To God alone thus in her heart sung she,
O Lorde my soul, and eke my bodie gie
Unwemmed, lest I confounded be[2].”
[2] See the second Nonne’s Tale, in Chaucer; the Golden Legend, printed by Caxton; and the Lives of Saints, by Peter Ribadeneyra, a priest of the Society of Jesus, printed at St. Omers, in 1699.
“Besides this account, there is a tradition of St. Cecilia, that she excelled in music, and that the angel, who was thus enamoured of her, was drawn down from the celestial mansions, by the charms of her melody: this has been deemed authority sufficient for making her the patroness of music and musicians.
“The lovers of music, residing in this metropolis, had a solemn annual meeting, at Stationers’ Hall, on the 22d day of November, being the anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Cecilia, from the rebuilding of that edifice after the fire of London. These performances, being intended to celebrate the memory of the tutelar saint and patroness of music, had every possible advantage that the times afforded, to recommend them. Not only the most eminent masters in the science contributed their performance, but the gentlemen of the King’s Chapel, and of the choirs of St. Paul’s and Westminster, lent their assistance, and the festival was announced in the London Gazette.
“For the celebration of this solemnity, Purcell composed his Te Deum and Jubilate; and Dr. Blow also composed a musical entertainment for the same anniversary, the following year.
“The Legend of St. Cecilia has given frequent occasion to painters and sculptors to exercise their genius in representations of her playing on the organ, and sometimes on the harp. Raphael has painted her singing, with a regal in her hands; and Dominichino and Mignard singing and playing on the harp. And, in the vault under the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral, against one of the middle columns, on the south side, is a fine white marble monument, for Miss Wren, the daughter of Sir Christopher Wren, wherein the young lady is represented, on a bass relief, the work of Bird, in the character of St. Cecilia, playing on the organ, a boy angel sustaining her book, under which is the following inscription:
“Here lies the body of Mrs. Jane Wren, only daughter of Sir Christopher Wren, Knight, by Dame Jane, his wife, daughter of William Lord Fitz-William, Baron of Lifford, in the Kingdom of Ireland. Ob. 29th Dec. 1702, ætat. 26.”
From Sir John Hawkins.