81 Christian! dost thou see them On the holy ground, How the powers of darkness One of our great Easter hymns must not go unnoticed. It thus begins: 115 The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad; The Passover of God. From death to life eternal, From earth unto the sky, Our Christ hath brought us over This hymn is sung every Easter day at Athens, in conneotion with a service of which Dr. Neale quotes this description: "As midnight approached, the Archbishop, with his priests, accompanied by the King and Queen, left the church and stationed themselves on the platform, which was raised considerably from the ground, so that they were distinctly seen by the people. Everyone now remained in breathless expectation, holding their unlighted tapers in readiness when the glad moment should arrive, while the priests still continued murmuring their melancholy chant in a low half-whisper. Suddenly a single report of a cannon announced that twelve o'clock had struck, and the Easter day had begun. Then the old Archbishop, elevating the cross, exclaimed in a loud exulting tone, 'Christos anesti, Christ is risen!' and instantly every single individual of all the host took up the cry, and the vast multitude broke through and dispelled forever the intense and mournful silence which they had maintained so long with one spontaneous shout of indescribable joy and triumph, ‘Christ is risen! Christ is risen!' At the same moment the oppressive darkness was succeeded by a blaze of light from thousands of tapers, which, com municating one from another, seemed to send streams of fire in all directions, rendering the minutest objects distinctly visible, and casting the most vivid glow on the expressive faces, full of exultation, of the rejoicing crowds; bands of music struck up their gayest strains; the roll of the drum through the town and, further on, the pealing of the cannon announced far and near these 'glad tidings of great joy;' while from hill and plain, from the seashore and the far olive grove, rocket after rocket ascending to the clear sky, answered back with their mute eloquence that Christ is risen indeed, and told of other tongues that were repeating those blessed words, and other hearts that leapt for joy; everywhere men clasped each other's hands, and congratulated one another, and embraced with countenances beaming with delight, as though to each one separately some wonderful happiness had been proclaimed-and so in truth it was and all the while, rising above the mingling of many sounds, each one of which was a sound of gladness, the aged priests were distinctly heard chanting forth a glorious old hymn of victory in tones so loud and clear that they seemed to have regained their youth and strength to tell the world how 'Christ is risen from the dead, having trampled death beneath His feet, and henceforth the entombed have everlasting life.'' ST. JOHN DAMASCENE was one of the most interesting figures of the eighth century. He is thought to have been the greatest poet of the Grecian Church. Born in what is said to be the oldest city of the world, he turned away from scenes which afterwards so fascinated Mohammed, unmindful of the music of Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, and of the hills round about rising in their splendor, and sought that desolate spot where stood, and still stands, the monastery of St. Sabas, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. There he lived in the midst of the stony wilderness of Judea. There he mourned and prayed. We are thankful that we can sing his words as follows: 395 Those eternal bowers Man hath never trod, Round the throne of God: Who may hope to gain them Who at length attain them, Clad in robes of white? Of ADAM OF ST. VICTOR, Archbishop Trench writes thus: "His profound acquaintance with the whole circle of the theology of his time, and eminently with its exposition of Scripture; the abundant and admirable use which he makes of it, delivering as he thus does his poems from the merely subjective cast of those, beautiful as they are, of St. Bernard; the exquisite art and variety with which, for the most part, his verse is managed and his rhymes disposed-their rich melody multiplying and ever deepening at the close; the strength which he often concentrates into a single line; his skill in conducting a narration; and most of all, the evident nearness of the things which he celebrates to his own heart of hearts-all these, and other excellences, render him, as far as my judgment goes, the foremost among the sacred Latin poets of the Middle Ages." In oft-quoted words, Dr. Neale says also: "It is a magnificent thing to pass along the far-stretching vista of hymns, from the sublime self-containedness of St. Ambrose to the more fervid inspiration of St. Gregory, the exquisite typology of Venantius Fortunatus, the lovely painting of St. Peter Damiani, the crystal-like simplicity of St. Notker, the Scriptural calm of Godescalcus, the subjective loveliness of St. Bernard, but all culminate in the full blaze of glory which surrounds Adam of St. Victor, the greatest of all." And so our souls move exultingly as we sing with him, in ROBERT CAMPBELL'S translation: 497 Come, pure hearts, in sweetest measures In the holy gospels shrined! Blessed tidings of salvation, Peace on earth their proclamation, Love from God to lost mankind. Of one picture brought to us by one of Dr. Neale's translations, Rev. Dr. Richard S. Storrs has thus sketched an outline: "In A. D. 1118 the most distinguished and engaging maiden |