St. Gregory and the Gregorian Music

The original conception of this little book was due to the Rev. W. H. Frere, and it could not have been carried out at all without his help and advice, which have been ungrudgingly given.

But he is not responsible for any part of the book, except the notes on the tropes and the third and fourth portraits of St. Gregory. Whatever else in the book is of any value has been compiled from the following sources:--

Morin.--"Les véritables origines du Chant Grégorien." Maredsous, 1890. Morin.--"Revue Bénédictine," for May, 1890. Maredsous. Wagner.--"Einführung in die Gregorianischen Melodien," Pt. 1. Freiburg, 1901. Frere.--"Graduale Sarisburiense." Plainsong and Mediæval Music Society, London, 1894. "Paléographie Musicale," Vols. v. and vi. Solesmes, 1896. "Rassegna Gregoriana," for March-April, June, and July, 1903. Rome.

E. G. P. WYATT.

[Illustration: St. Gregory and his Parents]

IMAGINES.AD.VIVVM.EXPRESSAE EX.ÆDICVLA.SANCTI.ANDREÆ PROPE.BEATI.GREGORII.MAGNI.ECCLESIAM NECNON.EX.VITA.EIVSDEM.BEATI.GREGORII A.IOANNE.DIACONO.LIB.IV.CAP.LXXXIII.ET.LXXXIV CONSCRIPTA Fol. 368.

Hieronymus Rossi sculp. Romæ

GORDIANVS.S.GREGORII.PATER S.GREGORIVS.MAGNVS SILVIA.S.GREGORII.MATER

INTRODUCTION.

The Great Pope, the thirteen hundredth anniversary of whose death is commemorated on March the 12th, 1904, was born at Rome, probably about the year 540. His father, Gordianus, was a wealthy man of senatorial rank; his mother, Silvia, was renowned for her virtues. He received from his parents an excellent liberal and religious education. He further applied himself to the study of law, and--probably at about the age of 30--was made prætor of Rome by the Emperor Justin II. But he became dissatisfied with his mode of life, and retiring to the monastery of St. Andrew, which he had founded on the Coelian hill, lived there as monk and as abbot. He had long been an ardent admirer of St. Bennet (who had been dead little more than thirty years), and on his father's death had made use of his patrimony to found six other monasteries in Sicily. He was not, however, allowed to enjoy his retirement at St. Andrew's for long, for Pope Benedict I. ordained him deacon, and sent him to Constantinople as his apocrisiarius or confidential agent. Pelagius II. continued him in this office, making use of him especially to appeal to the Emperor for aid against the Lombards, who, while settling in North Italy, were wandering southwards, devastating the country as they went.