offered the whole of his vast property to save them from their fate; vain were his efforts,—vain all the energetic pleadings of a parent,—the utmost he could procure, was, the choice to liberate one,-more could not be granted, as numbers were yet wanting to complete their rage: In so awful and afflicting a situation, what could the father do? How could he make so dreadful a selection? How himself doom one son to destruction? He stood transfixed with horror! casting first an agonizing look at one, then at his other son, and, nature refusing to decide, both youths were butchered in his sight!

AMBROSE, who had heard of these cruel and barbarous deeds, wrote to THEODOSIUS, boldly reproaching him for his enormity; and when the emperor afterwards ventured to enter the church of Milan, met and refused him admittance. "You do not, I believe, consider, O emperor," said he, "the guilt of the massacre which you have committed; and though the violence of your passion be now over, yet your reason has not suggested to you the full extent of your crime; perhaps your imperial dignity may prevent you from perceiving it, and cast a cloud over your understanding: however, you ought to reflect upon the constitution of human nature, which is very weak and obnoxious to mortality, and that we are derived from dust, and must necessarily be dissolved into dust again;-be not so far deceived by the splendour of the pur

ple that invests you, as to forget the infirmity of the body which it covers; they are men of the same nature as yourself,-nay, they are your fellow-servants, whom you govern; for there is one LORD and Sovereign over all-he who created

the universe ;-with what eyes will you, therefore, view the temple of our common sovereign; and with what feet will you tread the sacred pave, ment:-how can you stretch out those hands which have been defiled with so much innocent blood;-how can you receive the holy body of our LORD in such polluted hands, or touch with your lips his precious blood, when you have commanded in your passion the blood of so many persons to be unjustly shed; -depart, therefore, and do not aggravate your former guilt by new provocations; receive the bond which God the Lord of all nature approves and recommends, for it contains a salutary power."

Awakened to a sense of his enormity, the emperor retired to his palace, and by contrition sought to appease the good and manly bishop, who at length again admitted him to join in devotion to the deity. THEODOSIUS, whose general character for virtue would appear to be unsullied almost in every other action of his life, was not insincere in his repentance; the burst of passion which seduced him to the massacre, once subsided, he became truly penitent, and strove by every effort in his power to render compensation. Hence the wise, the feeling, and irrevocable law,

he established, that no execution should take place until four weeks after sentence was pronounced.-Among other relics preserved at Milan, were "the very gates of the church which," says a modern traveller, "ST. AMBROSE shut against THEODOSIUS."

Such firmness of soul rendered AMBROSE the adoration of the church: no wonder then, that he was afterwards canonized as a brilliant example for human imitation: no wonder that our Reformers again introduced him to our calendar, from which, with others less worthy, he had been once expunged: The abandonment of all his earthly possessions, for the general benefit of the church, and the exemplary discharge of the sacred duty committed to his guidance, were the universal themes of enthusiastic gratitude.

ST. AMBROSE died at Milan, on the 4th of April, 397, and was buried in the great church. His works continue to be held in much respect, particularly the hymn of "TE DEUM," which he is said to have composed when he baptized St. AuGUSTINE, his celebrated convert. By some highly respectable authors, ST. AMBROSE is considered as the first who introduced the antiphonant method of chaunting: or one side of the choir alternately responding to the other; from whence that particular mode obtained the name of the Ambrosian chaunt, while the plain song introduced by AUSTIN, under the pontificate of St. GREGORY, still practised in the Romish service, is called the Gregorian or

Roman chaunt: [See page 259, and Vol. II. p. 6.] The chaunt of the English cathedrals appears to be nearest the last, though it still partakes of the Ambrosian practice. It was a maxim of St. AuGUSTINE, that music should never be encouraged in places of public worship to an extent that might endanger a due and proper attention to divine service. "I always," said he, " think myself blameable, when I am drawn more to the singer than to what is sung;" and queen ELIZABETH, although she strongly enjoined the practice of singing in churches, endeavoured to guard against the probability of too great a display of skill in music, rendering the Service less significant and impressive: she, therefore, ordered that the Common Prayer should be sung in so plain and distinct a manner, that the pronunciation might be equally well heard as though it were read; but allowed an anthem to be sung at the beginning and ending of the Service, for the gratification of such as were particularly attached to a more scientific performance. The metrical psalmody thus introduced, is still practised in our parochial churches..

Low Sunday,

(5TH APRIL, 1812,)

Or the Sunday next succeeding Easter-day, took that appellation from a custom in the antient church, of repeating in an abridged, or as it was then termed, lower degree of solemn observance, part of the service appropriated to the joyful commemoration of CHRIST's resurrection; or, in other terms, this Sunday received its distinguishing title, because its ceremonies were not of so grand and pompous a nature, as the high festival of Easter.

Quasi modo is another name for this Sunday, which frequently occurs in old records; Festi Quasi Modo Geniti, being the first words of the antient introit, or hymn for mass on this day: and it is to be remembered that in former ages, all Sundays throughout the year, not high festivals, had names assigned to them from the like

cause.

Dominica in Albis is also a further title of this Sunday, which took its origin from the chrisoms, or white robes, considered as emblems of innocence and purity, having been then laid aside, which had been placed upon those christened on Easter-eve.