When in 1661 Cosin had become Bishop of Durham and was taking a leading
part in the last revision of the Prayer-Book, his translation of Veni,
Creator Spiritus was placed before the older paraphrase in the
Ordination Services.
It is interesting to compare the Day Hour Hymns with the translations which are to be found in Hymn-books.
In Hymns Ancient and Modern, the following examples are found:—1, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 38, 45, 47, 55, 75, 85, 87, 88, 90, 95, 96, 97, 125, 128, 144, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 430, 483, 509, 622. The renderings are not equally close; but they give a good idea of the place in worship which they occupied in the Day Hours. They will be found to dwell on the thoughts of praise to God called forth (a) by the sunshine and the beauties of nature, (b) by the work of the Holy Spirit. When the Hymn followed the Capitulum, a Canticle came next. The Capitulum, or Little Chapter, was one or two verses from the Bible specially {62} chosen for the day; and the Hymn was directly connected in subject with it.
Thus, at Lauds on Whitsunday, the Capitulum was, When the Day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place
(Acts ii. 1), and the Hymn which followed immediately was Come, Holy
Ghost (H. A. and M. 157); and Benedictus, which came next, had an
Antiphon, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, &c. (S. John xx. 22, 23).
These beautiful combinations show us that the Canticle after a Lesson is designed to respond to the message of the Lesson, and to make with it an act of Praise. We must dismiss from our minds all idea that our Services were put together in a zigzag fashion, introducing something different as soon as any Psalm or Lesson has been said. The Service-makers valued variety of expression and method within reasonable limits; but the Service itself proceeds from point to point in a regulated progress. When the metrical Hymns were struck out, the Canticles and the Lessons were left united together.
The Canticles.
The word Canticle means "little song" or "little chant," just as versicle means "little verse," and particle "little part."
It has long been used to signify the Hymns from the Old and New
Testaments which were introduced into the Christian Services.
It will be seen that these Bible hymns are affixed {63} to the Lessons. They are commonly known by the words with which they begin in Latin: thus
Te Deum laudamus=Thee God we praise.