escaped from its native home among Brown verse, and by chance became attached to the MISCELLANY, who hereby returns it with thanks to the distinguished author.

We are far from wishing to take back what was said last month in regard to the College Man. The idea is excellent, but as a representative inter-collegiate paper, is it quite fair for the College Man to publish, without investigation into its accuracy, such an article as "Vassar Girls' Debit and Credit" an article giving the opinions of an unknown individual, who seems to have drawn solely on her imagination (or personal experience) in what she describes?

The Amherst Literary Magazine expresses very clearly what many of us deeply feel in regard to the value of the college press criticism, and for this month at any rate we are inclined to follow its advice, in simply noticing the articles that have especially appealed to us. The Lit. itself deserves to be noticed-not in payment for its advice, however. The story" From the Doctor's Diary," is well written, and the "Window Seat," has capabilities, although it might be improved.

We were interested in the sketch in the Yale Lit. of the new Chicago University. The essay on Keats is suggestive. Its great fault is its florid diction. The article "Peg Woffington" is a clever bit.

There are two stories in the Nassau Lit. better than the usual run of College fiction. "Branded," and "Captain Farr and Edward Wiggins," the latter somewhat in Miss Mary Wilkins's style.

"The Grave of Forgotten Genius," in the Virginia University Magazine is interesting in the light of the evidence that it is an early work of Edgar Allan Poe. The style certainly seems his, but perhaps we are influenced by Mr. Page's introductory arguments.

The verse of the month is for the most part poor. "To Pyrrah," in the William's Lit. is a clever translation of a familiar ode.

In the Century, for April, we enjoyed especially “Early Intercourse of the Wordsworths and DeQuincey," and "There were Ninety and Nine," by Richard Harding Davis, for whose name we eagerly scan the contents of each magazine. Perhaps we are presumptuous to even speak of an author who is receiving so much favor from the literary world, but can we not add our mite of praise to what he has already received?

ALUMNÆ DEPARTMENT.

A meeting of the New York City Branch of the Vassar Students' Aid Society was held January 10th, 1891, at the home of Miss Haukinson, 114 West 45th Street. The special business of the meeting was the admission of associate members. After an animated debate it was voted that associate members should not be admitted to business meetings, and that associate membership should not be restricted to women. Eleven associates were then unanimously elected.

Despite the storm of March 21st, about thirty members of the Poughkeepsie Branch of the Vassar Students' Aid Society were present at the meeting in the Vassar Institute on that day. Miss Reynolds spoke to those present on "Human Nature in Wordsworth's Poetry." The President of the Branch announced the new scholarship, part of the money for which is already in the treasury and the rest soon to be raised by a play at the Institute.

The officers of the Branch wish to thank the instructors in the College who have assisted them in their work.

PRESS OF A. V. HAIGHT, POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y.

LUTHER AS A WRITER OF HYMNS.

Martin Luther, the musician, the poet, the writer of hymns, is not the Luther whom we know best. We think of him as the Luther of the Diet of Worms, the man who faced the Empire and the Church in his defense of his faith; the Luther who thundered out against indulgences denunciations which stirred all Europe; the Luther of fiery controversy, who needed the gentle Melancthon to hold his zeal in check; the fearless hero and leader of the Reformation. But in losing sight of this other side of his character, this other part of his lifework, we fail to understand one of the great influences which made him the leader, and gave him an almost unparalleled hold on the people at large. For, next to his German Bible, these hymns were the moving power which made Germany steadfastly Protestant. They "sang the Reformation into the hearts of the people.'

That such would be their influence the wise reformer clearly understood. He was too true a lover of music himself, to fail to appreciate the deep-seated love for this art which has ever been one of the leading characteristics of the Teutonic nations. In 1524 he wrote to a friend, "I wish, after the example of the prophets and ancient fathers of the church, to make German Psalms for the people, that is to say, sacred hymns, so that the word of

God may dwell among them by means of song also." Almost immediately after his return from the Wartburg, in 1522, he occupied himself with projects for the reform of the services of the church. Though the changes introduced were not sweeping, he took the service from the exclusive possession of the priests and made it one for the people. His alterations of the musical part of the Mass led to great results, for through them Luther became, if not the actual founder, yet the establisher of congregational singing. He shortened the Latin chants and in many instances replaced them by German hymns. Over the composition and adaptation of these hymns he worked during the two years in which he was engaged in arranging the Mass. In 1524 the first Protestant hymn book appeared, the nucleus of that great collection of sacred songs in which Germany is perhaps the richest country in the world.

To this early collection Luther added others from year to year, though by far the largest number were composed between 1523 and 1527. These hymns are thirty-six in number, and were peculiarly adapted to the needs of the people. They include translations and arrangements of most of the noble Latin hymns, which had been handed down with the traditions of the church and made sacred by the accumulated associations of centuries.

To these were added both amplification of early German translations of Latin hymns and corrections and arrangements of German hymns. Next to his five purely original church songs, those hymns are best known which are based upon Latin Psalms, and upon passages of the Bible. Among the original songs is that beginning

Nun freut euch lieben Christen gemein.

"The first voice of German church-song which flashed with power of lightning through all German lands in praise of the eternal decree of the redemption of the human race, and of the gospel of freedom."

Space does not permit much quotation and some of

the stanzas from the rather inadequate English translation of this great hymn must serve to give a glimpse of the spirit and style characteristic of the collection as a whole.

Dear Christian people, all rejoice,

Each soul with joy upspringing;

Pour forth one song, with heart and voice,
With love and gladness singing.

Give thanks to God, our Lord above,
Thanks for His miracle of love!
Dearly He hath redeemed us!

The devil's captive, bound I lay,
Lay in death's chains forlorn ;
My sins distressed me night and day,
The sin within me born;

I could not do the thing I would,
In all my life was nothing good,
Sin had possessed me wholly.

Then God saw, with deep pity moved,
My grief that knew no measure ;
Pitying, He saw, and freely loved,
To save me was his pleasure.

The Father's heart to me was stirred,
He saved me with no sovereign word,
His very best it cost Him!

He spoke to His beloved Son,

With infinite compassion,

"Go, my heart's most precious crown,
Be to the lost salvation!

Death, his relentless tyrant, stay;
And bear him from his sins away
With Thee to live forever!"

Willing the son took that behest ;
Born of a maiden mother,

To His own earth He came a guest,
And made Himself my brother.
All secretly He went His way,
Veiled in my mortal flesh He lay,

And thus the foe He vanquished.

Foremost among the "transcriptions" of the Psalms must be mentioned that grand old battle hymn of the Reformation, which to-day possesses the same power for