"Some years since, the renowned French theorist, Mons. Fetis, went to Milan for the express purpose of consulting the celebrated Book of Offices, written by St. Ambrose in his own handwriting, which is there preserved [the Italics are added]; and in his work, published in Belgium, he says that he collated them with those known and received amongst us; and that the variations were of the slightest possible character, the tones being ostensibly the same."
This extraordinary statement cannot be accepted without the title of M. Fetis' work, and the passage upon which it rests, verbatim in the author's own words. But I have no hesitation in saying that it is founded in error.
Thibaut (Ueber der Reinheit der Tonkunst, pp. 28-30.) speaks of a MS. of the Gregorian chants at St. Gall, in Switzerland, as old as the ninth century. This is believed, by all accredited modern writers upon music, to be the oldest MS. of the tones extant.
Edward F. Rimbault.
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, ACT V. SC. 2.
(Vol. vi., pp. 268. 296.)
Of this passage we might almost say conclamatum est; for really no good sense has yet been made of it, except by bold alterations. For my own part, I agree with A. E. B., that no alteration is required except in the punctuation, and not much even then. The text of the folios is given by Mr. Singer (Vol. vi., p. 268.), and I would read it thus:
"Nay, my good lord, let me o'errule you now.
That sport best pleases that doth least know how,