Hamilton M. Macgill, D. D. (of the United Presb. Ch. of Scotland): Songs of the Christian Creed
and Life selected from Eighteen Centuries. Lond. and Edinb. 1879. Contains translations of a
number of Latin and a few Greek hymns with the originals, also translations of English hymns
into Latin.
The Roman Breviary. Transl. out of Latin into English by John Marquess of Bute, K. T. Edinb.
and Lond. 1879, 2 vols. The best translations of the hymns scattered through this book are by
the ex-Anglicans Caswall and Cardinal Newman. The Marquess of Bute is himself a convert
to Rome from the Church of England.
D. F. Morgan: Hymns and other Poetry of the Latin Church. Oxf. 1880. 100 versions arranged
according to the Anglican Calendar.
Edward A. Washburn (Rector of Calvary Church, N. Y. d. Feb. 2, 1881): Voices from a Busy Life.
N. York 1883. Contains, besides original poems, felicitous versions of 32 Latin hymns, several
of which had appeared before in Schaff’s Christ in Song.
Samuel W. Duffield: The Latin Hymn Writers and their Hymns (in course of preparation and to be
published, New York 1885. This work will cover the entire range of Latin hymnology, and
include translations of the more celebrated hymns).
IV. German translations of Latin hymns: (Mostly accompanied by the original text) are very
numerous, e.g. by Rambach, 1817 sqq. (see above); C. Fortlage (Gesänge christl. Vorzeit, 1844);
Karl Simrock (Lauda Sion, 1850); Ed. Kauffer (Jesus-Hymnen, Sammlung altkirchl. lat. Gesänge,
etc. Leipz. 1854, 65 pages); H. Stadelmann (Altchristl. Hymnen und Lieder. Augsb. 1855);
Bässler (1858); J. Fr. H. Schlosser (Die Kirche in ihren Liedern, Freiburg i. B. 1863, 2 vols);
G. A. Königsfeld (Lat. Hymnen und Gesänge, Bonn 1847, new series, 1865, both with the
original and notes).
§ 96. Latin Hymns and Hymnists.
The Latin church poetry of the middle ages is much better known than the Greek, and remains
to this day a rich source of devotion in the Roman church and as far as poetic genius and religious
fervor are appreciated. The best Latin hymns have passed into the Breviary and Missal (some with
misimprovements), and have been often reproduced in modern languages. The number of truly
classical hymns, however, which were inspired by pure love to Christ and can be used with profit
by Christians of every name, is comparatively small. The poetry of the Latin church is as full of
Mariolatry and hagiolatry as the poetry of the Greek church. It is astonishing what an amount of
chivalrous and enthusiastic devotion the blessed Mother of our Lord absorbed in the middle ages.
In Mone’s collection the hymns to the Virgin fill a whole volume of 457 pages, the hymns to saints
another volume of 579 pages, while the first volume of only 461 pages is divided between hymns
to God and to the angels. The poets intended to glorify Christ through his mother, but the mother
overshadows the child, as in the pictures of the Madonna. She was made the mediatrix of all divine
grace, and was almost substituted for Christ, who was thought to occupy a throne of majesty too
high for sinful man to reach without the aid of his mother and her tender human sympathies. She
is addressed with every epithet of praise, as Mater Dei, Dei Genitrix, Mater summi Domini, Mater
misericordiae, Mater bonitatis, Mater dolorosa, Mater jucundosa, Mater speciosa, Maris Stella,
Mundi domina, Mundi spes, Porta paradisi, Regina coeli, Radix gratiae, Virgo virginum, Virgo