SUPPRESSION AND REVIVAL OF CATHEDRAL SERVICES. "After cathedrals and organs were put down in the grand Rebellion," says the same quaint and delightful chronicler we have before quoted, "William Ellis, bachelor of music, and late organist of St. John's college, kept up a weekly meeting in his house opposite to that place where the Theatre was afterwards built, which kept him and his wife in a comfortable condition. The meeting was much frequented, and many masters of music were there, and such that had belonged to choirs, being out of all employ, and therefore the meeting, as all other music-meetings, did flourish; and music, especially vocal, being discountenanced by the Presbyterians and Independents, because it favoured much the cathedrals and episcopacy, it was the more used. But when King Charles was restored, and episcopacy, and cathedrals with it, then did the meetings decay, especially for this reason, because the masters of music were called away to cathedrals and collegiate choirs." Besides the members of the club which joined it about the same time with Ken, there were other earlier members, whom Anthony à Wood thus describes : "The usual company that met and performed their parts were: "Joh. Cock, M. A. Fellow of New College by the authority of the Visitors! He afterwards became Rector of Heyford-Wareyne, near Bister; and marrying with one of the Woodwards of Woodstock, lived an uncomfortable life with her. "John Jones, M. A. Fellow of the same College by the same authority. * Anthony à Wood. "George Croke, M. A. Fellow of the said College also, by the same authority. He was afterwards drowned, with Brome, son of Brome Whorwood, of Hatton, near Oxon, in their passage from Hampshire to the Isle of Wight, 5 Sept. 1657. "John Friend, M. A. Fellow also of the said house, and by the same authority. He died in the country an. 1658. "George Stradling, M. A. Fellow of All Soul's College, an admirable lutinist, and much respected by Wilson the professor. "Ralph Sheldon, gent. a Roman Catholic of StepleBarton, in Oxfordshire, at this time living in Halywell, near Oxon; admired for his smooth and admirable way in playing on the viol. He died in the city of Westminster, in 165.., and was buried in the chancel of the church of St. Martin in the Fields. "Thomas Wren, a younger son of Matthew Wren, Bishop of Ely, a sojournour now in the house of Francis Rowman, bookseller, living in St. Marie's parish, in Oxon. "Thomas James (or Janes), M. A. of Magdalen College, would be among them, but seldome played. He had a weekly meeting in his chamber at the college, practised much on the Theorbo lute, and Gervase Westcote being often with him as an instructor, A. W. would sometimes go to their meeting, and play with them. "The music-masters, who were not in Oxon, and frequented the said meeting, were: "William Ellis, bachelor of music, owner of the house wherein the meeting was. He alwaies played his part either on the organ or virginal. "Dr. John Wilson, the public professor, the best at the lute in all England. He sometimes played on the lute, but mostly presided the consort. "Curteys, a lutinist, lately ejected from some choire or cathedral church. After his Majestie's restoration, he became gentleman, or singing-man, of Christ Church, in Oxon. "Thomas Jackson, a bass-violist, afterwards one of the choire of St. John's College, in Oxon. "Edward Low, organist, lately of Christ Church. He play'd only on the organ; so, when he performed his part, Mr. Ellis would take up a counter-tenor viol, and play, if any person were wanting to performe that part. "Gervace Littleton alias Westcot, or Westcot alias Littleton, a violist. He was afterwards a singing-man of St. John's College. "William Glexney (or Flexney), who had belonged to a choire before the warr. He was afterwards a gentleman, or singing-man, of Christ Church. He play'd well upon the bass-viol, and sometimes sung his part. He died 6 Nov. 1692, aged 79 or thereabouts. Proctor, a young man and a new comer. He died soon after. "John Parker, one of the universitie musitians, would be somtimes among them; but Mr. Low, a proud man, could not endure any common musitian to come to the meeting, much less to play among them. Among these I must put John Haselwood, an apothecary, a starch'd, formal clisterpipe, who usually play'd on the bass-viol, and sometimes on the counter tenor. He was very conceited of his skill (though he had but little of it), and therefore would be ever and anon ready to take up a viol before his betters; which being observed by all, they usually called him Handlewood."Wood. Thus we find that those who had before belonged to Cathedrals, after the Restoration left these musical meetings, and took their places in the revived Choirs. The affecting responses of Tallis again resounded, and this great Father of the English Cathedral Service led the way to Purcell, King, Greene, Kent, &c. As a conclusion to the musical account, the reader will accept the following lines: On the poor BLIND MAN of SALISBURY CATHedral. There is a poor BLIND MAN, who every day, Oh! happy, if the Rich-the Vain-the Proud- * The English Cathedral music has a peculiar character of cience, simplicity, dignity, and devotion. Attempts have been made to introduce Mozart, and some of the finest of the foreign Masters, but their compositions are ill-adapted to English words, and the attempt, in my opinion, has completely failed. DOMINATION OF PRESBYTERIAN AND There can be no doubt that the Bishops Abbot, Babington, King, Usher, Hall, Davenant, Morton, and other ornaments of the Episcopal Church of England, in the time of James, and the early part of King Charles the First, supported, to a certain degree, Calvinistic doctrines, without being at all aware, at the time, of the natural anti-episcopal tendency of those doctrines, and that the Geneva creed is most naturally connected with Geneva discipline. This was visible as soon as Calvinistic predestinarianisin had gained, under their own fostering, its full growth and strength, and power. Bishop Davenant closed his eyes in death, smitten with the sad apprehension of the consequences of the triumphs of his sub-lapsarian sophistries, which he, like Usher, lived long enough to foresee and deplore, but not prevent. But the most extraordinary circumstance is, that they who, over the prostrate altars of the Episcopal Church, waved the banner of the "SOLEMN LEAGUE AND CoVENANT," should dare to accuse those who remained faithful, as INNOVATORS! Laud, we have seen, the most strenuous and the most rash, was sentenced to be "hanged, drawn, and quartered," for "impairing the true faith,” and introducing "INNOVATIONS" in religion! Now the only "innovators" were those who subscribed the "Solemn League and Covenant" against Episcopacy; and, so much did this obvious fact strike the Presbyterian Parliament, that they commanded an EXHORTATION to be read in all parts of the Kingdom, to show, very lamely, indeed, that they were not the |