It is easy to argue logically against the discrepancy of rhythm, and against many other things, which, nevertheless, we cannot do without; but what is the practical result? Does any person of common sense and judgment find his devotion destroyed, and his ear offended, by using Watts and Select Hymns, or the Connecticut, or Plymouth Collection, instead of the Church Psalmody? Or is the effect altogether the other way? The same discrepancy is experienced in reading almost any ten lines of good poetry; but does any one think matters would be improved by setting one of us men of prose to turn all the trochees into iambics? If any of our readers have ever lighted upon the famous Bentley's emendations of Milton, they may form some notion of what would be the result.

We may add, that as tunes of all sorts are now numerous, and many of them are by no means strictly or totally iambic, some tune can generally be found to suit any unusual peculiarity of rhythm in a hymn.

We subjoin some specimens of iambized lines, extracted from the Church Psalmody, which appears to be the chief source and repository of this kind of alterations. The original form of each line, (so far as known to us,) we give first in a parallel column:

ORIGINAL.

Then did his grace appear divine.

The dealings of his hand
Are truth and mercy still,

With such as to his covenant stand,
And love to do his will.

The Lord proclaims his power aloud,
Over the ocean and the land.

While a bright evidence of grace
Through his whole life appears and shines.
Lord, our iniquities prevail.

Seize the kind promise while it waits.
Come the great day, the glorious hour.
In Zion is his throne.

CHURCH PSALMODY.

And proved his saving grace divine.
The dealings of his power
Are truth and mercy still,
With such as keep his cov'nant sure,
And love to do his will.

The Lord proclaims his power aloud,
Through every ocean (!) every land!
While brightest evidence of grace
Through all his life appears and shines.
O Lord, our guilt and fears prevail.
Come seize the promise while it waits.
O haste the day, the glorious hour.
In Zion stands his throne!

And earth with her ten thousand tongues.

Why should the wonders he hath wrought
Be lost in silence, and forgot?

Tis a broad land, of wealth unknown.
And mountains tremble at his frown.
But the great work of saving love,
Your highest praise exceeds!

And earth with all her thousand tongues!
Let not the wonders he hath wrought
Be lost in silence, and forgot.
'Tis like a land, of wealth unknown.
While terrors wait his awful frown!
But still the work of saving love,
Your highest praise exceeds !

Here the fair tree of knowledge grows. 'Tis here the tree of knowledge grows.
O'er the wide world's extended frame.

Faint in the worship and the praise.
Ye ransomed from the fall.
Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget.
O the rich depths of love divine!
O the sweet wonders of that cross.
Till we are raised to sing thy name,
At the great supper of the Lamb.
Favor astonishing-divine!

For the dear sake of Christ his Son.

And the whole race of Adam stand
Guilty before the Lord.

Are but short favors borrowed now.
Blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean
From the defiling power of sin.

Glory and joy are their reward.

Still we shrink back again to life.

Throughout the world's extended frame.

Fall far below thy glorious praise!
A remnant weak and small!
Ye Gentile sinners, ne'er forget!
How rich the depths of love divine!
How great the wonders of that cross.
Till we are raised to sing thy name,
And taste the supper of the Lamb.
How great the favor! how divine !
Through grace abounding in his Son!
Let all the race of man confess
Their guilt before the Lord!

Are only favors borrowed now.
Blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean,
Who never tread the ways of sin !

Eternal life is their reward.

Still shrink we back again to life.

But as we have not undertaken to review the Church Psalmody, these instances out of hundreds must suffice. We shall not attempt to criticise them, and to show what every reader of taste must see for himself, what utter wreck is often made of poetical figures and images, how many pregnant and striking epithets and illustrations disappear in the remorseless crucible of such compilations; how, in one word, imagination is banished and poetry is turned to doggerel. Our object in this place is simply to expose the system, which has been dominant

among us for more than a quarter of a century, and to ask if there be not a more excellent way.

5. Of a kindred character are those verbal and literal alterations which are supposed to promote euphony in reading or singing. These are apt to prove failures, for the simple reason that the poet's ear is usually better than that of his critics, and the seeming improvement of sound is too often gained by a loss of poetic sense. Especially is this the case when the change is systematic, as in Worcester's Watts, where the variety essential to harmony is greatly marred by the singular fancy already referred to. Similar rules appear to have been laid down, though less strictly adhered to, in the Church Psalmody, and other collections. For instance, many alterations appear to have been made solely to prevent lines from commencing with the conjunction "and." This is doubtless for musical effect, in accordance with the axiom: "There should be a pause at the end of each line," as

The words amid and among are also generally substituted for amidst and amongst, often, we think, with injurious effect, especially before vowels; for our rough, but energetic language, requires a larger proportion of consonants than the dialects of Southern Europe. With the same motive, plural nouns are frequently changed to singular, to the great detriment of the sense. For instance, in these lines of Watts,

"No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground,"

the image in the poet's mind is evidently that of multiplied sins and sorrows, like a crop of weeds and thorns overspreading the

earth-which is not only poetical, but strictly correct. The change to the singular—

No more let sin and sorrow grow,

overturns the whole figure, and transports us from the region of poetry into the barren field of abstractions. Again, Dr. Doddridge has beautifully written:

"He comes, the prisoners to release,

In Satan's bondage held :

The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield."

Here is a magnificent description of a triumphant conqueror, appearing to "break the prison doors," and set free the numerous captives of his enemy. At his approach the gates fly open, the chains fall off, and an exulting multitude pours forth to meet him. But no! hissing sounds must be avoided, and only one solitary prisoner can be permitted to appear, lest euphony be violated! A worthy object, truly, to be attained by such a sacrifice! It is in vain to argue that "the prisoner" is merely an abstraction to denote all prisoners. It is a question not of abstract statements, but of poetic imagery, which deals emphatically with the concrete. We add a few less striking in

stances:

"High as the heavens (heaven) our voices raise,

Up to her courts with joys (joy) unknown
"By wars (war) without and fears (fear) within."*

Again, polysyllables are, no doubt, objectionable, and are rarely inserted in good hymns; but when inserted they are not always easily improved upon by critics, as the following examples may show :

O, all ye people, clap your hands,
And with triumphant voices sing:
No force the mighty power withstands
Of God, the universal king.

How terrible his praise!

O, all ye people, clap your hands,
And shout with triumph while you sing
Of God who all the earth commands,
Of God-the dreadful, mighty King!

How fearful is his praise!

"Without were fightings, within were fears."

The testimonies of thy grace
I set before mine eyes.

Here consecrated water flows,
To quench my thirst of sin.

And realms of infinite delight.

Thy precepts and thy heavenly grace
I set before mine eyes.

Here living water freely flows,

To cleanse me from my sin.

And realms of joy and pure delight!

6. A numerous class of alterations appear to relate to the sense, rather than the sound of hymns. The following would seem to have been suggested by doctrinal considerations:

Till a wise care of piety

Fit us to die and dwell with thee.

'Tis thine, almighty Saviour, thine To form the heart anew.

See human nature sunk in shame.

When God, the mighty Maker, died.
The secret love of God.

'Tis on thy sovereign grace alone,
Our humble hopes depend.

O turn us, turn us, mighty Lord,
By thy resistless grace!

At thy command, our dearest Lord,
Here we attend thy dying feast;
Thy blood, like wine, adorns thy board,
And thine own flesh feeds every guest.

Till cleansed by grace we all may be
Prepared to die and dwell with thee.

'Tis thine, eternal Spirit, thine,
To form the heart anew.

See human beings sunk in shame!
When Christ, the almighty Saviour, died.
The mercies of our God!

'Tis on thy pardoning grace alone,
Our humble hopes depend.

O turn us, turn us, mighty Lord,
Convert us by thy grace!

At thy command, O Lord our hope,
We come around thy table here;
We break the bread, we bless the cup
Which show thy death till thou appear!

In this connection we cannot resist quoting from a wellknown hymn of Watts, retained in most collections,* one of its most lyrical and beautiful verses, which has been systematically omitted, for no apparent reason but its doctrine. We feel sure that the accomplished author of the "Theology of the Intellect and the Feelings" would gladly reinstate it :

I'm like a helpless captive, sold

Under the power of sin:

I cannot do the good I would,

Nor keep my conscience clean!

Other changes are made apparently for the sake of grammar

* "Lord, how secure my conscience was."