England's Antiphon
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Tom Allen and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.
ENGLAND'S ANTIPHON was originally published in 1868
In this book I have sought to trace the course of our religious poetry from an early period of our literary history.
This could hardly be done without reference to some of the principal phases of the religious history of the nation. To give anything like a full history of the religious feeling of a single county, would require a large book, and—not to mention sermons—would involve a thorough acquaintance with the hymns of the country,—a very wide subject, which I have not considered of sufficient importance from a literary point of view to come within the scope of the volume.
But if its poetry be the cream of a people's thought, some true indications of the history of its religious feeling must be found in its religious verse, and I hope I have not altogether failed in setting forth these indications.
My chief aim, however, will show itself to have been the mediating towards an intelligent and cordial sympathy betwixt my readers and the writers from whom I have quoted. In this I have some confidence of success.
Heartily do I throw this my small pebble at the head of the great Sabbath-breaker Schism .
If the act of worship be the highest human condition, it follows that the highest human art must find material in the modes of worship. The first poetry of a nation will not be religious poetry: the nation must have a history at least before it can possess any material capable of being cast into the mould of religious utterance; but, the nation once possessed of this material, poetry is the first form religious utterance will assume.
The earliest form of literature is the ballad, which is the germ of all subsequent forms of poetry, for it has in itself all their elements: the lyric , for it was first chanted to some stringed instrument; the epic , for it tells a tale, often of solemn and ancient report; the dramatic , for its actors are ever ready to start forward into life, snatch the word from the mouth of the narrator, and speak in their own persons. All these forms have been used for the utterance of religious thought and feeling. Of the lyrical poems of England, religion possesses the most; of the epic, the best; of the dramatic, the oldest.
George MacDonald
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ENGLAND'S ANTIPHON
PREFACE
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
GOOD COUNSEL OF CHAUCER.
CHAPTER III.
THANK GOD FOR ALL.
CHAPTER IV.
GASCOIGNE'S GOOD MORROW.
THAT EACH THING IS HURT OF ITSELF.
CHAPTER V.
AN HYMN OF HEAVENLY LOVE.
A LONG FAREWELL TO GLITTERING TRIFLES.
PSALM XCVI.
PSALM XLIV.
PSALM LXV.
PSALM XCIII.
PSALM CXXXIX.
CHAPTER VI.
NEW PRINCE, NEW POMP.
CONTENT AND RICH.
THE CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE.
CHAPTER VII.
A HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER.
A HYMN TO CHRIST
RESURRECTION.
CHAPTER VIII.
ANTHEM FOR THE CATHEDRAL OF EXETER.
FOR CHRISTMAS-DAY.
PSALM XCII.
PSALM CXXIII.
CHAPTER IX.
THE SINNER'S SACRIFICE.
2.—AN HYMN TO GOD THE FATHER.
3.—AN HYMN ON THE NATIVITY OF MY SAVIOUR.
UPON AN HONEST MAN'S FORTUNE.
A SONG OF LABOUR.
CHAPTER X.
OF THE EPIPHANY.
IN DESOLATION.
CHANGE SHOULD BREED CHANGE.
CHAPTER XI.
PSALM CXXX.
CHAPTER XII.
WHEN WE CANNOT SLEEP.
A ROCKING HYMN.
A GRACE FOR A CHILD.
HIS LITANY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE WHITE ISLAND, OR PLACE OF THE BLEST.
TO DEATH.
ETERNITY.
THE GOODNESS OF HIS GOD.
TO GOD.
DIVINE EPIGRAMS.
PHOSPHOR, BRING THE DAY.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE ELIXIR.
THE QUIP.
THE COLLAR.
AARON.
THE PULLEY.
THE THANKSGIVING.
THE REPRISAL.
CHAPTER XIV.
ON TIME.
AT A SOLEMN MUSIC.
ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.
THE HYMN.
CHAPTER XV.
ON THE FOREGOING DIVINE POEMS.
HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS-DAY; BEING A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THREE SHEPHERDS.
A HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS-DAY.
THE PRAYER.
A PRAYER FOR CHARITY.
CHAPTER XVI.
RESOLUTION.
DEVOTION.
THE PHILOSOPHER'S DEVOTION.
CHARITY AND HUMILITY.
THE RESOLUTION.
THE RETURN.
CHAPTER XVII.
EASTER DAY.
A HYMN OF THE NATIVITY SUNG BY THE SHEPHERDS.
AND THEY LAID HIM IN A MANGER.
ON A DROP OF DEW.
THE CORONET.
CHAPTER XVIII.
COCK-CROWING.
THE RETREAT.
THE NIGHT.
THE DAWNING.
CHRIST'S NATIVITY.
EASTER HYMN.
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.
THE ASPIRATION.
THE RETURN.
A GENERAL SONG OF PRAISE TO ALMIGHTY GOD.
FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD.
CHAPTER XIX.
HAPPY FRAILTY.
HYMN FOR EVENING.
THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER.
WEDNESDAY.
A PENITENTIAL SOLILOQUY.
THE SOUL'S TENDENCY TOWARDS ITS TRUE CENTRE.
THE ANSWER TO THE DESPONDING SOUL.
DIVINE EPIGRAMS.
CHAPTER XX.
HYMN.
WRESTLING JACOB.
CHAPTER XXI.
DAYBREAK.
ON ANOTHER'S SORROW.
NINTH EVENING VOLUNTARY.
HYMN
ON AN INFANT
"SHE LOVED MUCH."
CHAPTER XXII.
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
ST. MATTHEW.
THE ETERNITY OF GOD.
DESOLATION.
REALITY.
SONNET.
BEREAVEMENT.
COMFORT.
A FAREWELL.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD WITH THE KID.
LIV.
XXXII.
THE END.