New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-03

order adequately to measure the Importance OF inc
German hymns. Our admiration Of Luthers hopie
choral Fine fsste Burg is cold and sprItless COM
pared with the fire and strength which 1t gave ID 'o
German people in its day. Few OF the early Engi'sn
Reforncrs sang as well as preached and even II
they had. their songs would have had more I'M
passive audience. 49,
The HYMNS of Germany, arranged according 10 inc
periods of their production, indicate the great Ms
torical movements which have shaped the destiny u
the people The Crusades. the Reformatioh cho
Thirty Years War, gave rise, in turn TO generation
of singers Mrs Winkworth gives few specimens
from the eighth and ninth centuries bat there Is
little TO attract our interest before the year oo
when the Easter Hymn Christ is arisen y appears
and the sweet and tender chants of the Mnnesngers
begin to dsBace the rougher monkfsh MINISTRIES Oh
the preceding centuries We doubt. however INC
propriety Of including Wolfram Won EsehehDaono
epic of "Parzival in a work OF TINS kii'o ~
understanding Its theme is tho search for the hoiy
Grail. Neither should we think Of aui'''"He
Frauenbob into the company Of hmyhoios'0sI'
Between the Minnesngers and the age u -" ..Ioa
but little is quoted then the catalogue 10 -
with memorable forms. Ulrie Won h"' 'i1 oIoo,
Instus Tomas and Paul Eber lift up their loo' ole",
- I'D Corno, verse begins to show its power OF
oorr,ino veigbtv tboughts. The specimens gwen
oro foitbfnIlv translated although they lose sohio
What af their ouaint, Tacy vlgor i'll Ifo pIoV''''
Tbev are instinct with Faith and Courage WIN al
undertore of cheerfulness which is III iehi' A"D'0
contrast to the gloomy pety OF many u o''i o,u'i
HYMNS The singers do not seem to feel that tney
ore lost sinners they have very positive cOhVlc'on
that God is on their side and that the Old Enemy is
going TO be soundy battered when no assais theih'
The same spirit is found in all the hymns quoted up
to the close of the Thirty Years War a. ID. losSJ'
after which it disappears, and gentler' more
warming form Of song-often, indeed versng On the
mystical-takes its place
little moro space is given to Paul Gerhardt, three
of whose beautiful hymns are quoted. Spencer,
Hitler Tersteegen and the Moravian singers follow,
and then Gellert and KopstOck the volume closing
with two HYMNS by Riickcrt While there is nothing
in the specimens furnished so POLITICALLY admirable
as Millions Christmas Hymn or Addison's "
" Spacious Firmament," or many other devotional
poems which we might select sfrOm English authors,
the superiority of the Germans strict hynOegp IS
very apparent Their hymns have richness and
fullness of EXPRESSION vital glow and strength and
rythmical completeness. which few English writers
of hymns have equaled. The plain iambic and
trochaic meters of Watts and Wesley seem to have
been accepted with as orthodox models, while IN
Germany Christian Praise has as many meters as IL
has forms Of individual expression. In these verses
of Tersteegen for instance, we find the original OF
the stanza which we have all found so charming III
LongfellOw's &" Seaweed'
Lost in darkness grit with dangers,
Round me strangers,
Through an aTcn land roam
Outward trials, bitter losses,
Lord, Thou knowst have sought me home.
Sin Of courage hath bereft me,
And hath left me
Scarce a spark Of faith or hope; ,
Bitter tears my heart Oft shcddctb,
As it dreadeth
/ am past Thy mercy's scope.
Peace cannot find; o take me,
Lord, and make me
From this yoke OF evil free;
Calm tins longing never sleeping,
Still my weeping,
Give me hope once in Thee"
We trust that this work may prepare the way for
carefully selected volume of German Hymns and
Chorals so translated that they may be sung to the
original melodies. Many Of them, are sure, would
give fitting expression TO that hearty cheerful re-
ligious sentiment which is at last driving out the
gloomy, ascetc element bequeathed to Us by the
Middle Ages and moreover they would serve as ex-
amples to show that devotional songs, instead of
being confined to a few keys, may be made free of
the widest range of music and metrcal expression.
We have only space for the following, which is curl
ousy adapted to the use of the congregations In some
parts of Colorado and Nevada. 1t is by Natthesius,
a pupil Of Luther:
MINERS SONG.
Father, Son. and Holy Ghost,
God dOst fix the miners post,
Thy Word hath made the wOndrous store
OF rock, and earth, and precious ore.
Good metal is a gift from Thee,
IT'S ours to use ii honestly
For God and country, as 'Us fit,
Not give it our hearts and worshp.it.
Who sees God in the precious stone,
Works truly, prays 10 Him alone
| Believes in Christ with all his heart,
| He doth the Christian miners part.
| God, who createdst quartz and sand,
| Change them 10 IN this our land:
Thy blessing guide us where 10 find,
Thy Spirit give the wise clear mind.
Who hath Thee knows Thy word and love
Better than much fine gold shall PROVE
Thy meaDest gift is goods and gold,
Christ is the mine OF wealth untold.
At Zarephath n smelters wife
Maintained Of Old the prophets life,
Believed his word, had peace and rest,
And Gods dear blessing with her guest.
SO we commend Lord, to Thy grace
Thy little Church within this place;
II hath received and keeps Thy Word,
Repay ii with true prophets, Lord.
AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LAW. BY FRANKLIN
CHAMBERLIS, 8yo., 99l pp o. ID. Case & Co., Hart.
ford.
This work has been prepared for the information
and use of business men, and is by much the largest
and most comprehensive of the treatses which have
lately appeared having similar object in view. 1t
differs from its predecessors, and think for the
better chiefly the respect that it aims to give the
legal principles which lie at the foundation of com
mercal law rather than the applications of that
law though every principle is so aptly illustrated
that an intelligent business man at once grasp
and apply it himself to his emergency. The compli-
cations of business are many, various, and diver
81,