in terra.
Cp. Acts xiv. ii.
11. artificis] 39. 14.
12. permansuri] Rev. iii. 12.
13. Is. xxviii. 1 6 ego mittam in
fundamentis Sion lapidem, lapidem
probatum angularem pretiosum, in
fundamento fundatuiK ; 1. 5 note.
14. Eph. ii. 19 foil. As conpages
is always fern., in utroqite must be
taken either with pariete under-
stood, or absolutely, like the utraque
of Eph. ii. 14, which is perhaps
better. ' Which in the framework of
the wall is bonded into both.'
15. Is. vii. 9 si non credideritis
non permanebitis.
38o EA RLY LA TIN HYMNS
omnis ilia Deo sacra et dilecta ciuitas
plena modulis in laude et canore iubilo
trinum Deum unicumque cum fauore praedicat.
hoc in templo, summe Deus, exoratus adueni
et dementi bonitate precum uota suscipe, 20
largam benedictionem hie infunde iugiter.
hie promereantur omnes petita adquirere
et adepta possidere cum sanctis perenniter,
paradisum introire translati in requiem.
gloria et honor Deo usque quo altissimo 25
una Patri Filioque inclito Paraclito,
cui laus est et potestas per aeterna saecula.
16 sacra deo Ib. grata Gm, sacrata Ih. om. et Ev. 17 canoro Ea
Gm Ic Vc. 1 8 unum quoque Eav. feruore Gm. praedicant ETJ Im
Vcl, praedicans Hd. 19 templum Ea. deus s.Es Mk. 21 infundens
Ean. 11 hinc Gm, sic Hd. promereamur Ih. accipere Es Gm Idhm
Mk. 24 paradiso Im. nos transl. Ih. 25 (pro usque quo altissimo)
atque coaltissimo Ihm Vs. laus et benedictio E/n, uirtus et imperium Es Fh.
26, 27 genitoque nazareno simul et paraclito qui supernum tenet regnum
permanet in saecula E^i. 26 inclitoque filio p. Es. 27 honor (pro
laus est) Vs. immensa Vs.
16. ciuitas] Rev. xi. 2, xx. 8. sense, 'won by our prayers,' unlike
17. modulis] The dictionaries 66. u.
give references to Pliny and others 11. promereantur] 82. 21.
for the sense of ' modes' or ' melo- 23. adepta] passive as at Fort.
dies.' iubilo must be understood I. xv. 34, v. iv. j.
here to be an adj. agreeing with cum sanctis] Te Deum 21.
canore. 24. paradisum] 29. 50.
18. fauore] Cp. 36. 18 fauent. 25. usque quo] like usque qua-
Corippus has gaudia quanta illic, que, in the sense of ' for ever.'
quantus fauor. Grammatically Deo is to be con-
19. in templo] =inteniplum,cp. nected with Paraclito.
33. 1 8 note. 27. cui] dissyllable.
exoratus here has its proper
DE IUDICIO. HYMN 120
This alphabetical hymn is quoted by Bede and is
therefore certainly as old as the Vllth cent., perhaps
much older. Neale writes, ' It manifestly contains the
germ of the Dies Irae, to which, however inferior in
HYMN CXX 381
lyrical fervour and effect, it scarcely yields in devotion
and simple realisation of its subject."
It has sometimes been ascribed to Hilary, who is
known to have used the alphabetical contrivance; but
there is no particular evidence to guide our judgement to
him.
Bb
Apparebit repentina dies magna Domini,
fur obscura uelut nocte inprouisos occupans.
Breuis totus turn parebit prisci luxus saeculi,
totum simul cum clarebit praeterisse saeculum.
Clangor tubae per quaternas terrae plagas concinens 5
uiuos una mortuosque Christo ciet obuiam.
De caelesti iudex arce, maiestate fulgidus,
Claris angelorum choris comitatus aderit.
Erubescet orbis lunae, sol et obscurabitur,
stellae cadent pallescentes, mundi treraet ambitus. 10
i obscuro Bb. 7 caeleste Bb.
1. repentina] Lk. xxi. 34, 113. 4. clarebit] 'it will be clear
25. (manifest),' Lucr. vi. 938; Juvenc.
dies magna Domini] Mai. iv. 5, n. 773 mufti ueteres... \quae uobis
itself a quotation from Joel ii. 31. clarettt,oraruntcerneredona;Am\>r.
2. for... nocte] i Thess. v. 2. Apol. Dauid. 1 7 quo indicia claruit
uelut should begin its clause, as auri cupiditatem materiam esse per-
should uel in 22. The order of fidiae; Paul. Nol. Carm. xix. 598
words in the hymn is often in- uel qua latuit scelus atque rcclusum
verted, cp. quo in 35, in qua in 40, claruit,
ubi in 42, and the prep, ad in 15. 5. Mt. xxiv. 31.
inprouisos] not expecting it, Lk. quaternas... plagas] Cp. Verg.
xvii. 26 f. The word is elsewhere Aen. vn. 116 plagarum quatiuor.
passive, as at a Mace. viii. 6. 6. I Thess. iv. 16 f.
Ebert I. 555 quotes the verse with ciet] ' shall summon,' 20. 9 note,
the reading improuisa, which would 7. arce] 23. 26.
of course be passive. I do not know 8. Mt. xvi. 27, xxv. 31.
his authority. choris] abl. Cp. 119. 3.
3. parebit] 'will appear,' 'will comitatus] passive.
be seen to be.' pareo often = appareo 9. Is. xxiv. 23, Joel ii. 31, Acts
in Vulgate, as Mt. xxiv. 30 tune ii. 20.
parebit signum Filii hominis in sol... stellae] Mt. xxiv. 79.
caelo; see Lofstedt Aeth. 58. Ronsch 10. pallescentes] 22. 2 note.
374 gives manv instances. mundi ..ambitus] 80. 3.
382
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
Flamma ignis anteibit iusti uultum iudicis,
caelos, terras et profundi fluctus maris deuorans.
Gloriosus in sublimi rex sedebit solio,
angelorum tremebunda circumstabunt agmina.
Huius omnes ad electi colligentur dexteram, 15
praui pauent a sinistris, hoedi uelut fetidi.
' Ite ' dicet rex a dextris ' regnum caeli sumite,
Pater uobis quod parauit ante omne saeculum ;
Karitate qui fraterna me iuuistis pauperem,
karitatis nunc mercedem reportate diuites.' 20
16 ceu (pro uelut) Bb.
n. flamma ignis] Joel ii. 3, Is.
Ixvi. 15, Rev. xx. 9.
iusti... iudicis] Ps. vii. 12.
12. caelos, terras, ...maris] 23. 6
note.
13. Mt. xxv. 31.
15. Mt. xxv. 33.
ad. . .derteram] The order of the
words is abnormal and so strange
that I venture to suggest as the
original reading adelecti...dextera.
Verbs compounded with two pre-
positions were rare in classical
writers, common in later times, and
we find adinuentio, adlnuentor, ad-
impletio etc. and even per-dis-co-
perire. See Lofstedt Aeth. p. 92 f.,
Ronschpp. i8of., 202. But parallels
in Latin literature are quoted by
Schmalz p. 416 who compares
Tibull. I. vi. 30 contra quis ferat
arma deos. One might compare the
familiar per ego te deos oro of Te-
rence ; Liv. xxin. ix. 2 per ego te,
inquit, fili, qtiaecumque iura etc. ;
Verg. Eel. vi. 19 iniciunt ipsis ex
uincula sertis, where Forbiger cites,
among other passages, Ov. ex Pont.
I. ii. 150 iure uenit cultos ad sibi
quisque deos.
1 6. pauent] among the futures
is perhaps intended to be future, as
if from pautre.
hoedi] lit. }aids=capri. hoedi is
the biblical word.
17. a dextris] rots <f/c Scfrwv 'to
those on his right hand.' This use of
a prep, with its object to take the
place of an adj. or subst. is rare in
Latin. But not unlike is Liv. xxin.
2 1 priores ex Sicilia...recitatae sunt,
' the despatch from Sicily was read
first'; where the subject is ex Si-
cilia = ' that from Sicily ' (a! IK -rijs
Zi/ceXt'as), litterae being understood
from the preceding section. Cp. 16
and 25 a sinistris, and perhaps 1. 3
tu Dei de corde. In Acts vi. 9 the
O. L. (in Sabatier) has de conuen-
tione...Alexandrinorum et a Cilicia
et Asia Kdl T&V airb KiXt/ctas KOI
'Acrias. In something like the same
way Rev. iii. 9 (Vulgate and O. L.)
dabo de synagoga Satanae. The rarity
of the phrase lies in the want of qui
or some such word to help it out.
Thus in Heb. xiii. 24 the Vulgate
addsfratres to help out de Italia = oi
airb rrjs 'IroXioj. Cicero helps out
ex Platone et Aristoiele by prefixing
illi. The v. 1. ad dextros is a not
too successful attempt to mend the
unusual phrase.
18. Mt. xxv. 34.
20. diuites, going closely with
reportate, gets an adverbial force :
' receive richly.' The word is chosen,
and thus placed, to contrast with
pauperem in 19. reportare is often
used by Cicero of gaining a prize or
reward.
HYMN CXX
383
Laeti dicent: 'quando, Christe, pauperem te uidimus?
te, rex magne, uel egentem miserati fuimus?'
Magnus illis dicet iudex ' cum iuuistis pauperes,
panem domum uestem dantes, me iuuistis humilem.'
Nee tardabit a sinistris loqui Justus arbiter: 25
' in gehennae maledicti flammas hinc discedite ;
Obsecrantem me audire despexistis mendicum,
nudo uestem non dedistis, neglexistis languidum.'
Peccatores dicent : ' Christe, quando te uel pauperem,
te, rex magne, uel infirmum contemnentes spreuimus?' 30
Quibus contra iudex altus : ' mendicanti quamdiu
opem ferre neglexistis, me spreuistis inprobi.'
Retro ruent tune iniusti ignes in perpetuos,
uermis quorum non moritur, ignis nee restinguitur,
Satan atro cum ministris quo tenetur carcere, 35
fletus ubi mugitusque, strident omnes dentibus.
32 improbum Bb.
11 . fuimus] for sumus of classical
Latin.
24. ' in the days of My humilia-
tion.'
25. a sinistris] eis qui a sinistris
sunt, cp. 17 note.
26. gehennae] one of the few
Hebrew words retained in the Vul-
gate (Mt. v. 22 etc.).
27. despexistis] 'you scorned,' is
followed by the inf. audire after the
analogy of recuso and like verbs;
and so ferre neglexistis in 32, cp.
Schmalz p. 424. It looks as if the
poet sounded the i in mendicus
short.
28. With ntido supply in thought
mihi, with languidum supply me.
For languidum ' sick ' cp. 84. 7.
31. quamdiu] 'inasmuch as.'
For the causal sense here and Mt.
xxv. 40, 45 expressed by a conj.
properly expressing time, cp. the
use of quando 38. 10, and of dum
(e.g.) 110. ii.
32. inprobi] 103. 16. It goes
36 fletu sibi Bb.
closely with spreuistis, cp. note on
20 diuites.
33. retro] 'away'; the sense of
' back ' is lost, as at limes in
the case of verbs compounded with
re.
34. Mk. ix. 43, cp. Is. Ixvi. 24.
The usual reading morietur (which
would be scanned as a trisyllable)
does not match with restinguitur.
35. ' where Satan is confined in
his dark prison.' The atro forbids us
to take quo with carcere. For the
order of the words see note on uelut
in 2. Satan is the form found in the
Vulgate of the O.T. , but Satanas in
N.T.
carcere] Rev. xx. 9.
36. mugitus] usually of the
' lowing ' or ' bellowing ' of cattle,
but cp. Mai. ii. 13 operiebatis...al-
tare Domini Jletu et mugitu ; Ae-
theriae Peregr. 57 tantus rugitus et
mugitus fit omnium hominum.
strident, .dentibus] Mt. viii. 12
stridor dentium.
384 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
Tune fideles ad caelestem sustollentur patriam,
chores inter angelorum regni petent gaudia.
Urbis summae Jerusalem introibunt gloriam,
uera lucis atque pacis in qua fulget uisio, 40
Xristum regem iam paterna claritate splendidum
ubi celsa beatorum contemplantur agmina.
Ydri fraudes ergo caue, infirmantes subleua,
aurum temne, fuge luxus, si uis astra petere.
Zona clara castitatis lumbos nunc praecingere, 45
in occursum magni regis fer ardentes lampades.
39 introibit Bb. 44 tene Bb 1 . 46 lapides Bb.
37. sustollentur] 44. 6. patriam ways Xpm.
92. 2 note. 43. ydri] lit. 'a water snake.'
38. petent] ' shall go into.' J. E. B. Mayor in the Journal of
39. Jerusalem is scanned as at Philology vn p. 3 [4, speaking of
119. i. this use of hydros = 5id/3oXoj, refers
40. Cp. Sedul. Hymn. i. 107 f. to Prud. Hamart. 614, Bede Hymn,
uisio, Christe, tui tormentttm et et Epigr. IV. 20 vs. 21, de Mirac.
poena malorum est, ] gloria cuncta Cuthb. c. 13. See the note on 31.
bonis uisio, Christe, tui. There is a 85.
reference to the meaning of the infirmantes] 'the sick.' infirmari
name Jerusalem as at 119. r. in Vulgate often translates affOevelv,
41. Cp. 3. i, 62 b. i. Cp. note e.g. 2 Cor. xi. 29; cp. Ronsch
on line 2 for the position of ubi. p. 370 f.
The writer has to begin with Xpm 44. astra petere] ' to go to hea-
on account of the alphabetical se- ven ' as at line 38.
quence. It may be noted that in 45. lumbos... praecingere] 13.
MSS Christus is always written XPC 17, i Pet. i. 13.
or Xps (not Xristus), Christum al- 46. Mt. xxv. 6f., 41. 3 if.
HYMNI DE SANCTIS COMMUNES. HYMNS 121-123
The three hymns which follow appear to be all from
the same hand. The same words recur again and again.
HYMN 121
EacdghjlvxTj^ Fbdhs Gabms Habcdefgh/3 Ibfhnopt Makx Vbcdls
Rex gloriose martyrum,
corona confitentium,
i coronas Hb Vs. confid. He.
2. corona] 19. i note, 122. 2. confitentium as distinguished from
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXI 385
qui respuentes terrea
perducis ad caelestia,
aurem benignam protinus 5
adpone nostris uocibus ;
tropaea sacra pangimus,
ignosce quod deliquimus.
tu uincis in martyribus,
parcendo confessoribus, 10
tu uince nostra crimina
donando indulgentiam.
3 dispuentes Gab Ha 1 /? 1 , terrena Ecdhvtf* Fdh Gb's Hacef/3 1 Ihot Vbls.
4 perducit Hh Vs. 5 benignus Ga, benigne Hcgh Ihn 1 , benigna Hb.
8 delinquimus E/t Fb Gs Hce Ih Vdls. 9 uinces Vs. 1 1 uinces Hd l .
12 indulgentia Hb Mk.
martyrum, those who confess Christ
before men (Mt. x. 32), but die a
natural death.
3. terrea] The dictionaries quote
Varro for this word, but cannot find
it elsewhere. See 29. 25, 128. 7.
5. protinus] as at 118. 18.
7. 'We sing sacred triumphs.'
tropaea 6. 26 note, pangimus as at
33. i.
8. quod deliquimus] Cp. note
on 7. 26 delictum.
9f. The statements in 9, 10 are
balanced by the prayers in n, 12.
[I surmise that confitentes, confes-
sores, here are not used in the strict
and technical sense, at least not of
the 'confessors' as a class of de-
parted saints, but of those who are
now confessing Christ on earth,
whether under persecution at the
moment or not. It describes those
who are singing the hymn.
Thus in 2, it would mean that the
King of the martyrs is our crown,
while we confess Him and follow
Him (and them) in preferring hea-
venly things to earthly. In 10, a
good deal depends upon the question
whether the gerund is used with
classical accuracy or not. If it is,
then Christ's victory obtained in the
person of the martyrs is displayed
in mercy to weaker, but not un-
faithful, Christians. This would be
quite in accordance with early
Christian teaching : see Benson
Cyprian p. 89 foil. It would well
suit the language of the hymn. If,
however, this is considered too
archaic, the gerunds must be taken
like present participles, ' Thou con-
querest in the martyrs, while sparing
those who confess Thee.']
in martyribus] ' in the person of
the martyrs,' cp. 14. 13 in Hit mar-
tyre.
to. parcendo] abl., see p. 408.
confessoribus] fonfitfntium in
7. For the thought cp. 114. 14.
ii. donando] abl., see p. 408.
386 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
HYMN 122
Abdg Eacdghjl?7/i$ Fdhmnps Gabm/t Habcdefg/8 Ibcfghnopt
Makx Vbcdls
Deus, tuorum militum
sors et corona, praemium,
laudes canentes martyris
absolue nexu criminis.
hie nempe mundi gaudia 5
et blandimenta noxia
caduca rite deputans
peruenit ad caelestia.
poenas cucurrit fortiter
et sustulit uiriliter ; 10
pro te effundens sanguinem
aeterna dona possidet.
ob hoc precatu supplici
te poscimus, piissime,
in hoc triu mpho martyris 15
dimitte noxam seruulis.
3 martyres GM- 4 nexum Fm Gab Ih 2 Mk. 5 hinc Mk.
1 1 refundens Ab 1 Ed Fmp lo Mk 1 Vb, effudit Ga. pro te ustus cralicula
Gfi. 13 supplices Mk Vdl. hie nos precantes supplices Ab.
1 5 in hoc festo Laurentii Gft..
2. sors] ' the portion,' Ps. xv. 5 sunt.
(pars), Ixxii. (Ixxiii. 26) 25 (pars), deputans] 115. 1 1.
cxli. (cxlii.) 6 (portio). 9. cucurrit] 'he passed through."
corona] Cp. 121. 2. Verg. Aen. in. 191 has currimus
praemium] perhaps a reminis- aequor. Stat. Theb. III. 116 comes
cence of Gen. xv. i. [The arrange- nearer to the present example when
ment of the words is strange, the he says miserabile c urrunt certamen.
connecting et between the first pair The metaphor is, no doubt, that of
with no conjunction before prae- the toilsome race. Cp. 125. 16, and
mium. Axzcorona pr. a single idea, Acta Archelai 39 circum (ace. of
like a compound word ?] circus) cucurri.
6. blandimenta could in classical 13. precatu] a late form,
writers bear a good sense, but in 15. triumpho] We have had the
Christian writers it always has a bad word applied to the death of Christ,
one; cp. Prov. xxviii. 23, and the 4. 17,8!. 87,33. 2; and to that of His
use of blandus at 46. 14, 57. 12. servants, 11. 26, 13. 3, 14. 14. Here
7. caduca] 'fleeting,' 'perish- it seems to mean 'the day of triumph.'
able.' Cic. Lael. 102 had already 16. noxam] 23. 12.
said res humanae fragiles caducaeque seruulis] 15. 31.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXX1V 387
HYMN 123
Eacdghjlvij( Fbhilnps Gm Hbcdefh Ighnot Mk Vbs
lesu redemptor omnium,
perpes corona praesulum,
in hac die clementius
nostris faueto uocibus ;
tui sacri qua nominis 5
confessor almus claruit,
cuius celebrat annua
deuota plebs sollemnia.
qui rite mundi gaudia
huius caduca respuens, 10
cum angelis caelestibus
laetus potitur praemiis.
huius benignus adnue
nobis sequi uestigia,
huius precatu seruulis 15
dimitte noxam criminis.
i coronam Mk. 3 dementia EC. 4 precibus In. 5 cui
E0 He Vs, qui Hd 2 . sacrique (pro s. qua) Fn Hbd'/3 lot Mk Vs, s. tui
Hd 2 , s. quo Fh 1 , sacrati Ecdhjv^ Hcef. 7 huius In, cui lo. celebret
E0. 9 que (sc. quae) Vs. gloriam Ejv# Hcef. 10 caducam Ejv#
Hcef Ih. reputans Ed, deputans II bd In Vbs. 12 laetis Eacd lo.
13 cuius E0 Hcd lo. benigne Eacdh Fd 2 He 1 Mk Vs. annua Io a .
15 precamur Ih.
i. praesulum] see note on 13. 7; 121. 3.
corona as in the two preceding u. cael. goes with praemiis.
hymns. 14. sequi is the object of adnue,
5. qua] 'on which day.' for which cp. 50. 13.
nominis | Mt. xix. 29. 15. precatu] 122. 13; seruulis,
8. plebs] 36. 51. ib. 16; dim. nox. ib.
ro. caduca] 122. 7 ; respuens,
HYMNI DE SANCTIS PROPRII. HYMNS 124-126
HYMN 124
This hymn seems to have been first assigned to
Damasus by Baronius in his Martyrologium Romanum
1603, but he says that he found it in collectaneis poetarum
252
388 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
Christianorum. The authorship of Damasus was taken
up by the editors of his works Sarazanius and Rivinus,
but is now abandoned. The last to defend it was Kayser,
and he doubtfully. Kayser makes one point (Beitrage I
p. 105 f.). The relics of St Andrew were translated from
Patras to Constantinople A.D. 357, at which time Damasus
was at Beroea, having accompanied pope Liberius into
exile at that place. ?If the relics were carried by road,
they would pass through, or near, Beroea.
The key to the understanding of the hymn is given by
the supposed meaning of the name Andrew (manful,
noble) and by the fact that he was represented as in a
special sense the preacher of the Cross : see Sarum
Breviary (Procter and Wordsworth), Fasc. Ill col. 4 Ego
crucis Christi seruus sum, et crucis tropheum optare potius
debeo quam timere. Col. 7 Ego si patibulum crucis ex-
pauescerem, crucis gloriam non praedicarem.
As for the structure of the hymn, the first two lines
are developed twice over in what follows. Decus s. n. is
caught up in hinc te decorum, and that again in Andrea,
Iwc...decorus; while nomenq. u. expr. is caught up in
praedicat c. b. gloria, and that again in Christi ap., idem...
nomine. Then in the following stanzas the meaning of
this last assertion is drawn out.
E< Fls Gem Hbdef Icfhin Makx Vcs
Decus sacrati nominis
nomenque uitam exprimens,
i diem (pro decus) E<f> Gc Hf Ih. hominis E# Gc Hf. 2 uita Fl
Gm Hd 1 In Vc.
i f. ' How noble is thy sacred praedicat is to be taken sepa-
name ! and how that name expresses rately, as often (e.g. at 39. 2), not
thy life ! Ennobled with this (to with decorum. In other words, An-
begin with), the glory of the drew is famous for his devotion to
" Blessed Cross " extols thee.' the cross.
hinc = with the name of Andrew ;
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXIV 389
hinc te decorum praedicat
crucis beatae gloria.
Andrea, Christi apostole, 5
hoc ipso iam uocabulo
decorus, idem mystice
signaris isto nomine ;
quern crufrad alta prouehit,
crux quem beata diligit, 10
cui crux amata praeparat
3 hie Hbc li Ma Vs, sic Gm. praedicans Gm. 4 beata E^ Gc Hf
li. gloriae In. 5 Andreas Hb Mk Vs. apostolus Hbe. 6 ipse E
Hbd'ef Mk. in (pro iam) Hbd 1 In Vcs, om. iam He. 7 hisdem
(isdem) Hbd Vs. 10 crucem beatam Hd 2 e, crucemque beata Hbd 1 .
1 1 armata Ih, amat Gm. properat He,
4. cmcis beatae] It may be ob-
served that the cross in this poem
is not the particular cross on which
St Andrew died, nor that of Christ
alone. They are treated as one and
the same. Here and in 1. 10 there is
probably a direct reference to the
legend (Sarum Brev. ut s. col. 21)
O crux beata, sine amore tuo ad
illam regionem mdlus attingit, nul-
lus ingredititr. Cp. col. 8.
6. hoc ipso iam uoc.] = Andrea ;
isto nomine Ckristi. Thereby hangs
a tale. The word signaris ' signed,
or sealed ' gives a hint of it, because
the sign of the cross was made on
Christians to seal them as His.
Andrew, by his crucifixion and his
devotion to the cross, was thus
sealed beyond others. But there is,
I believe, more intended in this
'mystic' sealing with the name of
Christ. It was well known to Latin-
speaking Christians that X, the
cross-shaped letter, stood for 'Christ.'
Thus Tertullian de Bapt. 8 says that
when Jacob crossed his arms over
his grandsons, they ' outlined Christ.'
He might have said that they pre-
figured the cross ; but he prefers to
say that in forming a cross (trans-
uersim obliqiiatis in se} they de-
noted Christ ( Christum deformanies) ,
with reference, it seems, to the
initial letter. The same idea recurs
in Novatian de Trin. xix, and per-
haps in Aug. Con/, x. xxxiv (diuexas
mystice manus). The words con-
cerning the cross which follow show
ho* the sign of Christ was set on
Andrew.
Perhaps the later legend of the
St Andrew's Cross X arose out of
this conception.
9. ad alta combines the ideas of
being raised on the cross (cp. 4. 17
celso t. u.) and of thereby winning
heaven.
10. The cross is represented as
loving him ; much as Fort. 33. 15
addresses the cross as a sentient
being.
n. amata] Sarum Brev. col. u
Qui cum peruenisset ad locum ubi
crux parata erat, uidens earn a longe
exclamauit dicens, ' SaJue crux qua*
in corpore Christi dedtcata , et ex
membris tins tamquam margaritis
ornata. Antequam te asccnderet
Dominus noster, timorein terrenum
habuisti, modo uero amorem cae-
lestem obtinens pro uoto s use f peris ...
Securus ergo et gaudens usnio ad te :
ita ut et tu exultans suscipias nu,
390
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
lucis futurae gaudia.
in te crucis mysterium
cluit gemello stigmate,
dum probra uincis per crucem 15
crucisque pandis sanguinem.
12 futura Ma Vs. 10-12 cui crux am. pr. lucis fut. gaudia figuram
christi imitans Gc. 14 stipite Hbde vs. 15 om. dum E</> Gc Hf Ih.
probra iam Ih. uincens Hf Ih. .16 crucem Hbd Vs, cruce He, cruci
Fl In Vc. pendens He, pendis li Ma. sanguine Hde Vs.
discipulum eius qui pependit in te ;
quia amator tuus semper fui et de-
sideraui amplecti te. O bona crux, . . .
diu desiderata, sollicite amata, sine
intermissione quaesita, et aliquando
iam concupiscenti animo praeparata t
accipe me ab hominibus, et redde me
Magistro meo, ut per te me recipiat,
qui per te me redemit?
12. lucis futurae g.] Cp. 15. 12
lucem beatam. Sarum Brev. col. 1 1
Scitur enim a credentifyus quanta in
te [sc. cruce] gaudia habeas, quanta
munera praeparata. Possibly there
is an allusion to the light which
shone round Andrew on the cross
(Sarum Brev. col. n).
13. crucis mysterium] 34. 2.
Sarum Brev. col. 6 si uelles scire
mysterium crucis ', ib. Hoc est
quod etiam me dixisse iam refines :
magnum est mysterium crucis ; col. 7
Idea audire te uolo crucis mysterium ;
ib. Restaurationem... per crucis mys-
terium pandam ; col. 9 audisti
mysterium crucis.
14. cluit] 23. 26. Of the alter-
native readings far the better at-
tested is stigmate, cp. Gal. vi. 17.
If we might read stipite the sense
would be ' with double stock,'
alluding to the form of the cross ;
but the legend of the X cross is
much later than this hymn. ' In thy
person the " mystery of the cross "
gains renown in [regard to] its
double disgrace, for through the
cross thou overcomest its reproaches,
and thou disclosest (interpretest)
the blood of the cross.'
gem. stigm. must mean ' twofold
disgrace,' as when Pliny speaks of
gemella poma ' a double apple.' The
' double stigma ' of the cross would
be (i) its shame (1. 15) and (2) the
death (1. 16) which it implies. Both
of these are converted into glory
(cluit) by Andrew's crucifixion and
his own explanation (pandis).
1 5. probra] Probably in special
reference to the reproaches hurled
upon Christ and His cross by
Aegeas in the legend (Sarum Brev.
cols. 6, 7).
1 6. crucis... sang.] Col. i. 20.
pandis] If this reading is correct,
it probably refers directly to the
legend, in which the word fre-
quently occurs. Sarum Brev. col. 7
ut dum perditas animas hominum
docuero, iustam restaurationem ea-
rum per crucis mysterium pandam ',
col. 9 ut putes tormentis me tibi di-
uina pandere sacramenta ; ib. pan-
dam tibi quo ordine occisus uiuat
Agnus. It refers here to Andrew's
exposition of the Atonement. If
pendis is what the poet wrote, it
can only mean 'payest.'
17. foueto] 5. 32. Damas. xxx.
5 care Deo, ut foueas Damasum
precor, alme Tiburti.
languidos | 84. 7.
19 f. 'that owing to the victory
of the cross we may obtain our
fatherland of heaven.' It is not
limited (at least) to Andrew's vic-
tory.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXV 391
iam nos foueto languidos
curamque nostri suscipe,
quo per crucis uictoriam
caeli petamus patriam. 20
17 faueto E0 Hbf Ihn Vs. 18 nostris Fl Gm Hb Ma Vs, nostrique
curam Hd. 19 qui Hb Vs. uictoria Vs, mysterium Gm. 10 peti-
mus Hb Vs. ueniam Hb.
19. percrucisu.] Cp. theSarum crucis tropheum coronauit beat urn
Invitatory at mattins on St Andrew's Andream apostoliim.
day : Adoremus uictoriosissimum -20. patriam] 92. ^ note.
regent Christum, qui uictorem per
HYMN 125
Clichtoveus in his notes says with regard to line 15 : ser-
riatum fuisset legitimum carmen, si sic auctor posuisset
laetiorinde magisqueflagrans, and with regard to 18 dicere
potuisset atictor : pro miseris rogita Dominum, nisi ma-
luissetconsonantiamfinalem illius carminis cum praecedente
seruare. Then Fabricius improved upon this by writing
pro misero rogita Damaso, which ingenious conjecture
was adopted by the editors of Damasus, e.g. Sarazanius
and Rivinus, and came to be looked upon as a proof that
the hymn was written by Damasus. No one now attri-
butes it to him. The older French MSS give the hymn as
a later insertion in a hand usually of the late Xlth cent.,
but in the hymnaries of South Italy, those written at
Monte Cassino, Beneventum and Naples it has already
been incorporated amongst the other hymns. This points
to an origin in South Italy or Sicily, as we might have
expected, seeing that Agatha suffered at Catana, under
Decius A.D. 251 on Febr. 5.
The story goes that the Roman judge Quintianus
attracted by her beauty used the edict of persecution for
the purpose of obtaining possession of her person, and
that when foiled by her constancy and purity he thrust
392 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
her into a brothel, had her breasts tortured and cut off,
and rolled her upon red-hot coals. In the prison St Peter
came and healed her wounds. A year after her death
Catana was on the point of being destroyed by an erup-
tion of Etna, and was saved only by her intercessions,
the veil which she had worn being carried in solemn
procession. Again on 8th March A.D. 1669 a fearful
eruption of Mt Etna took place, and an arm of the lava
stream (14 miles in length and 25 ft. in width) flowed in
the direction of the town. The pious inhabitants how-
ever succeeded in averting its course by extending the
veil of St Agatha towards it, in consequence of which
'the stream took a westerly direction, almost filling up
the harbour.
The hymn is composed in the metre invented by
Prudentius for his poem on St Eulalia (Perist. Ill), but
is vulgarized by its obtrusive rhymes.
ESJ; Filnps Gm Hbd Ibcfghn Vcs
Martyris ecce dies Agathae
uirginis emicat eximiae,
qua sibi Christus earn social,
et diadema duplex decorat.
stirpe decens, elegans facie, 5
sed magis actibus atque ride,
3 quam EST; Fs Hd. 5 stirpis Es.
i. Feb. 5. 7 (of Agnes) duplex corona est prae-
i. Cp. Fort. vrrr. ii. i emicat stita martyri : \ intacta ab omni
ecce dies. crimine uirginal, \ mortis deinde
3. qua] 'on which (day).' Christ gloria libera; also Cypr. ad Mart.
is the bridegroom of holy virgins ; 9 Jloribus eius nee lilia nee rosae
cp. 9. i3f., 19. 7. Edd. of Dam. desunt\ Ambr. in Lite. vri. 128 illif
read Christus earn sibi qua social, confessorum tiiolae, lilia uirginum,
but this is in no MS. rosae martyrum stint. Fort. virr.
4. The two crowns are won by iv. 7 ad Virgines speaks of a three-
Agatha as virgin and as martyr : fold crown : pulchra corona caput
cp. the Ambrosian preface for her triplici diademate cingit. Perhaps
day : o illustris' et gloriosa, gtmino diadema is a double accus. after
illnstrata decore ; Prud. Perist. xrv. decoral after the manner of tvSvfiv.
10
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXV 393
terrea prospera nil reputans,
iussa Dei sibi corde Hgans,
fortior haec trucibusque uiris
exposuit sua membra flagris ;
pectore quam fuerit ualido,
torta mamilla docet patulo.
deliciae cui career erat,
pastor ouem Petrus hie recreat,
inde gauisa magisque flagrans
cuncta flagella cucurrit ouans.
iam renitens quasi sponsa polo
7 refutans Fi. 8 corda Es.
Vc, fuerat Fs Gm Hb Ibgh Vs.
hinc Fn. recreans Fs Vs.
polum Ih.
5. In early times Christians were
supposed to belong without excep-
tion to the lowest classes, and
therefore the ' Acts ' and also the
poets, when they could, emphasized
good birth. Our poet is perhaps
thinking of Prud. Perist. in. i f.
germine nobilis Eulalia \ mortis et
indole nobilior. The ' Acts ' make
Agatha say [I am] nan solum in-
genua, sed ex spectabili genere. For
her beauty cp. ib. 615 ad aspectum
ttirginis pulcherrimae oculorum
suorum cotuupiscentiam commoue-
bat.
7. t. prospera] ' Earthly pros-
perity,' 59. 1 6. For the sense of
the line cp. 121. 3, 122. 5, 123. 9.
8. Prov. vL 2 1 Kga ea in corde tuo.
9 f. ' and she braver than those
savage men,' viz. Quintianus and
his officers, -que is either misplaced
as at 34. 24 etc. or it means 'braver
even than those ' (*cai wpZv dv3pwi),
see note on 9. 30. There is a similar
contrast between the weak girl and
her surrounders at 9. 7 f.
12. See introduction, patulo,
' openly,' instead of the more
9 fortiter Gm. u.quaEs. fuit
13 feliciae Es. 14 hanc Gm,
1 7 nam Es. renitet Hb, retinens Ib.
natural form palule, is chosen for
the sake of the rhyme.
13. deliciae] Lectio iii in Primo
Nocturne: 'Agatha ant em laettssime
carcerem intrant t, et quasi ad epulas
inuitata.'
cui] to be scanned c At.
14. pastor] with reference to Job.
xxi. 15 f.
Me] 'here,' i.e. in the dungeon,
in which according to the Acts St
Peter appeared to her and healed
her wounds.
15. Inde gauisa] see Clicht.'s re-
marks in introduciion and cp. 5
Otgams.
flagrans] 71. 7.
16. ' She endured all tortures,'
of which the flagellum was one of
the most dreadful, cp. Hor. Sat. i.
iii. 119 ne scut if a liigmtm horribili
sectere flagello. As the legend does
not speak of Agatha as being sub-
mitted to this form of suffering, it
must here be understood in a wider
sense. For the construction cp.
122. 9 note.
17. polo] ' in heaven.' Fabricius'
rtnidfiis is against the metre.
394
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
pro miseris supplicet domino ;
sic sua festa coli facial,
se celebrantibus ut faueat. 20
ethnica turba rogum fugiens
huius et ipsa meretur opem ;
quos fidei titulus decorat,
his uenerem magis ergo premat.
gloria cum Patre sit Genito, 25
Spirituique perinde sacro ;
nunc Deus unus et omnipotens
hanc memorum faciat memorem.
18 dominum Fs Hd 1 Vs, dominus Hd 2 . 19 si Hd 2 . 20 foueat
Hb Ihn. 21 ut unica Ib. 22 ipse Es. mereatur Hd. ope Hb.
23 titulum Hb, titulos Il^n. 26 proinde Fs Gm Ib, pro idem Es.
1 8. See introduction. Perhaps
with Ihm Damasus p. 76 we should
read s&plicet, cp. Buecheler Rhein.
Mus. XLI p. 5. But in view of
elegans and gatdsa it seems unneces-
sary to modify the spelling. The
variant supplied does not suit the
syntax of the rest of the hymn, and
especially the next two lines. It
might come in the first place from a
copyist who read renites in 17.
19. sic] see 22. 9 note ; answers
to ut in 20. Note that her favour is
made to depend upon the way in
which her festival is kept.
2 1 f. ' Even the very heathen
population fleeing from a fiery death
obtains her help.'
ethnicus is used in the Vulgate of
Mt. v. 47 etc. to translate tOviubs,
' a Gentile ' ; cp. Watson Style and
Language of Cyprian p. 268. The
conjecture of Carrera aetnea, ' of
Etna,' is ingenious but unnecessary,
and it misses the contrast intended
with line 23.
rogum fugiens] see introduction.
rogus usually means 'a funeral pile,'
but cp. Manil. Astron. I. 867 f.
cometae ; funera cumfacibus ueniunt
terrisqiie minantur \ ardentes sine
fine rogos ; Sedul. Carm. n. 202
(of the three children) medios tru-
duntur in ignes \ nil atidente rogo ;
Analecta XXVI I. xc. 71 f. Aetneus
ipse mons eructuauit \ ignem arden-
tem. uidentes cuncti rogum uenien-
tem, uelum sepulchri simul expan-
dentes, \ ignis stetit honorifican-
dum | corpus beatum.
22. meretur] 'obtains,' 'gains,'
as at 4. 8.
23. i.e. may she then the rather
quench the fire of lust in those who
call themselves Christians.
24. uenerem] Cp. the old Roman
proverb, Ter. Eun. 732 uerbum
hercle hoc uerum erit: sine Cerere
et Liber o friget Venus. Note how
late ergo comes.
26. perinde] 'likewise,' 'also.'
Clicht. and others read prouide,
clearly in the first instance a mis-
print for proinde which means the
same as, perinde.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXVI 395
HYMN 126
126 has been constantly assigned to a Sicilian lady,
Elpis or Helpis. But we know nothing about her. Until
recently she was said to be the wife of Boethius, and to
have gone with him to prison, being the mother by him
of two sons, Patricius and Hypatius. All this is pure in-
vention. Boethius' wife was Rusticiana, daughter of the
senator Symmachus. Not to be beaten, the upholders of
the Elpis-legend said either that Elpis was a byname
of Rusticiana, or that she was Boethius' first wife. She
is a part of the many puzzling legends that have grown
up round the name of Boethius.
Still an Elpis may quite well have written the hymn ;
for why should it be attributed to a name otherwise un-
known, and to a woman ? Cp. Smith Diet. Christ. Biogr.
I. 321, ii. 105, Ersch u. Gruber Encycl. XI p. 284, Bahr
p. 139, Analecta LI p. 2i6f. Elpis is sometimes said to
have written another hymn also, in the same metre, in
honour of St Peter and St Paul : Felix per omnes festtim
mundi cardines, which Dreves (Anal. L p. 141) attributes
to Paulinus of Aquileia.
Eacdghjsvxw0 Fdhilnpswx Gam Hbcdefi/3 Ibcdefghmnotv Vbcdls
A urea luce et decore roseo,
lux lucis, omne perfudisti saeculum,
decorans caelum inclito martyrio
hac sacra die, quae dat reis ueniam.
4 haec H/3. regis Im.
i. aurea luce] 22. i. 3. decorans] The Thesaurus gives
2. lux lucis] 3. 3. It may be several instances (though not this) of
doubted whether the poet is refer- the lengthening of this o in late
ring to the sunrise or to a spiritual poets.
lustre.
396 EARLY LA TIN HYMNS
ianitor caeli, doctor orbis pariter, 5
iudices saecli, uera mundi lumina,
per crucem alter, alter ense triumphans,
uitae senatum laureati possident.
iam, bone pastor Petre, clemens accipe
uota precantum, et peccati uincula 10
resolue tibi potestate tradita,
qua cunctis caelum uerbo claudis, aperis.
doctor egregie Paule, mores instrue
et mente polum nos transferre satage,
donee perfectum largiatur plenius, 15
euacuato quod ex parte gerimus.
oliuae binae pietatis unicae,
fide deuotos, spe robustos, maxime
5 ianua Ga. 7 triumphat Ecd. 8 senatu Ed. 9 o (pro iam) Ib.
10 peccatum Ga. 14 mentes Fhw Ido Vcls. isostras ferre Ecs Fw
Hbd 1 Idot 2 v Vs. 15 perfecte Hb Igv Vs, perfectus Ed. 16 qui Igm.
gemimus Ex/x< Ga Hefi/8 Ighv Vdl. 18 spes Fw. maxima Ex Ga
Hi Ice Vc.
5. ianitor caeli] St Peter, based polum] =in polum.
on Mt. xvi. 19. transferre is the prolative inf.
doctor] St Paul ; see note on 13. after satage. ' Strive to carry us in
32. spirit to heaven.'
6. iudices saecli] Mt. six. 28, 15 f. From i Cor. xiii. 10 cum
i Cor. vi. 2. autem uenerit quod perfectum est,
uera m. lumina] from 16. 8. euacuabitur quod ex parte est.
7. triumphans] 11. 26, 13. 6. ' Waiting for the time when that
8. senatum] an illustration drawn which is perfect is more fully
from Roman political life. Though granted, that which we now do in
the senate no longer had any real part ( i Cor. xiii. 1 1 ) being done
power, it still enjoyed much prestige away. ' The difficulty of gerimus
and the title of senator was coveted. caused the v. 1. gemimus (which is
Fort. IV. xxvi. 99 tune ibi quis ter- certainly no easier), and Daniel's
ror caeli adsistente senatu! cp. II. suggestion cemimus.
xiv. 17. largiatur] passive, cp. Ronsch
laureati] 7. 23. p. 300.
9. pastor] 125. 14. 1 6. euacuato] consult Ronsch
10. uincula] Probably an allusion p. 363.
to St Peter's own deliverance from 17. oliuae binae] Zech. iv. 3,
prison. 1 1 and Rev. xi. 4. unicae of course
12. uerbo] 1, 24 note. is opposed to binae.
'13. instrue is taken up from St r8f. fide, spe, caritatis] r Cor.
Paul's own phrase, 2 Tim. Hi. 15. xiii. 13, 15. 21 f. 'Obtain that we
14. Perhaps alludes to Eph. ii. 6. may live devoted ' etc.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXVII 397
fonte repletos caritatis geminae
post mortem carnis impetrate uiuere. 20
sit Trinitati sempiterna gloria,
honor, potestas atque iubilatio,
in unitate cui manet imperium
extunc et modo per aeterna saecula.
19 germine Fd. 20 impetrare Fx. 21 trinitatis Fx.
23 imperio EC.
fide deuotos] 15. 2 1 deuota sane- dehint. So Juvenc. has the like
tormn fides. words exhinc \. 130, 435, exin IH.
niaxime is attached to the next 600, iv. 457. In late Latin pre-
line, with reference to inaior autem positions were freely put before ad-
horiini est caritas. verbs, a marked case of which was
19. caritatis geminae means ^-a^-aw^, which became the French
'the love of you two,' referring to devant : so de-post became Italian
the mutual affection of the two dopo.
saints; cf. ptetatts unicae above. modo] 'now.' Seethe full state-
24. extunc] ' in time past,' formed ment and explanation of this usage
on the analogy of deituie, exinde, in Lofstedt's Aetheria.
HYMN 127
Bede de Arte Metr. attributes this hymn, together with
another, in time of excessive rain, Obduxere polum nubila
caeli, to Ambrose : metrum dactylicum tetrametrum cata-
lecticum cons tat ex spondeo, dactylo, catalecto, dactylo, spon-
deo. quo usus est sanctiis A mbrosius in precatione pluuiae,
cuius exordium hoc est: Squalent arua soli puluere multo,
. . .cuius finis est hie lam caelos reseres It is unnecessary
to prove that it was not written by Ambrose, whose style
is very different.
Widely varying are the judgments expressed as to its
merits. Biraghi p. 28 says: T altra per invocare la pioggia
Squalent arua soli puluere multo, nella quale v'e una lunga,
puerile descrizione de' sentimenti della cervetta, degli
uccelli, de' buoi, con giuochetti di parole e accozzamenti
pedanteschi.... Certo ne la Chiesa di Milano non ne fece
uso, ne Ambrogio fu cosi pedante poeta.' Contrast Ger-
vinus, Geschichte der deutschcn Nationalliteratur III p. 13
398 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
' schwerlich habe man schonere Gesange als die latein-
ischen aus Wassernoth und Wassermangel.'
Whatever the poetical worth of the hymn, it was in
the Ambrosian use, at least in three Ambrosian MSS, and
also in Mozarabic MSS (2) and use. It has some grace of
' linked sweetness long drawn out,' and was written by a
student of Vergil, from whom many words and phrases
are borrowed. In the schools of the IVth and Vth cent.
Vergil, among Latin poets, held the foremost place ; see
Dill Roman Society in the last cent, of the Western Empire
pp. 419 ff.
For the drought which is the subject of the hymn cp.
Ambr. Hex. II. 12 cum tanta igitur ubertas aquarum sit,
tamen plerumque terra meridianae plagae torretur ardori-
bus atque aestu soluta fatiscit in puluerem, miserandi
agricolae labore consumpto, ut frequenter ad potum siccatis
puteis arido gurgite subsidium uitale deficiat. And Fortu-
natus VII. viii. I f. has a graphic account of the terrors of
a scorching July.
The prosody is fairly correct,, but the poet has copied
his master in lengthening short final syllables, cp. 12
despuitur, 34 merce, 35 culpd, 38 placidus. There is not an
elision throughout.
Ab Mak Vp
Squalent arua soli puluere multo,
pallet siccus ager, terra fatiscit :
nullus ruris honos, nulla uenustas,
quando nulla uiret gratia florum.
2 aer Mak. 3 nulla Ma. roris onus Mak. 4 uires Ma.
i. squalent arua] 'are gone out 507, n. 404. Cassander's roris does
of cultivation,' Verg. Georg. I. 507. not suit the context and may have
i. pallet] 22. 2. come in from 5.
fatiscit] ' break into chinks' with uenustas] a prose word, used
a further sense of exhaustion ; Verg. much by Plaut., Cic. and Quint.,
Georg. I. 1 80 puluere uicta fatiscat. but also once by Prud. Hainart.
3. ruris honos] Verg. Georg. i. 331.
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXVII 399
tellus dura sitit nescia roris, 5
fons iam nescit aquas, flumina cursus,
herbas nescit humus, nescit aratrum,
magno rupta patet turpis hiatu.
feruens sole dies, igneus ardor
ipsas urit aues, frondea rami 10
fessis tecta negant, puluis harenae
sicco despuitur ore uiantis.
uentis ora ferae, bestia uentis,
captantesque uiri flamina uentis,
uentis et uolucres ora recludunt, 15
hac mulcere sitim fraude uolentes.
fetus cerua suos, pignora cerua,
fetus cerua siti fessa recusat,
fetus cerua pios maesta relinquit,
5 dira Mak. 7 herbam Mak.
feruet humus Ma, (aestus f. h. Mk).
14 uenti o nines. 18 sitim Mk.
nullus. . .nulla] Schmalz p. 350.
4. nulla... gratia] Verg. Georg.
1.83.
5 . Verg. Georg. 1 1 1 . 2 9 7 dit ram ...
huinutn.
sitit] Verg. Ed. vn. 57 sitit...
herba.
6. nescit] perhaps imitated from
Ambrose, cp. 3. 20 note, rather
than from Verg. Georg. I. 391.
flumina cursus] a Vergilian clau-
sula, Ed. vin. 4.
7. herbas] generally used by
Verg. in the plu., though he also
has the sing.
8. patet] Aen. vin. 342 penitus
patuere cauernae.
turpis] 'disfigured,' 'ugly.'
hiatu] Aen. vi. 237 spdunca alta
fuit uastoque immanis hiatu.
9. feruens... dies] sc. est. aestu
feruet humus looks like a deliberate
correction.
i o f. frondea . . . tecta] Verg. Georg.
IV. 6if. There are no leaves to form
a covert.
8 magnorum Ma. 9 aestu
10 ramis Mak. n necat Mk.
12. Verg. Georg. iv. 97 puluere
ab alto | cum uenit et sicco terrain
spuit ore uiator \ aridus.
13. bestia] cattle.
14. captantes] Verg. Georg. \.
376, Aen. in. 514.
flamina] Verg. Aen. iv. 241,
v. 832, x. 97. It is hard to say
whether we should read flamina
uenti (Lucr. 1. 191) or uentis, which
fits in better with the context, but
is suspicious on that very account.
1 6. fraude] line T&fraudatum;
Verg. Aen. v. 851 caeli...deceptus
fraude sereni.
uolentes] ' seeking, ' ' trying,'
Verg. Georg. iv. 501.
17. fetus is the usual word for
the young of animals, as at Ed. \.
22, not pignora, which usually =
'children,' 30. 3;*.
1 8. recusat] refuses to suckle
them.
19. pios] 'loving,' and therefore
feeling the desertion by their dam ;
a touch of pathos missed by v. 1. suos.
400
EARLY LATIN HYMNS
quaesitam quoniam non uehit herbam. 20
uenerunt iuuenes pocula noti
quaerentes putei, lymphaque fugit,
et uasis uacuis tecta reuisunt,
fletus, heu, proprios ore bibentes.
bos praesepe suum linquit inane, 25
pratorumque uolens carpere gramen
nudam uersat humum, sic pecus omne
fraudatum moriens labitur herbis.
radices nemorum rustica plebes
explorat misero curua labore, 30
solarique famem cortice quaerit,
nee sucos teneros arida praestat
20 uenit Ma. 22 puteum Ma. 24 fletu seu Ma. proprio Mak.
27 nuda u. humus Mk. 29 plebs Ma. 30 miseros Ma.
32 praestet Ma.
20. Verg. Aen. VII. 758 quae-
sitae . . . herbae, ' Seeing that the land
does not produce the sought for
grass,' uehit being used impersonally
and in the sense offert. But though
the use of impers. verbs was widely
extended in late Latin (Lofst. Stud.
p. 56 f.) this use of uehit is hardly
possible. [Probably the original was
quaesita... uenit herba. This hymn
is of course more literary and ac-
complished than most, but 35 shews
that the a would be no difficulty.
For uenit in this sense see Verg.
Georg. I. 54 ]
2 1 . pocula] ' water for drinking,'
as Verg. Georg. I. 9 and often.
22. The emphatic -que.
23. reuisunt] Verg. Aen. vi. 330.
24. proprios] =suos, line 34, 30.
36, 112. 6, Verg. Georg. II. 428.
26. carpere gramen] Verg. Aen.
ix. 353-
27. nudam] bare of grass, as
Verg. Eel. I. 48.
uersat] Verg. Georg. i. 119. The
ox is reduced to turning the clods
over, like the swine.
28. fraudatum] Cp. 16, and
Plin. H.N. IX. xxxix. 64 Hie pallor,
saturilate fraudata.
labitur] Verg. Georg. ai. 498.
herbis] ' on the ground,' though
there are no herbae on it. It would
not do
across the other words.
29. Verg. Eel. a r. 84 Polio ainat
nostrum, quamuis est rustica, mu-
sam.
30. explorat] Verg. Aen. i. 307.
curua] Verg. Eel. in. 42.
31 comes from Verg. Georg. \.
159 fame in in siluis solabere quercu,
but I think through Ambr. Epist.
XVIII. 17 detractis...corticibus fa-
mem in siluis miseram solabantur ;
Heges. de Bell. lud.'V. xviii. 12 suco
infelici miseram solabantur famem.
33. ' But the dry (bark) supplies
no soft juices.' Supply cortex (which
is fern. Verg. Ed. VI. 63 etc.) from
3i-
sucos teneros] Lucr. i. 809 et
nisi nos cibus aridus et tener umor \
adiuuat ; imitated by Verg. Georg.
II. 331 superat tener omnibus umor l
LATER HYMNAL. HYMN CXXVII 401
hanc peccata famem nostra merentur ;
sed rrierce propria, Christe, foueto ;
quo culpa grauior gratia maior
iusti supplicii uincla resoluens.
iam caelum reseres aruaque laxes
fecundo placidus imbre rogamus ;
Heliae meritis impia saecla
donasti pluuiam, nos quoque dones.
35
34 mercem propriam Mak.
40 pluuie Vp.
33. merentur in this one passage
out of all these hymns has its usual
classical meaning 'deserve'; see 4.
8 note ; perhaps owing to Vergil's
frequently having it in this sense.
34. merce propria] [There can
be little doubt that merce propria
means simply ' with Thine own
mercy.' This would exactly answer
to the requirements of the context.
The word ' mercy ' is directly
derived from merces, -dis : see
Skeat s.v., Worting Lat.-roman.
Worterb. s.v. merces. Ducange, s.v.
merces, gives many mediaeval ex-
amples to justify the translation
in. = misericordia. But he gives
some others. The earliest example
is from Faustus of Riez (Ep. VI, ad
Felicem} causa uestrae deuotionis el
mercedis uestrae materia sunnis (p.
196, 1. 8 ed. Engelbrecht). Here
the word may bear its classical
sense of ' recompense,' but it at
least illustrates the process by which
the word passes to the sense of
' mercy ' ; the process being the
reverse of that by which gratia
passes from 'favour' to 'thanks.'
Two references to Gregory the
Great in Ducange are nearer to the
point, Ep. lib. iv. xxxi (ad Theodor.
sub fin. ) facere uos rogo quodfacitis,
ut duin peto quod fieri uideo, mercedi
uestrae me petendo subiungam (' may
submit myself to your good grace ').
40
36 resoluat Ma. 38 secundo Mak.
Ep. lib. XI. xiv (ad Asclep.) dum
praestantiorem sibi locum ad animae
utilitatem datum intellegunt [reges],
certum est quia mercedis causas, ubi
inueniunt, non postpomtnt. This
might be understood as ' means of
obtaining reward,' like the passage
in Faustus ; but it suits the context
more easily to take it as ' objects of
charity.'
In our poem there is the objection
that merce is used, not mercede. But
the word merx 'wares' could have
no possible meaning here. It is
evident that the author uses merce
as = mercede in whatever sense he
intended to use that word, and in
spite of his Vergilian erudition it is
likely that he thought merce an
allowable abl. from merces.]
35 f. ' the heavier our fault, the
greater be, or is, the grace undoing
the bonds of our well-earned punish-
ment.' With gratia supply sit, or
est. Cp. Rom. vi. 20.
37. reseres] Verg. Aen. vui.
244.
arua... laxes] an echo of Verg.
Georg. II. 331.
38. fecundo. . .imbre] Verg. Georg.
3*5-
placidus] Verg. Aen. iv. 578.
39. i Kings xvii, Jas. v. 18.
impia saecla] Verg. Georg. i. 468.
40. donare is constructed with
double accus. in the comic poets.
w.
[GRAMMATICAL NOTES
WALPOLE spent much time and labour in the attempt to
draw up what he called a Grammar of the Hymns. He said
that if he did not do it, no one else would. It may be doubted
whether the task was worth undertaking. Considering what a
long period of time is covered by these hymns, and what vary-
ing degrees of culture they represent, an inquiry into their
linguistic peculiarities lacks the interest attaching to the study
of the Latin of a particular author, or of a particular region at
a given date. Walpole's plan was never carried out. He left
many books full of notes on the subject, but nothing com-
pleted. What follows is compiled from his notes, but does not
pretend to be all that he aimed at. The Index of Words will
supply a good deal of the information which he wished to
convey.]
I. FORMATION OF WORDS
Substantives
In -tor (-trix) and -sor (see Ronsch 55, Schmalz 607) :
altor, auctor, auditor, conditor, congregator, creator, cultor,
dator (datrix), debitor, defensor, dicator, donator, ductor, exci-
tator, factor, fictor, indultor, insecutor, interemptor, inuentor,
inuestigator, largitor, lauator, mercator, pastor, peccator, perdi-
tor, plasmator, praenuntiatrix, praestigiator, proditor, raptor,
rector, redemptor, remissor, repertor, sacrator, saluator, scru-
tator, sessor, speculator, successor, tortor, traditor, uastator,
uictor (uictrix), ultor (ultrix), uorator.
N.B. Vergil has 61 such words, Prudentius 149.
In -tio and -s'io (see Ronsch 69, Schmalz 603) :
absolutio, benedictio, confessio, corruptio, demptio, depre-
catio, diremptio, electio, iubilatio, natio, oratio, passio, re-
demptio, reparatio, supplicatio, tunsio, uisio, unctio.
GRAMMATICAL NOTES 403
In -ura (see Ronsch 40) :
creatura, factura, pressura.
In -monia (see Ronsch 28) :
alimonia, parsimonia.
In -ella (see Ronsch 45) :
medella, querella.
In -tus, -sus (see Schmalz 603) :
actus, aditus, aduentus, aestus, affectus, alitus, ambitus, artus,
astu, cantus, casus, census, coetus, concentus, cursus, dictus,
discessus, egressus, excessus, excursus, exitus, exortus, fetus,
flatus, fletus, fructus, gemitus, gressus, haustus, ictus, impetus,
ingressus, interitus, iussus, lapsus, luctus, meatus, morsus, motus,
mugitus, nexus, nisus, nutus, obitus, obtutus, occursus, ortus,
pastus, plausus, potus, profectus, reatus, recursus, reditus, re-
gressus, sensus, successus, tactus, transitus, usus.
In -men (see Ronsch 25) :
agmen, carmen, certamen, nomen (cogn.), crimen, culmen,
examen, flamen, flumen, fragmen, germen, gramen, limen,
lumen, numen, peccamen, semen, solamen, spiramen, tegmen,
uelamen.
In -mentum (see Ronsch 22) :
blandimentum, fragmentum, fundamentum, monumentum,
odoramentum, sacramentum, uestimentum.
In -do (see Ronsch 66) :
altitude, libido, multitude, plenitude.
In -tia (see Ronsch 49) :
auaritia, dementia, conscientia, iactantia, indulgentia, im-
munditia, iustitia, laetitia, paenitentia, potentia, sapientia,
somnolentia, substantia.
In -tium :
consortium, silentium, uitium.
26 i
404 EARLY LATIN HYMNS
In -tas (see Ronsch 52) :
benignitas, bonitas, caecitas, caritas, castitas, ciuitas, claritas,
credulitas, deitas, dignitas, diuinitas, ebrietas, fertilitas, festi-
uitas, humilitas, iniquitas, maiestas, natiuitas, nobilitas, parcitas,
pietas, potestas, qualitas, sinceritas, sobrietas, sollemnitas,
trinitas, uanitas, ueritas, unitas, uniuersitas, uoluntas.
N.B. Vergil has 19 such words, Prudentius 64.
In -lus, -la, -him, mostly diminutives (see Roby 1319,
Ronsch 37, 93, Schmalz 673) :
asellus, cellula, circulus, confamulus, corpusculum, crepus-
culum, cunabula, discipulus, famulus, ferculum, habitaculum,
igniculus, lectulus, linteolus, miraculum, modulus, oraculum,
osculum, paruulus, patibulum, piaculum, pinnula, poculum,
puella, puellula, pugillus, regula, riuulus, saeculum, scripula,
seruulus, spectaculum, speculum, spiculum, testula, uexillum,
uinculum, ungula, uocabulum.
Adjectives
In -osus (see Paucker 34, Ronsch 125) :
flexuosus, fructuosus, generosus, gloriosus, pretiosus, pro-
brosus, tortuosus.
Compound Adjectives
celsitonans, coaeuus, cunctipotens, floriger, hymnifer, igni-
uomus, malesuadus, multiformis, omnipotens, primoplastus,
sacrosanctus, saxigenus, septiformis, suauisonus, unigenitus.
Adverbs
In -ter (see Draeger i 124, Ronsch 149) :
dolenter, dulciter, fideliter, fortiter, grauiter, inefifabiliter,
iugiter, nauiter, perenniter, personaliter, potenter, potentialiter,
qualiter, uiriliter, uniter.
In -tim, -sim (see Draeger 1117, Ronsch 148) :
affatim, furtim, partim, passim, paulatim, perpetim, sensim,
uicissim. Cp. olim.
In -tus (see Draeger i 125, Ronsch 148) :
caelitus, humanitus, primitus.
GRAMMATICAL NOTES 405
Verbs
In -tare, -sare (see Ronsch 213, Schmalz 633) :
acceptare, agitare, aptare, cantare, captare, cursitare, excitare,
flagitare, gestare, grassari, iactare, pigritare, pulsare, reptare,
reuectare, rogitare, sectari, spectare, tutare, uersare, uisitare.
In -scere (see Ronsch 179) :
agnoscere, albescere, erubescere, expauescere, fatiscere, flam-
mescere, inlucescere, labascere, lentescere, liquescere, mitescere,
nitescere, pallescere, patescere, pauescere, quiescere, rubescere,
senescere, silescere, tepescere, tremescere, tumescere, uirescere.
Perhaps clarescere.
II. GREEK WORDS FOUND IN THESE HYMNS
(see Ronsch 238, 250, Schmalz 66 1):
aenigma, aer, aether, aethra, alpha, anastasis, angelus, arch-
angelus, archidiacon, aroma, azyma, baptisma, baptismus, bap-
tista, barathrum, barbarus, catholicus, centrum, chaos, charisma,
chirographum, chorus, chrisma, cosmus, crapula, cyclus, dae-
mon, diabolus, diadema, drama, ecclesia, eous, episcopus,
ethnicus, euangelicus, gastrimargia, gigans, hagius, hydria,
hydrus (ydrus), hymnus, lampas, lychnus, lympha, machina,
margarita, martyr, martyrium, meander, melos, myrra, mys-
terium, mysticus, nardus, oceanus, paraclitus, paradisus, peplus,
petra, phalanx, phantasma, pisticus, plaga, plaga, plasma and
derivatives, platea, pneuma, polus, pompa, pontus, propheta,
propinare, protoplastus, psallo, psaimus, psalterium, sceptrum,
sericus, statera, stigma, stola, stropheum, syngraphus, tartarus,
thalamus, thronus, triumphus and derivatives, tropaeum, typus,
tyrannis, tyrannus, xeromyrra, zelus, zona.
Hebrew ivords
alleluia, amen, cherubim, el, gehenna, hosanna, pascha,
sabaoth, sabbatum, seraphim.
406 EARLY LA TIN H YMNS
III. FORMATION OF WORDS
Prothetic vowel before double consonant (see Ronsch 467,
Stolz Lot. Gram. 87, Lindsay Lat. Lang. 102, 105, Lach-
mann on Lucr. iv 283) :
sceptrum 89 19 (perhaps spiritus 48 8), splendens in 16,
stolis 109 2, stultae 41 33.
Peculiar forms of words
acceptari (perhaps deponent), aethera (nom.), aethre (abl.),
aperiuit, famis (nom.), melos (ace. pi.), merce (for mercede), nec-
tare (ace.), orbs, osculant, rennuo, repperire, sanguinis (nom.),
tonitrui, tuli (perf. of tollo) 4 31, 31 43, tutemus, uespere
(nom.).
Ablatives in -e
dulce 33 24, mite 33 28, salubre 37 19.
IV. SYNTAX
Prepositions and their cases
a, ab, with abl. of agent after passive participle I 32, 7 29,
13 18, 30 30, 117 8.
ad separated from its case 120 15.
de used in partitive sense 44b 10, 100 4, 101 6 ; =ex I 44,
84 10 ; =propter 33 4, 34 30 ; =per 36 53 f.
in with ace. instead of abl. 90 6.
inter - intus 33 1 3.
per, used distributively 10 29, 39 6, 103 2 ; descriptive of
manner 60 6, 78 7, 10, 103 19.
post with abl. 51 i ; used in pregnant sense i 19, 36 17,
383-
secus without case expressed 35 1 5 (secus est ubi).
Prepositions used in semi-adjectival phrases
Dei de corde uerbum i 3; a sinistris, a dextris 120 16, 17,
25; gens primoplasti ex germine 23 10; nostri...in graui isto
corpore 61 22.
GRAMMATICAL NOTES 407
Pronouns
suus for illius 63 6 ; tui for tuo 97 n.
Adjectives attached to compound phrase
proximo diei...aduentui 46 5, noctis...ortus succedens 50
n, iniquitas haec saeculi 50 15, omni fine diei 71 15, aeter-
nam salutis custodiam 107 16.
Adjectives or Pronouns declined ad sensum
ipse petra ecclesiae 2 15, aurora totus 3 30, electa.-.caput
I33i-
Neuter Adjectives as Substantives
nubila, confusa mundi et turbida 21 i, 2, cp. 56 10, sere-
num 22 5, 36 i, mystico septemplici 116 6.
Adjectives governing unusual cases
digna regi i 15, unum Patri 16 2, cp. una Patri 119 26.
Comparative
expressed by plus 37 5; perhaps = positive 62 b 8, 69 8
= superlative 71 20.
Superlative = positive 31 90, 69 12, 73 16, 76 12, 94 4, 13.
Deponent Verbs used passively
grassatur i 34, 38, pollicitam 36 37, (in past participle)
adepta 3654, 11923 and often (cp. a possible converse use in
linquitur 44 13).
inebriare, pascere used intransitively 8 1 8, 19 5; cp. mersisse
36 31, falleret 91 7, reddere no 8.
Past Participles used with present meaning
i 63 f., 13 15, 30 20 and frequently.
Present Participles inexactly used
4 32, 82 i, 106 14, 114 9 f - I22 " I2 3 "
Participle for finite Verb
41 23, 44 8, 12, 16, 76 6f., 90 19, 107 2, 4, 6,- n.
408 EA RL Y LA TIN H YMNS
Supine in -urn
8 ii adoratum, 9 13 nuptum.
Gerund in -di
2 12 nocendi, 3 16 gerendi, 103 n intrandi.
Gerund in -do
2 26, 21 n, 28 20, 31 44, 34 15, 36 34, 38 23, 40 15, 65 3,
69 14, 81 7, 87 12, 90 12, 91 20, 104 12, 109 8, 114 15, 121
IO, 12.
In the majority of these instances the gerund is used in the
manner which has passed into modern Italian, equivalent to
present participle.
Nominative and Accusative absolute
i 49, 52, 58, 33 1 6, 54 i, 69 7, 85 7, 91 27, 103 6, in 37,
"35-
Ablative Absolute of the subject of the sentence
33 17, 43 i, 2, 4.
Genitive dependent on Participle
3 4 dierum illuminans.
. Pluperfect curiously used
14 12, 23 22, 29 52, 56, 33 7, 41 15, 96 4, 104 29, 115 12,
117 7, I2O 22.
Gnomic Perfect
I 4 legimus, 9 20 sumpsere.
Infinitive
after facere i 23, 90 32, doctus n 18, praecipio i 47, 90 27,
moneo I 12, monstras 27 8, uincere 43 12, deposco 64 4, tre-
mesco 90 17, despicio 120 27, largus 56 4 ;
expressing purpose 85 10, 86 10, 107 22, ill 26;
present = future 42 19, 89 18.
Oratio Obliqua
guodvi\\h indie, (for ace. and inf.) 39 10, n, 91 25, 94 25,
112 17, with subj. i 58, 46 n, 87 10, 15, 112 23.
quia with indie. Ill 15.
GRAMMATICAL NOTES 409
Verbs with unusual construction
morte praestat 7 27, decet Deo 6 26, potest (sc. esse) 10 21,
caruere diem 35 12.
Accusative of time
43 i tempus noctis, 55 10 quod, 60 4 uenturam noctem,
82 9 septies diem.
Ablatives
instrumental = of agent 7 23, 113 3, of place whence II 15,
469.
Dative instead of prep, and accus. 35 12, 112 20.
Adverb
for adjective, palam fit 31 27, satis es 36 44 ; formed with
mente 42 20, 46 21, 107 15.
Negatives
Nee, neque = ne quidem 31 24, =neue 5 27, 58 14, 61 10,
68 14, 106 17 ; non = ne 31 8, 47 15, 50 17, 19, 33, 58 9, 82
17 ; nullus - nemo 30 3, 77 13 f.
-Que with special force 9 30, 125 9, 127 22 ; otiose 82 3 ;
misplaced 34 24, 43 3, 90 23.
Si= 'whether' ut uideret si probaret I 47.
lam pleniore fiducia hymnorum ministerium fideliter im-
pleamus, magnam nos credentes a Deo gratiam consecutos,
quibus concessum est cum tantis ac talibus sanctis, prophetis
dico atque martyribus, Dei aeterni cantare miracula.
NICETA.
INDEX OF FIRST LINES
A patre 89
a solis 31
ad cenam 109
aeterna caeli 71
aeterna Christi 15
aeterne lucis 46
rerum 2
rex alt. 1 13
Agnes 9
agnoscat omne 38
ales diei 20
alleluia piis 92
amore Christi nobilis 7
apostolorum passio 13
supparem 14
apparebit repentina 120
audi, benigne conditor 93
aurea luce 126
aurora iam 72
lucis in
beata nobis 1 1 5
bis ternas 82
caeli deus 76
certum tenentes 52
Christe caeli 49
precamur 60
qui lux es 61
redemptor omnium 87
clarum decus 95
conditor alme 84
censors paterni luminis 65
corde natus 23
crux benedicta nitet 35
cultor dei 26
decus sacrati nominis 124
Dei fide qua 99
Deus aeterni 48
Creator 5
ignee fons 29
qui caeli 44
qui certis 57
qui claro 59
tuorum militum 122
dicamus laudes domino 53
diei luce reddita 50
ecce iam 70
en martyris 28
ex more docti 94
fit porta 88
fulgentis auctor aetheris 47
grates tibi, lesu 12
hie est dies 10
hymnum canamus 117
dicamus 105
dicat i
iam Christe sol 97
Christus ascendit 32
Christus astra 116
lucis orto 8 1
maesta 30
nunc paterna 61 b
sexta sensim 55
surgit hora 4
lesu corona uirginum 19
nostra redemptio 114
quadragenariae 96
redemptor omnium 123
lesus refulsit 90
ignis creator 108
inluminans 8
inluxit orbi pi
inmense caeli 74
intende, qui regis 6
inuentor rutili 27
lucis creator optime 73
largitor 45
lux ecce surgit 22
magnae Deus 77
magnum salutis 104
martyris ecce dies 125
mediae noctis 41
mcridie orandum est 100
412 INDEX OF FIRST LINES
nocte surgentes 63 sancti uenite 107
nox atra 67 sator princepsque 58
nox et 21 sic ter 103
nunc sancte 16 somno refectis 64
splendor paternae 3
o lux beata 79 squalent arua 127
o Nazarene 25 summae Deus 69
o redemptor 106 summi largitor 98
optatus uotis 112
telluris ingens 75
pange lingua 33 tellus ac a s ethra
pater qui caelos 44 b te luds ante g
perfectum trinum 54 luds m ^ t IO
plasmator homims ; 78 tempera florigero 36
post matutims laudibus 5 1 te nocti f
pnmo d.erum 62 t
ternis ter 102
qua Chnstus hora 101 tibi laus y
quern terra 39 tu trinitatis 68
rector potens 17
rerum creator 66 ueni creator 1 18
deus fons 80 uerbum supernum 85
deus tenax 18 uexilla re S is 34
rex aeterne 42 Vlctor Nabor 1 1
gloriose 121 uox clara 8 6
urbs beata 119
saluete flores 24 ut nox 103
INDEX OF WORDS
a, ab I 32, 55, 57 ; 28; 4 12; 621;
7 29; 13 18; 22 16; 30 23, 30;
31 ' ; 33 ii ; 34 16; 35 4f; 36
53 ; 40 9 ; 42 37 ; 44 b 16 ; 48 28 ;
66 3; 68 8; 78 9; 81 4 ; 84 24;
85 2 ; 86 4; 89 i ; 90 31 ; 93 16;
96 15; 98 8; 99 i if; 107 6;
11024; 1148; 1178, 2r ; I2O
i6f, 25
abdere (-dita) 85 1 1
aberrare 82 27
abesse 50 2 1 ; 62 b 3
abhorrere 31 22
abluere (lit.) 40 17; 105 23; (me-
taph.) 10 18; 31 44; 38 26; 67
6; 89 15
abnuere 14 19
abolere 29 1 8
Abraham 55 1 8
abscedere 59 14; 81 13
abscondere 32 19
absistere 50 23; 8 1 10
absoluere 122 4
absolutio 10 8
abstergere 68 1 1 ; 76 14
abstinentia 8 1 15; 93 14; 96 2
abstinere 95 4
absumere 117 7
ac 20 7; 293; 40 1,30; 41 4; 57 2;
63 10 ; 70 10; 92 26
accedere 37 21; 107 15
accendere 16 8; 118 13
acceptabilis 97 5
acceptare 98 13
accingere 6 26; 69 1 1
accipere 19 4; 29 31; 82 29; 126 9
accola 92 4
accubare 40 21
accusare 105 27
acetum 33 19
acrius (adv.) 62 b 8
actum 40 1 8
actus (sing.) 62 b 4, 1 5 ; 75 16 ; (plur.)
3 13; 22 15; 45 21; 47 8; 64 7;
68 20; 78 12; 805; 81 3; 11229;
125 6
ad 4 32; 6 23; ii 17; 12 8; 31 2;
33 17; 3646, 5*; 37 '8. "; 4 2
4i; 47 19: 55 i? 58 7; 61 14;
66 7 5 83 4 ; 89 2 ; 90 8 ; 93 7, 1 1 ;
96 19; 98 4; 996; 1055,7; 1 06
6; 108 15; 109 i; 113 24; 114 12;
12015,37; 1214; 1228; 1249
adaequare 13 12
Adam 38 25 f ; 42 6
adaugere 19 14
addere 14 20; 50 33
adesse I 45; 24 10; 25 3 ; 45 13;
6 1 24 ; 68 13 ; 82 16; 85 9; oo
23; 96 9, 10 ; 120 8
adferre72 8
aclfigere 28 6; 56 8; 58 15
adgregare 117 28
adhaerere 10 15; 54 10
adhibere 96 15
adhuc 36 6
adimere 29 52
adipisci 55 28 ; (pass.) 36 54 ; 1 19 23
adire 29 5 1
aditus 82 4 ; 103 12
adiutorium 90 30
adiuuare 5 1 1 ; 89 22
adligare 33 14
adloqui 31 83; 117 17
admirari 116 23
admonere 41 2; 47 10; 51 3
adnuere 50 13; 60 r; 123 13
adnuntiare 38 7
adolere 9 18
adorare i 14 ; 5 16 ; 8 1 1 ; 39 i ; 49
24; 51 7; 90 10 ; 97 18
adparere 63; 38 4 ; 120 i
adponere 121 6
adprobare I it
adproximare 75 14
adquirere 10 10; 119 22
adsistere 42 56 ; 65 4
adspicere 25 4; 61 17
adstare 22 1 3
adstringere 78 16
adsumere 42 12; 92 5 ; 117 it
adtemptare 103 12
414
INDEX OF WORDS
adtendere 68 3
aduena 114
aduenire 41 39; 1046; 119 19
aduentus 41 30; 466; 87 19
aduersus (prep.) 55 31
adultus I 20
adumbrare 107 12
aduocare 57 i r
adurere 69 10
ad usque 31 2
adytum 119 7
aedificium 119 12
aeger (eger) 2 22 ; 12 32 ; 20 6; 31
72; 80 7
Aegyptus 41 n, 17; 108 9
aemulus 7 32 j 27 23
aenigma 30 36
aequabilis 55 3
aequalis 6 25; 13 5; 36 29; 99 14
aequare 103 2
aequus 14 15
aer77 4 ; 95 7
aestus (lit.) 1 1 6 ; 35 1 3 ; 127 9 ; (me-
taph.) 46 14; 57 12; 101 n
aeternus2 i; 6 25; 15 i; 46 i; 48 i;
50 7, 10, 12; 52 12; 71 i; 113 i;
122 12; 126 24
aether 29 24 ; 36 7 ; 47 i ; 90 6 ;
(abl.) aethre 86 4
aethera 39 i
aethereus 92 2
aethra 40 i
aeuum 4 12 ; 36 23; 95 19
affatim 62 b 20; 69 16; 92 22
affectus 4 4
afflatus (particip.) 116 18
affluere 50 35
affluus 92 20
Agatha 125 i
ager 127 2
agerel4i4; 9613; 11221; (techn.)
27 23
aggerare 40 22
agitare 26 20
agmen 13 26; 14 22 ; 120 14
Agnes 9 i
agnoscere 38 i; III 29
agnus (Christ) 15; 31 42 ; 32 16;
33 18, 3; 35 4? 37 H; 4 ^6 ;
49 37; 5375 "9 1,14; (lit.) 41
20; 105 15
ala 49 27
alacris 6 20
albescere 21 3
albus 109 2
ales 20 i ; 31 24
algor 101 12
alibi 82 26
alienus 29 44
alimonia 27 19
alitus 1 08 26
alleluia 92 i etc.
alleuare 24557
almus II 12; 36 37 ; 39 26 ; 84 i ;
92 13; 93 55 95 18; 104 22; 106 4;
HO 21 ; 116 14; 123 6
alpha 23 2; 107 11
alter 8 20; 13 18; 94 28; alter...
alter 126 7
altissimusS i; 100 8; 104 35; 113 i;
118 6; 119 25
altitude 23 17
altius (adv.) 36 3
altor 95 3
altus422; 5 26; 30 n; 33 25; 489;
71 18; 1125
alumnus 11628
aluus I 12 ; 6 13 ; 25 2 ; 31 19 ;
106 14
ambigere I 58
ambire 64 6
ambitus 13 25 ; 29 32 ; 80 3 ; 120 10
ambulare II 23; 31 57
amens 24 1 1
amictus (particip.) I 49
amicus 95 1 1
amor 5 ' 5 > 7 r
amotus 45 1 6
amplus 29 49
amputare 64 14
anastasis 48 20; no 4
Andreas 124 5
angelusl 4 9; 1013; 31 26,83; 3230;
38 7; 39 10; 40 14; 41 10; 49 17;
100 10; 10910; in 16, 21; 113
13; 117 17; 119 3; 120 14, 38;
123 ii
anguis (Satan) 29 52
angularis 15; 119 13
angustus 45 8
anhelus II 6
anjma 24 20 ; 29 i, 12 ; 30 20 ; 42
18; 45 29
animatus 30 15
animus 29 27 ; 51 12
Annas I 32, 47
annus 36 25 ; 87 14; 90 13 ; 115 2
annuus 96 17 ; 123 7
INDEX OF WORDS
415
ante (adv.) I 13; 32 2; 42 14;
(prep.) I 8,69; 23 i ; 423; 83 i;
8 73; 9419; 9915; 1045; 120 18
anteire 120 n
antiquus 42 33
anxius 5 8; 24 9; 57 14
aperire 37 17; 112 15; 126 11
apostolus I 56 ; 4 20 ; 13 i ; 14 i ;
51 8 ; 52 7 ; 54 10 ; 82 19 ; III
I?? "4 5
appendere 35 1 7
aptus 75 5
apud 7 1 8
aqua I 25; 8 13, 17; 75 3; 90 28;
91 10, 20 ; 105 23 ; 127 6
ara 9 17; 34 29 ; 106 6 ; 109 6
aratrum 127 7
arbiter 32 31 ; 915; 104 14 ; 120 25
arbor 33 25 ; 34 17 ; 35 13 ; 106 4
area 39 16
arcanus 7 3
arcere 58 1 1 ; 67 8
archangelus 49 19
archidiacon 14 2
ardere 1 20 46
ardor 16 8 ; 31 55 ; 58 13 ; 64 6 ;
68 16; 127 9
arduus 1 12 4
arere 31 68
arguere 2 20
aridus27 14; 29 n; no 18; 127 32
arista 30 24
arma n 18, 22 f; 36 25 ; 103 13
armatus 15 15 ; 28 2 ; 36 5
aroma 34 25
arridere 36 14
ars 33 8
artare 85 1 3
artifex 39 14; 119 u
artius (adv.) 94 1 1
artus (plur.) 5 5> I2 10; 24 23; 29
3*5 6 4 i
artus (adj.) 33 13
aruina 25 9
aruum 127 i, 37
arx 23 16 ; 33 ii ; 117 32 ; 120 7
ascendere 42; 1315; 32 i ; 1125;
116 i ; 117 4
asellus 104 19
asina 104 13
asper 3 15 ; 13 20; 38 3
astrum 8 2 ; 36 19, 24, 52 ; 39 27 ;
84 19; 116 i ; 117 18: 120 44
astu 26 16
ater 29 46 ; 47 5 ; 88 1 1 ; 120 35
atque 19 10; 33 12, 29; 35 2, 6;
3627,52; 49*31; 632; 948, 18;
118 22; 120 40; 125 6; 126 22
atrium 27 22
atterere 74 11; 75 12
attingere 12 21 ; 31 42
auaritia 50 23
auarus 14 27
auctor 30 35 ; 315; 36 33 ; 37 i ;
38 18; 47 i ; 87 9; 104 20; 1 10 i
audere 31 74; 41 15
audire 24 9 ; 1 06 2
auditor 48 2 1
auemus 62 b 7
auferre 17 6 ; 20 5 ; 39 25 ; 65 5 ;
67 5 ; 112 28
aufugare 106 12
augere 9 10 ; 76 4 ; 94 30 ; 95 15
auis 127 i o
aula6 18; 15 7 ; 63 6 ; 88 6
aura 29 12 ; 117 15
aureus 22 i ; 104 43 ; 126 i
auris 39 1 1 ; 121 5
aurora 3 29 f ; 44 5 ; 70 2 ; 71 i ;
III i
aurum I 15 ; 119 6 ; I2O 44
aut 78 1 1 f
autem 94 13
auxilium 43 10 ; 100 9
azyma 109 15
baiulare 31 1 1 ; 38 1 1 ; 39 4 ; 40 19
baptisma 8 5 ; 37 2 ; 89 3 ; 90 1 5 ;
(plur.) 42 21
baptista 91 17
baptizare I 61 ; 44 8
barathrum 109 22
barbarus 24 21 ; 116 22
Barrabas 105 29
basium 40 26
beatus i 45; 4 13; 9 i; IO 16; 15
12; 3 1 55 34 "J 39 13; 49
41; 55 7J 61 4 ; 67 15; 69 15;
7i 2; 791; 9317; 10411; 1151;
1168
bellicus II 1 8
bellum 15 6
benedictio 119 2 1
benedictus 35 i ; 39 1 7 ; 49 34
benignitas 97 7
benignus29 39; 603; 696; 9029;
91 5; 93 i; 104 28; 117 28; 121 5
bestia 15 14; 127 13
4i6
INDEX OF WORDS
Bethania 104 6
Bethlem 25 i
bibere 3 23; 27' 20; 50 28; 107 2;
127 24
binus I 27; 126 17
bis 49 22; 82 i
blanditnentum 122 6
blandus 46 14; 47 u; 57 12; III
21
bonitas 27 38; 119 20
bonus 7 13 ; 27 i ; 75 15 ; 94 30;
126 9
bos 127 25
bracchium 34 21 ; 35 17 ; 44 3
breuis xo 10; 30 u; 120 3
cadauer2937; 30 17; 31 48; 35 n
cadere2 27; 9 32 ; 72 8; 90 9; 120 10
caducus 23 9 ; 29 21 ; 94 26 ; 122 7 ;
123 10
caecitas 12 24 ; 22 2
caecus x 23 ; 10 6 ; 12 17 ; 46 n
caelebs 62 b 14; 85 16
caelestis I 22 ; 4 25 ; 15 7 ; 31 10 ;
41 28; 52 n; 74 5; 84 15; 107
19; 112 25; 113 10; 117 21;
I2i 4; 122 8; 123 ii
caeli (plur.) 44 b i ; 1 12 4 ; 120 12
caelitus I 20; 68 n; 91 28; 95 2 ;
113 7; 115 19
caelum I 9; 8 10; 9 3; 12 9; 15 28;
23 6, 7; 31 92; 36 3; 39 17, 28;
44 i, n ; 47 n ; 48 5; 49 i, 31,
42; 63 7; 71 i ; 73 13; 74 i ;
76 i ; 77 6 ; 89 5 ; 100 7; 1112;
xi2 7,24; 119 24; 124 20; 126
3> 5 ; I2 7 37
caenum 40 1 6
Caesar I 36
caespes 30 23
calcare 31 91
calere 7 30 ; 27 20
caligo 2 10; 5 18; 21 5; 44 14;
60 ii ; 67 13 ; 71 ii
callidus 94 15; 103 n
calor 3 19; 17 6 ; 30 14; 60 10;
116 16
candidatus 37 29
candidus I 49 ; 104 39 ; 109 2
candor I 50; 48 2 ; 76 3; 84 19
canere 2 16, 21; 5 12; 124; 15 4;
19 ii ; 31 26 ; 97 20
canor 92 14; 119 17
canorus 5 14
cantare I 67 ; 32 5 ; 44 b 2
canticum 55 8 ; 56 26 ; 683; 69 5 ;
82 7, 32; 87 20; 97 20; 105 2
cantus I i, 70; 92 8
capere i 33; 7 5 ; 32 to ; 61 13;
92 14; 98 16
captare2926; 127 14
captiuare 50 16; 109 19
captiuus 114 10
caput 13 31
career 29 22; 36 45, 49; 40 30; 41
43. 45; 120 355 125 13
cardo 311
carere 35 12; 45 23; 90 16
caritas IO 23; 15 23; 16 7; 47 20;
5030; 7120; 993; 1158; 1187;
126 19
carmen 4948; 92 17,23; 106 i; 1102
carnifex 14 29; 24 17; 31 73
caro i 40; 6 ii, 26; 10 20; 29 8;
31 75 33 12; 3435 35 i : 40 7.
30; 42 16; 45 26; 56 18; 58 19;
61 n; 81 i i ; 101 n ; 108 24;
10916; 11138; 11212; 11315;
126 20
carpere 10 16; 127 26
carus 95 5
castitas 45 25 ; 50 31 ; 120 45
castra II 15
castuss 18; 5 15, 23; 20 7; 25 3;
26 6; 44 b 8; 46 22; 58 5; 71 4
casus 3 15 ; 74 ii ; 82 28
catena 32 13; 37 15; III 8
catenatus 36 45
caterua 26 24 ; 65 6 ; no 2
catholicus 49 7
cauare 30 5
cauere 1 20 43
cauus 27 17
cedere 9 8 ; 14 30 ; 58 9 ; 64 9
celebrarel3 27; 904; 92 25; 123 7;
125 20
cellula 108 28
celsitonans 7 1 3
celsus 417; 13 21 ; 40 9 ; 49 36 ;
89 5 ; 120 42
cena I 28; 40 2; 105 7; 109 i
cenare 105 10
censere 66 12
census 9 16; 14 18; 80 4
centrum 76 2
centurio 31 54
cera 27 20
cereus 108 24
INDEX OF WORDS
417
cernere 9 28; 27 28; 40 16; 59 16
cernuus 62 b 15; 72 10 ; 94 17;
115 18
certamen 33 r
certe 98 i 2
certus 27 2 ; 42 57 ; 47 4 ; 52 i ;
57 i ; 84 20
cerua 127 17 f
ceruix 43 7
ceu 29 22
chaos 27 3 ; 36 36 ; 73 7
charisma 90 24 ; 101 9 ; 106 13
cherubim 6 i ; 49 25
chirographum 60 15 ; 99 12
chorea 19 6
chorus 2 1 1 ; 23 29 ; 31 25 ; 43 6 ;
49 19; 92 5; 120 8, 38
chrisma 26 4 ; 27 32 ; 37 12 ; 40 31 ;
106 7, 10, 15; 117 10
Christicola 29 33
Christus i 2, 31, 37, 42, 48, 51, 70;
5 29 f; ii 16, 22; 13 8 ; 20 4,
13; 21 4, 9; 24 3, 28 etc.
cibus 3 21 ; 92 19; 94 10; 95 4;
103 17
cingere 86 14
cinis 40 20 ; 56 1 8
circulus 68 19 ; 87 14 ; 94 3
circumcidere no 1 1
circumstare 120 14
cire 20 9; 120 6
cito (adv.) 30 13
ciuis 92 2
ciuitas 104 41 ; 119 16
clades 35 5
clamare 128; 20 5 ; 94 18 ; 98 4 ;
104 35; in 16
clamor i 41 ; 49 28
clangor I2O 5
clarere 95 12; 113 26; 120 4;
123 6
claritas I 50 ; 60 12; 62 b i ;
120 41
clarus 185; 36 8 ; 41 31 ; 45 9 ;
95 i ; no 22 ; 117 1 1 ; 120 45
claudere I 44, 58; 5 17 ; 29 22 ;
31 20; 35 6; 36 41; 41 36; 884;
106 15; in 9; 112 16; 126 12
claustrum 6 14; 9 to; 39 4; 103 10;
"49
clausula 23 2 ; 84 1 2
clauus 33 24 ; 34 5 : 35 7
clemens 19 4; 97 18; 11141; 119
20; 126 9
dementia 69 i ; 83 3 ; 94 22 ; 104
18; 114 5
clementius (adv.) 123 3
clipeus 89 20
cluere 23 26; 124 14
coaeuus 24 26 ; 36 29
coaptare 119 1 1
coepisse 4 14; 113 25
coetus 104 33
cogere 9 18; 14 22 ; 116 21
cogitare4 3; 50 17 ; 73 11
cognatus 29 43
cognomen 95 20
cognominatus 23 2
cohaerere 29 7
colere 918; 96 20 ; 125 19
collegium 30 1 2
colligere 213; 120 15
collocare 67 1 6
color 21 7; 67 2
colorare 817
columba i 6 ; 91 28
columna 108 13
coma 35 16; 36 12
comes 103 15 ; 119 3
comitari 30 20 ; 120 8
commodum 62 b 1 1
commouere 104 42
communis 7 2 5 ; 1 12 26
compar 31 82 ; 65 14
compos 85 15; 114 15
comprobare 116 32
concedere 80 9 ; 93 18
concentus 23 31
concidere 77 15
concinereS 13; 2321; 34 13; 41 52;
69 14; 106 i
concinnare I i, 65, 68
concipere 192; 30 26 ; 38 9 ; 39 u
concite 91 r i ; in 25
concludere 59 7
concors 23 31 ; 36 29
concremare 85 6 ; 108 19
concrepare 5 14 ; 72 n ; 116 28
conculcare III 7
concurrere 13 30
conAzre (create) 2^ 10; 31 8; 38 19;
50 6 ; 62 2
condere (hide} I 46 ; 2 23 ; 33 13 ;
108 25
conditor 2 i ; 33 1 1 ; 34 3 ; 36 27 ;
41 28; 45 13; 46 i ; 52 u ; 623;
74 i ; 75 i ; 84 i ; 92 22; 93 i ;
108 3
27
4i8
INDEX OF WORDS
condolere 33 4 ; 84 5
confamulus 82 5
conferrel77; 9114; 9312; 9817;
"3 7
confessio 16 6; 102 5
confessor 121 10 ; 123 6
conficere 47 1 7
configere 34 5 ; 35 7
confiteri I 62; 4248; 438; 5627;
66 7; 67 3; 82 15; 93 10; 121 2
confringere III 6
confundere 21 2 ; 74 2
congaudere 71 19
congregator I 9
congruus 55 21 ; 69 10
coniungere 13 5 ; 31 80 ; 42 15;
47 20
conlaudare 23 23 ; 41 44
conlidere 31 38
conlinere 27 1 6
conpages 119 (4
conpago 62 b 6
conpendium 15 n
conpetere SO 27
conpingere 29 15
conplere I 54 ; 38 6 ; 11616
conprimere 74 1 6
conruere 33 5 ; 77 16
conscendere 112 4
conscientia 42 5 1 ; 98 5
conscius 815
consecrate 89 3; 1 06 8
consentire 6 1 1 i
consepelire 37 3 1
consonare 23 19; 91 31
consors 65 i ; 106 15
consortium 15 30
constituere 76 6
constitutor 48 13
construere 119 2
consumere 10 31
consurgere 68 5 ; 109 21
contagium 68 15 ; 90 1 6
contegere 67 i ; 81 7
contemnere 120 30
contemplari 120 42
conterere 42 34 ; 93 13
continere 39 15 ; 44 b i
contingere 31 66
continuare 27 39
contra (adv.) I2O 31
contubernium 42 1 6
conuertere 8 7 ; 97 7
coornare 119 3
copula 29 6
copulari 119 5
coquere 14 32
cor i 3; 4 5; 5 13; 17 8; 20 12 ;
23 i ; 25 7 ; 26 7 ; 44 b 1 5 ; 50 2 1 ;
56 8; 57 10; 58 7; 60 5; 61 14;
68 14; 69 7; 76 13; 81 9; 97 6;
98 u; 106 14; in 42; 113 23;
118 14; 125 8
coram (prep.) I 21; 63
corbis i 28
corona 13 4 ; 14 3 ; 19 i ; 24 8 ;
36 S3'. 37 7; 49 435 "3 28;
121 2 J 122 25 123 2
coronare 7 2 4> IJ I 3 *3 &
corporeus III 36
corpus i 44 f, 47; 10 14; 15 10 ;
17 7 ; 29 u ; 30 9; 33 16, 20;
44 b 8; 46 22; 57 12 ; 58 10, 17;
6i22;62b6;68 135785; 838;
87 10 ; 90 14; ioo 4; 107 i, 3,
5; no 18; 112 23
corpusculum 109 5
corrigere 2 26
corripere 24 12
corruptio 19 16
cortex 34 25 ; 127 31
coruscare 70 2
coruscus 32 21 ; 91 2
cosmus 90 20
cotidie 44 b 9
crapula259; 10317; 11627
creare 23 5; 30 30; 31 16; 39 23;
118 4
creator i 10 ; 51; 36 22 ; 66 i ;
73 i ; 108 i ; 114 3; 118 r
creatura 49 13
credere I 12; 4 27 f ; 15 22 ; 29 34;
30 7, 28; 31 55; 41 48; 42 20;
5520; 842; 8918; 918; 992;
107 18; 117 32
credulitas 50 32
credulus i 61 ; 107 15
cremare 62 b 8
crepusculum 3 28
crescere I 12 ; 8 24 ; 40 32
crimen 135; 410; 104; 24 5 ;
269; 3411; 358:4523; 55 H;
66 6 ; 68 1 5 ; 73 9 ; 76 16 ; 77 1 1 ;
93 16; 96 13; 97 12; 101 7; 102
ii ; 1 06 12; 1146; 121 ii ; 1224
crucifigere 36 21 ; 105 28
crudelis in 19
cruentus 35 7
INDEX OF WORDS
419
cruor 7 26 ; 9 24 ; ii 14 ; 13 6 ;
3i 65; 33 30; 35 2
crus 33 15
crux i 39; 4 2; 10 9; 13 13; 26 8f ;
28 6; 2949; 31 79; 33 i, 18,22;
34 2; 35 i ; 42 34; 49 3; 53 8;
893: 99.7; ioi 2; 1029; 1053;
107 8; 109 6; 124 4, 9f, 13, 16,
19; 126 7
cubile 26 6 ; 64 2
cui (dissyll.) 4 25; 42 7; 119 27;
125 13
culmen 48 18; 117 6
culpa 2 16, 28; 412; 5 22; 10 22;
47 16; 64 ii ; 67 10; 73 12; 76
15; 77 13; 12735
culpare 113 15
cultor 26 i
cum (prep.) I 46; 12 28; 16 2; 27 24;
36 16, 29; 38 19; 40 35; 41 55;
42 4 , 63 f; 43 n; 44 23; 45 18;
4826; 56 26; 63 6; 65 15; 695;
82 10 ; 83 ii ; 84 26; 85 15; 86
12; 9519; 11731; 11918; 120
35; 123 ii
cum, conj. (indie.) 5 1 7 ; 23 13 ; 26 5 ;
30 13; 36 10; 40 14; 41 10; 55
135 58 i?; 85 95 97 4', no 10,
13; 1115; 11325; 1153; 1169;
117 3; 120 4, 23; (subj.) i 36,
52; 10 29; 30 13, 38; 55 23;
5717:8013; 8113:8613; 10819
cunabula 90 8
cuncti36 22; 42 59; 52 10; 74 15;
77 9 ; 78 2 ; 79 8 ; 80 7 ; 90 16 ;
91 6 ; 98 20 ; 112 17 ; 114 20 ;
116 9, 23; 125 16; 126 12
cunctipotens 70 4
cura927; 29 29; 37 19; 573, 18;
124 18
curare 42 62
currere4i 40; 56 24; 10446; 1229;
125 16
currus 44 9; 95 8
cursitare 19 ii
cursus 3 29; 35 15; 47 3 > 55 2 5
56 24 ; 85 4 ; 127 6
curuare 84 14
curuus 127 30
custodiagu; 3229; 4532; 834;
94 12; 96 16; 107 16
custodire 84 17; 100 n; III 10
custos 58 10 ; 107 17
cyclus 90 13
daemon 65 6; 68 9; 106 9
damnare 26 24; in 20
damnum 33 6
Danihel 95 9
dapes 40 9
darei 2, 595 2 3; 495 "5; *3 '5J
2942; 308; 3132; 3326; 374;
39 31 ; 40 27 ; 42 27 etc.
dator 107 7 ; 108 4
datrix 90 24
Dauid34 i 4 ; 49 33; 10436
Dauiticus 82 8
de i 3, 44 ; 32; 27 36 ; 33 4 ;
343: 35 i?; 3649. 53 f; 37 '4 =
49 36; 89 5; too 4; ioi 6; 107
20; 109 ic, 22; in 11, 18;
116 13
deberei 2; 93; 153; 44 b n; 51
16; 54 3; 55 29; 71 8; 86 10;
91 18; 98 12; 104 44; 106 i;
113 27
debilis I 23; 54 ii
debitor 42 43
decere 6 8; (with dat.) ii 20; 36
39 ; (with ut) 56 5 ; 1 12 30 ; 125 5
decidere 18 6 ; 72 5
decipere 42 9
declinare 47 14
decliuis 85 4
decoquere 28 4; I 08 22
decor 126 i
decorare 125 23 ; 126 3
decorus 5 3 ; 19 7 ; 34 17 ; 75 6 ;
76 4 ; 116 14; 124 3, 7
decurrere 22 9 ; 105 5
decus362s; 9213; 951; 10449;
124 i
dedere 33 1 7
deesse i 25 ; 82 17
defemk-iv 41 24; 6 1 6; 89 :o; 109 28
defensor 61 17, 23
deferre 115 6
defessus 58 1 7
deflere3l 38; 42 46
defunctus 35 1 1
dehiscere 97 2 ; 102 1 1
deicere 38 27
deitas 36 28 ; 63 9 ; 98 18 ; 99 14
delere 41 12 ; 60 15
deliciae 125 13
delictum 7 26 ; 89 15
delinquere 68 10; 121 8
delubrum 45 28
demouere I 51
272
42O
INDEX OF WORDS
demptio 97 12
demum 85 13; HO 12
denarius 105 17
deni 90 13 ; 94 3
denotare 40 23
dens 3 14; 8 23; 15 14
deorsum 29 28
depascere 108 21
depellere47 5; 58 12; 96 8; 108 16
deperire 113 3
deponere 30 33
deposcere 33 7 ; 64 4
deprecarii9 13; 4946; 796; (pass.)
100 2
deprecatio 55 40
deprimere 77 13
deputare 115 u ; 122 7
deridere 117 8
descendere 24 24 ; 42 42
deserere 2 12 ; 44 14 ; 108 6
deseruire 39 6
deses 20 6
desiderare 39 19; III 32
desiderium 101 8 ; 114 2
desinere 14 7
desistere 28 9
despicere 120 27
despuere 127 12
destringere 24 1 8
desuper 22 13; 94 23
detegere 61 2
determinate 1 8 4
detinere 57 7
deuastare 109 10
deuius 22 4
deuorare 10 25; 120 12
deuote 98 4
deuotio 13 22 ; 102 7 ; 117 30
deuotusis 21; 42 20; 123 8; 126 18
Deusi 3,41,49, 60, 64; 4 29; 51;
6 8, ri, 16; 7 3, 10, i8f; 10 i,
12; 12 8; 13 7, 14; 17 i; 18 i ;
26 i ; 29 i, 17; 30 38; 31 14,
26, 38, 46, 91; 32 23; 34 16; 36
2of; 38 32; 42 15; 43 2 etc.
dexter 23 26
dextera, dextra I 5, 55; 4 32 ; 61
15; 71 5; 1135; H4 12 ; " 8 ^
diabolus 42 9
diadema 125 4
dicare 26 1 1 ; 95 4
dicator 96 2
dicere I i, 37; 7 30; Il8 5
dictum I 22
dictus 78 6
dies i 56, 7; 2 2,5; 3 4 , 25; 5 3,
9, 18; 8 8, 11; 10 i; 13 2 ; 22 9,
14; 27 23; 28 15; 36 6, 25, 48;
378; 44i6f; 454; 466,24; 47
3- !75 48 3: 5 i, 6, 39; 52 3;
55 3, 16; 57 2; 58 2; 59 2, 14;
61 i; 62 i ; 65 2; 68 19; 72 2;
73 2,6; 765; 81 13; 82 29; 87
13. 23; 91 i ; 94 3; 97 4 , 13;
103 6; 106 16; 108 13; no 5,
24; 1122; 11515; 120 i ; 126 4
digitus 118 10
dignare 42 38
dignari 16 3; 32 26; 38 23; 42 12,
26, 42 ; 104 20
digne 96 20
dignitas 106 n
dignus i 15 (with dat.) ; 27 25;
33 28 (with inf.) ; 34 19 ; 37 21 ;
41 495 55 7; 106 17
diligere5 15; 6l 16; 91 26; 119 16
diluculum 3 26
diluere (metaph.) 2 16; 10 3; 62 b
10 ; 75 ii ; (lit.) 91 20
dimergere 77 5
dimittere 66 16 ; 105 29 ; 115 23 ;
122 1 6
diremptio 76 10
dirigere 54 1 2 ; 58 5
diruere 4 1 1
dirus 4 10
discedere 26 21 ; 72 4 ; 120 26
discere I 30
discernere 57 2
discessus 28 9
discipulus 105 10; in 29
discumbere I 29; 105 n
discutere I 35 ; 2 30
dispendium 8 26
disponere 119 12
dissicere 20 13
dissipare 74 8
dissociare 29 15
dissoluere 78 15
dissonus 29 1 6
distendere 103 1 8
distinguere 36 i ; 58 4
distribuere 52 8
ditare 69 16; 101 4; 118 12
diu 22 3
diuersus 77 8 ; 116 19
diues 120 20
diuidere 8 22 ; 27 2
INDEX OF WORDS
421
diuinitas 51 15
diuinus I 59; 48 24; 49 20; 107 12
diuitiae 50 35
diurnus 183; 64 10 ; 813
diutinus 28 3
docere I 59; 4 22 ; II 18 ; 51 8;
116 30; 125 12
doctor 126 5, 13
dolenter 28 10
dolere 14 27 ; 29 44
dolor I 46 ; in 14
dolus 527; 14 20 ; 40 24 ; 50 22
domare 25 8
dominus 36 16 ; 40 14 ; 41 3, 22 ;
42 i, 32, 47; 49 i, 14, 30, 35,
46; 55 36; 59 2, 9; 61 5, 21 ;
63 3; 92 ii ; 100 7 ; 103 9;
104 ii, 40; 105 i, 14; 107 9,
17 ; III 15, 28, 32, 39; 112 5 ;
125 is
domus 12 28 ; 31 13
donare3 16; 42 44; 93 14; 95 13;
1 2 1 1 2 ; (with double accus.) 1 27 40
donator 1 08 2
donee 126 15
donum69 15; 74 10; 106 3; 115 20;
118 6; 122 12
dormire5 21 f; 20 12 ; 42 31 ; 57 19
dotare 9 16
draco 12 26 ; 31 89
drama 90 4
ducere 8 12 ; 46 24 ; 50 38 ; 63 8 ;
90 7; 94 4 ; Il7i6;(techn.)l33;
9 14; 32 12; 99 5
ductor 29 53 ; 118 19
dudum I 44 I 1 15 - '
dulcis 19 12; 31 85; 33 24; 35 18;
478
dulciter 63 4
dum 77; 822; 25 5 ; 29 7, 11 ;
40 19; 47 '7! 577? 594; 72 12;
73 ii ; no ii ; in 25; 124 15
duodecim I 30
duodenus 49 22
duplex 125 4
durus 109 ii ; 127 5
dux 15 6 ; 27 i ; 49 44
e, ex i 29, 31; 69, 17; 23 10 ;
32 21 ; 36 28 ; 42 17; (in special
sense) 48 1 5 ; 49 1 1 ; 50 2 i ; 77 2 ;
869; 87 2, ii ; 94 i; 98 12; 105
ii ; 106 14; 108 9, 17; 119 4, 6;
126 16
ebrietas 3 24 ; 50 26
ebrius 27 1 8
ecce22 i; 23 21; 2949; 36 15,11;
67 9; 70 i ; 86 i ; 104 25; 125 i
ecclesia 2 15; 4 16; n 12; 14 24;
15 s; 91 3; 96 9
edere (eat) 8 23; 44 b 10; 100 3
edere (bring forth) 23 14; 42 17;
49 10 ; (utter) 92 i
editum 60 1 6
efferre 13 22 ; 77 16
effessus 9 8
efficere 62 b 14
effigiare 29 4
effluere 72 1 1
effulgere 115 4
effundere 24 19; 94 23 ; 122 1 1
Efrem 6 3
egenus 14 22
eger see aeger
egere 120 22
egregius 126 13
egressus 6 2 1
el I 6
electio 13 1 1
elegans 125 5
element um 8 19; 29 2; 36 5
eleuare 13 18; 112 13
elidere77 15
eligerei33i; 34 19; 37 10; 120 15
emicare 23 23 ; 125 i
eminus 86 3
emittere 12 27
emundare 98 7
en 4 19 f; 28 i ; 94 2; 102 5
enim 41 6; 82 13
eniti 31 fy
ensis 126 7
eous 21 15
episcopus 28 1 3
ergo 2 17; 24 17; 27 21; 33 10;
39 9; 42 61; 56 25; 90 21 ; 94
9; 98 13? 999; 10395 10445;
112 21 ; 116 13; 125 24
erigere 32 25; 38 28; 47 8
eripere 9 22 ; 31 31 ; 35 8; 36 49
errare 29 56
error 2 ii ; 22 4; 74 n
erubescere 120 9
eruere 75 2 ; 99 1 1
Esaias 38 5
esca 32 10; 40 8
esse (substantive) I 8; 7 17, 19, 18;
21 17; 23 3, 18
422
INDEX OF WORDS
esuries 101 5
esurire 31 24; 107 19
esursum 86 9
et i 28, 65; 2 3, 19, 26; 3 17, 32;
5 10, 20, 29 ; 64; 72, 18 f., 23;
8 11; II 13, 26; 12 22, 31; 13
18; 14 16, 28; 15 2, 4, 14; 17 4;
(misplaced) 41 23; 46 10; 90 n ;
(also, even) 3 9; 10 13; 33 15;
46 8; 51 10; 54 9; 55 17, 25,
295976; 101 5; 12715; (et...et)
99i5f
ethnicus 125 21
Eua 38 25
euacuare 126 1 6
euangelicus 41 26
euertere 76 16
euiscerare 32 1 6
ex tune 126 24
examen 108 29
exaudire 84 4
excelsus 39 22; 59 9; 90 22
excessus 96 1 1
excipere 29 1 1
excitare I 44; 2 9, 18; 6 3; 92 8
excitator 20 3
exclamare 24 1 1
excubare 68 4
excursus 6 23
exemplum 95 14
exhibere 29 39; 93 7; 108 n
exigere 45 22
eximius 92 7; 125 2
exire 36 4 ; 85 2
exitus 32 7
exorare 65 n; 119 19
exordium 23 I
exortus 5 10
expauescere 36 36
expellere 32 3 ; 65 7
expiare 25 7 ; 96 1 7
explicare 82 i, 32
explorare 127 30
expolire 119 10
exponere 125 ro
exprimere 124 2
exsequiae 36 23
exspectare 1 12 30
exstare 29 23; 38 18; 71 20; 86 6;
107 10
exstinguere 9 21; 17 55 3 1 56
exsul II 8; 29 56; 62b 13; 73 ro
exsultare 15 27; 104 23; III 3
exsurgere 71 6
extollere 55 7
extra (adv.) 93 13
extremus II 7
exuere 5 25 ; 56 1 1 ; 107 6
exurere 28 4
fabrica 113 19
facere I 17, 20, 23, 64; 6 u ; 7 21,
28; 26 5; 31 27, 64; 33 12; 34
23; 35 3; 36 3 2 ; 3 8 2 3? 39 28;
41 49; 44b 4; 59 2; 88 i; 90
32; 91 6; 94 29; 95 6; 104 19;
112 14; 115 6; 125 19, 28
facies in 31
factor i 8f; 30 30; 33 4; 40 5 ;
69 2; 94 8
factum i 22; 12 14; 32 5; 47 15;
75 "
factura 89 7
faenum 31 21
falanx see phalanx
fallax 31 77; 57 9, 16; 58 12
fallere 28 15; 33 8; 42 50; (fail)
91 7
falsus i 34; 74 16; 116 31
fames, fatnis 46 19; 50 34; 56 32;
127 3 1 , 33
famulari 27 31
famulus 29 54
fari 116 20
fas no 8
fascia 33 1 5
fastidium 24; 101 7
fateri 12 16; 31 36; 50 4; 90 n;
in 40
fatiscere 22 2 ; 26 25; 127 2
fatus 7 4
fauces 107 6
fauere 8 4; 28 20; 36 18; 123 4;
125 20
fauilla 5^17
fauor 119 18
fauus 27 15; 40 22; 108 25
fax 9 19; 27 14; 58 14
febris 31 56
fecundus 38 15; 39 18; 75 7; 127
38
fel 33 19
Felix II i
felix 90 17; 92 10
femina I 53; 39 21
fenestra 39 28
fera 78 4; 127 13
ferculum 40 4
INDEX OF WORDS
423
feria 104 5
feriatus (pass.) no 23
ferire 9 23
ferre i 18; 4 31 ; 15 3; 27 19; 33
9; 34 24; 40 15, 26; 42 36; 74
14; 77 12; 97 10; 99 7; 104 44;
106 5; 120 32, 46
ferreus II 21
ferrum 24 1 2
fertilis 34 27
fertilitas 35 9
feruere 3 19; 30 31 ; 47 18; 53 2;
101 12; 108 23; 127 9
feruidus 115 8
fessuss 7; 57 7; 59 n; 80 5; 92
19; 127 ii, 18
festiuitas no 22
festus 13 28; 25 4; 36 23; 106 16;
125 19
feta (fern.) 23 14; 106 4
fetidus 31 61 ; 120 16
fetus (subst.) 369; 108 29; 127
17 f
fibra 25 7
fictor 30 35
fidelis 3 18; 23 22; 27 4; 29 49;
33 22; 34 14; 37 25; 38 10;
44b 7; 46 23
fideliter 55 18
fides I 63; 2 24; 3 19, 22, 17; 4
15. 25; 5 19 f, 23; 6 32; 7 8,
13; 9 7, 12, 21 ; 10 5, 10; ii 12,
17, 24!"; 12 14; 13 8, 12; 14 4;
15 21 etc.
fidus 116 15
figere 31 79
figura 26 8 ; 30 40 ; 1156
figurare 40 18
filia 104 23
filius I 62, 64; 3 31; 15 27; 41 4;
42 63; 49 33; 55 34; 84 26; 91
26; 104 36; 107 7; 118 22; 119
26
filum 27 15
fingere 27 16
finis 4 9; II 7; 71 15
firmare 6 28; 74 5 ; 118 16
firmus 46 2 1
flagellare 31 78
flagellum 125 1 6
flagitare 68 7
Hagrare 71 7; 125 15
flagrum I 38; 112 19; 125 10
flamen (neut.) 127 14
flamma I 6; 9 22; 14 28; 17 5 ;
747
flammesco 1 6 7
flammeus 44 10; 76 5
flatus 44 7
flebilis 39 27
flectere9 31 ; 33 25 ; 43 7; 44 22;
94 20; 113 12
flere 20 10; 21 ii; 41 17
fletus 2 28; 28 to; 31 67; 69 6;
73 8 ; 75 ii J 93 2; 96 12; 120
36; 127 24
flexuosus 26 19
florere 612; 38 13
floreus 27 1 5
floriger 36 i
flos 24 i ; 33 23; 35 16; 36 18;
75 6; 104 39; 1274
fiuctuare 26 12; 82 27
fluctus 120 12
fluentum 8 6; 24 27; 31 68; 74 3;
91 13
fluere I 18; 35 18
flumen I 18; 8 18; 90 18; 127 6
focus 9 24
foedus (subst.) 4 21; 50 29; 78 16
foedus (adj.) 62 b 5
fons 33; 8 28; 12 6; 23 2; 29 i;
48 8; 80 i ; 107 20; 118 7; 126
19; 127 6; (baptismal) I 64; 26
2; 37 23; Io6 "
fore (from esse) 28 5 ; 29 35
fores (plur.) 911
foris 27 30
forma 23 9; 4010; 42 n; 87 12;
89 6; 91 28
formidare 41 16
forte 29 25
fortis 84 13; III 5; 125 9
fortiter 41 17; 122 9
fossa 23 6
fouere 5 32; 30 25; 36 26; 8l 7;
124 17; 127 34
fragmen 30 28
fragmentum I 28 ; 8 32
frangere 8 29, 31
frater I i, 57; 28 ii
fraternus 120 19
fraudare 127 28
fraus 3 20; 24 15; 26 19; 33 4;
45 20; 68 9; 74 1 1 ; 127 16
fretum 2 14; 36 20
frigere lor 1 1
frondeus 127 10
424
INDEX OF WORDS
frons (frontis) 26 7; 42 35; 106 12
(frondis) 33 23; 35 13 ; 36 18
fructuosus 93 19
fructus 6 12; 34 27; 43 15? 75 7
frustra 41 35
fucus (dye) 21 13; (bee-bread) 108
21
fugare 38 30; 65 6; 91 24
fugere 12 24; 14 29; 125 21; 127
22
fulcire 44 3; 103 14
fulgere 6 29; 34 2; 45 8; 47 i ;
1 20 40
fulgidus 34 17; 39 30; 90 5; in
38; 120 7
fulgor 32 22
fuluus 75 6
fundamentum 119 13
fundare 47 4
fundere 15 18; 28 10; 33 30; 34
25; 39 20
funus 29 32; 32 6; 36 33; 41 18
fur I2O 2
furere 24 1 8
furtim 24 15
fuscare 5913
futurus I 66 f; 14 10; 23 3 ; 56 31 ;
96 15; 105 9; 114 18
Gabrihel I n; 31 18
Galilaea III 23, 30
gallus I 70; 2 1 8, 20 f
gastrimargia 96 7
gaudere37 29; 67 15; 75 15; 112
7; 116 17; 125 15
gaudium I 54; 15 28; 32 9; 41 32 ;
57 10; 58 12; 78 13; 89 8; 92
10; 95 16; 96 20; 104 i; no
23; in 33; 112 17, 26; 113 17;
114 17; 115 i; 122 5
Gehenna 1 20 26
gelidus 29 36
gemellus 124 14
gemere 10 32; 66 15; in 4
geminus 6 19; 108 10; 126 19
gemitus 29 42 ; III 13
generare 89 4
generosus 29 21 ; 30 28
genitalis 29 55
genitus 27 33; 125 25
gens 6 5; 13 31 f; 23 10; 37 18;
39 32; 55 27; 104 3;*n6 21
gentilis 115 10
genu 9 31; 31 54; 43 8; 44 22;
84 14; 113 12
genus n 3; 27 12; 31 49; 77 2;
784; 885
gerere I 40; 3 16; 4 6; 66 n f;
82 31; 126 16
germen 23 10; 29 24; 33 23; 39
26; 75 5
Geruasius 12 3
gestare30 16; 41 31; 45 18; 4923
gestire 31 19; 67 n
gigans 6 19; 88 8
gignere 91 13 (see genitus)
globus 82; 23 7
gloria i 65; 3 10; 15.25; 18 8;
19 7; 34 3o; 40 345 45 H5 49
18; 51 16; 52 4 ; 53 6; 59 3;
68 12; 71 i; 79 7; 81 16; 92
25; 99 4 13; i4 47; i 6 "5
112 12; 114 19; 117 i, 5, 12;
125 25; 126 21
gloriari 98 19
glorificus 92 1 1
gloriosus 33 i; 39 21; 120 13
gradi 52 9 ; 596
gradus IO n
Graecus 116 22
gramen 36 14; 127 26
grandis 97 10; 112 17
grassare I 34, 38
grates 59; 12 i ; 71 8
gratia 3 n, 16; 4 14; 54; 10 22;
12 9, 28; 13 10; 15 20; 31 10;
36 15; 40 ii ; 67 7; 74 10; 75
TO; 78 14; 93 8; 96 14; 97 16;
1026; 107 14; 1134; 115 22;
127 4, 35; (=grates) 1 12 21
gratis 86 10
gratus 75 8
grauatus 73 9
grauis 10 7 ; 29 26 ; 61 9,22; 98 6 ;
127 35
grauiter 105 27
gremium 30 26
gressus 31 71
grex 24 7; 27 26
gubernare 3 17; 6l 19
gula 46 1 8
gurges3i 4 i; 37 25; 446; 77 3
gustare 109 8
guttur 118 12
habitaculum 30 16; 52 5
habitare 30 31
INDEX OF WORDS
425
hagius 41 49; 44 17; 84 2i
hamus 79; 10 25
harena 115; 127 it
harundo 33 19
baud 9 19
haurire 8 15; 8l 8
haustus 92 20
Hebraeus 104 43
Helias 95 7 ; 127 39
herba 36 12; 127 7
heres 14 10
Herodes I 16; 24 5; 31 29
heu 127 24
hiatus 127 8
hie (pron.) 2 9, n, 13, 15; 3 25;
49; Sir; 10 i etc. ; (adv.) 9 23;
12 13; 26 21 f; 33 19; 34 8;
62 n ; 94 32; 119 9; 125 14
hinc 4 13; 13 21 ; 28 17; 29 29;
92 4; 95 9; 113 21 ; 124 3
hodie 40 29
hoedus 120 16
homo 27 9 ; 29 4, 10, 52; 36 32
42 25; 78 r
honestus 84 r r
honor, honos 13 14; 27 37; 37 ri
88 9; 92 16; 94 27; 104 49
126 22; 127 3
hora 4 i, 9; 36 26; 41 13; 52 3, 8
53 3? 54 2; 55 2, 22; 56 i, 9
13; 62 15; 69 13; 82 i; 99 5
101 i ; 102 i ; 103 6; 116 9
horridus 27 3 ; 57 5 ; 72 7
horror 55 14; 57 14; 80 14; 8l 6
86 14; 102 ii
hosanna (hosi.) 48 18; 49 33; 104
36
hospes 1 1 3, 9
hostia ii 29; 12 5; 34 8; 53 7; 99
6; 107 10; 109 17; no 20
hostis 5 27; 31 29; 33 9; 38 3; 40
43; 41 23; 42 10, 33; 55 26;
57 9; 61 10 ; 83 7; 84 24; 94
16; 103 16
hue 96 8
humanitus 113 8
humanus 42 10; 91 7
humectus see umectus
humilis38 28; 4815; 10425; 120
24
humilitas 40 1 1
humus 29 ii ; 78 3; 127 7, 27
hydria I 25; 8 13; 31 50; 90 28;
91 10
hydrus see ydrus
hymnifer 92 5
hymnus I i ; 5 12; 19 12; 60 13;
117 if; seeymnus
iacere 2 18; 26 26; 30 18; 31 21;
32 13. 25
iacere 29 37
iactantia 77 14
iactare 711; 12 30
iam 2 5; 4 i, 13; 5 9; 6 29; 14
13; 2O 4, 8 ; 21 7; 28 6; 29 50;
30 13, 22; 31 61; 32 i, 12; 33
16; 38 13; 38 29; 41 36; 44 5,
9. '3J 46 5> 95 47 5, 7. 9! 55 '5
59 s;62b i ; 70 i ; 71 17; 72 i ;
793; 80 it; 86 5, 7; 89 17590
14; 91 i ; 92 13; 97 i; 108 25;
109 13; in 13; 113 12; 116 i;
12041; 1246, 17; 125 17; 126
9; 76, 37
ianitor 126 5
ianua I 6, 58; 39 29
ibidem 41 14
ictus 10 31
idem I 6; 29 41 ; 64 13; 82 3, 11;
124 7
iecur 69 9
ieiunare 93 15
ieiunium 25 5; 56 29; 93 3, 20;
94 2; 95 i ; 96 4, 18; 98 14;
no 17
lerosolyma 104 16 (feminine)
Jerusalem 119 i
lesse (lese) I 4; 38 13
lesus 2 25; 4 26; 8 4; 12 i ; 19 i ;
20 9 etc.
igneus 29 i ; 76 3; 79 3; 95 8;
108 i ; 127 9
igniculus 27 12
ignis 14 30; 15 13; 16 7; 17 4;
31 56; 69 10; 115 5; 116 14;
118 7
igniuomus 36 3
ignoscere 42 47 f; 66 6; 121 8
ilico 12 23
ille 14 13; 19 2; 23 13; 29 23, 51;
30 345 3i 73; 33 2 6; 37 16; 38
27; 42 3/; 52 6; 55 9, 25; 61
ii ; 68 ri; 72 9; 90 9, 18; 100
5; 105 15; ill 9, s; "2 27;
119 16; 120 23
illic 29 53; 92 16
illuc 117 29; 119 8
426
INDEX OF WORDS
imago 42 7; 57 16
imber 127 38
immo 106 6
imperium 104 49; 109 12; 126 23
impetrare 126 20
impetus 55 31 ; 109 27
impie 5017
impius I 38; 4 27; 7 29; II 15;
31 78; 67 9; 105 7, 20, 25; in
20; 127 39
imus 513
in (abl.) about 60 times : (noteworthy)
M 13; 33 18; 35 14; 50 20;
84 23; 112 13; 119 19; 121 9;
123 3 ; (ace.) about 30 times
inanis 58 in ; 127 25
inchoare 49 15
incitare 46 18 ; 57 9
inclitus 40 33; 89 19; 92 16; 104
15 ; 126 3
includere 36 42
incredulus 116 25
increpare 2 19; 86 2
incussus 27 7
incutere 55 32
inde 32 8 ; 33 9 ; 40 32 ; 96 7 ;
117 23; 125 15
indignus 36 41
indoles 24 16
inducere 44 b 14
induere 23 10 ; 31 6 ; 38 20
indulgentia 42 22; 86 n; 94 24;
102 8; 121 12
indulgere 65 10; 98 10; 108 10
indultor 107 13
inebriare 8 18
ineffabiliter 87 4
inenarrabilis 48 2
iners 51 i*
infans I 18 ; 33 13
infernus (subst.) 36 19; 1076; III
4, 14; (adj.) 113 ii ; 114 9
inferre 41 1 1 ; 64 i x
inferus 42 41 ; no 24
infinitus 104 52
infirmare 120 43
infirmus 627; 31 47; 93 6; 11815;
120 30
influere 101 10 ; 106 13
informare 313
infulatus 1 06 6
infundere 3 8; 8 14 ; 74 9; 79 4
ingenitus 41 53 ; 50 37
ingenium 25 10
ingens 75 i
ingerere 16 3; 20 16
ingredi 63 7 ; 82 2
ingressus 104 42
ingruere 27 3
iniquitas 50 15
iniustus 55 n; 120 33
inlabi35; 722; 737; 8910; 115 19
inlecebra 96 8
inlibatus 50 31 ; 87 n
inligare 73 1 2
inlinere 21 13
inlucescere 91 i; 112 2
inludere 14 27 ; 57 15
inluminare I 23 ; 34; 8 i ; 10 6 ;
21 16; 45 12; 71 12; 76 13;
108 20
intnaculatus 36 51 ; 49 37
inmemor 13 16 ; 30 34
inmensus I 69; 48 12; 74 ij 88 10
inmobilis 7 8 ; 15 19 ; 75 4
inmolare 24 7; 33 3; 34 8; 107 n
inmotus 1 8 2
inmunditia 78 10
innocensi 33, 39; 31 79; 105 15, 19
innotatus 26 4
innouatus I 64
innoxius 4 6; 105 19
innuere no 5
innumerus 27 5 ; 36 49
inops 14 26
inpar 13 10
inpendere 29 30
inplere 8 16; 30 38; 33 16; 34 13;
91 18; 106 14; 116 17; 118 3
inplicare 47 1 6
inpos 12 15
inprimere 77 5
inprobus 103 16; 120 32
inprouisus 120 2
inpulsus 32 4
inpune 24 28
inquam 44 5; inquiunt 117 1 9
inquinare 22 12 ; 47 15
inrogare 77 6
inruere 61 9
insanus 15 i 6
insecutor 24 3
insidiari 6l 18
insignis 49 43
insolens 4 3
insonare 81 6
instar 56 3 1
instate 18 8 ; 68 14 ; 80 n
INDEX OF WORDS
427
instruere I 32 ; 17 3; 126 13
insuper 34 9
intactus 831; 31 15
integer I 51 ; 24 27
intemperatus 25 8
intendere 4 4; 6 i; 21 12; 87 7 ;
983
intentus 20 1 1
interS 29; 19 5; 2426; 33 13, 22;
35 17: 40 23; 45 2i;5755 "727;
120 38
interemptor 24 22
interire 1 02 9
interitus 84 5
internus 45 1 1
interpolare 631
interserere 78 12
intimus 73 j 3 ; 81 9 ; 95 1 1
intonare 86 i; in 2; 116 10, 19
intrare I 58 ; 21 3 ; 31 10 ; 32 31 ;
36 4; 103 12
intrinsecus 67 14
introducere 119 8
introire 119 24; 120 39
intus 27 30
inuenire I 7, 31, 35; 74 13; 105 22
inuentor 27 i
inuestigator 42 54
in uicem 80 1 5
inuictus 15 22
inuidere I 16; II 26; 50 18
inuidus 3 14; 5 27 ; 31 89; 43 1 1 ;
58 8
inuiolabilis 29 19
inuocare I 41, 62
inuoluere 33 14
iocundus 34 27 ; 92 17
iocus 94 1 1
lohannes (apostolus) 7 3
(Baptista) 90 17; 91 17; 95 12
lohel 116 32
lordanes 86; 91 19
Joseph (Arimath.) I 45
ipse i 54; 2 15; 7 '21 f; 8 16;
1412; 23 5; 26 23; 3227; 336;
41 25; 44 18; 45 10; 46 2; 55 39;
908; 9121; 1016; 10512; 107
10, 21 ; 114 13; 124 6; 127 10;
et ipse 125 22
ira 46 17; 50 22; 94 20
ire 13 19; 29 48; 31 33
is 45 6; 10916; 11127; 1196;
125 3
Israhel 6 i ; 41 19, 21
iste 30 31; 32 17; 55 38; 6l 11 ;
124 8
item 89 1 8
iter29 19; 35 6 ; 104 40
iubar 37; 74 14
iubeo I 10, 17, 25, 39; 14 17 ; 31
51 ; 56 16 ; 78 36 ; 100 3
iubilare 40 i ; 104 24; 1113
iubilatio 126 22
iubilum 89 23
iubilus 119 17
ludaea i 52 ; 105 25 ; 116 25
ludaeus I 36; 105 18, 24
ludas i 31; 31 73; 40 25; 105 13
iudex 23 25 ; 42 49 ; 48 3 ; 55 10 ;
67 4; 80 13; 84 22; 85 9; 94 19;
10445; 1062; 11724; 1266
iudicare 107 22
iugalis 104 13, 27
iugis i 29; 6 32; 8 28; 49 28; 92 14
iugiter 43 9; 50 38; 119 21
iugum 38 3
iungere 15 31 ; 29 6; 73 5; 112 20
ius 32 27; 106 9
iussum 75 13 ; 125 8
iustitia 97 i ; IOI 4
iustus IO it ; 30 37; 41 13; 42 60;
5530; 674; 85 12; 12736
iuuare 24 5; 120 19, 23
iuuenis 127 11
iuuentus 23 29
kadere 7111
karitas 120 19
katerua 3137
klarus 89 1 1
labascere 64 12
labefacere 29 14
labes 93 16
labi 2 24 ; 45 3 ; 127 28
labor (subst.) 56; II 17; 58 i; 59
1 1 ; 127 30
lac 31 23
lacer 27 24
lacrima 30 2 ; 86 12 ; 104 12
lactare 39 24
laedere 4 24 ; 33 9 ; 42 39 ; 50 19
laetari 41 32; 80 15; 97 15; 104 2
laetitia 36 8
laetus 3 25 ; 154; 46 9 ; 56 30 ;
92 8 ; 117 I4f
lampas 27 6 ; 41 31 ; 120 46
lancea 33 19 ; 34 10
428
INDEX OF WORDS
languidus 84 7 ; 9312; 1044; 120
28; 124 17
languor 70 6
lapis I 5 ; 36 42 ; III 9; 119 10
lapsus 227; 932; 77 i J
largiri 18 5 ; 77 9; 89 8 ; 107 14;
115 20; (passive) 126 15
largitor 45 i ; 98 i ; 107 18
largius (adv.) 19 13 ; 69 8
largus 56 3; 119 21
lasciuus 57 10
latere 121; 12 5 f; 42 55
Latinus 116 22
lator 95 6
latro 2 23; 10 8; 29 48; 31 80; 56
27; 102 5; 105 26
latus (subst.) 28 4
lauacrum 26 2 ; 31 41 ; 37 22 ; 91 24
lauare 7 26; 34 u; 35 2 ; 91 20
lauator 40 2 1
laudabilis 1 00 5
Laudensis II 28
lauere 49 40 ; 1 06 12
laureatus 7 23 ; 126 8
Laurentius 14 2 ; 28 i, 7, 17
laus I 2, 29; 7 22; 15 3; 40 34;
43 2 ; 51 r 5 54 3 ; 55 7 ; 68 3 ;
79 55 92 i, 23; 93 ii ; 102 7;
10444
laxare I 42; 33 25; 86 10; 94 29;
12737
Lazarus 31 62 ; 104 8
lectulus 20 5 ; 31 72 ; 68 5
legere I 4, 21
lentescere 33 26
leo i 4; 31 90; 32 16; 95 10
lepra I 24
letum 32 3
leuare 712; 31 58 ; 32 30 ; 77 4,
H; 958
lex i 59; 23 n; 36 19, 35; 38 21 ;
45 24 ; 49 4. 7 ; 95 6
liber (adj.) 12 26; 31 63; 56 15;
99 10
liberare 31 7; 44 b 16; 62 4; 66 4
libere 103 14
libido 45 26 ; 62 b 3
libra 104 10
licet (vb) 29 51; (conj.) 26 25;
94 26
ligare I 46; 10 26; 29 22 ; 42 24 ;
125 8
lignum 33 24 ; 35 9
lilium 19 5
limen 24 2
limes 31 2 ; 74 4 i 84 20
lingua 165; 22 10 ; 23 19 ; 33 i
linquere 29 56 ; 36 43 ; 127 25 ;
(dep.) 44 13
linteolus 27 1 8
linteum I 46 ; 36 43 ; 40 15
liquere 36 5
liquescere 26 22
liquor 29 12 ; 37 26
Iisi7 5; 78 15; 81 6
litare 25 5; no 18
locare 49 42 ; 56 4
locus 24 23; 26 7; 74 5; 77 8;
94 16
longus 97 8
loqui 4 18; 22 7; 115 9; 116 24;
120 25
lorum 40 27
lubricus 3 12; 5 25; 22 11 ; 47 13;
62 b 5 ; 72 4 ; 85 8
lucere 6 32 ; 1 08 24
lucerna 108 6
lucidus 29 50 ; f6 2
Lucifer 29; 44 15 ; 46 8 ; 61 3;
(Christ) 45 5 ; 71 9
luctus 5 8
ludere 24 8
ludificare 103 20
lues 10 18
lugere 32 8
lumbi 69 9; 1 20 45
lumen 3355356 30 583; 102;
12 23; 15 8; 20 16; 27 i, 9, 31;
31 35 5 36 2, 13, 36, 47 ; 37 7 ;
44 i ; 46 7 ; 48 2 ; 49 26 ; 59 i ;
64 9; 65 i ; 67 16; 68 18; 74 14;
764,9; 794; 875; 8912; 924;
1082,8; 116 13, 18; 117 13; 118
13 ; 126 6
luna 23 7 ; 35 14 ; 47 2 ; 76 7 ; 84
18; 1200
lunaris 27 6
lupus 35 4; 40 25
lustrare 36 5
lustrum 33 1 6
luteus 29 26
lux i 23; 2 7, 29; 32 f; 15 12; 183;
21 3, 14; 22 i, 5; 24 2; 25 i ;
27 4 , 23, 27 f; 36 38; 38 29;
39 30; 44 17; 45 i, 7, 10; 46 i;
50 9; 53 95 57 8; 59 16; 60 8;
61 i; 64 12; 65 2; 70 2; 71 12;
72 3, ii ; 73 i f; 74 13; 79 i;
INDEX OF WORDS
429
81 i ; 83 i ; 97 3; 102 10; 106 4;
no i; in i ; 120 40; 126 2
111x1154620; 69 12 ; 11015 ; 1203,44
lychnus 27 14
lympha 40 15 ; 77 5 ; 90 15 ; 127 22
machina 23 6 ; 39 3 ; 69 2 ; 1139
macte 23 25
madere 27 13; 115 u
maerere 14 7
maeror I 26
maestus I 54 ; 30 i ; 127 19
magisS 25; 125 6, 15, 24
magister 13 22 ; 31 74; 54 7
magnalia 116 20
magnus i 41; n 10; 77 i; 120 30;
127 8
magus I 14; 8 12; 31 33; 90 7
maiestas I 68; 120 7
maior 71 20; 97 n
maledictus 120 26
malesuadus 50 34
malus 41 23; 43 10; 44 b 16; 50 24;
75 H; 94 29
mamilla 125 12
manare 34 12
mandare 29 47
mane 17 3 ; 72 9; 73 5 ; 79 5 ;
(Christ) HO 13
manere 44 b 8; 71 13; 89 13; 112
26; 126 28
manus 15 16; 22 10; 66 9; 105 23
mare I 9; 87 17
margarita 119 7
Maria (B.V.JsSg; 394; (Bethan.)
1049
martyr I 17 ; 7 27 f ; II 2, 14, 28 ;
12 4, 12, 16; 13 28; 14 3, 13,
31; 241; 281; 4942; 121 1,9;
122 3, 15; 125 i
martyrium 9 5 ; 126 3
mas 24 13
mater 4 i8ff; 19 2; 117 n
maturus 9 5 f
matutinus 45 31 ; 51 i
Maurus 113
maxime 67 14; 126 18
maximus 29 29 ; 49 2
meander 26 1 8
meare 36 19
meatus 8 28
medella 33 9 ; 68 8 ; 89 16 ; 93 12
medere 106 1 1
medicus 42 56
Mediolanum n 2
meditari 26 28 ; 30 24 ; 63 2
medius 41 i, 41
mel 37 u ; 108 26
melos 62 b 16 ; 92 II
membrum I 11, 42; 30 27 ; 33 14,
27; 34 20; 125 10
meminisse 26 i ; 6l a i ; 82 1 7 ; 87 9 ;
94 25
memor 58 19; 125 28
mendax 152; 22 10
mendicare 120 31
mendicus 120 27
mens 2 30; 3 17, 28; 43:57, 16,
21 ; 12 15; 15 4 ; 16 5; 20 3;
21 10; 25 10; 29 54; 30 10; 37
26; 41 14, 38; 42 20; 45 25; 46
16, 21 ; 51 n; 57 8; 58 5, 16;
646; 66 9; 676, 9; 71 6; 739;
759; 76 14: 77 '5 f; 8223; 94
14: 95 15; 963; ioi 12; 10212;
107 15; no ii ; 126 14
mensis 36 2 5 ; 76 1 1
-mente (adverbially) 42 20 ; 46 2 1 ;
107 15
mercari 6l 20; 102 8
mercator 105 13
mercenarius 56 4
merces n 10; 56 3, 6; 120 20; (abl.
merce) 127 34
mereri 48; 41 51 ; 63 6 ; 102 6 ;
125 22 ; 127 33
mergere 7 9 ; 23 1 1 ; 27 3 ; 36 31 ;
66 4; 90 17 ; 91 19
meridies327; 174; 35 14; 53 10;
100 i
meritum 12 18; 42 59; 119 8;
127 39
merum I 26
metus 9 9; 10 23 ; 58 ii
micare 36; 6 15; 8 2, 10 ; 35 15;
36 ii ; 91 30
migrare 108 9
miles I 47; n 16, 22; 15 7; III
10 ; 122 i
mille i 27; 8 21 ; 26 18; 31 39
minari 55 15
minister 8 15; 12 20; 120 35
ministrare 76 7
minutus 24 23
mirabilis IO 17; 48 19; 100 10
miraculum 4 26; 31 45 ; 91 2
mirari 67; 827; 39 9
mirus 48 u ; 104 18
430
INDEX OF WORDS
miscere 56 19 ; 60 2 ; 82 8
miser in 8; 125 18; 127 30
miserari 29 38 ; 70 5 ; 120 22
mitescere 2 14
mitis32 15; 3320, 27; 353; 91 5;
96 16
mittere I 32 ; n 28; 33 n
mobilis 27 22
modo (adv.) 30 37 ; 126 24
modulus 119 17
modus II 32
moles 76 1 6
molestia 75 3
mollis 30 26 ; 36 n
monere I 12, 53
mons 117 10 ; (Christ) I 5
monstrare 14 23 ; 29 19; 95 2 ; 98 6;
(with inf.) 27 8
monumentum 30 6
mora 44 1 2 ; 66 8
morbidus 69 9 ; 80 8
morbus I 24
mordere 67 10
mori 10 27 ; 127 28
moribundus 29 3
mors I 40, 42 ; 411; 9 29 ; 10245,
29, 31; II 26; 12 18; 15 n; 18 7
etc.
morsus 33 5
mortalis 31 31; 40 10; 55 12; 91
23; 103 4 ; 113 14; 117 8
mortuus I 24, 55 ; 10 30 ; 56 19;
105 32; 106 2
mos 94 i ; (plur.) 78 u ; 126 13
motus 75 I2
mox I 16, 57; 14 12; 104 10
Moyses 95 5
mucro 2 23 ; 24 18 ; 34 10
mugitus 120 36
mulcere 127 1 6
mulier in 22
multiformis 33 8
multiplicare 8 25
multitude 49 41
multus i 20 f; 93 9 ; 127 i
mundanus 113 20
mundare 10 20; 75 10; 77 10; 91 21
mundus(adj.) 20 12; 8 1 15; 98 n ;
11134; (subst.)43i;73i; 10 18;
1329; 15 24; 33 29; 36 15; 455;
48 13; 752; 10531; 112 10 ; 116
10; 1199; 12010; 1225; 1266
munerare 62 16; 80 12
munire II 23
munus 115; 12 2 ; 15 i ; 30 35 ;
31 36; 4244; 4530; 4827; 493;
56 31; 64 12; 73 10; 78 14; 90
12; 91 18; 9320; 9711; 1024;
116 3; 118 9
munusculum 36 9
murus 119 6
mustum 115 ii ; 116 27
mutare I 25 ; 8 19; 10 9; 31 52 ;
91 12
myrra I 45
mysterium 4 22 ; 1017; 25 6 ; 34 2 ;
406; 545; 55 19; 959; 107 12
mystice 98 15; 115 17; 124 7
mysticus I 63 ; 610; 85; 40 1 8 ;
90 12; 91 29; 94 i ; 11665 117 9
Nabor II i
nam 9 26 ; 28 1 5 ; 30 9 ; 42 29 ; 68 5
namque 36 17; 44 7 ; 559
nardus 104 9
nasci i 7, 10; 4 29 ; 24 4 ; 33 17 ;
91 22
natalis 9 2
natare 7 7
natio 34 15
natiuitas 33 26
natura 31 59; 91 14
natus (son) 33 n; 63 10; 104 51
naufragus 33 29
nauiter 92 2
nauta 2 13; 33 29
Nazarenus 25 i
Nazareth I 19
ne 4 23 ; 5 21 ; 9 28 ; 22 10, 12 ; 23
10; 25 10; 27 9; 42 39; 46 13,
15 etc.; 51 6, ii ; 56 6 ; 57 9 ;
586; 6l u; 65 8; 739; 742,
8, ii ; 77 15 f; 80 8; 8l 6, 8;
83 8; 91 7; 103 u, 19
nee I 13, 33; 427; 35 14; 46 3;
50 ii ; 77 12 etc.
necare I 17, 37; 32 2
necem 13 6; 40 24; III 18
necesse 29 13
nectare 34 26
nectere 40 29; 119 14
nefandus 917
negare I 52; 2 20; 31 59; 105 16;
127 ii
neglegere I2O 28
nemo 50 18
nempe 122 5
nemus 29 51 ; 127 29
INDEX OF WORDS
nequaquam 57 19
nequire 12 u
nescire 3 20, 28; 5 19; 19 15; 26
12; 279; 31 15; 5632; 5828;
75 16; 77 ii ; 127 6 f
nescius 9 n; 57 18; 127 5
neu 36 40
nexus 32 13; 122 u
nihil, nil 4 3; 22 7 f ; 25 6; 27 27;
28 15; 3644; 45 19; 125 7
Nilus I 1 8
nisi 30 7
nisus 70 3
nitere 21 8 ; 35 i ; in 34 ; 119 7
nitescere 102 12
nitor (subst.) 36; 47 6
nixussi 54
nobilis 71; 13 24 ; 35 9 ; ill n
nobilitas 36 25
nocere 212; 8l 4
nocturnus 27; 42 45 ; 108 12
nodus 10 26
nolle 13 19; 104 26
nomen I 62 ; II 8; 12 19; 44 b 2 ;
48 95 49 35J 55 5? 9i 29; 93
n; 9427; 1023; 1199; 1235;
124 if
non (with subj.) 31 8; 47 15; 50
17, 33; 589; 82 i?; 85 13
nona 54 4
nondum 9 6
noster (in significant sense) I 7 ;
2 31; 6 27; II 4, 8; 27 12; 44 b
12 ; 87 10 ; 112 18, 23
notare 33 6
notissimus 76 12; 94 4
notus 127 21
nouare 37 20; 56 21 ; 106 10
nouisse 522; 62 8
nouus i 13 ; 6 30 ; 10 24 ; 12 i f ;
20 16; 31 49; 35 lof; 74 n; 86 7;
87 24; 97 i9f; 108 29; no 12;
117 2 f; 119 4
nox i 43 ; 2 2 ; 5 4, 10, 18, 20; 6
3of; 20 14; 21 i ; 37 5; 40 5; 41
1,41:4413; 453; 463. 6; 472,
5; 506, n ; 554; 572, 11:583;
59 1 2 ; 60 4 ; 612,6; 63 i ; 64
to; 653; 6610; 671; 686;
69 13; 70 i ; 71 14; 72 5; 81
14; 82 4; 83 6; 89 14; 103 i ;
108 5
noxa 22 12; 64 14; 122 16'
noxialis 23 1 1 ; 33 5
noxius i 39 ; 176; 62 b 4 ; 66 3 ;
67 10 ; 73 15 ; 86 8 ; 122 6
nubere 9 13
nubes 108 n, 13; 112 13; 113 26
nubilus 1222; 21 i; 56 10 ; 10821
nudare 15 17
nudus 120 28; 127 27
nullusi 35; 631; 30 3; 3224; 33
*3? 3513; 5713; 6820; 7416;
75 14; 77 13 f; 94 '55 105 22;
127 3f
numen 9 17 ; 27 39 ; 88 5
numerus 49 22 ; IO2 i ; 105 17
nunc 15 29 ; 161 ; 29 36 ; 30 25 ;
44 b 2 ; 46 13; 495; 62 b i ; 80 9;
825; 855; 1023; 11523; 12527
nuntiare I 16, 56 ; 71 10 ; 105 9 ;
116 12
nuntius I 1 1 ; 20 i ; 39 1 7 ; 45 7
nuper 24 19
nupta 4 2 1
nuptiae I 26 ; 9 6 ; 91 9
nuptialis 119 4
nusquam 1 8 6
nutare 9 7
nutrire I 19
nutrix 24 14
nutus 84 1 6
o (w) 23 2; 107 21
ob 62 b 9 ; 87 20 ; 96 3 ; 122 13
obicere I 35
obitus 40 36
oblectare 92 20
obnoxius 23 9
obruere 65 8
obscurare I 43 ; 120 9
obscurus 22 8 ; 58 6 ; 67 1 1 ; 86 2
obsecrare 120 27
obsequium 40 13
obseruare 59 8 ; 84 20
obsitus 90 10 ; 103 i
obstrangulare 25 10
obstruere 31 66
obtemperare 75 13
obtendere 46 7
obtutus 14 ii
obuiam 41 30, 40 ; 104 31, 46
occasus 59 6; 84 17; 103 7
occidere 24 13
occulere I 18
occultum 48 4 ; 66 14
occupare 46 20 ; 5 2 5 ! 12 *
occurrere 6 10; 41 29; 116 30
432
INDEX OF WORDS
occursus 120 46
oceanus 36 4
ocius 62 6
octaua no 9
oculus 22 ii ; 61 13
odor 35 ii ; 37 12; 49 23
offendere 94 1 1 ; 98 6
offerre I 15, 34; 27 26
oleum 27 13
olim 23 23 ; 30 29 ; 85 2 ; 104 2 1
oliua 126 17
oliuum 7 30; 1 06 9
Olympus 113 18
omnipotens 29 40 ; 48 17 ; 92 26 ;
125 27
omnis I 10, 40 ; 5 31 ; 6 7 ; 7 21 ;
10 19, 27 fete,
opem 125 22
opes 9 15; 14 24; 46 19
oppidum II 27
opprimere 36 19
optare 112 i
optimus 29 17, 53
opus 12 16; 29 39; 33 7; 51 6
oraculum 13 16
orare 31 53 ; 43 9; 49 5 ; 53 4 ; 82
j8, 23?; 96 12; ioo i; 116 ii
oratio 82 30
orbis i 61; 4 16; 3633; 68 2; 91 i ;
952; 1044; 1167; 1209; 1265
orbita 36 3; 115 i
orbs 38 1 1
ordinare 78 2
0^0337; 52 i; 584; 598; 767;
787
ongo3i 52; 73 4 ; 91 12
oriri 71 9 ; 77 2
ornare 29 32; 34 18; 35 16; 52 10
ortus (subst.) 23 13; 50 ii
5s 12 22; 165; 23 15; 3030; 31 90;
36 36; 49 10; 55 6; 108 30; 127
12 f, 15
6s 30 14
osculare III 28
osculum i 32 ; 31 75 ; 105 14, 16
ostendere 66; III 37
otium 57 4
ouare 125 1 6
ouis 32 28 ; 35 4 ; 99 8 ; 125 14
pacificus 27 32
Padus 119
paenitens 97 6
paenitentia 43 15; 96 10 ; 97 9
pagina 23 22
palam 31 27
pallere 22 2 ; 40 13 ; 46 5 ; 127 i
pallescere 120 10
pallidus 32 8
pallor 84 18; 91 15
palma (hand) 35 5 ; (tree) 24 8 ; 49
43; 10430, 47
pandere I 43 ; 44 4 ; 45 4 ; 66 14 ;
102 2
pangere 33 i ; 40 34 ; 92 23 ; 121 7
panis I 27; 8 22, 26; 44 b 9; 107 19;
no 16
pannus 33 14; 38 20; 90 10
par 14 3
Paraclitus 27 36 ; 65 15; 8427; 104
51; 118 5; 119 26
Paradisus 29 50 ; 965; 10924; 112
15; 119 24
parare 14 28; 29 18; 31 60; 56 5;
734; 10440
parcere 93 10; 114 15; 121 10
parcitas 8 1 12
parcius (adv.) 94 9
parens 9 9 ; 23 i ; 33 4
parere 120 3
paries 119 14
pariter 63 10; 126 5
pars 29 23; 90 14; 126 1 6
parsimonia 25 3; 95 14; 96 6;
no 19
partim 77 3 f
parturire 19 3; 39 12
partus 4 30 ; 6 8 ; 8 9 ; 25 2 ; 38
15; 112 18
paruulus I 14; 23 19; 90 9
paruus I 17, 20; 31 23
pascere I 27 ; 7 6; 19 5; 27 14
pascha 104 5; 109 9, 13; 115 14
paschalis 96 19; 98 15; 109 26;
"i 33
passim 29 37
passio 7 25; 13 i ; 28 18; 33 17;
34 30; 55 37; 99 6; 125 14;
126 9
pastor i 6; 31 27, 28; 32 29
pastus 75 8
patefacere 30 39
pater I 10, 41, 62; 3 91", 31 f; 4
32; 5 29 f; 6 21 f, 25; 12 8;
16 2; 27 33; 31 46; 33 ii ; 36
29; 41 4. S3! 4 2 4. 63; 43 14;
44 23; 48 26; 50 37; 55 24, 34;
63 10; 65 13 f; 7 ip; 83 9;
433
84 26; 87 2, 15; 9 1 2 55 I0 4 5 1 5
112 11; 1136; 114 12; lib 13;
117 4, }i ; 118 ii, 21 ; 119 26;
"5 25
patera 49 24
patere 24 24 ; 29 49 ; 36 i ; 1197;
127 8
paterfamilias 51 4
paternus I 55 ; 3 i; 15 25 ; 44 3 ;
45 14; 49 26
patescere 45 16; 58 8
pati II 20; 36 33; 48 16; 104 28;
114 7
patibulum 34 4; 105 3
patrare 115 13
patria 69 15; 92 13; 106 8; 120
37; 124 20
patrius 27 36
patulo 125 12
pauere 2 25; 115 10; 120 16
pauescere 42 1 8
paulatim 36 13
paulum 26 26
Paulus 13 4, 10; 35 8; 41 42; 66
16; 82 19; 126 13
pauor 5 28
pauper 120 19, 23, 29
pax 83; 17 8; 31 75; 50 29; 78
16; 80 16 ; 106 3; 119 3
peccamen 115 23
peccare 22 n; 66 1 6 ; 8218; 93 9
peccator 120 29
peccatum 4 31; IO 19; 20 15; 31
43? 37 28; 43 8; 90 20; 91 23;
126 10 ; 127 33
pectus 16 4; 31 76; 40 3; 42 53;
52 2; 53 n ; 54 6; 71 16; 103
10; 115 21 ; 116 15; 125 1 1
pecus 127 27
pellere 12 24; 26 9; 62 5; 75 3
pendere I 41; 15 17; 34 22
penetrare 114 9
peplus 27 24
per i 30, 61; 5 31; 7 21 ; 27 33,
39 20, 31 ; 42 16, 19, 21, 34 ; 44
19; 48 7, 10; 49 7; 60 6; 68
19; 78 7, 10; 79 8; 81 15; 83
10 ; 87 8, 14 ; 88 4, 1 1 ; 89 2 ; 93
14; 95 ii, i8f; 97 14, 16, 19;
98 20; 99 3; 103 2; 104 52; 105
32; 1078; 108 13; 109 17; 114
20; 117 15; 118 2t; 120 5; 124
15; 126 7, 24
peragere 5 9; 33 16; 55 38; 115
percutere 9 25; 21 6
perdere 31 8; 32 28; 50 26; 99 8;
113 *8
perditor 33 8
perducere 121 4
perennis 3 10; 15 20; 18 8; 37 i
43 16; 56 24; 62 b ii ; 73 ii
74 10; 85 16; 92 3 etc. ; 99 2
104 32; 106 8; 107 18
perenniter 119 23
perfectus I 60; 15 23; 41 6; 49
16; 54 i ; 126 15
perferre I 29; 31 21; 34 31; 38
perfidus 45 19; 84 24; 11631
perforare 33 20
perfrui 69 8
perfundere 126 2
pergere 19 9; 104 16; III 25,
perimere 29 10; 32 7; 112 10
perinde 125 26
perire 10 32; 23 10; 84 6
peritus 55 19
perlinere I 45
permanere 6 14; 15 19; 18 i; 38
16; 119 12
permittere 40 1 7
perpes 3 6 ; 6 28 ; 14 25 ; 46 4 ; 50
32; 51 15; 123 2
perpetim 69 1 1 ; 92 17; 94 32
perpetuus 64 16; 92 4
persoluere 14 12; 60 13; 106 7
persona 91 31
personaliter 69 4
personare I i ; 16 6 ; 19 12; 31 37 ;
49 28; no i ; 117 2
perstare 94 12
perstrepere 23 31
pertinax 55 25
peruenire 122 8
peruertere 46 19
peruicax 26 15
peruigil 2 6
peruius 88 i
perungere 33 30
perurere 14 29; 75 9
pes 33 15; 104 12
pessimus 31 90; 40 25; 69 12; 73
16; 94 13; 105 13
petere 9 31; 40 12; 105 14, 26;
119 22 ; 124 20
28
434
INDEX OF WORDS
petra 2 15; 27 1 1
Petrus 13 3, 9, 12; 31 57; 35 8;
40 12; 54 7; 116 30; 125 14;
126 9
phalanx 105 25
phantasma 72 5 ; 83 6
Pharao 109 12
Phosphorus 44 9
piaculum 67 5 ; 98 8
piare 62 1 1
piceus 27 19
pie 14 19; 104 7
pietas 29 34; 70 7; 97 8; 104 17;
126 17
piger 30 17
pignus303; 31 38; 36 52; 127 17
pigritare 65 8
Pilatus 105 21
pingere 27 6; 33 15; 36 u; 76 3
pinguis27 13
pinnula 1 08 32
pinus 27 19
piscari 7 10
piscis I 27 ; 7 5, 13
pisticus 104 9
pius 7 13; 9 4; II i ; 12 5; 14 ii ;
29 40; 31 78; 35 3; 52 2; 60 3;
62 7; 63 5; 65 13; 69 5; 89 16;
90 2; 92 i; no 19; 115 17;
122 14; 127 19
placere 50 39; 94 31
placidus 127 38
plaga 24 24
plaga 1 20 5
plangere 30 3
planta 54 1 1
plantare 35 15; 56 7
plasma 37 20; 94 26
plasmare 42 6, 14
plasmator 78 i
platea 119 6
plaudere 34 28 ; 39 32
plaustrum II 32
plausus i 70; 49 27
plebs, plebes 4 27; 13 30; 36 51;
108 14; 109 19; 123 8; 127 29
plenitude 33 10
plenius (adv.) 126 15
plenus 8 13; 45 17; 49 23, 32;
10434
plorare 94 19
plures 104 39
plurimus 31 55; 104 32
plus 32 17; 37 5
pluuia 127 40
Pneuma 90 23
poculum 50 28; 88 ii ; 127 21
poena 10 14; 14 9; 15 10; in 19;
113 27; 122 9
polliceor 36 37
polluere 38 25 ; 83 8; 103 20
polus 2 10; 5 2; 13 30; 32 i; 44
2 ; 62 12 ; 70 8 ; 72 i ; 76 2 ; 90
32; 117 6; 125 17; 126 14
pompa 9 25; in ii
pomum 33 5 ; 35 10
pondus 29 27 ; 33 24
ponere II 19
pontifex 106 6
Pontius I 34
pontus 2 14; 23 6; 39 i
populus i 26; 36 49, 54; 100 6;
109 28
porrigere 62 10; 108 12
porta 32 30; 36 2; 39 30; 88 i;
119 7
portare 38 12
portentum 26 14
portus 33 29
poscere 44 9; 49 5; 52 2; 60 14;
94 30; 122 14
posse 12 7; 42 39, 50; 1 12 32
potest (sc. esse) 10 21
possidere II 24; 15 12; III 42;
119 23 ; 122 12; 126 8
post (adv.) 23 3 ; 85 9
post 14 17; 19 ii ; 28 12; 31 81 ;
45 3; 5 2; 102 10; 104 7, 13;
109 3; 112 19; (in pregnant
sense) I 19; 36 17; 38 3; (with
abl.) 51 i
postmodum 94 6
postquam 28 3
postulate 62 b 2
potare no 20
potens 90 19; 98 10
potenter 68 2; 90 28; 117 6
potentia I 16; 6 4; 31 49; 77 '
potentialiter 69 3
potentior 29 23
potestas 36 37; 68 12; 113 6; 126
II, 22
potus 3 22; 81 12 ; 92 19; 94 ro
praebere 40 10; 89 12; 107 20
praecedere 28 1 1
praeceps 22 3
praeceptum I 59; 38 22
praecinere 20 2; 38 5; 65 12
INDEX OF WORDS
435
praecingere 13 17 ; I2O 45
praecipere I 47, 61 ; 29 54 ; 66 1 1 ;
73 6; 90 27; 107 ii
praeclarus 44 4; 107 14
praeco 2 5
praeconium 85 7
praecordia 45 12; 58 15
praeda 32 1 1 ; 34 24
praedicare I 22; 14 23; 55 27; 6l
4; 119 18; 1243
praedicere 28 16; 31 18; 82 20;
104 22; in 22
praeditus 113 1 8
praedium 50 33
praeferre 13 4; 6 1 3; 94 6
praelegere 108 30
praemium 10 9; 18 7; 19 8; 27
28; 38 2; 52 12; 73 14; 78 13;
98 i ; 114 18; 122 2
praenuntiatrix 28 14
praeparare 33 29; 119 5
praerogare 28 20
praescius 104 21
praesens 88; 87 13; 106 5
praesentare 112 n, 27
praesepe 6 29; 8 12; 31 22; 33 13;
38 17; 127 25
praeses I 35 ; 105 21
praestare 4 7; 7 27; 9 27; 22 6;
28 16; 49 18; 50 37; 60 16;
63 9; 90 29; 93 17; 95 i7f;
101 3; 106 15; 127 32
praestigiator 26 1 6
praestolari 62 b 15; *J2 10
praesul 13 7; 83 4; 123 2
praesumere 32 9
praetendere 421
praeterire 51 6; 120 4
praeuenire 10 12; 82 28
praeuius 10 n; 31 34; 90 7; 104
33; 106 3; 118 19
pratum 36 12; 127 26
prauus 75 12; 120 16
precari 84; 15 31 ; 20 10; 45 29;
50 13; 59 10; 90 26; 94 28; 99
9; 102 4; 126 10
precatus 122 13
precem 4 4; 5 10; 36 11; 66 15 ;
90 25; 983
premere 25 10; 27 16; 36 36, 40;
1199; 125 24
pressura 119 10
pretiosus 27 37
pretium 33 28 ; 34 22 ; 36 40 ; 42 28
pridem 30 17
primitus 94 5
primogenitus 41 12
primoplastus 23 10
primordium 42 5; 73 3; 76 n
primum I 53; 71 17
primus I 8, 14; 2 31 ; 13 9; 62 i
princeps I 47; II 31; 15 5, 24; 24
10 ; 30 32; 31 3; 36 30; 40 2
principalis 79 2
principium 7 17, 20; 27 26; 36
.3
prior 30 20
prise us 1 2O 3
pristinus 30 1 6
pro I 36, 39; ii 19; 42 59; 85 ii,
12, 14; 86 ii, 15; 96 1 1 ; 107 9;
122 ii ; 125 18 ; (with ace.)
"99
probare I 30, 48, 57; 56 32
probrosus IO 4; 45 25
probrum 62 b 10
procedere 6 17; 104 31
proclamare 105 21
procul26 13, 15; 62 5; 83 5
procumbere 40 1 6
prodere 14 18; 54 8; 77 7; 91 4
prodire3 30; 9 13; 13 29; 33 12;
34 i ; 56 15; 85 i
proditor I 32; 105 8
producere 36 7
proelium 33 i ; 112 9
profari 116 31
profecto 14 26; 25 6; 41 25
profectus 44 12
proferre 3 2; 23 15; 25 2; 32 14;
33 23538 15; 73 2; 75 55 106 3
proficere II 17; 24 25
profluere 33 20
profluus 8 30; 9 23; 115 7
profundere 96 12
profundum 79; 23 1 1 ; 36 31
profundus 2 6; 5 17; 47 18; 57 17
progenies 36 28
proles I 12; 24 16; 71 4; 104 43
promerere 82 2 1
promereri 119 22
promicare 86 4
promittere 23 23; 47 19; 98 12;
116 3; 118 ii
promptus 1 6 3; 53 2
pronuntiare 103 7
pronus 59 4; 106 5
propere III 30
282
436
INDEX OF WORDS
propheta i 7; 23 22; 50 36; 62 8;
66 10 ; 82 6; 94 5; 104 21
propheticus 41 2
propinare I 26
propitius 89 i o
proprius 30 36; 112 6; 127 24, 34
prorsus 19 15; 93 16
prosequor 1 17 13
prosperus 59 16; 80 12; 125 7
prospicere 22 1 5
prosternere 43 8
Protasius 12 3
protegere 41 20; 61 15; 90 26;
108 14
protinus 29 35 ; 118 18; 121 5
protoplastus 33 4; 40 3; 112 16
prouehere 3 29; 32 20; 124 9
prouide 39 23 ; 916
prouidus 29 33 ; 109 i
prouocare 46 17; 47 19; 53 4; 108
17; 112 29
proximus I 70; 16 8; 20 8; 56 25
psallere23 17 f; 43 5; 51 2; 54 4;
62 15; 65 12; 68 4
psalmus 50 36 ; 63 2
psalterium 82 10
publicus 12 20; III 40
pudicitia 103 13
pudicus 23 31; 31 13
pudor 3 26; 4 24; 6 18; 9 10
puella 31 n ; 38 12; 39 8
puellula 23 30
puer 23 15
puerpera I 13; 23 13; 31 17
pugillus36 41; 39 15
pugnare 28 ^
pulcher 14 21
pullus 104 15, 27
pulsare4i 35; 73 13
puluis 7 31 ; 127 i, n
punctum 36 26 ; 55 3
punire 41 15
purgare I 24; 21 14; 37 26; 40 4;
71 16; 73 16; 113 15
purpura 34 1 8
purpureus 36 1 1
purus 21 10; 22 6; 25 6; 31 41;
36 52; 44b 15; 45 27; 54 6; 69
7; .81 9; 107 15; 119 6
putare 9 13; 13 29
puteus 127 22
putrefactus 30 1 8
putris 25 9
qua 31 33
quadragenarius 93 4; 96 i
quadriga II 30
quaerere IO 22; II 21; 28 18; 71
17; 108 32; 127 20, 22
quaeso 15 29; 21 n; 42 61; 44
2 1 ; 62 b 9 ; 68 17
qualis 30 40
qualitas 85 14
qualiter 33 3
quam (than) 32 21; 37 6; (how!)
104 17; 125 ii
quamdiu 120 31
quam maxime 67 14
quamuis 27 5; 97 10
quando 33 10; 35 10; 120 21, 29;
1274
quant ocius III 24
quare 41 37
quartus 31 61 ; 76 5
quasi 125 17
quater 94 4 ; 103 3
quaterni I 28; 103 5; I2O 5
-que I 55, 68; 2 2, 14, 28, 30; 3 5,
7, 21, 22; 4 ii, 30; 5 2, 8, 30;
6 30; 7 26; 9 30; 10 15, 26;
1185207; 31 23; 41 7; 45 27 etc.
quern (dissyll.) 42 19
querella 30 i
qui (dissyll.) 49 3; (with subj.) 21
14; 27 25; 29 20; 45 17; 100
n; 101 6; 11232; 1165; (mis-
placed in sentence) 33 2 1 ; 35 4 ;
38 21 ; 39 20; 58 3; 62b 7;
68 19; 113 19; 120 35; 123 5
quia (because) 29 13, 41; 41 34; 42
49; 53 55 98 10; (that) in 15
quid? 10 21 ; 24 -25; 30 5; 31 30;
40 20; 117 18
quidam 31 82 ; 97 9; 104 37
quidem 93 9
quidnam 30 5
quidquid 23 18; 36 46; 68 9; 72 7 ;
78 10
quiesS 5; 58 19; 66 3 ; 80 7
quiescere 30 i
quietus 5 28; 26 20; 59 12; 61 8;
68 6; 115 24
quin et 27 15
quinus I 27
quinque I 27; 8 2if
quis (quibus) 131
quis? 8 27; 10 7; 12 13; 24 5, 25
30 6; 98 9; 114 5
INDEX OF WORDS
437
quis (indef.) 9 13, 28; 13 29; 24
15
quisque 28 19; ( = quicumque) 62
13; 69 13 ; (with adj.) 86 2
quo (whither) 13 19; 24 24; 36 50;
(where) I 18; 34 3; 92 14; 117
31; (by which, that) 1 8 6; 62 b
13; 68 9; 69 7; 94 31; 96 5;
97 125 98 15; "4 19
quocumque 19 9
quod (with ind.) 30 7, 9; 32 18;
39 lof; 65 12; 91 25; 94 25;
112 18, 27f
quod (withsab}.) I 58; 46 1 1 ; 87 10,
15; 112 23
quondam 8 7; 52 7; 87 10
quoniam 127 20
quoque 27 29; 28 n; 29 27; 36
32; 41 5, 42; 87 21 ; 107 17;
12740
radicare 71 18
radius 36 5; 44 10; III 34
radix 38 13; 50 24; 127 29
ramus 33 25; 35 10; 104 29; 127
10
rapere II 15; 30 19; 45 19; 77 8;
9031
raptor 32 1 1
reatus 72 6; 86 15
reboare 63 1 1 ; Jo 1 1 ; 92 1 7
recedere 79 3
recens 35 i 6
recidere 104 30
recipere I n; 12 17; 31 62
reclinis 26 26
recludere 127 15
recreare 37 23; 125 14
rector 52; 17 i; 29 5; 48 12; 66 2
rectus 20 7
recurrere 91 3
recursus 6 24; 76 8
recusare 127 1 8
reddere 56; 10 24; II 29; 12 32;
198527453023; 31 92; 37 8;
43 16; 50 19; 92 n ; 96 5; 103
4; HO 9; III 44; 113 28; (in-
trans.) 1 10 8
redemptio 34 7 ; 38 4; 99 10
redemptor 6 5; 15 29; 23 15; 29
455 33 35 36 27; 62b9; 67 12;
68 17; 87 i ; 90 2; 104 3; 106
i; 117 26; 123 i
redimere 31 88; 32 27; 35 5; 105
4; 114 10
redirei 56, 58; 221; 12 28; 35 12;
3616,38; 3720; 561, 17; 8918;
102 10 ; 103 8
reditus 92 10; 112 8
reducere32 28; 81 14; 97 16; 99 8;
no 24; 115 2
redux 92 20
referre I 19, 28; 14 6; 47 10
refertus 88 2
reficere 60 10; 64 i ; 107 2, 4
reflorere 97 14
refrenare 8 1 5
refrigerare 5 23
refugere 55 1 6
refulgere 2 29; 12 9; 37 24; 71 9;
86 7 ; 90 i
refundere 222; 93; 105; 164;
45 4 5 56 16
regere22;3i7; 48755036; 11319
regia27 5; 41 36; 112 24
regius 6 18 ; 40 27
regnare34 16; 65 16; 90 32; 113 16
regnum I 22; 4 u; 10 12; 31 32 ;
4136; 485; 708; 1127; 11723
regredi Il6 2
regressus 6 22
regula 54 7
relaxare 57 4
relegare 3 1 2
relinquere 108 31 ; 127 19
reliquus 27 28
relucere 5 20
remanere 41 33
remeare 1 12 6
remedium 84 8
remissio 93 8 ; 115 1 6
remissor 94 24
remittere 44 b n f; 77 3 ; 96 14
remouere 32 24 ; 69 12
remunerator 42 60
renasci 36 15 ; 37 32 ; 47 6
renitere 125 17
rennuere 98 9
reparare 97 4
reparatio 30 4
repellere 42 38; 67 13; 71 14; 78 9;
103 16; 113 27
rependere 71 8
repente 31 14, 70; 55 13; 113 25;
116 10
repentinus 120 i
repertor 12 2
438
INDEX OF WORDS
repetere 30 11
replere 4 15; II n ; 15 28; 38 8 ;
5040; 68 18; 75 15; 804; 91 10;
108 28; no 3; 115 22; 126 19
reportare 120 20
repperire 12 12
reprimere 61 18
reptare 78 4
repugnare I 33
repurgare 1 08 27
reputare 125 7
requies 6l 7 ; 92 19 ; 119 24
requiescere 30 9
requirere 12 13 ; 30 34 ; 31 35
res I 13 ; 2 i ; 17 2 ; 18 i ; 21 7 ;
236; 2725; 307; 3627; 422;
45 13; 55*8; 66 i ; 671; 78 5;
80 if; 83 2; 92 23; 97 17
rescindere 29 9
reserare 109 24; 127 37
residere 104 27; 114 12
resoluere 29 30 ; 76 15; 88 12; 126
n ; 127 36
resonare 92 5, 8
jespicere 225; 48 22 ; 66 2
resplendere 56 9
respondere 9 19
responsum 14 6
respuere 121 3 ; 123 10
restare 30 1 1
restinguere 9 24 ; 120 34
resudare 25 9
resultare 72 3
resurgerei028; 2920; 42 19; 86 5;
105 32; in 39
resuscitate I 24; 42 32; 56 13; 104 8
rete 7 1 1 ; 32 12
retegere 9 28
retexere 29 1 6
retinere I 26; 84 18
retro 86; 96 13 ; 120 33
retundere 3 14
reuectare 46 12
reuehere II 31
reuelare I 63 ; 7 4 ; 12 10
reuerti 2 24 ; 93 7
reuisere 30 14; 127 23
reuocare 36 46
reus 511; IO 15 ; 32 22 ; 6l 12 ;
84 8 ; 105 28, 30 ; 126 4
rex I 2, 15,69; II 19; 21 15; 24 10;
254; 3929; 5534; 635; 9216;
948; 10425,32; 1115; 11716
rigare 8 30; 31 67; 37 12; 104 12
rigor 33 26
rimari 24 20 ; 85 10
rite 36 20; 118 ii ; 122 7 ; 123 9
riuulus 74 6
riuus 31 65
rixa 46 1 7
robur 95 1 5
robustus 126 1 8
rogare 44 24 ; 55 33 ; 59 3 ; 91 9 ;
98 n
rogitare 70 3
rogus 125 21
Roma 13 21
Romanus 14 4
ros 26 3 ; 27 13 ; 37 27 ; 127 5
rosa 24 4
roscidus 27 25
roseus 109 7; 126 i
rota 44 10 ; 76 6
ruber 44 6 ; (mare) 109 3
rubescere 31 50; 90 27
rubor35 18 ; 91 15
rubus 1 08 1 8
ructare 116 27
rudis I 46
ruere 32 4 ; 36 46 ; 68 20 ; 80 8 ;
12033
ruminare 40 24
rumpere 20 14 ; 65 3 ; 66 8 ; 69 14 5
127 8
rursus 51 3
rus 36 9 ; 127 3
rusticus 127 29
rutilare 36 i ; 70 2 ; in i
rutilus 27 i
Sabaoth 48 1 7 ; 49 30
sabbatum 31 81
sacer 4 23, 30; 7 4 ; 10 3 ; n 14 ;
12 6, 10 ; 13 1 1 ; 15 1 1 ; 187 ;
3310; 91 17; 1022; 1235; 125
26 ; 126 4
sacerdos 28 5 ; 107 10
sacramentum 98 16 ; 107 5
sacrare88; 94; n 16; 132; 144,
18; 15 18; 23 15; 2955; 31 40;
39 24; 40 31; 94 7; 98 14; 106
4, 17; 112 2; 115 21; 124 i
sacratissimus 62 13
sacrator 37 2
sacrosanctus 1 06 13
saeclum, saeculum I ?f, 43, 66, 70;
67; 12 29 ; 13 2 ; 15 9, 32 ; 30
135 31 5; 32 5; 33 28; 38.1;
INDEX OF WORDS
439
40 28; 45 21; 46 15; 50 15; 55
25; 5621; 59 14; 65 16; 71 14;
79 8 ; 84 28 ; 98 20 ; 99 1 1, 15 ;
IOO 12 ; 104 20, 52 ; 106 5, 17 ;
117 16 ; 126 2, 6, 24 ; 127 39
saepire 19 6
saeuire 15 15
saluare 84 7; 107 3, 8 .
saluator I 53; 44 21 ; 49 2; 55 22;
106 5; 107 13; 117 19
saluber 37 19
salue 34 29 ; 36 23 ; saluete 24 i
salum 7 7, 14
salus I 36; 2 22; 12 32; 17 7; 23
14; 31 53? 33 7! 36 27; 37 4 ;
38 29; 42 28; 54 8; 70 6; 87 16;
91 30 ; 96 3 ; 104 i ; 107 7, 16 ;
108 4; no 16; 112 22
salutare I 54
saluus 4 28
sanare 12 15 ; 31 47 ; 104 4
sancire 50 7 ; 96 4
sancte 41 48
sanctissimus 76 i
sanctus (holy) I 12, 37 ; 10 2 ; 34
20 ; 43 6 ; 49 29 ; 66 5 ; 83 12 ;
84 27; 91 27; loo 4; 107 i;
(saint) 15 21 ; 63 6; 107 14;
(H. Spirit) 63 10 ; 70 10; 1 01 9;
104 34
sanguineus 35 1 8
sanguinis (nom.) 77 10
sanguis94; 103; II 10; 127; 13
23; 14 10; 15 18; 33 20; 34 12;
40 7; 41 20; 42 27; 56 17; 90 19;
105 4; 107 2 f, 5, 8; 122 ii
sapere 29 26
sapientia 30 32
sapor 8 14 ; 34 26
sarcina 108 31
sat 40 6
satagere 126 14
Satan 120 35
satelles 24 12
satiare IOI 6; 114 16
satis 36 44 ; 104 24
sator 44 2 ; 58 i
sauciare 58 16 ; 106 IT
saucius 80 6 ; 86 6
saxigenus 27 8
saxum I 51; 36 40
scandere I 39; 44 n; 112 32 ; 113 5
sceptrum 89 19
scilicet 27 22
scindere I 43 ; 21 5 ; 42 29
scirpeus 27 1 5
scriptum 7 24
scripula 36 26
scrutari 24 14
scrutator 93 5
scutum II 25
se I 55; 7 22; 10 26f; 45 18; 50 8
secretus3l 12; 42 51 ; 5711; 108 25
sectari 49 44
secundare 315
secundo (adv.) 86 13
secundus 71 19
securus 108 32
secus 35 15
sed i 36; 6 10; 7 22 ; n 29; 12 6,
12; 13 19, 24; 1519; 187; 29 9;
30 8; 32 25; 36 37; 44 b 15;
45 9; 47 17; 5 27; Si 7. 13;
57 i?; 58 17; 59 9- 15; 85 15;
86 16; 91 8, 23; 93 10; 103 13,
17; 116 29; 125 6; 127 34
sedere 4 32 ; 6 2 ; 48 14 ; 104 15
sedes 6 24 ; 13 32 ; 29 55 ; 32 21 ;
48 23; 62 12; 87 15; 112 6, 20
sedule 51 7
sedulus 47; 90 29; 117 29
segregare 2 8
semen 6 9 ; 27 8 ; 30 21 ; 39 10
semicinctia 12 30
semita 31 60
semper 41 4; 42 4, 64; 50 34; 60
3 7; 63 2; IOO ii
sempiternus I 66 ; 15 32 ; 41 56 ;
126 21
senatus 126 8
senecta 7 6
senescere 29 14; 106 17
senex 98; 13 17
seni 49 27
senior 49 2 1
sensim 55 i
sensus 2 29; 38; 46; 5 25; 16 5;
21 12; 27 29; 30 12; 50 27; 57
i3' 7 1 r 3! 82 26; 89 u; 118 13
sententia 55 1 2
sentire I 70; 46 3; 58 14; 60 6
seorsum 29 9
sepelire 30 22; 32 3; 36 38; 37 16
septemplex 116 6
septies 51 13 ; 82 9 ; 116 7
septiformis 118 9
septimus 48 14
440
INDEX OF WORDS
sepulcrum I 44, 51; 29 29; 31 84;
56 14
sequestrare 30 27
sequi I 14, 42; 14 8; 19 10; 28 t2;
2 9 45; 31 345 95 13; l4 335
123 14
seraphin 49 25
serenum 22 5 ; 36 i
serenus 10 2; 21 16; 25 4; 45 2 ;
56 12
sericus I 50
sermo 91 n ; in 21 ; 118 12
serpens 26 17; 32 14; 103 u
seruare I 47; 40 20; 45 28; 55 40;
71 16; 96 6
seruilis 31 6
seruire 29 8 ; 78 7
seruulus 15 31; 31 53; 55 24; 77 9;
122 16
seruus32 19; 40 13; 50 14; 55 5 ;
82 18; 98 3; in 20
sese 73 12
sessor 104 19
seu 8 5, 9 ; 27 17, 19 f
Seuerus 12 19
sex 82 3; 104 5
sexies 53 3
sextus 55 i
sexus 1 06 io
si 2 27; 1432; 2925; 3221; 5035;
8231; 989, 1 1; 12044; (whether)
i 48
sic 8 21; 9 14; 22 9; 30 21; 65 9;
74 14; 82 13; 93 13; 101 io ;
103 5; 118 19; 125 19; 127 27
siccus 30 21 ; 127 2, 12
sicut 51 8; 62 8; 66 io
sidereus 92 ] 3
sidus 21 15 ; 45 6 ; 46 7 ; 76 8 ;
81 i ; 84 i ; 86 7 ; 117 14
signare 8 io ; 26 8 ; 42 35 ; 1 16 8 ;
124 8
signum4i 16; 76 12; 1069; (mira-
cle) I 20; 91 4; 116 29; (of cross)
26 n, 23; 48 11; 54 8; 103 9
Sileas 41 42
silentium 58 6
silescere 23 19
silex 27 7
silua 33 23
similis 42 8
Simon 13 14 ; 40 17
simplex 21 io ; 23 30
simul29 3; 41 55; 51 io ; 63 7;
74 6 ; 82 24 ; 84 27
simulare 50 30
sinceritas 109 15
sincerus 36 7
sine 30 Jo
sinere 5 21 ; 44 b 14
singuli 94 1 8
sinistra 120 16, 25
sinus 24 14
Sion 104 24 ; 119 15
sistere I 34 ; (intrans.) 56 5 ; 75 7 ;
HO 6
sitire 101 i; 107 20; 127 5
sitis 101 4 ; 127 16
sobrietas 103 15
sobrius3 23; 5 16; 20 7, io; 46 21 ;
7.1 6; 93 15; 104 4 8
sociare 29 2 ; 125 3
socius 29 48 ; 30 14 ; 36 29
sol 3 5; II 6; 23 7; 36 3 ; 45 9 ;
55 13; 766; 793; 84 17; 971;
103 7; 120 9
solamen 90 30
solari 127 31
solere 75; 56 2
solidus 27 i o
solitus 83 3
solium 120 13
sollemnis 116 5; 123 8
sollemnitas HO 21
soluere 2 io, 28 ; 5 5, 8 ; 911; 107,
23; 1225; 2015; 2910; 3169;
336; 3645; 40 29; 41 44, 47;
48 27; 49 4 ; 56 io, 22; 82 7,
12; 99 12; 104 37; in 8, 13;
"3 3
solum II 3 ; 74 8 ; 75 2 ; 127 i
solus io 32; 33 28; 42 54; 87 15
somniare 5 26 ; 57 20 ; 60 5
somnium 26 14; 86 3
somnolentia 65 7
somnolentus 2 19
somnus 2 30; 5 24; 20 13; 26 5;
30 8; 57 4, 18; 58 18; 64 i;
94 in; 103 19
sonare2 31; 47 9; 49 47
sopire 44 1 6
sopor 54; 26 28; 29 36; 57 6; 58
3; 60 6; 66 4
soporus 20 6
sordes 40 28 ; 62 1 1 ; 67 6 ; 69 7 ;
76 14; 86 6; 108 22
sordidare 62 b 3
INDEX OF WORDS
441
sordidus 68 13
sors 29 42; 32 8; 37 3; 81 14;
122 2
spargere 35 16; 72 i
spatium 30 1 1
spectaculum 14 21 ; 24 21
spectare 14 ir
speculator 22 13
speculum 27 30
spernere 15 10; 41 23; 64 2; 108
18; 120 30, 32
spes 221; 15 22 ; 27 9; 30 38; 40
32; 45 29; 47 19; 71 2, 19; 87
6; 88 10 ; 98 2; 99 2; 106 2;
112 3, 14; 126 18
spiculum 21 6; 72 3
spineus 108 18
spira 12 26
spiramen 6 10
spirare 6 30 ; 27 36
spiritalis 95 16; 118 8
spiritus I 59 f, 63; 3 7, 24; 48;
5 3o; 7 2 35 9 2; II n; 15 26;
16 i; 23 14; 40 35; 41 5, 55;
42 6 4 ; 43 14; 44 23; 45 17; 48
26; 50 4 o; 52 10; 53 2; 55 35;
63 ii ; 65 15; 68 16; 70 n; 82
24; 83 12; 91 27; 95 18; 101 9;
108 23, 30; 115 12; 116 26;
125 26
splendere 27 21; in 16
splendide 52 10
splendidus 36 7; 41 38; 45 i
splendor 3 i ; 17 3; 27 37 ; 36 26;
53 12; 87 5; 102 12
spondere I 48; 14 19; 23 22
sponsa 125 17
sponsatus 119 3, 5
sponsus i 6; 19 7 f; 41 27; 84 10;
88 7; 95 12
sputa (plur.) i 38; 33 19; 112 19
squalere 127 i
stabilis 27 1 1
stare 7 8, 32 ; 106 6; 117 10
statera 34 23
statuere 6l 12
stella i 14; 8 9; 31 34; 44 5 ; 90
5; 120 10
stellans 36 13
stigma 124 14
stinguere 41 34
stipare 13 26
stipes 28 8; 33 18, 27; 34 19
stirps 77 7 ; 125 5
stola 109 2
stratum 46 9
strenue 217
strenuus 313
stridere 120 36
stringere I 42; 33 15
stropheum 104 37
studere 29 34
stultus 41 33
stupendus 104 17
stupere 8 19; 10 13; 91 13
stuppa 27 20
suauisonus 92 22
sub 8 23; 26 27; 29 42; 35 13; 38
20, 24; 39 16; 55 39; 91 39;
III 10
subdere 31 86; 55 30; 78 8 84
16; 99 9; 113 12
subdolus 22 7; 44 b 13
subigere 13 20; 32 6
subire 26 3; 36 13; 101 i
subleuare 113 23; I2O 43
sublimis 10 21 ; 11224; 12013
subnixus 715
subrepere 8 32 ; 46 14; 57 13
subripere 61 10
subruere 72 6; 94 14
subsistere 49 1 1
substantia 6 19; 41 7
subtrahere 24 1 5
subuehere 77 6
subuenire 85 3
succedere 50 1 1
successor 14 15
successus 18 4; 103 3
sucus 27 18; 127 32
sudare 37 1 1
sudarium 36 43
sufferre 97 8
suggerere 27 18; 78 n
sumere 36 30; 91 27; 92 10; 104
10, 29; 106 i; 107 i; no 16
summus 40 19; 98 i, 17
super (abl.) 6 2; 33 2; (ace.) 36 19;
39 22
superare 114 14
superbia 32 15; 50 22; 81 n
supernatare 7 14
supernus 33 27; 39 14; 85 i; 88 5;
104 14; 113 24; 118 3
superstes 31 64
suppar 14 i
supplex3i 67; 44 b 15; 4924; 555;
79 7 ; 81 2; 90 2j; 1066; 122 13
442
INDEX OF WORDS
supplicare 98 7; 125 18
supplicatio 20 1 1
supplicium 127 36
surgere i 51 ; 2 17; 4 i ; 22 i ; 31
7; 35 n; 36 38; 40 9; 43 i;
46 95 7i 5; "i 12, 15; 116 5
sursum 36 46; 113 23
suscipere 4 5; n 9; 30 25; 42 26;
59 12; 60 4; 69 6; 92 7; 124
18
suscitare I 55; 5 28; 31 48; 44 16
suspendere 30 2; 34 4; 105 31
suspendium (plur.) 99 7
sustinere I 38; 33 24
sustollere 44 6; 120 37
suus 8 26; ii 25; 14 30; 87 19
syngraphus 14 15
tactus 12 31
taeda 9 18
taedium 77 I2
taeter 60 1 1 ; 73 7
talis 6 8; 13 23; 26 n
tarn 34 20; 35 10
tamen 7 29; 14 17; 26 27; 27 7
tandem 29 14; 85 8; 94 31; 103
18
tangere 34 20
tantus 13 24 f; 24 25; 53 12; 55
14; 104 45; ( = tot) 41 18
tardare 1 20 25
Tartarus 23 u ; 31 87; 32 6; 34
24; 36 17; 90 31 ; 109 18; III 7
tectum 127 ii, 23
tegere 9 26, 30; 29 38; 30 33; 31
84; 4455 51 12; 59 15
tegmen 32 24
tellus 40 i ; 75 i ; 127 5
telum II 21 ; 58 8; 84 24
temet 106 i
temnere no 15; 120 44
temperare 5 24; 17 2; 74 7; 8l 5
templum I 43 ; 6 16; 31 14; 42 29
temptare 103 12
tempus 2 3; 4 13; 18 3; 30 37;
27 2; 33 10, 16; 36 i; 42 45,
575 4i ! 9. 4i; 43 1 5 55 9> '7.
38; 57 6; 58 i; 62 14; 84 23;
85 4; 91 3; 94 8; 103 2, 8; 115
14, 24; 116 8; 117 25
tenax I 8 i
tendere 13 26; 33 25, 27; 34 6;
36 6; 96 19; 117 30
tenebrae 5 19; 21 I ; 26 lo; 56-11;
59 7; 64 9; 97 2; 102 10; 103 i
tenebricare 53 10
tener247; 10430; 12732
tenere I 33; 9 12; 14 16; 42 23;
50 10; 52 i ; 54 6; 58 18
tenor 72 1 2
tenuare 70 i
tepescere 68 1 6
ter i 28; 55 2; 56 i; 90 13; 102
i ; 103 5
terere 32 15; 81 n
teres 27 20
tergere 7 31; 12 22; 37 28; 40 28;
90 20
terminus 54 2 ; 76 10
ternus 54 2; 102 i; 103 3
terra i 9; 9 31; n 4 ; 23 6; 29 38;
30 25; 746; 974; 127 2
terrere 74 1 5
terrestris 84 15; 113 10
terreus 29 25; 121 3; 125 7
terror 15 9
tertio 8 7
tertius I 56 ; 4 i ; 52 3 ; 99 5 ; 116 9
testari 36 15; 87 13; 90 22
testis i 21 ; 12 13; 24 31 ; 42 49;
116 32
testula 27 1 7
texere 27 40; 29 16
thalamus 617; 84 10; 119 4
thronus 48 14; 49 26; 117 4
timere 104 26
timor 57 14
tinguere I 64; 27 32; 36 14
titulus 125 23
tollere 4 12; 10 19; 24 3, 28; 31
44 ; 3643; 669; 67 ii ; 73 14;
86 8; no 10; 122 10
tonitruus 7 2
torpere 67 9
torpidus 86 5
torpor 62 5 ; 68 14
torquere 125 12
torrere 115
torridus 31 65; 109 6
tortor 15 1 6
tortuosus 26 17
torus 40 21
tot 91 2
totus i 61 ; 3 30 f; 4 16; 9 26;
22 9 ; 36 23 ; 45 10 ; 46 2 ; 80 3 ;
90 3; 120 31"; (plur. = all) 12
27; 44 24; 63 3; 70 3
INDEX OF WORDS
443
tradere I 37; 15 13; 30 40; 31 74;
55 n, 22; 126 ii
traditor I 31
trahere22 4; 29 24; 35 4; 103 5
trames 47 4; 117 3
transferred 8; 119 24; 126 14
transfigere 24 1 7 ; 35 5
transigere 82 3
transire 3 25; 8 20; IO 29; 117 5
transitus 109 3
tremebundus I2O 14
tremere I 49; 42 30; 104 42; 113
13; 120 10
tremescere 90 1 8
tres 55 20
tribuere 27 27; 36 53; 44b 10; 60
9; 61 8; 70 6; 89 16; 97 6;
989
tribunal 113 5
triduum 14 8; 28 12; 104 7
Trinitas I 60; 5 32; 24 29; 41 6;
43 4; 44 20; 51 2; 68 i; 79 i ;
93 i?; 97 18; 98 18; 99 13; 102
3; 104 50; 126 11
trinus 13 27; 23 6; 39 3; 48 9;
52 4 ; 54 i; 91 31; 113 9; 119
18
triplex 27 39; 95 19
tristis I 54; 39 25; III 17
triumphalis n 32; 13 6; 15 6
triumphare 15 24; 29 46; 36 17;
111 ii ; 126 7
triumphus 4 17; II 26; 13 3; 14
14; 31 87; 32 20; 33 2; 34 28;
112 9; 113 4; 114 n; 117 5;
122 15
tropaeum 6 26; 32 32 ; 33 2; 121 7
trudere 109 23
trux 40 25 ; 125 9
tu (emphatically repeated) I 3f; 5
I 3 f; 20 13 f; 21 9f; 27291^ 42
3i 33. 37, 45. 49, 53, 55, 57, 59,
61; 49 5, 9, 13, 17, 19, 21, 25,
37,4', 46; 79 5 <"; 87 5 f
tuba 120 5
turn I 17, 41
tumere 38 37
tumescere 6 13
tumulus 30 18; 36 39; 109 21
tune I 14; 14 13; 31 735 41 J 4.
30; 71 20; 82 29; 116 25; 120
37
tunsio 119*10
turba i i, 17, 29, 36 f; 12 25; 23
30; 104 31 ; 106 5; 115 10; 116
26; 125 21
turbare 7 7
turbidus 21 2
turbo 24 4
turpis 46 20; 51 n ; 127 8
tus I 15
tutare 103 10
typus 44 25
tyrannis 94 16
tyrannus ii 27; 24 9; 31 39; 109
23
uacare 58 13
uacuus 30 10; 127 23
uagari 26 1 3
uagire 33 13
uagus 36 4; 51 n, 57 15; 76 8;
94 '4
ualidus 125 ii
uanitas (plur. ) 81 8
uanus 74 15; 82 28
uapor 5 24; 28 3
uas (vessel) 13 n; 37 30; 127 23
uastator 41 10
uates 13 24; 14 6; 23 11
uber 39 24
ubi 12 14; 35 5, 15; 104 7; I2a
36, 42
udare 37 27
-ue 22 1 1
uecordia 8l 10
uegetare 29 7; 36 51
uehere 127 20
uel 8 13; 37 6; 43 7; 62 3; 76 9;
101 2; IO2 7; 120 22, 30
uelamen 108 1 1
uelle 108 7; 120 44; 127 16, 26
uellus I 50
uelum i 43; 42 29
uelut 3 27; 120 2, 16
uendere 31 88
uenenum 3 20; 32 14
uenerabilis 36 23
uenia 82 14; 97 19; 102 4; 126 4
uenire 6 4 f; 21 4; 23 27 ; 30 13;
41 *?, 5; 45 7; 48 3; 60 4 ;
84 22; 104 26; 107 22; 116 12 ;
117 23; 127 21
uenter 6 12; 31 ii; 33 12; 38 9;
46 18; 91 22
uentus 127 ijf
uenus 125 24
uenustas 127 3
444
uerax 17 i ; 31 77
uerbum i 24, 38; 7 10; 31 16; 38
10; 40 22; 94 10; 108 28; 116 
