"MS. of my father, Dean Milman's hymns, and I greatly doubt whether any can have survived." It happened that Mr. Jones had secured an autograph of this hymn only two days prior to the receipt of Mr. Milman's letter, and from that the facsimile here reproduced was made. Concerning this he remarks: "Whether the MS. is the original, or merely the 'fair' copy, I am unable to say. It came into my hands through a dealer, and I value it very highly."

THE AUTHOR OF THE HYMN

Henry Hart Milman, born February 10th, 1791, was the youngest child of Francis Milman, physician to George III., and created a baronet by that king. He was prepared for Oxford at Eton, and after a brilliant career took his degree at Brasenose College in 1813. Among the prizes he carried off was that for English. poetry, an event chronicled in one of the Ingoldsby Legends :

"His lines on Apollo

Beat all the rest hollow,

And gained him the Newdigate prize."

While still at Oxford he wrote his first drama, “Fazio : a Tragedy," published soon after his graduation. It was put upon the stage without his knowledge or consent, and acted with much success in England and America.

Ordained to the ministry in 1816, he became Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Reading. "He reads and preaches enchantingly," the famous Miss Mitford wrote soon after his coming; but he found in his parish some prejudice against him as the author of a play. He was full of

industry and literary ambition, and followed his drama with an epic poem in twelve books, "Samor, Lord of the Bright City." Then came the three religious dramas which crowned his poetic career, the " Fall of Jerusalem,” in 1820; the " Martyr of Antioch" and "Belshazzar," in 1822. For the copyright of each of these he received the large sum of five hundred guineas.

But with the last of the three the enthusiasm of critics and applause of the public, originally very great, had waned, and his later poems were not successful. All alike are now buried and forgotten. It seems strange, indeed, that a poet greeted with so much enthusiasm by his contemporaries should be remembered only by a few hymns. His poetical works, gathered into three comely volumes in 1839, and long out of print, contain much that is striking and beautiful; and not the least pleasing feature is their dedication "To her who has made the poetry of life reality, by her affectionate husband."

Milman was to win more permanent fame in another branch of literature. While still at Reading he published his History of the Jews, in which he attempted, for the first time in England, to read the sacred annals in the light of the principles of historical criticism. This effort brought down upon him a storm of indignation and abuse, for which, however, he was not unprepared, and which he weathered in silence. His later works, The History of Christianity and The History of Latin Christianity, placed him at once among the great historical writers of the language; and in that high place he still remains. Promotion in the Church also came to him. In 1835 he was appointed rector of St. Margaret's, the church that stands in the shadow of Westminster Abbey;

and in 1849 he became Dean of St. Paul's, the cathedral church of London.

Dean Milman's London life was one of incessant toil, and had its sorrows also, three of his children lying in one grave in the north aisle of the Abbey. He became a great figure in London, sought after for his social charm, admired for his learning and genius, and reverenced for his lofty and peculiarly straightforward Christian character. He was He was a liberal in theology, and stood resolutely apart from the High Church movement. He survived in the full vigor of his mental powers until September 24th, 1868, and was buried in the crypt of his vast cathedral.

In 1900 appeared a biography of Dean Milman, by the son who has already been referred to. It had been delayed, strangely enough, until the generation of those who were his personal friends had passed away and the lustre of his poetic reputation had been dimmed by the lapse of time.

SOME POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

(1) In the Book of Common Prayer each Sunday has a passage of the gospels appropriated to it, to be used as the Gospel for the day. Bishop Heber's hymn book was to have a hymn for each Sunday based on its special Gospel. What is the particular passage on which this hymn is based, and which it illustrates?

(2) When Dean Milman came to make a hymn book of his own, he omitted the fourth and fifth verses of this hymn; but, in reprinting it in his Poetical Works of 1839, he included all six verses, with no change from his earliest text, except that in the first line of the last verse he sub

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stituted "Saviour" for "Jesus." In the omission of the two verses he has been followed by most later editors. As to the beauty of those omitted verses there can hardly be any question. But is there any such lack of clearness in them that the poem is better as a hymn without them?

(3) The three hymns of Milman in The Hymnal (“ Ride on, Ride on in Majesty," "When our Heads are Bowed with Woe," and this) are probably the best out of his twelve in Bishop Heber's book. And, if placed side by side, it will be seen that each is in a different style. One is after the manner of a metrical litany, one so dramatic that it might serve as a chorus for one of his sacred dramas, and one "a piece of pure, deep devotion" in the best manner of unpretentious hymn writing.